Brett/IL

I had some older carbons given to me today and I was wondering what some of you more knowledgeable trad. shooters think. The majority of them are Blue Jacket #230's with some AFC 2300's thrown in as well. These are the old style carbons that are pencil thin with outserts. I used them in my early archery days with great success out of a compound. I was wondering what you guys thought about using them for "knock around" arrows? I am thinking about shooting them for stumps, targets, etc. I did a little research on-line and the best I can tell they are all spined #50-#70, I am having some trouble finding any G.P.I. weights though. Just wanting some input. Thanks!

Alex The Hawk

Wish I could help you but carbons are not Trad ,so I don't shoot them.

LBR

I shot Beemans out of a longbow for quite a while, back when those were the only carbon arrows around. Two things you will need to watch for--enough arrow weight and proper nock fit. Take them to an archery shop if you don't have a grain scale--you'll want at least 8 grains of arrow weight per lb. of draw weight (if you are pulling 50#, you'll want a finished arrow that weighs at least 400 grains, or real close). Nock fit may be a different story--you may have to do a little bit of adjusting to the nock or your serving size, since those arrows won't usually accept just any old nock.

For my part, I don't worry about what folks consider "trad"--I'm going to shoot what I like and what works for me. My laminatedbowsare made from modern materials, my strings are made from one of the mosthigh-tech materials available,and my wood shafts are made on high-tech machinery.Even my selfbow was made using modern tools. I'm not about to chew a bow and arrow out with my teeth or scratch one out with a sharp stone, and I don't have the time or experience to flake out a broadhead; I don't hunt in a loincloth with the rest of my "tribe", soI don't feel qualified to determine what is traditional for someone else. There are some things that were traditional for some people that I want no part of--like chasing a herd of buffalo over the side of a cliff--but I'm not dependant on buffalo meat to feed my family either.

Lots of traditional shooters are going to carbon arrows, and a lot of tournaments are allowing them in competition. I'd bet my bow that if carbons had been around during their time the English, Indians, Turks, Asians, Fred Bear, Howard Hill, Pope and Young, etc. would have shot them. I still love my wood arrows, but as the price of wood shaftskeeps increasing and my spare time to devote to buildingwood arrowsdecreases,carbons are looking better and better to me also.

Chad

Brett/IL

Chad,
You nailed it! Those are my thoughts exactly. I received my wood arrows this week and I LOVE them.I just can't see flinging them around half-as**d, just for kicks and grins. The whole point of my question was to see if the old carbons could safely be shot out of my recurve and you answered that thoroughly. I really like the idea of using themfor stumps, tiny targets in the yard, and the fact that I would like to start practicing at longer distances.
Thak you for a well written and informative response.
Brett

LBR

No problem Brett, although I did forget the obvious--getting good arrow flight. You probably know this, but you can make some adjustments in the length of the shafts (if they spine too weak) or use a heavier point (if they spine too heavy) and hopefully get them flying at least good enough for stump shooting.

Chad

heeze gutshot shortee

ur rite about trad meets carbon..keep a woodie instead