I am finally deciding to go down the carbon shaft path, after decades of wood. I love buying American made, but what is everyone choice on favorite shafts for their longbow? Not trying to start an argument just seeking information on difference's of those who experienced it.

I have shot all arrow types. I went to carbons about 6 years ago with NO looking back. I like the Beman Centershots. They will outlast other arrow material 10 dozens to 1. Bill

No carbons for me, I love the Easton aluminum Legacy arrows in 2016's and 2018's.

Easton / Beman are some of the few made in the USA carbon arrows. We have them private label the Traditional Only for us. 5/16" standard diameter for flexibility and nice wood grain to it.

https://www.3riversarchery.com/traditional-only-fletched-carbon-arrows.html

I went with the Easton Axis(trads) last year, won't be changing anytime soon. Excellent arrow.

All of them are good, some are better. FMJ's are very nice.

I've tried several brands and have settled on using Easton/Beman. I've been shooting Axis/MFX for about 10 years. Also have a dozen Autumn Orange FMJ that I've been shooting for about a year. Really like these too. 3River sells both.

I really like the beman mfxs no longer made. If buying new ones i would check out the easton axis. Ive been using heritage 75s as they spine just right for a hunting arrow in my 40# bows. For a quick, inexpensive 3d arrow i use cx predator ii 800s. Best of luck.

I like FMJ's...... there all pretty good

I shoot Easton Axis Traditional arrows out of all my Recurve and Longbows. They are tough as nails !

ACC's and FMJ are carbon/aluminum. I like ACC's, not as tough as FMJ's or straight carbon, but they're straighter.

Bowmania

I'm thinking of doing the same. Can I get a few opinions on the small diameter carbons?

I have been buying the GT blems from Big Jim lately for my 55# bows. Simple reason is our AZ. landscape. There’s a 50/50 chance with carbons if I hit rock the arrow will still be good. Wood, 0 chance, aluminum if lucky I can restraighten it. I do have Axis arrows for hunting and I have them footed. I foot all my new carbons front and nock end. I just bought a couple doz Easton shafts branded for Lancaster Archery. On sale for less than blems. They seem to be in between the normal 5/16 diameter and the Axis diameter. Maybe the old Excel shaft? No report as yet as the riser I want to use with the ILF limbs seems to be “lost” in The USPS system in San Jose, CA. If your making up shooters then carbons are hard to beat especially when footed on both ends.

Are the Arrow Dynamics shafts made in the US?

I really enjoyed them for a long time.... ‘til I realized how far over-spined they are for my bows....

The tapered ones flew really well anyway, and were WAY tougher than any aluminum I was shooting at the time; just need an aluminum adapter to keep the nocks from splitting the shaft on a hard impact...

GT Blems from Big Jim- best $ to quality ratio deal for my needs. (Which are not the most demanding, compared to more professional/better archers than I am... ;-)

Thanks to all, for the help

I don't think there is a nickel's worth of difference between them, I currently shoot Carbon Express Heritage, the grains per inch get me where I want to be on total arrow weight.

I luv carbon every body always says how hard it is to tune and I find it the complete opposite I luv the axis arrows for there skinny shafts

Far better to go to Aluminum.

Carbon has three advantages: 1) Thin for better performance on bows with low centershot. This is irrelevant if your bow has reasonable centershot, and is undermined by the small availability of spines: 2) Super light weight, like 5 grains per pound. Which doesn't apply to trad for the most part: 3) Durable, which is how many see them, though Al is perfectly durable in the right wall thicknesses; probably on a dollars to arrows basis since it can be cheaper (though I just bought some 600 shafts for 3 dollars each); Aluminum swagged with glue on heads is my bet for the strongest; probably more true in girlie bows, I don't think 2219s have a huge problem on this; If an Al breaks it is less likely to do so in the bow and shaft your hand.

So overall I would say Al are superior to carbon on all points except some aspects of durability: They are superior in straightness; spines; arrow build out; and carbon is particularly bad in consistency, except built over aluminum, and then it tends not to be so strong.

With compounds it changes. You can get speeds over 300 with carbon arrows that weigh what the ones we shoot out of a 400 pound bow at 170 weigh. For a fairly average strength archer. Carbon is a game changer when you change the game. Want to fly around the world on one tank of gas? Carbon is your friend. Or reach out to 90 meters with a 50 pound bow, carbon limbs and carbon/al arrows are your friend. In Trad... Not so much.

Carbon would certainly be an all out favorite arrow if they made one just for us, and I don't mean painted it brown. But if you started from the ground up to make a trad arrow that solved our problems. But we aren't big enough to justify that, and we don't agree as to what our problems are. We are highly technologically subdivided.

Use Axis Trads with most my bows. Like a skinny arrow so they're fine.

Easton Epics (don't think made any more)or GoldTip Traditional.

I have gone aluminum. Tons of size selections and I get the weight. Way cheap when you buy the low end XX75's like Easton Jazz series.

So what am I doing wrong? With carbon I get splits at the nock end of the arrow when I go to 3 d shoots my carbons get beat up by other arrows? My al get bent. But I can true them back over and over,,I'm shooting at a range ,,I've had no luck at all ,,,they do fly nice but AL works for me jeffw

People are hitting your arrows, pain and simple. Pure carbon will never be as all around durable as aluminum.

Sorry should have said 40, not 400, and 170 fps.

If folks are banging your arrows carry a few that are all black for when you lead the way.

I really like aluminum-- when put into a cozy it keeps my beverages very cold, and packs lighter than glass. For arrows, though i have bad luck w aluminums, bending the often and i could never make a living straightening arrows. BUT--- i should low poundage bows, which means lighter spines and wall thicknesses. I have a buddy that shoots 2117s and he rarely bends an arrow. On the carbon side i rarely break or damage an arrow-- i foot my stumping arrows though.

I'll stick with aluminums, thanks.

I like Easton' Axis trads.The small diameter catches less wind and helps penatration.Also I found in one of my longbow's regardless of spine it tends to shoot left with larger diameter arrows like Gold Tips and woodies.That doesnt happen with Axis.

Lol...hey I'm sometimes afraid to ride in a car, but only if my brother is driving.

Well photos do make you take a second thought, but that's a good thing. Those things could be prevented altogether of folks just took the time to examine the arrow if they get a side strike, etc., with any arrow shaft and especially composites. I have some fiberglass that will do that as well so I make sure I check them regularly. Wood will also make a mess and need attention, but again that is part of the process when you use those materials.

My buddy Joe (hvac tech) and I once had splinters flying all over us when a guy shooting next to us had a Graphlex arrow literally explode on the shot. Luckily no one was hurt at all, except for the shooter who maybe had to change his drawers. WE also had Graphlex arrows at the time. Crap happens, both figuratively and literally at times.

I used both wood and aluminum for forever, and now that I've used carbon for about 6 years I'm not looking back. Have used GT, Carbon Express and Arrow Dynamics (all with the wood grain finish) with equal success. I find the Arrow Dynamics tapered shafts have great range in what pound bows they shoot well out of.

Bowlim, good post, you're about the only one that brought up some good point - although I don't agree with them and that's what these threads are for.

Your first point on thinness doesn't address better performance in the wind and penetration. If you have low center shot bow, a tuned arrow is still a tuned arrow whether it's aluminum or carbon, 28 inches long or 31 inches long. And my personal opinion is that you can gap more accurately with a thin arrow than a telephone pole 2419. Like drawing a line with a drafting pencil and a felt tip marker.

Number 2, Super light weight is a real advantage with carbons, not to mention options. Want to shoot super flat shooting, high scoring arrows for a tournament or take a light stiff arrow and increase the point weight for high FOC (and add the thin diameter) you have an arrow that grain for grain will out penetrate aluminum. Carbon will always out penetrate aluminum because of the quicker recovery.

Number 3. Durability of aluminum???????????? I was very reluctant to change to carbon. The reason I changed was because of one shot, which I did regularly enough!!! It's the shot that hits the edge of a 3D target and doesn't stick. After that the arrow doesn't spin true, but it's not really bent, so you keep shooting it knowing it won't shoot in the same place as the rest of your arrows. AND that was happening with 2219's and 2216's. Never happens with carbon

And when it comes to consistency, you have a pretty good point. BUT if you take some old carbon from ten years back compared to new it's leap and bounds better. Still not as good as aluminum in straightness and consistent spine, IF we're comparing dollar to dollar cost. Buy expensive carbon and aluminum has no advantage anywhere or they wouldn't be shooting carbon in the Olymbics.

Bowlim, alllllllll that said, I'll be honest and tell you I shoot ACC's and FMJ's, so push comes to shove I guess I agree with you. LOL.

For the 17.4 accuracy crowd that's here I don't think you can beat carbons.

Bowmania

I like Gold Tip Hunter XT's. Lately I'm trying Vapor 245's.

I don't like anything that's $100.00 for a dozen bare shafts!

Carbon is easy and works great. Anyone saying otherwise has no experience with modern carbon arrows. For weight and durability stick to skinny shafts. Best value out there are black Axis. If you want help P.M. me.

I hunted with carbon one year. Never again. I shot two deer that year and had poor penetration on both of them,even using weight tubes. Normally have pass- throughs shooting wood or aluminum. I shoot some for target work,but refuse to hunt with them.

Easton Aftermaths, Goldtips in both Hunters answer the Traditionals. Easton are 9/32", Goldtips are 5/16" in diameter.

SB Hard to believe that the shafts being carbon had anything to do with it. If weight and tune were equal there should not have been a difference. You said using alum and wood you normally have pass thrus. Could have been that those two shots were the same as the alum and wood shafts that didn't pass thru.

SB. There are carbons out there that are cheaper than aluminum

I'm pretty surprised that there are still arguments on the 'wall about using carbon arrows.

Oh wait. No I'm not. LOL

To answer the OP's question (and not just "answering" with a political fear mongering post), my "go to" carbons for hunting are either a Carbon Express Heritage (heavy) or a Three Rivers "traditional only" (light). Depends on which bow and what critters.

I use a CX Heritage 350 shaft which weighs 11.45 grains per inch, my arrow weighs over 600 grains at 9gpp. A proper weight and balanced carbon hunting arrow will penetrate as well and most likely better than a comparable weight wood or aluminum shaft. Any issues with poor penetration are errors made by whomever assembled the arrow and matched it to the bow. Making a general statement that carbon arrows penetrate poorly, that dog won't hunt, look more carefully for the problem.

There's a lot buried in Limbwalker's statement. I also use a heavy and light arrow. It brings out the versatility of carbon, because of it's quick recovery. Out of the same bow 50 at 29, I can shoot a .620 and a .390. THe latter weighs a little over 625 grains and the other is my whitetail arrow at close to 500.

SB, I think you problem may have been those weight tubes. I tried those things and ended up going to a stiffer arrow and more FOC. You can't compare your results with anything you've done in the past, since you'll never know that you hit the exact same spot with a wood or aluminum arrow.

Give us an attribute of wood and aluminum pertaining to penetration and most on here will be able to tell you why carbon is better.

Bowmania

Widowmaker Smash out of Australia.

I shoot the .300's, and they are hands down the toughest, and most consistent in spine & weight out of all the carbons I have ever used.

Rick

GT trad blems from Big Jim. You can look to Easton and Beman if you must have American made.

GT trad blems from Big Jim. You can look to Easton and Beman if you must have American made.

Hands down carbon express heritage are amazing arrows......!!! I've shot them all and they still amaze me at their toughness!

Easton/ Beman American made quality shafts. The Beman Classics are my favorite, not made anymore though. Axis and Centershots are great arrows.

“So what am I doing wrong? With carbon I get splits at the nock end of the arrow ”

Are you using these? If not, there’s your problem. When you hit something really solid, a press-in nock will drive forward and split the shaft, but if you glue in an adaptor, they’re not going anywhere.

Before one of the guys here sent me some adapters for my AD Trad lites, I was super-gluing the nocks into place after the shaft had split once already, and never had a shaft split on me a second time.

How tough are they? Robin-Hooded this one and the glued nock never budged.

With an adapter, it would have cost me a new BJ nock; with a standard nock CA’d in place, it turned a good arrow into a souvenir...

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