I am mostly a western bowhunter. That means my shots at deer, elk and most other big-game species are usually farther than shots at whitetail deer. The average whitetail is taken at 19 yards. The average mule deer, pronghorn or elk is shot at almost exactly twice that far-just under 40 yards. This is not a guess. Official statistics from the Pope and Young Record Club and other info-gathering groups prove such facts.

So you might think I would naturally prefer lightweight carbon or carbon/aluminum arrows for flatter trajectory and better wind-cutting ability at longer range. But you would be wrong. The major key-the bottom line-in bowhunting is accuracy. And I have found that lightweight projectiles do not usually produce the excellent accuracy I demand. What they give me in flat trajectory they take back in touchy or downright poor broadhead flight.

For this reason, I still prefer aluminum arrows. I even prefer these over the fine Easton A/C/C aluminum/carbon combination shafts, because pure aluminum XX78s are still guaranteed straighter than even A/C/Cs-and I know straighter arrows mean straighter shooting. Besides, I believe a hunting arrow can fly too fast for many applications. High speed might be OK for the upper 5 percent of bowhunters with the ability, time and dedication to tune a bow perfectly and shoot it very well. For the other 95 percent of archers, arrow speed tends to be a liability. Fixed-blade broadheads don' t fly consistently, so the quick-fix for the average guy or gal is an open-on-impact head that penetrates less deeply and bends or breaks more easily. Even if a mechanical arrow hits spot-on, the buck or bull might not die as quickly...if at all.

And truly fast arrows-over 300 fps-are very hard to see. They disappear from the bow, giving you almost no chance to correct your aim for a second shot if the first one misses. Even if the first arrow does hit flesh, it can be difficult to know exactly where it did hit. Such factors can reduce your ability to recover animals. So after repeatedly trying carbon arrows, I still prefer aluminum.

Nothing-and I mean nothing-can match the pure precision of aluminum hunting shafts. Easton guarantees the XX78 Super Slam within +/- .0015-inch of perfectly straight. Although some carbon shaft manufacturers blow smoke about similar straightness, I have not found that it exists consistently from batch to batch of shafts. Even the odd carbon shaft that comes off the conveyor belt perfectly straight has a hidden problem. Wall thickness is almost never the same 360 degrees around. This means multiple spines within the same size shaft. Rotate the nock a different way and you' ll get a different point of impact with a fixed-blade broadhead.

I was with a pal just last November when the biggest mule deer I've ever seen stepped out 50 yards away. I hit the huge 7x9 with my rangefinder beam, drew my 2317 aluminum shaft and sent the big Thunderhead 125 broadhead completely through the buck. Flat trajectory on such a shot did not matter, because I exactly knew the range. My arrow arrived about a quarter-second later than a very lightweight carbon shaft would have, and it rose a bit higher at mid-range.
But the result was satisfying and predictable. Like every other aluminum arrow in my quiver, I knew this one would fly true. Only complete confidence in your " ammo" can let you take such shots.

An acquaintance of mine in the archery industry cannot claim such confidence. He officially represents and promotes a lower-end brand of carbon arrow shafts, but he recently told me he does so with difficulty. "I shoot four or five dozen broadhead arrows at 30 yards, "this guy explained. "On average, only five or six hit the same place. I take those, mark them, and go deer hunting." When I asked how he could justify recommending such poor-quality products, he kicked the dirt and nervously grinned, "The checks don't bounce from the company I represent," he said, which about says it all. Sadly, the average all-carbon hunting arrow is not very straight, and wall thickness is not uniform 360 degrees a round. But the average hunter does not know this. He is swept along by a tide of bowhunting peer pressure, grabbing whatever is perceived as faster and better. This person does not have the luxury of buying four dozen shafts, culling out 3 1/2 dozen and then hunting deer. He enters the woods with arrows that might spray broadheads like pellets from a cylinder- bore shotgun. He suffers, and the deer suffer.

The main reason I still prefer aluminum arrows is precision. If you doubt what I say about the difference, spin a few dozen carbon and aluminum shafts over commercial arrow rollers. If you don't own rollers, you should buy a set through your archery store or Cabela's. These are valuable not only for sorting shafts. They also help you to install hunting broadheads without wobble-another key to accuracy.

Last June I bowhunted black bear in Canada. There were 15 other hunters in camp, and two-thirds were shooting all-carbon arrows. Our outfitter discouraged the use of open-on-impact broadheads, because he' s seen such poor performance on big-boned bruins. So, most of the guys were shooting fixed-blade heads. None of the five aluminum shooters in camp had trouble checking their gear before the hunt. They drilled the tiny bull' s eye on the Block target behind the lodge, put away their bows and relaxed. But the carbon shooters were tearing their hair out. Broadheads zoomed up, down and sideways at high speed. Arrows occasionally missed completely and clattered through the trees. It was something I see all too often these days in hunting camps. The afternoon before our first hunting day, I pulled out my arrow rollers to check a few broadheads for alignment. Soon, I was surrounded by the whole hunting gang, and before long we were spinning everybody' s arrows. The carbon shooters were appalled. Many of their shafts were wobbling badly at one or both ends. Rollers showed the imprecision clearly. Since you cannot straighten a crooked carbon arrow, the bear hunters began culling shafts like my industry acquaintance whose "checks don' t bounce." They shot these, got reasonably good broadhead flight, and went to their bear stands with more confidence. But most swore they would switch back to aluminum arrows as soon as they got home.

Every bowhunter needs a little arrow roller education. It makes XX75 and XX78 aluminum shafts look very, very good. Several days later, I shot my largest-ever black bear from 22 yards. Live weight-more than 500 pounds. The arrow flew like a dart and passed through the bear like he was hot butter. It's interesting how carbon-shaft proponents have tried to turn the arrow-penetration debate upside-down. Let me explain.

It cannot be debated that a heavier arrow from your bow has more energy than a lighter arrow from the same bow. It' s simply a matter of physics. The heavy projectile absorbs a higher percentage of bow energy, and the heavy projectile also retains energy better downrange. At point-blank range (3 feet), the average carbon arrow from your bow will have about 2.5 percent less energy than a heavier, same-spine aluminum arrow from the same bow. At 40 yards, the heavy arrow will have about 8 percent more energy.

But carbon-arrow buffs still insist that a skinny arrow penetrates better than a larger-diameter arrow because it supposedly drags less through flesh. This is nonsense. The broadhead cuts a very large hole in an animal-much larger than any shaft-and the shaft slides along behind with next to no friction. Fat, blood and other body fluid in the wound channel helps to lubricate the hole. Every carbon versus aluminum penetration test I've seen has been conducted in dense foam, ballistic gelatin or another material that clamps around the shaft as it passes through. Of course a skinny shaft penetrates better in such material. But flesh does exactly the opposite. It springs away from the shaft as the broadhead cuts. Shaft diameter is beside the point in penetrating animals.

If you do prefer carbon hunting arrows, it is true that small-diameter carbon shafts penetrate better than larger carbon shafts, but probably not for the reason you imagine. A smaller carbon shaft must have thicker walls to achieve a particular spine (stiffness). So a skinny carbon shaft is always heavier than a fatter carbon shaft of the same spine. Since heavier shafts penetrate better than lighter shafts, skinny carbon out-penetrates fatter carbon. That' s one reason Easton promotes their top-end Super Slim and Axis shafts as excellent penetrators. Both are a bit heavier than less slender carbon versions, so they do indeed drive deeper.

One of the biggest selling points of carbon arrows is durability. You can shoot carbon into rocks, trees, stumps and other accidental targets with better chance of arrow survival. But high-end XX75 and XX78 aluminum arrows are quite durable, and unlike carbon, they can be straightened. I figure I'll miss fewer shots with aluminum, so the durability issue is not all that important to me. Besides, even the best aluminum shafts are less expensive than many carbon versions, so I can buy more aluminum to compensate for the handful that become severely bent or kinked. A few target-oriented archers point to the wind-cutting ability of a faster, thinner carbon or carbon/aluminum shaft. I agree that a quick, skinny arrow has less air time and also catches less wind as it flies. But I don' t believe the practical difference in hunting is significant.

For example, consider the dandy 11-point Kansas whitetail deer I shot in late 2003. I stalked that buck in a driving 40 mph crosswind. The animal was in his bed when I peeked over a hill, drew my bow and nailed him from about 30 yards. I aimed a couple of inches into the wind and hit him right where I wanted to. Had I been shooting 3-D deer targets in a tournament, an archer using all-carbon or Easton A/C/Cs might have achieved a higher score. But on the real-live deer, my fat 2317 arrow cut the wind plenty good enough.

There are other things I like about aluminum arrows. They are easier to fletch than skinny carbon-particularly with a practical helical fletch that rifles the arrow and better stabilizes broadheads. Fatter aluminum is also easier to tune with many arrow rest designs, especially "shoot through" models that allow larger prong gaps with larger shafts. My favorite fletching configuration with aluminum arrows is 5-inch plastic vanes set at a 7-degree helical. These provide proper weight-forward balance in an arrow over 500 grains and create enough rear-end drag to stabilize the biggest broadheads well. My arrows rotate about one full turn during every 3 feet of forward travel-an excellent spin rate for fixed-blade broadhead stability. As most readers know, I use three red fletches, because red is the only color that appears medium gray to animals yet shows up clearly to my eye when it hits game. The fat 22-, 23- and 24-diameter full-length aluminum arrows I prefer for most hunting situations, backed by 5-inch vanes, look positively huge compared to short, skinny and tiny-fletched carbon/aluminum or all-carbon arrows. But my arrows get the job done well, and when I hit a large animal like a caribou, elk or moose, I usually shoot completely through.

There is almost always more than one right way to do anything. For example, if I we re forced to shoot very light, reasonably straight aluminum/carbon shafts, I would set up a moderate-speed bow that produced decent accuracy with these arrows. And then I would go hunt animals with confidence. But I would be even more confident with aluminum. When a giant animal steps out like my best-ever mule deer from 2004, my World Record American elk from 2000, or my best-ever Canadian black bear from 2004, I want to be assured that any shaft in my quiver will fly to precisely the right place...even if I make a small shooting mistake due to nerves, fatigue or cold. Aluminum gives me that confidence, so I prefer it more than all other contemporary shaft materials.

For me, aluminum works. And I believe aluminum will still work best for most modern bowhunters. If you aren't getting perfect performance with carbon arrows and fixedblade broadheads, I would encourage you to give aluminum another try. Many bowhunters are, and all the ones I know have very big grins on their faces!

I wonder if now that he shoots mechs he will be going to carbon now

Yup! That is where I will be shooting them.If I need to extend it to 30yards, that is why it will be with carbon arrows (flat trajectory). It works for me!

Take it with a grain of salt, Not that he's wrong or biased but let's not forget who sponsors Chuck Adams

Then why is he in an add for FULL METAL JACKETS in the most recent North American Hunter mag.(page M of the bowhunting section)? Last time I checked FMJ were not all aluminum.

Because he gets paid to write and say these things by, easton thats why.

I believe I have read this, maybe 3 yrs ago? There are still a lot of folks that shoot aluminum.

I do not shoot carbon for the speed or light weightbut the feature of being able to flex and twist, if it is OK, it is straight.

Shot aluminum for years and was always straightening shafts. They do stear well because they are usually heavier and larger fletching is used, usually. IMO

I've always used aluminum arrows for hunting and will continue to do so. They work very well for their purpose and my set-up.

I think Chuck is just telling us why "he" prefers Aluminum.
Easton makes carbon arrows too as well as owning Beman

Not sure they would "pay" him to specifically steer everyone away from carbon arrows?

I used aluminum arrows for many years and they worked fine, they still do.
Been shooting carbons for the last 5 years or so and they work also.

My advise would be to try both and see which ones work best for you and your set up.

But you can't take the mans record with a grain of salt no matter who pays him.

Biggest myth in archery, I can't believe people still buy into that crap. Carbons can and do go bad. And when they do they are MUCH worse than aluminums. That is if they are good out of the box to begin with.

I feel pretty much the same way as Chuck does. Although I do think there are some very good mechanicals on the market. You still need to tune your equipment and shoot enough bow to use them though. Some mechanicals penetrate better than some large fixed blades however.

Chuck is old school, it is hard to get him to change his ways. And if he does it's for a good reason.

I think he is probably one of the best hunters in generations, and he was a pretty decent target archer from what I understand as well. However like said you do need to keep in mind like his buddy he gets paid to say the things he says. You also have to keep in mind he is sponsored by Easton and they are a huge Carbon arrow manufacturer. I'm sure they are not thrilled about him talking smack about carbon arrows.

I have never heard him say he doesn't like the hybrid arrows like FMJ and ACC's. He just prefers large aluminums better. When you see him do an add for Epics or something then you can call him on it. Then again it might be in his contract so he would have to do it.

Paul