arrows

[strut-n-rut]

Curiosities sake.
ARROWS
Carbons or Aluminums?
Can anyone legitamize the argument about which is better?
From my own common sense point of view. I see Carbons as a good tool for target shooting. The way they are able to take a beating from being able to repeatedly fire them etc........ But from a hunters view. Has anyone really used an arrow more than once that was flung at game?
I use Eastham 2314's ( yeah they are a tad beafy ) with 100 grain "Thunderhead" non mechanical broadheads. flung from a "Mathew's" MQ2 at around 65lbs. "stabil" stabilizer, "stabil" limb savers, and "spider speed ball", string silencer. I can shoot this thing with little noise if any.
The difficulty is that I shoot almost daily at least 2 or 3 times to keep the muscles working right ( it doesnt work, my out of shape ass still is sore the next day) anyway........ I try to make one nice clean shot with the arrow that I will use for my first shot at game. Hoping that I didnt screw anything up shooting it at a target. Today I hit a dot the size of a quarter at 20 yards and thoguht "WoW!" then I retrieved the arrow and found the fletching had peeled back as well. So, I had to reshoot for a killing arrow. I dunno, it was just a thought I was pondering is all and am curious to see the feedback from others.

[CritterGitter]

I saw a post once that had a link to another site that showed slow motion video of an aluminum arrow in flight and a carbon arrow in flight. The carbon arrow had very little flex while in motion but the aluminum arrow was wobbling all over the place. The aluminum arrow did hit very close to the exact point of aim at 20 yards however, they pointed out that with all that movement a lot variables become more pronounced. What if there is a slight breeze? What if you are shooting at 30 or 32 yards? What if there is a slight kink or bend that you somehow missed? It all made sense to me. Therefore, I shoot the heaviest carbons I can get!

CG

[george tinkham]

my alums last me forever and the ones i've shot clear thru a deer i am still shootin with some crimsome still stainin the feathers,oh the memories those special arrahs bring back when i pick one out of the quiver to shoot.i very seldome break an arrah an i shoot a good bit,when i break an arrah,especially a wood cedar ,well,it just breaks muh heart too.i will pull the point an bury it with honors.but usually for huntin i use alum...i do got some vintage fiberglass,i'm hankerin to use...carbon,whats that,you mean carbon copy.

[Ohio Bill]

I shoot carbons... They seem to fly better with my bow.. and 125 grain spitfires:D

[strut-n-rut]

Hmmmmmmmm I have seen aluminum wobble, hell you can even hear it and almost see it as it takes flight. I have never shot a carbon and dont know enough about them to be able to choose. Even when talking to an archery shop owner they shrug off the questions as if it doesnt matter etc...... I have to differ with that point of view. its different material and different velocity etc. it has to be. thats like comparing a 2 3/4 shot shell to a 3 1/2 shot shell. I'm afraid to invest in haveing carbons made up if I dont like tham and then if i had a bad weighted arrow that may have an effect as well. UGH decisions decisions........

[Beentown]

I have shot both and will probably go back to my 2312's. The carbons can take alot of shooting but no abuse. I am as accurate with my 2312's but they are a little heavier so that means I need to "guess" a little more on which pin to use. With my carbons I use one pin out to 30 yards.

I would recommend trying a buddies carbons first. To each is own. Ford/Chevy thing. Test drive both then make your decision. Each has there positives.

Beentown:confused:

[george tinkham]

an carbons are hard tuh pull from rubber deer,huh beener.seems lately i've seen or heard where carbon users went back to alum.i went from wood to alum. to fiberglass back to alum. all back in the 60s,then came the trad. revolution i got caught up in an immediately went back to cedars an now i'm back to alum. so i guess we like to switch off now an then.

[Thunderflight]

I shoot carbons outta my SQ2. The reason being is because they are so tough.

I bought my first set of gold tips in 2000 and used them for four years. I lost a few and broke a few, but the remaining six were just as straight and just as good as the day I bought them.

Prior to buying carbons I used to shoot aluminium. I would go through a dozen arrows a year because of lost, bent and damaged shafts.

Carbons are tough. If your concerned about arrow weight then there are ways around it. You can insert a fish aquarium air tube or buy arrow weights. I killed several deer and even a hog with the same arrow. With alumimuims I'd generally get one kill per arrow.

The down side about carbons is that if you nick one and the lamination is damaged then you need to throw away the arrow. The arrow will seem tough, but as time goes by the arrow will weaken and the arrow could explode on release. This could be very hazardous to your arm or face.

For my long bow I'm currently shooting wooden arrows, but I'm probably going to make the move to carbons too. They are just flat out tougher and don't break when you bounce one off the side of a tree. Wood shatters pretty easily. That'll be a while because I've got two and half dozen freshly made arrows in the quiver you all got me....:D

Thunderflight

[george tinkham]

i got some alums over 20 yrs. old,still shootn fine,also have some cedars over 10yrs. old an some of these will prolly be for sale at bv's yardsale.

[strut-n-rut]

I dont really mind replacing alums when they get damaged from hunting shots. The broadhead is ussually screwed up anyway from bone or shoot through ground damage. So I guess I will stick with what I have been shooting. I just wasnt sure if there was some sort of vast difference in them. Thanks for the feedback :)

[countyroad320]

I'm about in the same boat as TF. I used to shoot aluminum and I could go through about half a doze a year. I then bought 6 Gold Tip 5 years ago and have not broke a single arrow. They're great. The only thing I did was hit a nock on one. That took 2 seconds to replace. I shoot a 125 gr. Thunderhead out of them. Think the 6 arrows I bought cost $30.

[XX78]

"Aliminium" is the only way for me. If I start shooting bad It usually ends with me snaping them all over my knee. I dont know why I just do it. Kinda like punchin something when u get angry. When I shell out the cash on the new doz, and get a little upset, I remind myself that I wouldnt be in the situation if I didnt shoot poorly. Carbon would be a little too xpensive.

[Thunderflight]

Gold Tips aren't any more expensive than aluminuim shafts. Especially XX78's. You can get GT's on ebay for $50 a dozen.

Another plus about carbons is you can't break them over your knee like and aluminuim shaft. You can break them, but it's alot tougher to do...:)

TF

[Thunderflight]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20836&item=3673191748&rd=1


http://i23.ebayimg.com/03/i/01/b1/29/34_1.JPG

There are several ebay auctions going right now. This is just one of many that close today.

www.mtnarchery.com also has good prices. They sell alot of GT's on ebay too.

Tf

[countyroad320]

Yeah Gold Tips are hard to break over your knee alright. I tried to crest some, even though it's recommended not to, it worked for some then I tried to do some more and they messed up. I got real &^%**&^ and it took me a few whacks to get them to break. I ended up breaking them over a dolly.

XX78- You're not the only one.

[XX78]

I stand corrected.
How about this..........When I have a fit, I like to break em all at once, and with carbons I cant. Thats why I like aluminium.:mad: :) :)

[Arrow 1]

I was a die hard aluminum arrow user for many years untill last year. I had heard alot of good things about carbons but was still very skeptical. I have always been a big believer that heavy arrows are the best for penetration. One thing I learned about carbons that made me try them was, When a carbon arrow leaves the bow it straightens out in half the time of aluminum. This makes for a more accurate arrow and it wastes much less energy than aluminum due to this.

The thing that finally won me over with the carbons is when I gave them "the meat test" on a couple of live deer this past year. The way the arrows were buried in the dirt after going through the deer, it seemed as if they had hit nothing at all to slow them down.

I am shooting Vapor 4000's camo that weigh 9 grains per inch. Add in the weight for broadhead, vanes, nock and insert and I think I'm shooting about 450 grains for a total weight. That seems light to me but it works.

[Thunderflight]

I use cresting wraps on mine. They work great.

TF

[countyroad320]

I was skeptical about those cresting wraps myself. I take that they work well? Next time I get arrows, whenever that may be, I might try wraps.

[Arrow 1]

I like my wraps with meat, cheese and veggies in it. Not arrows!!

[rackman]

Strut I changed to carbons a couple years ago and have no regrets. They are tough!

[strut-n-rut]

Saw that ebay auction....... the set that was posted here went for 47 bucks for the dozen.
Maybe I will give them a whirl after spring turkey is over since I plan to restring my bow anyway and will have to re pin my sights anyway.

[george tinkham]

i have no reason to change or buy more arrahs.gas is going outta sight,i must budjet,so i wont spend money on what i dont need,maybe i will if gas prices go down. B^}

[strut-n-rut]

yeah, point taken. 35 miles one way to hit the woods gets expensive when you do it almost everyday. :(

[Thunderflight]

Tell me about it!!!!

I drive 60 miles one way to turkey hunt.

I'm driving four hours one way to hog hunt!!!

TF

[razor]

i use aluminum arrows for radio antennas! ha ha .. they work great for that. i use carbons to target shoot and kill with. they are a u-know what to pull from a foam target but there worth the effort.

[Beentown]

One thing I have found with the carbons is the inconsistency of the spine... I had to go through over 30 arrows to get 6 to match...and this is with several brands...carbon exp...beaman...Gold tip...and game tracker...the best was the Vapors... Just another thought...

Beentown

[george tinkham]

cheap carbons are inconsistunt,buy top of line if yuh want any consistuncy,chuck adams.most top line pro shooters still use alum.chuck adams.i dont know butt chuck said it.

[Beentown]

The most expensive ones were the worst except for a few brands...the most consistent was A/C/C. But they better be at that price.:eek:

[Arrow 1]

I like the Vapors. Plus, it is an Ohio company. But, I don't think all of their stuff is made in the US.

I don't know if you can do it with all of the other carbons but, when you fletch them you just clean the shaft with Windex and you are ready to apply vanes.

[Thunderflight]

A few years back gold tip had some consitancey problems, but they've gotten their act together.

TF

[Ohio Bill]

I like either Horton arrows or easton for my x bow

[Thunderflight]

Horton makes arrows too?

TF

[Arrow 1]

Does Horton call them arrow or bolts?

[strut-n-rut]

Hmmmmmmmm is an x bow really a bow? :confused:

[Beentown]

What was that?....................................I think that was a can of worms I just heard open!:eek:

[Thunderflight]

http://www.savannah.fr/acatalog/canoworms.jpg

[george tinkham]

yall better be careful or yall gonna see that rubber stamp at the bottom of this thread...sayin" CLOSED".Our main man don't allow that trash here.

[Buckrun]

OK I’ll step in here. Razor and I were talking on the phone last night about what may be coming right here. I shoot Traditional Archery long bows, recurves and wood arrows. Razor shoots a compound and carbon arrows. Ohio Bill sounds like he shoots a cross bow. This is great. Shoot what you want love what you shoot and enjoy the outdoors!
Steve

[george tinkham]

i also shoot recurves an longbows ,most over 30 yrs. old,but i am for all hunters,not just my type.at our wn deer camp i made it clear that all types of hunters are welcome.hunting and having a good time is what its all about.but anyway i thought this was bout arrahs,lets not turn this into another you know what site.those that want to argue,the action is on 3 0r 4 threads over there.

[countyroad320]

Gold Tip must have got thier act together. This past deer season a took a squirrel with my gold tips at 12 yards. The look on my dads face when I asked him to help me drag it out was priceless.

[CARPN-JAKE]

I started using carbons ( Vapors) 2 seasons ago just for the fact that they hold up better. I like to reuse my arrows after they take a trip thru a ribcage and alot of time my aluminums would have a slight bend in them after that trip. Since switching to carbons I have yet to break a arrow in a deer...Even had one deer where the arrows lodged in the oppsite shoulder leaving the flething end sticking out 10 inches It crashed and roll down a steep hill with a arrow sticking out...The arrow was in perfect shape.....
I've taken 7 deer in 2 yrs with the Vapor/ muzzy combo and the only other than washing the arrow and replacing the blades I only hafta refletch my feathers every couple trips.

[XX78]

My alums are fine they hold up great, straight and true, now only if I could get myself into a situation where I take them out of my quiver and use them.

[countyroad320]

XX78-

Same here. Thats why I shot that squirrel. I had been holding out for a bign' and was about to come down and had a squirrel there and took the shot. Perfect head shot. So at least I had some meat only if it were two bites.

[strut-n-rut]

How big was the rack? :eek:

[george tinkham]

"give me wood or give me aluminum"

[rackman]

George should I try to throw some wood with my Mathews and throw my carbons away?

[george tinkham]

well i would use ash or osage,or locuss with that mathyews compoun giblet.port orford could xplode

[Thunderflight]

What are the P&Y measurements for a squirrel?

TF