Rich Baker

Hey all, I have been toying with the idea of going to wood arrows but the one thing that is holding me back I all the darn Rain we have in Oregon. I am Think it would be hell one them, I shoot aluminum right now But I am not happy with them. Any ideas or thoughts???

Arthur P

As long as the shafts are sealed properly, like several dips of lacquer, the rain shouldn't hurt woodies.Most all the arrow builders put plenty of lacquer on their arrows, but some of the less expensive ones have probably skimped to save money.

The two areas you need to take special notice of are the tapers at the nock and point where the seal coating is removed during tapering. Find a paint, polyurethane or lacquer that is compatible with whatever was used to seal the shafts and use an art brush to paint any exposed wood after you've installed the nocks and points.

Another thing I do with my arrows is to use a silicone based automotive paste wax, like Kit,on the first 10" or so at the point end of my arrows. Rub it on, then buff it off. That cuts the friction from the targets so my lacquer doesn't wear off very fast. Not to mention making them easier to pull from 3D targets. And the wax also helps keep water out of the point taper, just in case.

Oh, another thing... If you're worried about whether you've got your arrows sealed, you can weigh them on a dry day and on a rainy day. If they get heavier in high humidity, then they are absorbing humidity from the air. That means they are not well sealed.

Ossage

That is great advice.

All coatings will pass moisture in the air, and stabalize to the ambient humidity. So if you left your arrows in an unheated place in a wet fall they could absorb enough moisture to get out of the zone where they have the right humidity for maximum strength/stiffness, and the spine could suffer. The actual correct humidity range is pretty narrow, though consistant with comfortable living conditions. The same problem can occur with extreme heat. So, if you want to be super careful you can epoxy seal arrows, with marine epoxy, I've done it, and would only do it again if I was going to some place where it rained 24 hours a day. You have to use an epoxy with 100% solids or it is permiable like gore-tex, and the process is a little messy. Even then, over a longer timeframe, they will stabilize to ambient conditions.

The simpler thing is to store your arrows at "room" conditions, return them there daily, and follow AP's advice.

Alex The Hawk

Try cane arrows ,it doesn't take many coats to seal and they fly fast like carbon, the trick is to straighten them
properly though.

I recently shot a 1400 + Bison with a cane arrow, Iam sold on them.

LBR

We don't get as much rain as you do here in MS, but we do keep high humidity pretty much year-round. I use an epoxy finish that works great for me, and all the stuff you need can be found at Wal-Mart.

I've got friends in Alaska and Canada that shoot wood also, and practically all thier hunting is done in the snow--it can be done.

Chad

Longbow Bowhunter

But we sure do here in England, Stain and seal them and the arrows will stay straight, I use the fletch powder and things work out real well. I usually put 3 or 4 coats of stain, then followed by a coat or two of POLYurathane