All these threads on carbon arrows got me thinking, hey I would like to try something new. Started looking for some carbon and it's not simple. Not to mention expensive! $100. for a dozen shafts. Am I looking in the wrong places to be seeing those prices? Also having a hard time figuring out which ones I would need for a string follow 50# longbow with 145grn points and 27.5" draw.

I know your pain and it’s gotten worst now that there are any “blems” for sale on a regular basis. Bemann makes a shaft that isn’t that expensive, I think their called Hunters. I “look around” for shafts,sales, closeouts, guys selling in classifieds etc. As for your spine needs to fit your bow, I would start with 35-55 spine. I know I have read guys using 15-35 but I wonder about that. 35-55 is usually 500 spine and 15-35= 600 spine. Best to check as those numbers vary between manufacturers.

.600s

I shoot .500s, skinny shafts (Easton Axis) out of a 50# ASL string follow long bow (I draw 28) with 145 grain heads and 100 grain brass inserts.

Carbons cost more up front than wood or aluminum, but they're a lot more durable and will last a lot longer.

Are inserts something required for Carbon shafts? I really wood like to try them, it's hard to swallow those prices though. I live in arrow wood country, that is unless you only use POC.

Carbons, aluminum, and any other shaft that consists of a hollow tube needs some kind of insert.

MP

Gold Tip Warrior shafts are the least expensive that I know of, and they get good reviews. I'll probably try some myself soon. Right now I have some GT Trads and GT Hunters that I'm shooting. A little more than Warriors, but not much. I've only broken one in 2 years, and that was a glancing blow on the edge of a cinderblock. I shoot 500 spine with 150 gr points and 50gr weights on the inserts, 30" bop, and my longbow is cut to center. You may need 600 spine with that weight and a string follow. I think you can buy singles from Lancaster, to experiment with.

Check out big jims gold tip blems . They are great shafts.

600s unless you want to shoot extra long shafts or add a lot of extra weight up front.

Just cut them back a little bit at a time ‘til they stop showing weak. And FWIW, do your experimenting on singles so you don’t commit to a dozen of the wrong size.

If you want something to try, GT Warrior shafts from Lancaster $5.00 each includes nock and insert (340-700 spine). They are light (8.9-5.4 GPI), but cheap just for trying.

Depends on what arrow. Some are 100 a dozen some are 45. If you don't loose them they are cheaper in the long run.

If you're going to spend money, then get the right size to start with. Most folks will tell you a spine or more heavier than what you should be shooting. Over spining of arrows nowadays is of epidemic proportion. Call and talk to John at Lancaster and tell him all of the gozintos. Get the right carbons to start with and you won't be frustrated trying to weigh down the tips to get them to fly.

You will be just under 50#, and with a 27.5" powerstroke, you likely don't need 500's at all. I would be looking for 30", 600 spine with 160'ish out front. Or, 700 with 125 out front at 29". They are great arrows no doubt, but save the frustration and call John Wert.

Gold tip warriors like mentioned, but carbon express predator II's are very nice shafts as well.

Predator IIs for me, too

Steve

I've got quite a few Blackhawk Carbonwoods that I stopped shooting years ago and went strictly aluminum.

Recently started shooting them again and wonder why I ever quit. Fantastic shafts.

I have shot goldtip since like 99, or so and just recently switched to beman ics bowhunter shafts and I love them, still love the prohunter hopefuls, but am very impressed with the bemans

Hopefuls??

Gotta say...

I love being able to dial in Exactly with an aluminum, but unless it's just that the Tributes are softer and GGII's, etc, are far more resistant to bending, I just can't afford to shoot them on the 3D course. Too many rocks & what-not...

I hit the Fallow deer target in the leg the other day and not only did the nock end up 20 feet away, but the arrow very nearly spit out the insert.

On the brighter side, that one was a 2114 and it didn't bend at all.... so maybe the Tributes really are kinda low-grade like the old American Eagles...

HOLD UP! There's so many used arrows for sale get with it and snatch some up and try out at half the cost of new.

I hate you guys is that fake news or you talking nonsense? LOL

No fake news, alt. facts. Mostly genuine curiosity, and a desire to distract some of the anger on the Cougar thread. Nothing seems to garner as much attention as Carbon, except Frisky.

pay attention to the arrows grain per inch. A lot of the old timers disdain heavy points but unless you are getting heavy carbon shafts you can use 200+ grain points and still come in at or under 10 gpp

even talking to knowledgable people on the phone is a crap shoot, no alternative to tuning the arrows yourself.

the stu miller calculator works wonders for me though, I find it amazingly accurate.

Look into the beman ics bowhunters...some of my favorite shafts and are fairly cheap. Can even find shafts on Amazon if you do that sort of thing. Carbon arrows are great they are true and hold up great compared to aluminum and wood. But that's just my opinion

AND on the Beman Hunters, you can foot the front end with an inch of 2117 for enhanced durability...

They're marked 7.3 GPI, BTW, in the 500s, so a 28" shaft gives up about 80 grains vs. a 1916 (which, being The Perfect Arrow, comes in at 10.0 GPI)...

I agree that carbons are expensive. Like others have said, they seem to be almost indestructible. I refletched some old CX arrows last weekend and shot them yesterday and they still performed like new. I believe you can find them for less than $100.00 a dozen. Lost Nation has CX Heritage shafts for $86.95 a dozen. 3 Rivers has them for $85.99. They seem to be very cost effective in the long run. I have shot the CX Heritage arrows since I started shooting carbons and never had a reason to change.

3 rivers is a rip off, Save some money and buy from Big Jim or look for deals on ebay. Cheaper products and cheaper shipping.

Just bought 13 350 spine, 30" w/ inserts and fletch for 35 bucks on ebay. Gold Tip skinnies. They're great - hog arrows for my compound. I hunt w/ wood for my trad bows, only.

Plant some Japonica bamboo. Unlimited supply and shoot like carbon.

I guess shafting is a good use for it....

But when it comes to planting bamboo... I have yet to see that end well...

Why do people say carbons are so expensive there is so many brans out there that are cheaper than aluminum don't you look?

I'd like to murder the man who planted bamboo next to my property in DE. I've been trying to kill it for 33 years. Fair warning.

Carbons are much cheaper than wood and most aluminum arrows. Just buy Beamon Bowhunters or Easton PowerFlight or Easton Storm. All the same arrow with different finishes. The highest price you'd have to pay is $70 shipped for a dozen completed arrows. That's not even a good deal. I've gotten them cheaper. These arrows easily break if struck by another arrow or if they're sticking out of a deer when it takes off. Otherwise, they last forever.

Joe

All bamboo isn't created equal. Japonica is the Japanese arrow bamboo. You don't want the running type. The shoots generally "run" just under the surface so an 8" deep barrier of some type will confine it. I have a 3'x8' section that stays put and generally behaves.

Your only starting to hate us;) But as many have said the durability of the carbons off sets the cost by far. I was very reluctant in switching over from my aluminums.

Carbon arrows are actually no more difficult to select then any other arrow shaft. You start by choosing the proper spine, at the length that you want the arrow to be.

No need to worry about adding overly heavy inserts, or anythng else. There are too many options in arrow weight, and broadhead weight to have to do that any more.

Thst's the "old" way.

We have the Beman centershot shafts for $69.99 per dozen. Super nice shafts and much tougher then the black shafts... That's just he way wrapped shafts are.

We also sell an Easton Inspire shaft in 900's and 1400's for $75 per dozen fletched, points and ready to shoot!

Those two spines will cover anything from 10lbs up to 35ish depending on draw length.

We also carry Predator II shafts for $53 per dz. All our shafts are available by the dz or per each if you really think you need to go that way. In the Predator II, we carry the 800's only. The other sizes are much better represented by other manufacturers and the 700's are too heavy for what a trad shooter wanting a 700 needs.

When people come to me looking for shafts, they often times don't know what they need except they want something cheap. That gives me a chance to put them in the best and most cost effective shaft for them. Thanks, BigJim

Big Jim has a great price on beman centershots. They are a great arrow. If he has them in .600 i think youd be into a tunable arrow. Ive found carbons to be the least expensive arrow. Alum bends and i break cedar more often by about 10 to 1 than carbons.

Sorry for the echo Big Jim. I read your post after writing.

The .800 ce predator ii, Big Jim wrote about has been THE arrow for my Toelke PIKA that is around 37# at my draw.

FWIW, I’m not bothered in the slightest by a sponsor chiming in with his offerings and recommendations, followed by a credible poster with an endorsement of the sponsor.

Almost seems like that oughtta be the way this board is supposed to work.... ;)

Funny.... One of my biggest reservations on carbons has been the tuning piece; you can nibble away at an aluminum with an $8 pipe-cutter, but getting a good clean cut on a carbon without a proper cut-off saw is pretty fussy stuff....

But the archery club has one I can use at any time, so....

Of course, I still like the idea of shooting woodies. Maybe I’d better not get too speed-addicted...LOL

Carbon is no more expensive than quality wood or aluminum.

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