[petey]

I've use all walks of arrows. About 20 years ago I started buying raw shafts and building my own alluminums. When I switched to carbons it was b/c they were a birthday gift. I've always shot a right helical twist normally 5" vein, but these were fletched straight 4". They shot beautifully with field points, but as I tried to tune them with fixed blade heads I just couldn't get them to fly perfect. This is with probably 5 different types of heads. The ending result was to switch to mechanicals, even though I didn't like the idea. I'm sure the short straight vein had everything to do with it. Anyhow, I shot them for about 2 years and killed 4 deer, almost all resulting in a pass-thru, picking up the arrow, changing blades and using it on another deer. The forth deer resulted in a result that was not as planned so that was where I said to heck with expandables and to heck with carbons.

Alluminums are much easier to work with, and since my arrow building supplies is much like my reloading supplies, I have tons of parts to play with and can build the perfect arrow to fly with my broad head of choice. I'm kind of with Feathemax on this one. Just hard to beat a feathered alluminum with a fixed blade. Last year I switched to shooting a recurve instictively to get back to more primative times. I've shot plenty of big bucks, elk, mule deer, you name it with that compound....it was just getting "easy". Anyhow, I digress. This year I've configured my arrows to shoot out of both my recurve and my compound. I practice with each every day, so come archery season in a couple weeks I can just grab the weapon of choice and not have to worry about 2 different combinations of arrows.

My choice? 29" XX78 Super Slams, 2213's using a 125 grain Magnus Snuffer 3 blade. They shoot exactly the same out of both bows with field points and broadheads. The point...I couldn't do that with carbons on my best day. Could be a lack of the proper arrow building equipment, but I could never get a carbon to fly decent out of my recurve anyhow. I'm sure a 5" twisted feather on a carbon is going to be a lot better than a 4" straight plastic vein. Just like putting an extra half grain of powder in a case to get that sub MOA group out of a rifle. Either type will take some tweaking, but alluminums are more forgiving using my limited 2 years use with carbons.

It comes down to personal preference. The old Ford, Chevy, Dodge debate. Where alluminums bend, carbons will sometimes break. You get more speed with carbons, but alluminums are more forgiving. Issues with tuning fixed blade heads depending on your choice of fletching with carbons. A person could go on and one I suppose. So which do you prefer? Ford, Chevy, or Dodge? Me, I drive a jeep! So I'll stay out of the "which is best" debate.