Aluminum and Carbon Arrows

[bowhunting23]

I have been shooting aluminum arrow for about 3 year (ever since I started bow hunting) and they seem to always break whether im hunting or target shooting. I think im going to switch to carbon arrows. Does anyone have any advice for me?

[Rustywreck]

most if not all carbon shafts are pretty good. i'm partial to gold tip and carbon express, but for no real reason other than that is what was available locally.
good luck.

[Lilred]

Howdy bowhuntin,
Ya know..I was like you for a long time...skeptical of the big difference everybody swore carbon arrows made. Well I caught some on sale at the bowshop and gave em a try, and I wouldnt go back...love em.
My draw weight aint all that great, so i needed all the help I could git and they made a big difference. Although I got to admit, I've done perty much hung up the compound for the crossbow. Much easier for me to get more ooopmh out of...cause on counta..I aint gittin no younger...lol
That 55lbs is gettin harder to pull every year.
Anyways...welcome to the board by the way..I'll serve ya cold one.

[Rancid Crabtree]

I am concerend with your comment about "Breaking" arrows. I can understand an odd break here and there while hunting but explain how you break them during practice?

[bowhunting23]

well crabtree I have a 3-D target and where the leg goes into the body I hit that and some how bent the arrow and i tried bending it back just well enough to use it and the arrow broke. And then i had the poundege put up on my bow and completely missed the target and picked my arrow up and it was also bent it by the fletching. And my other arrow that broke I couldnt help it i robinhooded it and broke the arrow. I had boughten 6 arrows from a local archery shop and i kept 4 out to use for hunting and the two had broke and one of my other old ones broke. It might be because im using 2013 easton superlite so idk if thats a problem or not?

[Rustywreck]

carbon/graphite arrows can break or crack just as aluminum can bend, though not as easily.
I know what you mean about the steel rod in 3-D some targets - I've hit a few of them myself.
If you do buy carbon arrows; and miss the target or hit something hard, look them over carefully to see if there is a crack. Shooting a cracked carbon arrow can be a very bad thing.
With all the good there is about carbon arrows, I still have a fondness for aluminum. They are straighter and much easier to work with. I don't use aluminum for much anymore, other than indoor target shooting.
It is hard to beat the broadhead accuracy of an aluminum shaft with feathers. It is kind of like going backwards in technology, but it is a great combination.
(i'm not at all criticizing carbon shafts)

[jmarriott]

The only arrows I have ever used are Easton 2117's with 125 grain muzzies and field points. 5% helical with 5 inch vanes. I am still stuck in 1995 in terms of bow and arrow tech. I just have confidence in that setup on my hunting bow.

I have been told when you bend more arrows than you lose you are ready to switch to carbon as a rule. I must still lose morethan i bend.

[gd357]

bh23,

I switched over from aluminum to carbon shafts about 1998-1999... somewhere in there. Haven't looked back. Started out with a dozen GoldTip Hunter 5575 shafts. Still have a few left... Can't say I've seen the same durability with aluminums. I will probably never shoot another aluminum arrow as long as I live. Not trying to sell you on anything, just telling you what my experience has been. Last fall, I shot a buck with a crossbow (carbon arrow/bolt). Cleaned it off, put on another broadhead, and the next day my little sister killed a buck with the same arrow (never found the arrow, could have used it again if we had). Never even tried that with aluminum. With that being said, use manufacturers warnings about 5grains/lb of draw weight. Right now I'm using Victory V-Force arrows, and I love them. I'd be a little leery of GoldTip right now given their situation... JMHO

gd

[bowhunting23]

I shoot about 55 lbs draw. What type of carbon arrows should I use?

[gd357]

Nearly all carbon arrows have a recommended range of draw weight on the shaft. Stick with major brands, and you'll be ok

gd

[Brother Rockeye]

looks like I'm stuck in the 90's too

at 82 lbs and 31" I stick by the aluminum 2317.I fletch my own with a helical jig and have been using 140gr Bear razors minus the bleeder blades forever.
Can't say I've ever"broke" an arrow.Durability wise,I used the same shaft and broadhead on 4 bears with just a clean and sharpen in between.I still shoot the arrow but lost the tip of the broadhead to a crib log that was too close to the other side of the bear.
I routinely get total pass thru with those fence posts...maybe thats why I don't bend/break many...

in my archery world simplest is best...maybe thats why I still shoot fingers.

to the root of the problem-when you cranked up your bow you missed because the arrow no longer had enough spine and probably porpoised when it left the bow.
whether you shoot aluminum,carbon or wood,you MUST have arrows that can absorb the energy produced by the bow.there are alot worse things that can happen than a miss and a broken arrow if your bow is absorbing the extra energy.getting a broken riser in the face is one.
this will give you an understanding:

http://www.huntersfriend.com/2007-Carbon-Arrows/arrow-selection-guide3.htm

good hunting!

[kt]

when i bought my hoyt about 8 years back the dealer offered to put together a package deal for me, sights, rests blah blah blah, came wit a 1/2 dozen beman ics hunter 400 arrows. i still have a few of the originals. and the penetration is awsome. one thing i do like about carbons above alum is that carbon doesnt bend really if you have a bad shaft its normally easy to notice.
kt

[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.