I hope this doesn' t turn into another KE vs. momentum thread as my head is still spinning from the last one...

I am in the crowd that tends to prefer heavy carbons. With my typical setup I usually need a " heavy carbon" to be properly spined for my setup. Just to put things in perspective, a heavy carbon is one weighing at least 9 grains per inch. I believe my Bemans fall right on that line. Total arrow weight for my setup usually falls in the 420-430 grain range which translates into somewhere between 6-6.5 grains per pound of draw weight for my various setups.

Both aluminum and carbon have their redeeming qualities. Most aluminum tolerances tend to be better than the ICS carbons and their heavier weight does lend itself to a quieter bow. Carbons tend to produce more speed not only because of their lighter overall weight, in comparison to aluminum, but also because they recover quicker out of any given bow. They also get better penetration because of the diameter of most ICS shafts. However, the main reason I enjoy shooting them is because of their durability.

I do not think I would have a problem dinging up any aluminums I might shoot nowadays as my shooting skills have improved. However, I try to keep my hunting setups as simple and durable as possible. For that I prefer carbons.

Good luck with the aluminums....there definitely are reasons that they are still around.