I heard a new one from a pro shop guy I usually trust a lot with my stuff. Have had some problems with my new broadheads flying and we determined it was my arrows. Had the cabelas stalker extremes. They were spinning horrible well worse then the .005 they advertise. He explained to me that when pulling them out of hard targets and gripping tight I could be actually bending the carbon arrows and the arrows were retaining this bend. Has anyone else heard of this I always thought carbons were either straight or broken.

The either broke or straight is a myth. You've most likely shot the spine out of them....In other words, the spine has broken in them and they are no good. Get some new arrows, I bet that helps, even the ones you currently shoot.

I always advise to get the best arrows you can afford. I know they aren't cheap, and I don't mean for you to break the bank, but get the best ones you can, whatever they are.

if you are shooting ACC they will bend but a carbon arrow NO
twisting a carbon arrow out of a target is not good because it can seperate the bonded fibers but just to pull the arrow strait out will not harm or bendthe arrow.

you can weaken a carbon arrow shooting at hard targets like foamlatex anamals a lot because there is no give and just downright hard on arrows
but just under normal shooting conditions and using a bag target will prolong the life of any arrow carbon or aluminum.

You've got a good pro shop guy and you're wise to trust him.He knows the 'carbon is either straight or broken' line is a pure lie. It's not a myth, it's a flat, bald faced lie. Always has been.

Carbon arrows dobend, they just don't STAY bent.They bend (or flex, if you like that word better)back and forth quite a bitevery timethey are launched from the bow and every againtime they hit a target. But carbon arrows are manufactured with a memory. The material is supposed to be such and such straightness, so theyusually go back to thatstraightness whenthey quit bending/flexing.

When theyflex enough times though (varies according to the quality of materials and/or design), they lose their memory andnever go back as straight as they were when they were new.They cannot be straightened. They also lose spine.In short, carbon arrowsdo wear out and need to be replaced when you notice they aren't as good as they used to be.

I'd beta HUGE amounttimeiswasted and endless frustration endured by untoldnumbers ofbowhunters who believe the 'carbon is either straight or broken' lie,trying to tunetheir bows when they could settle the whole situation byspending a few minutes with an arrow spinner.

Dang Right!, I'm one of them. I've been shooting 3&4 Year Old carbons and each season wind up with fewer than the previous that will hold a group with a fixed blade head. Next year I'll start off with a fresh batch or two.....

As Arthur said, they can warp and lose straigtness. Also lose spine as they are shot more and more. They are sort of like "renting beer" but last a little longer than that.

This is an excellent thread guys, and it has the kind of information and experience that keeps me coming here everyday. Thanks for giving me new knowledge, of something that I was unaware of. Luckily, I had already decided to swap arrows, and have bought 2 doz. A/C/C's. Those should last me for a little while. My carbons were about 3 years old, and shooting wide groups........ And I thought it was just because I wasn't any good....LOL ....

Well after I found out this info on my cabelas stalkers I went ahead and spent the cash and bought a doz carbon express maximas. I know these are a much higher quality arrow. How long should I expect them to last before I notice the same bend in them or will I?

You're going to get excellent life out of those, but to be honest, they are new enough that no standard has really been set. It's just impossible to say how long they, or any carbon arrow for that matter, will last. There are just too many variable, but you've bought some really, really good arrows.

it really depends on you
if you are rough on arrows they wont last as long as if you go easy
what I mean by that is what type of medium you shooting them into
depends a lot on how much you shoot if you shoot every day 6 months

once a week a few years

pull the bow out the week before season and goes back in the closet the day gun day opens untilnext Bowseason, you may never have to replace them

Bottom line is how often you shoot.

you can make a spine tester pretty easy that way you can chech them new and record the spine deflect and check them periodicaly.

I think Petes place has plans on how to make one