Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

I'm just getting into the sport of bowhunting and am looking for some advice on my first setup. I'd love to get people's opinions on carbon arrows vs aluminum arrows. After talking to some friends and doing some reading it seems like people definitely favor the carbon arrows so I was set to go that route. However I've also run accross a few posts with a good number of people reporting that a carbon arrow has exploded when shot, in most cases causing injury to the bow hand and in one case, amputation of the forearm due to carbon poisoning. I've also heard that after being shot a deer can shatter the arrow while running if you don't get a passthrough and ruin much of the meat.
If anyone here has had experiences with carbon and/or aluminum arrows I'd be very interested in hearding about them. I'm not afraid to shoot the carbons, but I'm curious if the pros outweigh the potential cons. Maybe these are a very few isolated incidents and blown out of proportion, or maybe not, I'm not really sure at this point. Can anyone throw some of their veteran bowhunter advice my way?

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Goodness, I have killed alot of deer in my life, and can't say I have came across alot of what you say as far as a danger to my health. I remember back in 1984 or 86, when we all bought bemans, they actually did shatter and it caused injury. But after they have been radially wrapping them,I haven't heard of a shatter in over a decade. Also, I have had alot break in a deer while running or roll over on them, whatever, but haven't ruined meat over it.

Aluminums break tooor bend when deer are running.

I still hunt aluminums with my recurve and longbow. And consider going back to them for a new commander I just got. But mostly I use carbon. I do have alot of gripes with carbon lately. These manufactures sell us with straightness, and consistency, but we don't get that in the finished product. On average I find 3 out of 12 carbons that are not straight enough for broadhead use, or have inconsistent spine. You just won't find that with aluminums.

Alum Pros:Straight, consistent spine, heavy, easy to fletch, easy to heat to change out or turn inserts, doesn't loose spine as fast as carbons, cheap as of now, can be straightened somewhat
Alum Cons: large diameter, build up micro bends over use, has tendency to make noise when hit or drawn back and heavy which some see as bad? (I don't)

Carbon Pros: Its either broke or it not, never bends, small diameter available, Higher FOC generally
Carbon Cons:Good ones are expensive, I find looses spine over time, generally I find 25-30% are junk out of a dozen

One piece of advise, if you pay alot of money for a bow, go and buy the best carbon you can afford. I see so many people get a 1000 dollar bow setup and then pay 60 dollars for carbon arrows. The arrow is the most important component. YOu can take the best tuned bow, and shoot garbage arrows, and never get it to shoot good.

I am going to buy carbon tech next time. Carbon Express Edge's have let me down, so has beman MFX.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

You pretty well wrapped this one up Mark. I shoot the more expensive carbons as well. A couple of very experienced bowhunters in my circle have gone to the carbon/aluminum hybrids, like the Axis FMJ and the A/C Super Slims. I'm currently giving this some thought . . . . .

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Thanks for the replies. I hadn't heard about the quality issues with some carbons, that's good information to have. I figured the shattering wasn't real common or there would be more discussion about it in forums like this.

The hybrids sound interesting, I might give them a look before making a purchase.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

I shoot AND reccomend high quality carbon arrows. The scare about the carbon arrow shattering and spreading glass fibers into meat is a myth-at least with todays carbon arrows/shafts. I've found carbon shafts to be a LOT more durable than aluminum arrows.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

X2

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

shoot an arrow that will fit your hunting needs and thats all there is to it. If you want a fast arrow, shoot a carbon. If you want velocity shoot the right spined aluminums

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

I'd add a point or two to those pro's and con's.

With aluminum, they will shoot perfectly with broadheads 999 times out of a thousand. Very few problems getting aluminum arrows to shoot as accurately with broadheads as they do with field points because of their consistency. Also because of their consistency, it is incredibly easy to tune a bow with them.

If you avoid the very thin walled aluminum shafts, stick with shafts with wall thickness at least .015" and thicker, they will be every bit as durable as carbon arrows. They also very good at resisting bending, especially in the larger diameters, 22/64ths and larger. At least that has been my experience. Downside? Thicker wall means heavier shaft. Heavier arrow means less speed. See below. ;)

The highly touted speed of carbon arrows is vastly overblown in most hunting situations. If you're shooting a high performance compound at around 60 pounds and keep your shots within 30 yards, there is barely an inch of difference in trajectory between a 350 grain arrow and a 500 grain arrow.

And, with a simple tool, aluminum arrows can usually be straightened back to, or very near, factory tolerances. With the larger, thicker aluminums I recommend, an impact that will bend the arrow beyond repair will most likely destroy a carbon arrow as well.

"Carbons are either straight or broken" is a nice little cliche you see bandied about all over the web. Unfortunately, it's a myth. Carbons don't bend (which also means they can't be straightened) but they DO warp. The more they are used, the more they warp. You can check a carbon arrow for straightness, shoot it for a month. Come back and check it again and it will not be as straight as it was.

Many people get the idea that carbons are 'forever' arrows, meaning once they buy them they last forever until they are lost or broken. Not so. Carbon arrows are simply carbon fibers suspended in a thermoset glue matrix. The matrix can, and does, develop micro fractures which weakens the arrow. You can check a carbon arrow for spine then shoot it for a month. When you come back to check it again, the spine will be weaker.

We get so many questions on this forum about tuning problems. Can't get their bows to tune. These poor folks go to all kinds of trouble, moving their rests left and right, even going so far as changing their rests to a different type, and nobody ever thinks to ask the question: How much have you shot with those arrows? Many of these 'tuning problems' could be easily solved with new arrows.

With use, carbons lose straightness. They lose spine stiffness. They develop weak spots. They do not last forever! The changes occur slowly. They sneak up on you. One day you notice you're not shooting as well as you expect and nothing you do makes any improvement. That's the time to go and buy new arrows.

Also, carbon arrows are a step backwards to the years of wood arrows in one very important point. You need to constantly be checking for cracks. The horror stories you've heard are true and they are not a thing of the past. There are still people getting injured by carbon arrows that blow up on release. These incidents are almost certainly all caused by shooting cracked arrows.

I'm not saying don't buy carbon arrows. I'm not saying that high quality carbons aren't good. I'm just saying don't buy into the mythology that surrounds them. The safety issue just demands the simple precaution of flexing the arrow each time before you shoot. Also, you need to do a close visual inspection of the nock and point ends of each arrow after a day of shooting, or after the arrow impacts ANY hard surface. Checking arrows for cracks before shooting them just gets to be a habit after awile, like looking both ways before crossing the street.

And I will also parrot what was said above about the carbon/aluminum composite arrows. They offer the best of both worlds. The consistency of aluminum with the toughness of a carbon sheathing. :)

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

I have hunted with carbons from the start with afc, bemen and I never ever had one shatter or have seen one shattering in a bow, but not to say it hasn't happen before, but it has happen to aluminums too. At one time xx78s we would even get them in the store new and thay would have crackes in them. Seen a picture where a archer shot a xx78 2413 throught his hand that broke in the bow. They do have that fixed now, but it has happen before. Only time I have shatter a carbon arrow is when I robin hooded them. About spreading glass in the meat I don't eat the heart and lungs anyway and never had one stay in a deer or elk any way it's alway passed through. That was a myth any way. Easton started that to try slowing the sells of them down tell they could buy one of the carbon arrow companies out, which they did. Then they where ok to use. The carbons made now day don't shatter they will brake off clean like aluminums if you can brake one. Always check your arrows if you hit somthing hard for cracks, dents and if they are striaght carbon are aluminums, They are the most important part for shooting good.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

One thing you have to keep in mind when reading things on the net, things aren't always as they appear. People are selling their own stuff. I wouldn't be surprise in the least if some of what you've read is one brand trying to talk you out of one and into another.

The very best thing you can do is shoot both and find out for yourself. I have no problems with either and can shoot both at the same time with very good results. I just don't like the noise that aluminum arrows make when pulled across a rest. I would imagine that being new you might try a WB. I can only guess at the noise one will make going through that rest. Not good at all I'm think'n.

As far as the fibers in the meat. Shoot'm through the lungs and forget about it. Don't know where theseothersare shooting for it to be a concern.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

i tried a tool to straighten aluminum arrows. it dont work. once aluminum bends it essentially stretches so that arrow will never go back to original form. that arrow will be different from the rest in your quiver. i have carbons from years ago with at least a couple hundred shots on them and they still hit where there supposed to. as far as carbon shatter i think its just people being cheap and that they wont disguard an arrow with questionable wear marks. i have aluminums on my older bows because thats how they were set up. i use carbons today. thats my vote. does anyone remember fiberglass arrows back in the late 70-s?

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Oh God, the carbon vs aluminum debate...

Let me sum it up like this: "Once you go black, you'll never go back" ;) Carbon arrows are either straight and shootable or they're broken. I have never seen a bent carbon arrow.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

liquidorange Yes I have shot fiberglass arrow back in the 60s They shot well out of my 65lb recurve, but didn't shoot good out of a compounds. I have shot microfight, gorden glass and herter glass arrows and I like them for hunting, they did split on the ends when you hit something hard and where heavy. There was no oscilation, so they where quieter out of the bow and retained more energy than aluminum

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Actually there is alot of oscilation in fiberglass. Its an excellent conductor of vibration and underdamped frequency response. Carbon, not so much so.

You can still find those arrows for sale on some trad sites.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

i have shot carbon and aluminum arrows even with the WB for carbon and i shot aluminum and it was quiet. I like carbon arrows atleast for right now it will be my first hunting season this year, so next year i am gonna play around with arrows i am thinking about trying those new half carbon and half aluminum arrows.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

If you lose one, it will make you cry :(

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Auther-I havta beg to differ with your opinion. Aluminum arrows ain't just as durable as carbon arrows,and I know this for a fact that a tree hit @ 50 yards will bust a aluminum arrow whereas a carbon tree hit @ 10 yards will still be as good as new-AFTER digging it out. We've tested them side by side with identical bows/setups and the carbon wins hands down.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Stalkingbear, you are welcome to your opinion. My opinion is based on over 50 years of shooting -hunting and competition- with wood, fiberglass, aluminum, carbon, aluminum cored carbon and carbon/fiberglass composite arrows. I have been a year-round shooter for many years, shooting literally thousands of arrows each year. I've broken and worn out my fair share of arrows. I've also done destructive testing, shooting concrete blocks to see how tough carbons are vs aluminum. So, even though it might be my opinion, it is based on my expriences. So, I firmly stand by my comment.

I know for a fact that sometimes it takes a whole lot of impact to ruin ANY arrow. Sometimes it seems like the tiniest little dink will completely tear one up. It depends completely on the way the arrow impacts and the million and one tiny variables that go into making up that incident. That goes for any arrow made from any kind of material. If you make judgements based on one isolated incident, you are drawing false conclusions.

These wrapped carbons we've got today are definitely far better with durability than the old pultruded ones were. Maybe you've been around long enough to remember those? These wrapped ones snap in two, might toothbrush out a bit, but they most definitely do not shatter into long slivers like those pultruded ones did. I think I'd still cut out the meat for several inches around the wound channel if a carbon broke while going through the animal though, just to be on the safe side. That's one thing you don't have to worry about with aluminum.

Another point, if you hit what you're aiming at, you don't have to worry about arrows breaking when they bounce off rocks and trees. When it comes to putting an arrow exactly where I want it, I have a lot more faith in the arrow to arrow consistency of aluminum arrows than I do with carbon. So an aluminum will bend or break when a deer falls over on it, or smacks it into a tree while it's running off. Big deal! By that time, it's done it's job. I might be a cheapskate but not so much of one that I expect to use an arrow again after it's made it's kill. Any arrow I can use after it's made a kill is just icing on the cake.

A major thing with me.... With aluminum, if I miss I know it is my fault. With carbon, I can never be quite sure because, on a number of occasions, I've had a carbon arrow go bad on me from one shot to the next.

Carbons got popular because of their lightness and speed, making mistakes in yardage estimation on long shots less costly on the 3D course. In the woods, there are no rules saying we can't use rangefinders. There are no rules saying we have to shoot from this stake right here. We can get as close as we want before taking the shot. We can (and, I think, we are ethically obliged to) use a rangefinder to know the exact distance to an animal before we loose an arrow at it. There should be no such thing as shooting at an unknown distance at long range in a hunting situation. When I know the distance, an aluminum arrow has an advantage over carbon. Again, due to it's much better consistency.

With carbons, to get consistency and straightness anywhere close to that of even inexpensive alumninum arrows, you have to go way up the price scale. Between el cheapo carbons and aluminums in the same price range, there is no contest. Aluminums are far and away the better arrows.

Carbon's advantages are vastly overblown and so are the disadvantages of aluminum.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Authur-you have a lot more experience than me as I got started in bowhunting in 1974,with first bowkilled deer in 1977. I had no one to help or advise me in any way except magazines. Looks like we'll simply have to shake hands and agree to disagree on it. I only shoot the very best carbon arrows available. I'm somewhat of a equipment geek as I have to try every rest/broadhead/sight/release/arrow/etc that comes out.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

One thing I can say other then what Art has already said about aluminums is that when I shoot the long shots at the range (and I love doing this), I don't have the little voice saying "If you miss youcould be out $10". It drives me crazy because I am setting myself up for failure before I even shoot. I couldn't bring myself to taking these shots with carbons. With the aluminums, I don't think twice.

Too bad Easton stopped making the regular game getters (the green ones). They were always my favorite choice.I'm using Easton Legacy now.

Sold all my tapered carbons earlier this year.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Arthur P you must be as old as me. I started shooting back in 1965 and was shooting pro at 21 with my old recruve with a 300 average indoors and I was shooting 50 to 100 arrows evey day of the week. I have also used about evey arrow out there hunting with wood, fiberglass, aluminums and carbons. I was alway looking for a better arrow to hunt with. My way of thinking was that I owed it to the game that I hunted to use the best tools and to shoot at my best to make a cleanest kill that I could. When the first carbons came out afc's. I thought I had found it and was shooting 300s 50 x's finger indoors, shooting in the 520's to 530's Field and taking two to there bucks a season and maybe a Elk. 2200 afc's target bow and 2540"s with my 70 lb hunting bow. Person won Vegas with them, yes shooting the older ones and how I was now blowing through every thing I shot, I wasn't getting that all the time with alumninum and I have shot about every size of aluminums made with 65 to 70 lb's recurves and compounds. When the New carbons came out I though it was great thing no more outserts, but I had lost some of the penetration that I had with the older ones and I still thing that. The smaller around and ticker wall penetrated better, Easton knew that and I had talked about it years ago with some the staff at a trade show. Look what they have new the axis arrow and look what they are saying about it. Arthur P sorry, I have also shot concrete blocks. trees, steal pipes and other things, hands down carbon have come out on the better end. In 42 year of bowhunting and competition personally I do think Carbons do have lots of advantages over aluminuns for hunting any way penetration, durability and they last forever. I have taken two are three bucks with the same carbon arrow. I don't know about others ,but I don;t eat the heart, lungs and ribs and I have never had a carbon stay in a deer it's alway has pass through and stuck in the ground. I have seen other bowhunter with lighter weight bows that some times didn't pass through and the the arrow didn't shatter not to say it couldn't happen , but a few times didn't not even brake and the arrow was still good to go.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Wow lots of great feedback, thanks to everyone who replied. Being entirely new to the sport and after reading what everyone had to say, I'm going to go with aluminum for starters. It definitely sounds like carbons have a lot of great advatages and maybe when I'm a little more experienced I'll change up, but for my first season I'm going to give the tried and true technology that's been around longer than I have a go.

Thanks again, I appreciate the advice and have to say as far as online communities go people seem exceptionally polite and helpful here. Makes me feel even better about choosing to start hunting.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

That's all that matters is you enjoy yourself and we get more hunters joining our ranks.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Although I think that in general, carbons are more durable than aluminums, I don't think it's a major factor and I certainly wouldn't choose my hunting arrow based on the difference in this aspect. I've seen many a carbon arrow break when it shouldn't have. Defects are more easily hidden and I think the risk of injury is higher.

I'm not sure I've ever measured a perfectly straight carbon. They may not bend, but they don't have to. They come pre-bent. At least compared to aluminums, they are not as straight, unless you want to spend a lot of money on the premium models. Spine is almost always less consistant, both in range on a dozen and in the different sides of an individual arrow. It doesn't matter much when shooting field tips, but you have to know what you're doing if you shoot fixed blade broadheads on the lower-end models.

All that said, I still vastly prefer carbons. The reason - the ability to configure them with a very high FOC. I'm completely convinced of the significant advantage of shooting extreme FOC arrows that have been properly spined tuned. I configure them with a very stiff shaft and put lots of weight on the tip to even-out the spine. This can't be done on an aluminum without doing some creative arrow making where you manufacture your own tip weight. If you manage it, you'll probably end up shooting in the 800-1200 grain area. Heck, you can't get most people to even try something in the 550-650 gr range, much less something that heavy. Anyway, to me, this overcomes all of carbon's negatives and is a significant reason to shoot carbons, vs aluminums.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Ya know, bowdoc. That last bit is the only thing you wrote that I can really disagree with, and I really do disagree with it. Carbons are not 'forever' arrows. Far from it. I've never had carbons last more than a few months before they go bad, group sizes open up considerably and they need replacement. The reason they wear out so fast for me, I'm sure, is my draw length. It's so long (33.5" with fingers and 32.5" with release and extra long loop for release) that I can't even use some brands because the raw shafts don't come long enough. With GoldTips, I take a raw shaft, lightly sand both ends square, install inserts and nocks, fletch 'em up and that's my arrow. I believe the extra length radically reduces their useable life.

Please understand, I'm not trying to bash carbons. The point I'm making is that aluminum arrows are wrongfully getting a bad rap. They are excellent, time proven arrows and do not deserve to be cast aside.

Wish I could have spent more time with y'all on this topic, but we just moved and I haven't gotten my 'puter hooked up yet. Heck, I don't even know where all the parts and pieces are yet. Somewhere in the pile of boxes in the garage is all I know. Have to borrow my son's machine and that can only happen while he's in class. [&o]

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

I'm a fan of aluminum arrows without a dought. To me there not as strong, they tend to snap off more then aluminums. A friend of mine uses these carbons and i've seen his bloodtrails countless times with having the arrow breaking off quite often. Another thingi really didn'tlike about them was that the blood does not want to stick to these arrows very well. Its really hard to tell what kind of shot you have on your deer when you go to look at your arrow if you have a follow through and you can't smell nothing or see much for blood on the arrow. To me whats on the arrow is a big way of telling you where you hit this animal and how to treat it if your not sure where your arrow hit! If it would be a gut shot, you should be able to smell it then on the arrow, i've seen it to many times where it was gut shot and the arrow didn't leave no evidence of it.Aluminum arrows break off as well too but not asoften as these carbons, the longer that arrow can stay in the animal while it's running the better at times, by doing this itscutting stuff up inside if the broadhead is still in the inside of the deer.Either way both will do its job but to me aluminum is better and stronger butits just not as quick as the carbons but to me that don't mean much, these bows are so fast anyways these days.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

But they happen so gradulally that alot of us including me, miss it.

I know over the spring, I was dusting off this old PSE for a backup bow. Also testing out some creep tuning notes from Chuck Adams. A bow that shot great all the sudden, shot these 0.4" spined arrows bad. I measured the spine on these arrows 3-4 years ago. And now after remeasurieng them, they lost a considerable amount of spine. And Showed week reaction.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Steve S come on have you ever tryed to take a carbon in your hands and brake it. When I did shoot aluminums I always liked the older game getters because they didn't brake as fast in game and would bend farther before they broke not as fast as the xx75s or the xx78s because of the alloy.Your freind must be shooting a light poundage recurve are somthing to get a arrow to stay in it and to brake it. With a 70 lbs compound are back when I shot a 60 to 65 lb pound recurves aluminums almost alway brake off if they don't pass through, 100 of times I seen them brake on impack are when the deer takes off it brakes off and falls to the ground. Aluminums arrow you don't haft to bent very far and they will brake or they will bent and are no good any more. There is not a thing wrong with hunting with them I have taken alots of big game with both, even with wood arrows. I did at one time get arrow free or almost free arrows from diferant companies, so got to test them a lot in my bows and a shooting machine. I just love the penetration and the durability carbons have over aluminums. On deer trials just shoot through them and stick the arrow in the ground and you can see them go down most of the time and there is all kinds of blood on carbon arrow. I can't remimber having to trial a deer very far for a long time out of 50 or 60 deer any way most of the bowhunters I hunt with get pass throughs and the ones that havn't we didn't have any problems finding blood on the carbons arrows, are had the carbon brake off not to say it couldn't happen just I never seen it in the few time that I have see the carbon arrow that stayed in a deer. With the blood it will be on your vanes are feather it dosn't make a diffrance what they are on carbon are aluminum and the broadhead make the blood trial on the ground not the arrow the only way the arrow helps is by passing through making the exit hole, but I have never had a problem seeing blood on carbons. Shoot what you want I don't care, some poeple just try to hang on to there older ways,things, are unwilling to make a change and do there best to put down others who don't do things there way. Just do your best to made clean kill you owe it to the game you hunt and most of all you owe it to yourself to be the best you can be at your sport. The last 40 years I eat and sleep archery I work hard to be at my best at my sport and will to the day I die.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

I have tried both side by side and in fact started using aluminum arrows before they even came out with carbon arrows. As to blood trail,exit hole is more important than arrow staying in game for broadhead doing more damage.
All of the game animals I've gotten in the last 15 years have dropped while still within sight-even elk and russian boar. The pure and simple facts are that carbon arrows are superior in almost every way for hunting as opposed to aluminum. On the argument that they ain't straight or spined properly all the way around,that issue is pretty well dead with today's modern improvments in design and manufacturing. I do buy top of the line carbon shafts-you get what you pay for. It DOES take a lot more for carbon arrows to break than aluminum wether hitting a hard surface or still in animal. We ain't gunna change each other's minds on this so let's give up and agree to disagree. I'm speaking from experience and ain't trying to promote outdated equipment from personal preference-just stating facts as my own experience has proven over the years. To each his own and whatever works for YOU-just please don't try to mislead new bowhunters into making mistakes so you may add a feather in your cap.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

thank you stalkingbear
Some people will argue with you if you say your ice cream is cold

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

every1 will get mad at me for saying this but i shoot the ones from walmart that are the right poundage thing for my bow. 3 bucks and arrow and im happy.

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

Bowdoc, older does NOT necessarily mean inferior. Newer does NOT necessarily mean better. There are many things I like about the most modern equipment. There are just as many things I liked better about older gear.

Being a reasonably intelligent person, I try out new things and make decisions about them based on how stuff performs for me. I retain what works better and discard anything that doesn't work at least as well as what I already use.

Carbon works better for me on the 3D range when I'm trying to win a trophy. Aluminum works better for me in the woods, when I need an arrow to carry a broadhead straight and true. If I've got my longbow in my hands, my quiver will be loaded with POC wood arrows, and I even prefer THEM to carbon when it comes to shooting broadheads. Like hammers, wrenches and screwdrivers, I see them as different tools for different jobs.

Other than wood, the only non-aluminum arrow I'll even consider hunting with is a carbon/fiberglass composite. The old Carbon Express Terminator Selects were some fine hunting arrows. Much more consistent and far more durable than any all-carbon arrow I've ever tried. The closest I ever found to being nearly the equal of aluminum. Still got a half dozen I've been saving for a special occasion. ;)

But there we are again. Old stuff. Carbon composite arrows have been around since the 70's, haven't they. Being an old fart like me, surely you remember the Graphlex brand arrows? :D

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

I'm not telling anyone that these arrows are junk, i don't shoot them. I'm just going off what i've seen out of a 350 fps Mathews shooting carbons. Shoot what you want, i don't care!! Where was it me saying i was putting people down? Thats right i wasn't, it wasjustmy opinion my friend and actual evidence of what i seen on somebloodtrails! This friend of mine still shoots these arrows, more power to him! Its your own preference on what you want to shoot!

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

So i'm misleading hunters when i tell them that there is nothing wrong with shooting aluminum shafts instead of carbons? Thats BS and you know it. I've been shooting these aluminum shafts for 21 years and had nothing but the best results with them. My ethics are my #1 priority when it comes to the animal! I've wounded 1 animal in all my years of hunting stalking bear, i guess i must be doing something right maybe! Or am i just to old fashion for the new erra of archery? I guess i am!There's nothing wrong with my ways of hunting at all, i was just stating my opinion about the carbons in thisthread that a person had asked on what to shoot!Talk about ignorance, look at what you said to me! Get off your high horse's and jump down someone elses back that really needs it! Seriously, what i've seen on these bloodtrails from these carbons is what i seen. I'm not saying that happens all the time, its just what i've seen!

RE: Carbon vs aluminum arrows
 

I wholeheartedly agree with you, Schultzy. Shooting quality arrows, whatever material they're made from, is never a mistake. We're talking personal preference here. So, I think somebody needs to pluck a feather from his own bonnet due to presenting his personal preference as immutable fact. [8D]

Now, I strongly suspect that somebody has taken ultralight, thin walled aluminums, the stuff a whole lot of people were shooting in the 80's to pick up speed, and comparing those things to carbons. 2213's were really popular with the speed crowd before carbons. Cut short and shot on 5" overdraws to get spined out right, they were quick. Without a doubt carbons are far more durable than those, but it certainly doesn't apply across the board to all aluminums.

I tried a dozen 2213's set up like that from my 80 pound Hoyt. By the end of the first day of shooting them, not a single one from a dozen were still shootable. All were wrinkled and at least 1/4" shorter than they were at the start of the day. They had actually accordian-ed in on themselves from being shot at excelsior target butts.

Having learned a lesson from that day, I never went that route again. I stuck with mid to heavy weight aluminums, at least 22/64ths diameter and no thinner than .015" wall thickness. I would put arrows like 2315's, 2317's and 2419's up against carbons for durability any day of the week. 2216's and 2219's are ever so slightly lower on the durability scale. Heavy and slow by comparison, but whatever they hit STAYS hit. ;) Those are the arrows I was referring to when I talked about my destructive testing comparison experiments.