This has never happened to me,but has any one ever had a wood arrow break or splinter during release.Even when you thought the arrow was in good sound shape? Any injuries? And if so,what kind of wood? Have a great day every one

50 years of shooting wood arrows and I never had that happen. I have had plastic nocks break on release a couple time with out any injuries.

Ditto on what Nemo said. I have arrows so old I should replace the nocks on them, plastic gets brittle.

No That’s a good way to catch half an arrow thru the bow arm though They had to have a fracture somewhere The energy will find any imperfections It’s slways good practice to flex your arrows once in awhile,especially if you missed the target or have been stumping with them

I've been shooting for 62 years.

I've had that happen once that I can remember.

If you make our own be sure to orient the rifts properly so that if the shaft breaks it will break up and away from your bow hand.

<<<<<<<<<< these should point towards your bow hand.

Jawge

A group of us were shooting two 40 round 3-d's in the rain and remember two arrows breaking.

I have been shooting wood arrows for 30 years and have never had one break upon release. Of course, I take good care of my gear too and inspect it regularly. ANY arrow that is suspect gets snapped in half. I can always make another one just like it whenever I want

It would be interesting to know what type of wood shaft material breaks. I have always stuck with Port Orford Cedar because the grain runs straight the length of the shaft.

I had one break this summer. POC it was probably severely under spinded for a 67# non-center cut bow. it was a practice arrow, and proabbly was not in perfect shap either. big rasberry and blood blister on my forearm. thought the bow broke, I let go of everything the seond I heard the snap(which I think helped) I wear a bracer everytime I shoot now....everytime.

Never in 60 years

I have been shooting wood arrows for over 20 years, cedar and douglas fir. A cedar broke at a 3D shoot once, I felt part of it go across my index finger on my bow hand, no harm done. Always thought it must have been damaged from a previous shot and I just missed it. Lucky I guess.

I had an arrow break on release years ago. The arrow in question was found under the leaves at our archery range and it had been there for a long time,feathers were almost gone, paint coming off the shaft and field point rusty. Like an idiot I decided to shoot it. Arrow broke and put a piece of feather in the back of my thumb. Not much fun getting the feather out but something you will never forget

James

Not upon release yet( knock on wood) but have a couple shatter upon hitting the target . One was POC one was DF. Both were old, how old, no idea. Both shafts upon inspection seemed very dry, brittle . The POC had very little smell. I kicked this around on another site and came to the conclusion those shafts just dried out inside. Does this mean all the arrows in that doz are not shootable? Not necessarily cause not all the shafts May have come from the same blank, even same tree. My solutions are pure Tung oil as a finish and a leather arm guard.

“I take good care of my gear too and inspect it regularly. ANY arrow that is suspect gets snapped in half. I can always make another one just like it whenever I want.”

That’s a good reminder for frugal types like me.... or I should say people like me who talk themselves into bad decisions by being a cheapskate....

But I have largely cured myself by converting g the cost of whatever item I’m trying not to “waste” into Emergency Room Co-Pays.

That brings remarkable clarity to the cost/benefit thinking.

Never in 55 years.

Case in point: a Boga Grip seems like a really expensive gadget, but there are knock-off out there for a lot less if you don’t need a scale built in. I bought one about 10 years ago after a 14” striper did the head-shake and put a hook through the back of my ring finger. And it wasn’t long after that that my youngest used it in a buoyancy experiment that he conducted while we were out in the rowboat. Science! That’s what 3-year-olds do!

Last summer I lipped a fresh schoolie striper - maybe 20”-22”. The fish thrashed and BAM!! THAT wasn’t so bad - it was all the other thrashing it did until it got off of the other hook that was REALLY unpleasant.

I could buy 10 of those knock-offs for the $350-something it cost to get this plug removed.....

So re-read Jawge’s post on runout and flex those shafts often!

Just another to always were a arm guard

Yes it has happened. Shooting on 3D range bouncing the arrow off the back of target produced a un observable stress crack below the feathers. Shaft looked good, no observable damage but blew up upon release. A good reason to wear an arm guard. I now flex shafts after a “slap”.

What GF said for the most part. If you're going to shoot wood arrows, it would just be smart to flex them now and then, especially after you have an issue with hitting a hard target or glancing off a tree, etc. That's something though you should be doing with composite shafts like carbon or old fiberglass as well. Carbons can explode/splinter anywhere since they have no grain, and when they do it's an explosion of elongated shrapnel. Wood will normally break into the grain...still not all that comfortable when one goes and neither would be fun.

Yes, once. Glanced off a 3D target and skipped up through the woods, was a easy find. Flexed it, tapped it on the bow string arrow ok. Blew up next shot, one splinter below arm guard. Took a couple of days not to be "gun shy.

Although it is a rare occurrence this is why I always wear an armguard. Not for string slap so much. Although I do occasionally get a little snap from the string it was a picture I saw on this web site a long time ago of a man with a wood arrow shaft in his forearm that convinced me. In over 50 years of shooting a bow I have never had it happen but tomorrow could be the day.

No never in 58 years. Or ever seen one that wasn't damaged from some other impact they just don't do that.

WIVES TAILS.

Only reason I wear an arm guard if by some break of form screw up and string hits arm.

On more than one occasion, while coming to full draw, I noticed an unusual bend in a wood shaft and upon closer inspection found a crack in the shaft. Some cracks are simply hard to locate but an indication that something is wrong is finding a "bend" in a shaft that you previously knew was straight.

I try to build on the average four dozen cedar arrows each year. Rarely though do I find myself with a complete finished dozen arrows from a dozen new Port Orford cedar shafts. Am finding more and more new premium shafts with island grain and reject these right from the start. Avoid these at all costs for these are the ones that will be trouble in every way. It is beyond me how they ever graded premium and found thier way into groups of premium shafts leaving Rose City. So... no, after a careful inspection for such and rejecting them when they first arrive, I have never had a mishap from cedar arrows. Best Regards.

I often flex my woodies and will tap them on my knee if they have been stressed. They will sound different if there is a crack. If I find they have been damaged I will usually break them right then and there.

My wife had one split out of a Miegs Big 5 that i reduced. The grain was correct and I check arrows before they are shot. it was a fairly new 40-45 tapered cedar shaft 27" bop with a 125 grain point and I reduced the bow to 42 pounds at 26 inches. The shaft had no flare grain, I have no idea why it failed. The broken arrow pierced the leather arrow rest, good thing it tried to up, instead of down into my wife's hand. Myself, I probably have shot more shots with wood arrows than 99% of all archers. I have never had one break.

They break and it hurts, Shot cedar and aluminum since early 70s. About 10 yars now I was shoting one evening with my 60 lbs Martin Hunter, my 3ed or 4th round I had an arrow break during my shot. The back 1/3 of the arrow split off and was driven into my bow hand, went through the fleshy part of my bow hand between index finger and thumb. The arrow part drove through my hand and hit the riser and splintered even more and sent more splinters into the hole as it bounced back out of my hand.

I found out when you go to the emergency room and tell them you shot yourself with a bow and arrow, the doctors come out fast to examine the injury. They see lots of broken bones, cuts, sports injuries but never see arrow injuries like this.

Took me about 2-3 yrs before I have enough nerve to shot wood again.

DAVE B

Me never. My brother had one explode that he damaged on the preceding shot.

No injuries.

very rare if check them ,and injuries even rarer if oriented to grain right

Yea have had one or two break but I shoot a lot of wood and over many years

and those one or two were me not checking after hard richocet shot

We use to get Bear arrows in by the gross. One color paint from top to bottom. I have stripped them down to bare wood. Some were real garbage under that paint. Me, I dont worry about run out or grain. I fletch them and shoot them.

Never a wooden shaft, but I once had a fiberglass arrow blow up when I released the string. I had been stump shooting with it and evidently it cracked and then blew on the next shot. I wasn't hurt, but it got my attention. I now slap the arrow on the side of my leg to make sure they sound right, or hit them on the toe of my boot to kick off the dirt, or mud. If any are compromised, I can tell by the sound.

About 15 years ago one of my friends had a German pine arrow break on release. A jagged end went thru the web of his hand between the thumb and forefinger on his bow hand. Lots of blood, wood sticking out on both sides. It was starting to get dark. Him and my brother (Mike) decide to try any yank it out with a leatherman. That did not work. Mike took him to Emergency and got it and the numerous splinters out. He was fine after awhile, but has an odd aversion to German pine shafts. Chuck S

brand new cedar shaft from a dozen box of Bear arrows broke on me & that hurt like h/[; when I pulled the back half out of my wrist, went through my wrist, equal amount of shaft sticking out both sides. that was in 1968,making $1.97 an hour working for Daisy BB,a dozen arrows was a major exspence back then. never shot another cedar went to aluminum & been happy ever since.

about 30 years ago, while shooting a 60# compound, I shot a wood arrow I had found, the arrow broke and hit my upper arm. I thought, it has gone through. I was lucky, the arrow hit sideways. I had a bruise that lasted about a month. I never shot a wood arrow since.

In more than 50 years of shooting, only happened once. A POC arrow shattered on release giving me a helluva welt/black and blue area on the inside of the bicep on my bow arm. Pretty sure I damaged the arrow on the previous shot, but I failed to check it.

Over the years, I've probably discarded a half-dozen or more arrows that I had cracked by glancing them off of targets. Luckily, I discovered the damage before I tried to shoot them again. I'm sure they would have broken otherwise.

I started shooting Cedar arrows nearly 55 years ago and never had bow up--until a couple of summers ago and then I had two. One was a cedar that blew in two pieces. I never did find the nock end and the point half was out in front of the bow. The second was Doug fir and it shattered. Neither caused an injury and I blame the extremely dry summer for the fir and perhaps the cedar.

The old-timers taught me to flex the arrow after each shot as you quiver it and I mostly still do, and always if it is not into a good target butt. I believe aromakr Bob has a method of testing for cracks by thumping them that may be better than flexing them. The take home message is what Jawge said about placing the run out grain on top with the points or tips going away from you. Done it with every arrow I ever built with no exceptions, knock on wood.

Once in 60+ yrs. And it was a 5/16 Forgewood 50# spine. Snapped clean in half in the middle like you cut it with a chopsaw! No idea where the front half went,the feathered half made it about 10 yds. downrange. No injury or damage to bow.

I’ve had that happen once. To this day I don’t know happened, it just came apart like it expoded, And it was in pieces.

I've never had one break. Maybe I don't shoot them enough, lol.

It is rare; do what Jawge said. Check the grain. Properly selected and made wooden arrows are very safe. As with most things in life you must use a little care and judgment. I think injuries are more frequent and worse with carbon shafts than wooden ones.

I have never been hurt by a damaged shaft but I have had to pull out some feather fletching a few times. Check your tackle. These are weapons and can do harm if you are careless. Rule number ! is range safety. Take care. - lbg

I have never had a wood arrow blow up, just nocks break. I was shooting with some compound guys and watched as a carbon arrow blew up. That was nasty with all the slivers in the guys hand and arm. I do as Jawge does when I make my arrows, always have. My buddy, Bob MacIlvane, stresses that when I visit his shop to purchase stuff and spine test.

I do a lot of straightening and tweeking wood arrows as I shoot, OCD I guess. I am constantly spinning them, sighting down the shaft and tweeking any that don't fly exactly where I think they should go.

I am always surprised when a seemingly great looking arrow snaps in two when I give it a small adjustment. Little dings in an arrow shaft can be fatal for that shaft.

Perhaps my OCD prevents a unknown damaged arrow from exploding upon release.

To affirm:

Ideally, when a shaft is milled the grain lines should run continuously straight from tip to tip. That is a prime shaft.

Practically, there will be run outs. Orient them as I described in my last post for safety in case of breakage.

If you get a shaft that has a grain line that goes top to bottom. Discard it. It can break.

Jawge

Two things about shooting wood arrows concerning this topic. This is why I always recommend shooting only one arrow at a time at any spot, especially when practicing with broadheads. Also, this is why I like to use ash or hickory shafts. They can be very tough to break. Just my $0.02

You can’t beat Hickory, imho. It’s soo tough. The nice heartwood Hickory shafts are my favorite.

I've broken wood, aluminum and carbons, but luckily never had one blow up on the launch pad!

Worse arrows were a certain brand of carbon, on hard imnpact the spiral 'weave' of the fibers would 'mushroom' open. Like those Chinese 'finger puzzle'/traps. Bad enough when it happened up front but worse when it caused the nock to loosen! I don't buy that brand any more.

All arrows break bend, warp, shatter,

mine was the very first shot on the first arrow from a BRAND NEW box of BEAR arrows. there was no dings or any marks what so ever,,,55-65 spines from a 50# Bear Kodiak magnum.

You're still more likely to get injured driving to your hunting area than being injured by any arrow breaking during the shot. It's about attentiveness and perspective. Lightning can strike you too but it doesn't keep many of us from going outside.

Woodies need straightening and at those times its always best to double check for damages but before then prior to going to shoot them is just wise.. There was never a time to not check a wood arrow before it went on the shelf across the bow. It's just something you do while shooting woodies.

This goes for all arrows no matter what.

That happened on one of my favorite movies/Deliverence

Yeah RymanCat. Before,during and after shooting.Ya know that arrow that just glanced off your target or the one that hit something hard could be the very one that breaks on ya next shot.When you retrieve your arrows inspect them before ya let them live in your quiver again let alone on a bow string .Ya gotta give a good flexing and look me over well .As Ryman says it's just something ya do.Wise words Ryman OSR

The answer is to orient the nock properly with spine. If you don't spine test each arrow you're rolling the dice. High risk if you don't build your own wood arrows

The answer is to orient the nock properly with spine.

If you don't spine test each arrow you're rolling the dice.

High risk if you don't build your own wood arrows

That 'a not necessarily so but it is one factor that can't be ignored .There seems to be a quality factor with some shaft producers unable to consistently source premium wood .Not their fault as most old growth wood has been cut down already and what is left is protected in some regions.I make my own shafts and use only old growth wood but to get it I recycle old beams .doors and furniture .The wood in these things has been cut 60 to 100 years ago and back then they could choose the best wood.I don't think the better companies put out a bad product,I take my hat off to them actually cause they would be putting in quite a bit more work to feed our habit/ addiction with good shafts. Recently got some wood in log form am able to split blanks with a froe and not saw them .I will only go to billets for now as I am thinking 2 years for natural controlled seasoning.I currently have 3000 + blanks in reserve.Can't see me running out too soon.Follow RymanCat it's just something ya do (inspect your arrows)Yeah I have an addiction with making shafts by hand with a plane OSR.

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