Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

After the snow just thawed out I found a half doz of my easton carbonareo arrows that I left outside since last sept. through winter. They'll good arrows but I'm reluctant about the integrity of the carbon shaft being left out in the elements so long. They do need to be refletched which ain't no biggie
What should I do?
A) Get rid of them [:o]
B) Shoot them and Take a chance :eek:
C) Invite a friend over and ask him to shoot them :D

Thanks.

Bobby

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

I don't know for sure thats an interesting topic. I'm not sure the cold would hurt them as much as the snow. If there were a lot of extreme temperaturechanges it would probably affect them more. I would think their straightness would be effected at the very least. They also may have started to 'rot' from the moisture. I'm not going to tell you to shoot them because I wouldn't want you to get hurt. Those arrows might become really expensive if you have to take a trip to the emergency room :)

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

IADeer its interesting that you bring up extreme temp changes would affect them more, IMO I would worry about the moisture more. Reason being is you take the arrows from the house to the woods and just hunting with them they can experience more than 70 degrees temp changes just by using them...house temp 68-72 degrees temp outside can be below 0 degrees while hunting.
But moisture = water...water erode anything in time.
they more than likely have been affected by the weight of the snow on them so prob are warped or weakened from that more than anything.
when in doubt throw it out its better than arrow shaft splinters sticking out of your hand... if someone would post that picture again you'd see why.

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

I like C (jk). They are probably no good and the catastrophic results of shooting a bad carbon arrow through a modern compund are well documented. Gotta toss em.

Look at it this way: it's an excuse to buy new arrows.

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

If it was me I would contact the manufacter of the arrows and ask them,you may still get to use them as practice arrows if they wern't weekened by the elements.

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

So long as you didn't step on them or mow over them etc... etc... they are just fine.

If that is all it took to mess up a carbon arrow then wewould bein trouble.

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

Thats kind of what i was thinking, but im not too educated on em' so i didnt say anything. i always thought carbon was suppossed to be fine against any of that kind of stuff???

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

Not a good idea to shoot them-

while we do go from extremes taking them in and out of the house. Its for a few hours. We are not leaving them outside exposed to elements for over half a year. That continual expansion and contraction from freezing, thawing, freezing, re-thawing, getting wet, heating up, is not good. This will put tons of stress on the composite fibers (which are not carbon) and wil cause variation/bulging in the wraps- especially around the area like the insert where its going to get even colder.

I've seen this happen with my own arrows that I left outside (shoot throughs in my target-stuck in tree roots, hit a rock, etc). Its just a matter of time before they start coming apart under the stress of being shot again.

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

Thanks for the feedback guys. This is what I did. I closely inspected each arrow with a magnifying glass and spun them for straightness. They appeared to be okay so I left the old fletchings on and shot the arrows at 10 yrds due to the fletchings being in bad shape. Everything seems alright after shooting each arrow about a dozen times. I now have the fletchings stripped off and in the process of fletching them up with some new vanes.
I was skeptical about shooting them due to the extreme temperature changes from 40 below and snow effecting them. I have seen some photos of guys shooting there hand from a bad arrow but I will be inspecting them more often then usual. If I were to call the manufacture on what to do they would say throw them away because they don't want any bad publicity or possible libiliaty.

Bobby

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

A few years back I found one of my Gold Tip's from theprevious season, which was my 'lucky arrow', while I was out shed hunting. Iinspected it and used it again for several more seasons of hunting. That arrow and had gone thru at least a half dozen deer. Unfortunately one yearone bigger bucks I've shot took it close behind a shoulder and snapped it in half.:(
I'dexpect it would take several years of exposure to direct sun, water, or acidic soil to compromise the integrity of a quality carbon shaft to the point of making it unsafe to shoot, but that is just my personal guesstimate.
In any case, the effects of weather on a shaftis a very good question to consider. I'm sure for liability reasons any arrowmanufacturer would have to recommend discarding it. Considering the price of a single arrow, it's really probably not worth risking it.

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

I do not think carbon expands and contracts with temperature change. That is one of the reasons people have switched to carbon from aluminum. However, water does expand and contract and if moisture gets into the fibers in any way it can start to cause cracks in the shaft. Each freeze thaw cycle can increase the size of the cracks. As JeffB states the aluminum insert will do the same. Depending on how many times you shot the arrows I wouldn't recommend shooting them.

Even if you did look at the outside of the shaft and it looks fine the shaft can be damaged from the inside out at the insert.

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

I have found arrows over a year later after shooting a deer. They generally turn brittle some. Got to remember, they are held together with epoxy and layers of wrapped carbon. If you can sit there and bend them over your knee to extremes and nothing happens, then they are shootable, but spine has probably changed. I would want to shoot good equipement.

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

I would shoot them... Maybe not the most educated choice but you asked what we would do so I would shot them....

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

Well, i've just spent to last 30 minutes attempting to find out the answer to your question... I found an article on bicycle frames and yes I would still shoot the arrows.. The article is long but actually has tons of interesting info on the differences between carbon, aluminum, titamium, and other metals... If you want to check it out an a expample of some of the things discussed below..
http://www.calfeedesign.com/pdf/Calfee_TWP.pdf

[align=left]Comparison of Materials Used in Bicycles[/align][align=left]STEEL [/align][align=left]Pros[/align][align=left]• Inexpensive[/align][align=left]• Strong[/align][align=left]• Stiff[/align][align=left]• Resilient and "lively" fee[/align][align=left]• Easy to work with and repair[/align][align=left]Cons[/align][align=left]• Heavy[/align][align=left]• Corrosive[/align][align=left]• Designs limited by available[/align][align=left]tubes and lugs[/align][align=left]• Brazing and welding produces[/align][align=left]weaker, heat-affected zones[/align][align=left]TITANIUM[/align][align=left]Pros[/align][align=left]• Light[/align][align=left]• Strong[/align][align=left]• Resilient and "lively" feel[/align][align=left]• Shock absorbing[/align][align=left]• Non-corrosive[/align][align=left]Cons[/align][align=left]• Expensive[/align][align=left]• Designs limited by available[/align][align=left]tubes[/align][align=left]• Not easily repaired[/align][align=left]• Bad welds are easily hidden[/align][align=left]• Stiffness is traded off for light[/align][align=left]weight[/align][align=left]ALUMINUM [/align][align=left]Pros[/align][align=left]• Inexpensive[/align][align=left]• Light[/align][align=left]• Adequately strong[/align][align=left]• Very stiff for the weight[/align][align=left]• Non-corrosive in non-salty[/align][align=left]environments[/align][align=left]Cons[/align][align=left]• Fatigue risk requires "overbuilding"[/align][align=left]• Lacks resilience and has "dead"[/align][align=left]feel[/align][align=left]• Not easily repaired[/align][align=left]• Bonded joints prone to failure[/align][align=left]• Heat treatment can be[/align][align=left]inconsistent[/align][align=left]CARBON FIBER[/align][align=left]Pros[/align][align=left]• Lightest[/align][align=left]• Strongest[/align][align=left]• Best shock absorption[/align][align=left]• Unlimited design applications[/align][align=left]• Non-corrosive[/align][align=left]• Material has high fatigue[/align][align=left]resistance[/align][align=left]• Some designs are easily[/align][align=left]repaired[/align][align=left]Cons[/align][align=left]• Expensive[/align][align=left]• Technology still evolving[/align][align=left]• Strength and stiffness are design[/align][align=left]dependent[/align][align=left]• Fully molded styles have very[/align][align=left]limited sizes[/align]

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

Odom, that's interesting comparison between aluminum and carbon.
I have revaned and inserted new nocks and have shot them a few hundred times and the only arrow that busted on me was when I got a robin hood :) :( , my bad. Good stats and thanks for sharing.

Bobby

RE: Are carbon arrows weather proof???
 

yeah, I have also and have never had a problem with it so I really don't know what they mean when they say "heat treated"