How many of us only shoot aluminum arrows. Why are they your favorites and what tricks do you have for building and shooting them?

Wood and Aluminum (main stays)

No real tricks with the aluminum (scrub where feathers to go with dutch cleanser -rinse and dry-glue feathers with Saunders NPV cement) inserts in with Hot melt

Aluminum about as easy as it gets

No tricks needed. I've been shooting mostly aluminum since the 1960's. Easy to spine (no need for added weight), plenty durable and straighter than any other tubing. Also, compared to composites, it is consistent 360 degrees around the tubing for spine.

They will bend, of course, but they won't crush on the side, an issue that can cause a composite arrow to explode on release...been there done that. Fletching isn't a problem either if you are using compatible glue like Saunders NPV or Bohning Platinum.

Every synthetic composite or alloy has pluses and minuses so you just decide what you like and go with it.

Mostly aluminums. I just put a wrap on them, fletch, and shoot

Used aluminum arrows forever, in fact I used an aluminum Monday to shoot a Coyote, washed it off , touched up the blades on the Magnus broadhead and run it through a good cull buck a couple hours ago. He was only a 3 X 4 but hanging on the rail weighed 185 #'s

I would rather spin test an aluminum after hitting something other than my intended target to check for straightness. With carbon you have to visually inspect and bend to check for signs of damage, not as much peace of mind to shoot it again. I know several people who have had carbons explode into their arm/wrist upon release.

I shoot mostly aluminum, but occasionally wood and once in a blue moon, carbon. I just like aluminum.

While it's not a trick or secret, I always scrub the end I am going to fletch with Comet, rinse and dry before fletching with fletch tape. It's what works for me.

Ken

I don't shoot aluminum exclusively, but I'm growing fonder of them all the time.

If you have a pipe cutter, you can trim them to exactly the length that you need, and the ones you buy today will match the ones that you've had kicking around the arrow bucket for the past 40 years.

I also like that they won't leave splinters in an animal; yeah, you just trim away bloodshot meat, but if you make a poor hit the arrow will snap off easily and it won't trigger a big infection, so it would be more survivable for the animal and create less fanfare with any non-hunters who see the aftermath...

AND I like that I can get the spine that I need at the all-up arrow weight that I want; wood kinda is what it is, and carbons seem to require to much weight added as a corrective measure.

Only thing not to like is that they get bent - and without an arrow straightener, I find myself with a growing pile of unshootable arrows....

In that regard, I find wood to be more durable when stumping...

Its what I use most also aluminum is by far the cheapest and the straightest, as for durable they last a long time if you dont shoot trees and rocks, I also shoot wood they are fun to build but in the end coast more dew to staining and sealing them and cresting,then getting a perfect dozen either requires extra work are buying two dozen. carbon are more expensive to begin with then needing to add weight drives up the coast, aluminum are easier to get the spin closer and the weight i prefer without extra cost.

I've shot them all but am most fond of aluminum. I have a good stock of 2016, 2020, and 2117 around. My favorite is probably the 2117 with 200 grain broadhead out front off of mid-50 bows. With a straightener you can keep them going for a long time, but I don't seem to bend anymore then I broke with car on or wood.

2117...good 'nuff for me. Thinking of stocking up.......

I shoot only aluminums. Reasons already mentioned. I used make and shoot woods, mostly cedar. Aluminums never warp. They are probably the most cost effective arrow shaft at this time.

if you shoot a light weight bow, and want a decent weight arrow for hunting... you cannot beat Aluminium...No need for a rediculous weight braodhead to tune... unlike carbon...

2016's, 125gn heads, 31.25", 5.5" fletch and they fly great. Why trouble myself to get locked into one maker of shafts and numerous point weights to use a shaft that splinters? If I happen to glance on a target and bend a shaft, more often than not, I can straighten them as new. I scooped up straighteners before they became scarce.

Curt,

I don't know anyone who has been hurt by carbons and I don't want to be that guy.

I shoot a bit of everything. Aluminum has been my mainstay for trad and I like the double swaged ones. I really don't see how they can be beat for medium sized game. If I got in enough hunting that I would use compounds at times, that was also my favourite compound set-up all swaged and 100 grain grizz. It was like 2312 and it made IBO 5 grain. Aluminum is awesome out of compounds also because you can shoot any sufficient weight and stiffness, you can shoot huge heavy logs if you want to. I just mention it not because we care, but because I think the move away from al in compounds, which also affects us guys, have been kinda silly. And has pushed a lot of crazy junk like drop away rests, and mechanical heads that are clever solutions to non-existent problems, or problems they didn't need to have.

I like 2114's, and can still find them locally.

shoot both, like how carbons penetrate when they are front loaded but also like how aluminums feel on shot and tune easy and the fact you don't have to mess with weighting them.

I've been an aluminum arrow shooter for almost 35 years. Love them. Easy to work with. Straighter than any other tube shaft. Stay with 16 wall thickness or above and they are plenty tough. I HATE an arrow hanging way off the front of my bow. No need for that stuff with aluminum, its easy to find the right shaft for your correct draw length without the need for a flag pole hanging off the front of your bow at full draw. Plus you don't have to load up the front with brick-like weight to get good flight. And Like Ken said, Bohning Fletch Tape works wonderfully with aluminum.

If I didn't shoot aluminum, I'd shoot wood. I've never warmed up to carbon.

It’s all I shoot. 2016 And 2018’s. Just depends on what stick I grab to hunt with or hit the 3D corse with. Hard to beat.

I love wood shafts but in the last couple of years, I have had little time and less space to work on building wood arrows. I really like to do it and I like to be ABLE to do it, but I'm at a place in life where it is just impractical to limit to wood. Aluminum shafts have been very accommodating to me. Cutting can't be easier as I have the tools at work that are quality machines and cut multiple shafts in one cut, perfectly square. I bring them home cut, square, deburred and ready to go. Most any good glue works for fletching and nocks. I really like to be able to use a hot melt adhesive to install points and inserts too. I have worked with aluminum shafts for 30 + years and still appreciate them. I now have more aluminum than wood.

I have shot wood, carbon and aluminum. As others have mentioned they are very easy to work with and consistent in spine and weight. My bows range from 47 to 52 lbs. and I can shoot a 2016 out of them all. I hunt mostly with legacy’s and stump shoot with gamegetters.

I guess that’s the beauty of it... 3 of my 4 bows are rated at #55 and one at #50, and while all CAN shoot a 2016, really only the #55 recurves will bare-shaft those....

Thinking 1916 for the #55 LB and maybe 1816 for the #50.. Darrin has a good point on the toughness of the thicker walls, though I’ve considered working up a load for the heavier longbow using a 2014... really, I just want to get as close to the same fps out of all of them, using the same length arrow... just so I don’t have to recalibrate my head every time I switch,

Tell ya, though... I’m thinking to work up a load for each bow using those 1820s from the NASP program; you can find those ANYWHERE that arrows are sold. Sort of like the old advice about buying a .270 or ‘06 so no matter where you go, you’ll always be able to buy ammo. Seems like anything lighter than 2117/2216 range is a Wildcat proposition these days, and the 1820 is the great equalizer in that regard..

Besides - they probably penetrate like a shaped charge, and good luck bending one..

If you want 'heavy' they make more sense than un-balanced carbons with loose crap in them. .016 - .018 walls give good weight.

Used aluminum arrows from the start.

Made at least a dozen sets of woods.

Still have and use my 1916 Jazz arrows I started with.

Aluminum users run hot and cold so far as popularity. I still have a bunch of XX75 2117 that I cannot shot on my current bow. Maybe I can find a heavier spine

Aluminum, fiberglass, and wood.

I am curious how many traditional archers have had accidents happen due to a faulty carbon shaft. I know there's no way of knowing for sure, would be interesting to find out though.

I've had 2 come apart at the shot. One simply collapsed when I release the shot. The other pretty much came apart at the shot.

And yes, I know both of those were likely due to me over looking an imperfection, or some sort of damage that occured previously.

fdp, I've shot aluminum and wood mostly for 42 yrs. I'm shooting GT right now. It is something I think about. I guess you have a similar problem with wood but I can usually spot a flaw in a wood shaft.

I've never had that problem with wood at all.

I've had them splinter but I could always see it pretty easily.

Shot mostly wood for years; however, now I use mostly aluminum. With a stock of 2016s, 2018s and 2117s, any bow I grab will shoot one of these. If it doesn't, an easy change of broadhead weight often solves the problem.

I saw a carbon shatter upon impact into a target once several years ago. My daughter was shooting her compound and when her carbon arrow it the target, the sounds was like a guitar string breaking (only way I know to describe it). Pulled the arrow and there were splinters frayed out like a flower pedal from the edge of the point end. Scary to think if that had happened upon her releasing that arrow.

I LOVE wooden arrows, but it's hard to ignore the extreme tunability, accuracy, and consistency that aluminum offers...I'm warming up to them nowadays. I've shot 2 of four deer this season with Easton 2013's. Not a very tough shaft, granted, but man!!! They fly off my recurve like lasers. I like that.

Dang, glad it exploded after it left the bow.

Only use aluminium...trad archery is supposed to be simple...aluminium shafts make that possible as they are easy to tune without a lot of monkeying around.

Plus I don't trust carbon not to explode and impale me.

I just started really shooting carbon last year. Of course we should always inspect our arrows no matter what shaft material, but the more I get to researching it...I may go back to aluminum.

I'm not one to always worry about what MIGHT happen but the chances of getting injured with an alumiunum arrow is far less likely, IMO.

Back when I was young and shot lots of aluminum arrows, "checking" your arrows was unheard of. You never saw anyone do that, unless you knew you hit a nock or saw a vane hanging off. Other than that, you just pulled your arrows and kept shooting. Later, you wold find dents and scratches in them. I wouldn't dare do that with a carbon arrow.

I went through a prolonged carbon phase but in the past couple of years I've been shooting aluminums almost exclusively for the reasons many list above.

I only shoot Al. I started with Al. and have never seen any real reason to change.

My target and warm weather arrows are 1918s, I was given gross of them and they shoot out of all of my current bows with slight point weight adjustments. For feathers, I rub them with Comet or acetone till they squeak, wipe with a damp wash cloth, then tape the fletch with an added small dab of Gorilla super glue on the front, middle, and back.

Have messed and shot with carbon, but have preferred aluminum and will stay with it, easy to work with and they shoot as good as any shaft. Been using aluminums since '75.

Mostly aluminum arrows Never have tried carbon Tinkered with wood.

I would like to try and add something inside the shaft to add a little weight and sound dampening. Maybe heavy weed whacker string or para cord.

I started hunting compound shooting full length carbons and could tune the rest snd sights to work.

Learned what spine was after switching to trad. I chose aluminum because I couldn't find a good match to 45# a 18 gr insert and 125 broadhead. All I ever bought were cabelas which were easton or gold tip that were spined for compounds 50#+ in weight. And I couldn't find 600 spine that easily and was not paying a lot for them.

So aluminum worked for me. Though shooting 1916s: i found aluminums were just as tough.

When I started building the setup for the 65# bow I use now: I realized aluminum has all the modern comforts of carbon but has comparable gpi shaft weight to wood. And you can get easton Legacy shafts that look good enough for me.

Tricks? Are there tricks? I use pipe cutters, file, and a browning deburring tool. To me building arrows is just building arrows. I only use aluminum and don't really see a point to ever going to carbon, I like it that much. Wood: probably only dver going to shoot wood if I a shooting a selfbow, Grumley Deerslayers copy, or static Bear Kodiak.

Lots of good posts here that all make sense, and I agree with them.

I shoot aluminum and some wood... and most likely will never go to anything else.

Compared to wood, aluminum shafts are more consistent in weight and spine, straighter, and I also find them less maintenance and easier to work with.

I use mostly 2317s and my old favourite 2419s... that they discontinued of course. One of the only good things about aging is that I'll eventually be going down in draw weight (again) and I should have enough of a supply of 2419s to last me until then, LOL!

I like wood too though because among other things, it's beautiful and it's quieter to handle.

I have shot all of them! Aluminum for me!!!!

Carbon arrows will never touch my longbows. It is just a personal aesthetic thing. My number one preference is wood arrows, either POC or ash shafts. It is difficult to find ash shafts these days. But as a backup and a worry free arrow that is easy to use I have a fair number of aluminum arrows. They seem to be the most trouble free shaft there is.

shoot carbon now. but shoot aluminum sometines.

All the carbon I have shot were the Easton ACCs (carbon over aluminum). I now have some really cheap all carbon Eastons to shoot. Didn't really think about breaking them, everyone says how tough they are. I have always been leary of the all carbon arrows because they have a mostly biax layup which is tough, but spine inconsistent, and fatigues at the rate of the resin. But people can't seem to get enough of them.

In golf shafts, one of the most disappointing things is that the carbon shafts have different spine anywhere you measure it. On golf shafts they have optimizing technology that pures the whole shaft. This goes back to early experiences with pros who lost their games when a specific driver shaft broke, or they switched to carbon shafted irons for health reasons. Just replacing the broken shaft with another one of the same flex should have restored the driver. But because the cloth wraps are so inconsistent, it was discovered that measuring the shafts at one point only compared that shaft to the norm at one point, the comparison almost always fell apart when measured on other parts of the shaft. So I don't really trust spine on carbon arrows. Of course people hit the X all the time...

I still shoot 2016’s all the time - stump and hunting. ( I just bought another 5dz off Lancaster) - love them - easy to tune , straight, easy to make without an arrow saw etc ... and great that I can make an arrow with 125gn heads - for soft skinned game it opens up a huge amount of affordable heads

Still a great arrow material.

Always will be .

Note - I have a pretty special hunt next year in New Zealand for the Rut with some great mates - as such I may just make up the last of the Autumn Oranges I have beeen keeping for just such an occasion ...

Starting to like my 1916 Legacys. They have a consistency that I don't get in POC. Otoh, Poc is a warmer feel and seems to go with longbow like butter on bread. It's a tough call..

One more point...

Almost all of the threads that involve people having arrow tuning issues are dealing with carbon shafts.

That tells me that tin arrows are much simpler to deal with.

Plus, I have shot dozens of different bows and never had a major issue getting an aluminium shaft to tune.

The Easton chart has got to be the simplest thing in archery! When I decided to give aluminums a try I referenced the chart and bought what it suggested. I have enjoyed perfect flight ever since. My inconsistent wood arrows all got blunts and became stumpers.

To fletch, I wipe with alcohol then use tape either on wraps or directly to the shaft. Super glue gel dabbed on front and back of each feather. Gel for nocks and inserts too.

I've never tried carbons. Way too much tinkering required to achieve what I already have.

Carbons can be tuned like any other shaft material.

I think a lot of people start with too stiff of a setup. I have been shooting GT 600s out of my 45 lb recurve and they fly good. I am going back to aluminum just because of personal preference. It's just me but I feel more comfortable shooting aluminun just the safety aspect of it. Probably nothing to really worry about I'm sure but it's always in the back of my mind. Besides, I have damaged very few aluminun arrows in 42 yrs of shooting.

Damaging arrows will happen with all shaft matetial but I have never seen where aluminum is as fragile as some think it is. But, I dont intentionally shoot a hard objects either.

Dang...I cant type worth a flip on this phone.lol

I may have to retract my statement. My Gold Tip 600s fly really good. If I can get the thought of them exploding out of my mind I'd be ok. Lol Seriuosly, I dont think about my carbons exploding every time I draw an arrow back but it does cross my mind. The Gold Tips seem to be durable, just have to keep an eye on them.

I like aluminums but I do like carbon I don't know why people say its hard to tune them I think they are very easy to tune and never never had one explode on me

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