for those shooting sub 45 pound bows what arrow material do you prefer (for deer) wood,carbon or aluminum?

Wood for me please.

I had been using aluminum but now that there is a good number of choices in carbons spined for lighter bows I have been fooling with them some. I should say that most of what deer hunting I get to do I shoot 45#. However, I currently have a 38# bow that shoots lights out with AD lites and will be trying some of their XLT's soon.

So, I guess its carbon for me. The aluminum is on the shelf so I can go to them if and when I want.

Carbon!

wood

It's all about what you want to shoot. That said, I'm a fan of wood.

Woodies mostly. But do keep a dozen carbons tuned and ready.

Carbon--with the choices available, ive always been able to come up with arrows in the weight range i like ( i can do this w wood too, but i like the durability of carbon).

Wood.

Every deer I've ever killed was killed with Aluminum or wood. I had never even tried carbon until I bought my first longbow in 2006. I still shot aluminum or wood for hunting until this year.

After a year of hard use, the carbons are holding up better than any arrows before. I would always keep a few shafts that were only for hunting so that I was assured of having a straight arrow when I needed it. I've hit trees and rocks with the carbons and had no issues. I always examine them before shoot, generally when I am using some armorall on them the night before. I will use carbons to hunt this year. My hunting bow is a R/D built by Steve Abbot in 2011, 46@28 and I draw 27.

If I use stone heads it's wood. If I use metal heads it's aluminum.

Carbon works great, easy to get 10 grains of arrow weight per pound of bow draw weight. Also correct spine.

Well first, I do not consider 45# to be a light bow, even for deer hunting; more of a middle weight. But at that weight wood, aluminum or carbon all can be tuned to work well.

I have taught a lot of women and youths shooting 30# or less and I recommend carbon youth arrows for them to get good arrow speed and range. Aluminum and wooden arrows light enough for them are fragile.

For typical hunting weight bows aluminum is much more tuneable with simple hand tools and the great choice of point weights. At 45 pounds the aluminum 1916 shaft works well with a full draw length and is tough enough to hold up well. If damaged by a foul hit it can usually be mended. Wooden shafts are equally tuneable. Carbons are tough but if damaged you may not notice until it shatters on release and fills your knuckles with shards that cannot be seen on xrays. Have you seen the horrible photos?

Aluminum and wood shafts are similar in weight and tuning so you can switch back and forth easily. I think they are a great match for middle weight bows. For heavy weight aluminum and carbon work well but very heavy wooden shafts can be a problem. - lbg

Bamboo. Great natural shoot, usually smaller diameter than wood and doesn't bend like aluminium. There's a reason it's referred to as natures carbon. They're probably the least expensive too.

Carbon

all from 36-44 pound bows. I love making wood arrows but I like carbon the most for stumping/hunting.

I've shot aluminum since the 1960's so that is what I have the most faith in and am comfortable with. The inherent mass doesn't need front loading or anything stuffed down the shaft either so I like that. I just traded 14 carbons for a like amount of aluminum but that's just me. I still have 8 carbon arrows that will work on my bows if I'm pressed, but likely I'll be using aluminum for this year again. You don't fix what ain't broke. But seriously, there really aren't any bad choices....just choices.

I also have some old Microflite arrows which I absolutely love for their mass and durability too. Not really much different from carbon other than the fibers used.

I like to shoot arrows about a thousand times more than I like to build arrows, so carbon for me! And with a 31"draw, wood is not out of the question but is close and expensive because I would have to buy footed shafts.

Wood

All the above.

I would not have a carbon arrow in the house. Too modern for me. Sort of like an inline muzzleloader. Or Pyrodex in a flintlock. That's just me.

Interesting post , my rig will be just a hair under 45 this year at 43lbs.

I plan to tune some carbons and cedars for it.

wood 75% of time then alum. spend to $ much for carbons then half to buy weights or special inserts to get the weight up. are different heads.

My bows are all 42-45#. 1816 aluminum fly beautifully from them.

No worries hunting anything I'm interested in killing. Last Feb on our annual SC hog hunt one of the guys hit a big 250# boar. When we tracked it and closed in it stood up and wheeled to face us. We've lost pigs in that swamp and it needed killed NOW. I shot it with my 42# Black Hunter, 1816's, and 125gr Magnus two blade. 20yds through the vitals stopping in the off side shield. It went down for good pretty quick.

Aluminum has the weight and consistency I want in a hunting shaft.

Carbon is too modern for some but not the latest technology like a mobile phone or computer to message on?

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