I have been away from traditional archery for a few years so my questions will be simple and maybe dumb. I believe I either read somewhere or was told that carbon arrows are more forgiving than aluminum arrows - that is they do not have to matched as well as aluminum arrows to a bow. Is this true?

Nope.......

I like aluminum arrows best xx75 2216 for the win.

No. They store energy differently

I started archery/bowhunting in 1956.. Down the road I went to Carbons for two years. Never satisfied & went back to Aluminum shafts.. Best decision made. Aluminum, for me, best shaft in several ways. Yes, I bowhunt & compete lots with Aluminums.

Supposedly the spines on carbons cover a wider weight range. Most feel, myself included, that carbons are more durable. I was one of the last in our club to switch to carbons from aluminum. I've found myself yearning for the heavier weight of aluminums.

Your question was not “dumb.” Just keep reading and learning…..

How do they store energy differently?

All arrow shaft materials can cover a range of draw wt. It’s all determined by draw wt, draw length, arrow length, point wt, center cut, arrow diameter and the shooter himself.

MP

I've shot Aluminum, Carbon and tapered/footed wood arrows. With same weight/spine, tuned for your bow they all group together at hunting distances. There may be a slight edge in durability with carbons, but I've had tapered Ash arrows out last all other arrow materials. Bottom line; shoot the arrow type that works best for you.

What I find is generally if I have 3 bows that are within 5lbs of each other, I can get an aluminum arrow that tunes perfectly for each bow without changing sizes, length or point weight. Not so with carbon and I can only define that as the greater stiffness in the carbon may not work as well for all bows as they do for others. If that makes any sense.

That is a sales pitch because carbon doesn't have near as many different sizes. You can tune them with length & point weight if you get the right size. Dollar for dollar aluminium is straighter. You can get the perfect spine with aluminium, for the point weight you want, to start with. Aluminium bends they both will break. A breaking carbon can be dangerous. Carbon slivers are not a joking matter. Carbon is quieter over certain rests or if you bump them against something. I once dropped an aluminium out of a tree & it clanged on ever limb all the way down.:^)

I have & use all three & love them. It depends on which bow I am shooting & what I am shooting at >>>-----> Ken

When you mushroom a carbon they are done with aluminum you have a high probability you can straighten them

I switched from aluminum to carbon over 20 years ago and have no need or interest to switch back.

I switched to carbon a couple of years ago, because it got to where, I could never find any aluminum arrows at any of the local bow shops. The local shops, do not carry any aluminum arrows, at all. Granted I could order aluminum, but it seems a lot has changed.

So, I have gotten used to carbons, and actually, I like them pretty good, after the learn curve.

I liked when aluminum had swaged nock ends. I hate the nock ends now. Went to carbon a long time ago.

I've tried all three types of shafts, Woods appear to be the right thing to use with a long bow, but they are more work to build and maintain. Aluminum is the easiest to get tuned and are very straight, plus they are heavy enough for hunting without adding all sorts of different weights. They are not as durable as Carbon. Carbon are easy to build, a little tougher to tune. Without adding extra weight they are very light but very durable. Carbon are very easy to get and there are lots of different manufactures, quite a few different spines and diameters. So there are lots of options out there, I think you will have to try a few and see what you like. If you like a simple arrow that works well but requires maintenance then wood may be for you. If you want to build it and if it has a problem throw it away and get more, then Carbon is for you. If you want something in between that you may have to straighten, get aluminum. I have them all and the fun is shooting them. Some days I like one, some days I like the other. :)

I tried carbons for a few years and went back to aluminum.

Mostly because carbons are not repeatable. I tried the higher end carbons that were "straighter" and "more consistent spine," and found they weren't. With aluminum I can buy any 2016, 2018, 2117 etc... and cut it to length of my old arrows I was using and all is good. Never found a carbon brand or series that would do that.

I guess it's just me, but with my tapered, footed wood arrows I know what spine is needed for the length arrow I want to shoot with reasonably heavy heads. Every time. Aluminum (2219) is fairly good as well. Don't like having 2-3" of carbon arrow hanging off my bow just to get good arrow flight. Have some good quality carbons now with 1/2 the total arrow weight up front and arrow is still 1" longer than I like.

wudstix-yes, no need to add, subtract up front on woods or Aluminum to get excellent flight/tune. After 2 years of not being satisfied I gave my carbons away. I too shoot woods & Aluminums.

I shoot both. Between my “Hail Mary “ shots at long range targets and the desert terrain, rock, I find carbons the most durable. But tuning carbons is a PIMA. To much time and money spent on components to get them just right. But, I have run into the same issues with manufacturing from one brand to another or even the same brand but different names. Unlike a 2117 that could come in different colors it was still a 2117.

For lighter draw weight bows, "I feel" that Carbons are more durable in what I have seen than the aluminum shafts. I am not a Carbon Fanboy, actually I shoot and prefer aluminum with the draw weights I shoot. In the smaller diameter aluminum shafts though, 19 series and smaller diameter, they have a tendency to bend easier, in what I've seen over the years. The carbons for the lighter draw weight bows, if and when they impact an object tree or rock do remain straight for the lighter spines and more durable, especially in the terrain I have to shoot in. Plus if there is a lot of stone and gravel where you shoot like me, you can foot the carbon with a piece of appropriate diameter aluminum shaft to keep it from cracking or mushrooming. One of the big issues I have with Carbons is there is no consistency between shaft manufactures with their products in arrow spine. As mentioned there are fewer choices in spine section. You can get close, but a lot of times you have to front end load the arrow to break the spine down or to get the overal arrow weight up. With aluminum there is a wider spine range and weight choice in shaft selection, especially if you want a heavier arrow. DANNY

I love carbons I don’t have 2-3” hanging out either I have no problem getting the weight I want I have 16 bows and they all shoot the same spine I actually think they are easily to tune I must be out of the ordinary I do shoot aluminum too

I like aluminum better than carbon. I like the weight and price. I got a dozen fall stalker shafts from 3 rivers last month for around 30 bucks before shipping. I wish the local shops stocked more aluminum.

My bows must just be the the middle of carbon arrow spin ranges. 400 is to weak and 340 is too stout. At least for me at 29-29 1/2" I like to shoot 160-190, or 250 grain heads. Usually, requires a 100 grain brass adapter behind the glue on head.

Over the years wood ,and aluminum arrows has cost me more money than carbon arrows even though you pay more in the beginning. My pick is carbon ,and low stretch string.

"I believe I either read somewhere or was told that carbon arrows are more forgiving than aluminum arrows - that is they do not have to matched as well as aluminum arrows to a bow. Is this true?"

Not in my experience. I find carbon hard to tune at times, with certain bows. Never could figure it out. Some tune and work great, others drive me up a wall.

Aluminum on the other hand, I can get them dialed in much easier. I shoot both but if I had to choose just one, it'd be aluminum.

Excellent thread, timely too. Having been a woodies only shooter for over 30 years, I've recently decided to add a different shaft material to my arsenal. Thanks for all the great insight guys.

Ron; My experience has been similar to yours. Most of my bows are in the 63-67# range and they shoot widely different spines of carbon arrows, some even by brand of shaft. I hate to cut another 1/8" and find out I shouldn't have.

Aluminum is easier to tune, slowly leaving carbons.

I shot aluminum for years. Even my compound days, never went to carbons and shot aluminum. Got back into a recurve and shot aluminums. Then the new aluminum shafts started to be sold shorter and I could not use them. So, I got carbons. They shoot well and have had no complaints. The carbons for sure outlast any of the other material if you shoot a lot like me. Woodies were fun, but I sure went through a lot of doug fir shafts in one year. I think I had 30 shafts and when the year was done, I had 7 left. They broke just looking at them. For all around, just starting or getting back into it, carbon is hard to beat. Aluminums will suffice also, just do not hold up as well as carbon.

I much prefer aluminum to carbon, especially now that Easton is making Autumn Orange shafts for 3 Rivers. I buy Gamegetter 2s from Ebay when I can find them.

I'm a wood arrow guy. I shoot mostly cedar arrows with a few fir mixed in. Before that I shot aluminum and I still have several dozen I shoot once in a while just because. I've never owned a carbon arrow but I do follow the threads about tuning them and I wonder why some have such problems. Seems like a lot of trouble. I also see the guys who say they shoot a lot and talk about woods and aluminum not holding up. I shoot a lot, target shooting and stumping and I very seldom break an arrow or bend an aluminum arrow which I can straighten if I do. What are you shooting? Plus if I do break a few woods then I get to make more. Thats a win for me.

A well tuned arrow is more forgiving then one that is not, no matter what the arrow is made of.

A well tuned arrow is more forgiving then one that is not, no matter what the arrow is made of.

I shot aluminum for decades, then cedar for 10 years or so. Now shoot carbon and expect to continue to do so.

Many thanks to all those who responded to my question. Information and all opinions are much appreciated. The only thing I have to say is that the carbons seem to be more available than the aluminums.

“ I got a dozen fall stalker shafts from 3 rivers last month for around 30 bucks…”

One Man’s Opinion— on a cost per shot basis, Fall Stalkers are the most expensive arrows I have ever shot. The one exception would be if you hunt with them for big game and don’t expect the shaft to survive anyway. I’ve had those things bend upon impact in a dense ethafoam target butt, so (JMO) they’re pretty much 1&Done disposables….

Scattered Thoughts follow….

Wood, Carbon, Aluminum…. I like all three, really, but I mostly shoot Carbon (footed with Aluminum) because I shoot a very rocky 3D course and I take huge numbers of very long shots — my “close” ones are typically from the compound stake and farther out to 80 or 90 — and even with footed carbons, I probably damage my arrows around 5% of the time. Last time out, I broke 2 and skipped a third off the underside of a 3D and into the swamp…. The other reason I shoot so much carbon is that my friends shoot the same spine class carbons that I do, but 3”-4” longer…. So when they smack a rock, I often get a new arrow out of the deal :D

But I also like shooting aluminum. Especially in sizes which work well as footings for my carbons…. ;)

JMO, people who are having trouble getting tuned with carbons are usually using something one or two spines too stiff. Generally, if I cut a carbon to my usual 27 3/4”, adding enough point weight to get me up to 9 GPP will put me in the ballpark to use a 500 in place of a 2016 or 600 in place of a 1916…. My friends shoot mostly 600s, full length, with 175 grain FPs from bows in the #45 range…. One of the guys is now shooting 700s from #35 or #40… I think his points are 125s, maybe 150s. A long, lightweight arrow, 3 X 5” helical and 150-200 gr point makes for a very forgiving set- up

If you want to get serious about tuning, I would say that aluminum is easier to work with because you have so many more choices, and it is very easy to trim to length with a $10 pipe cutter. In its way, carbon is more forgiving, but aluminum is more precise. Also, Aluminum won’t give you mesothelioma…

A d if you shoot at forgiving targets with gentle backstops, the greatest threat to Aluminum longevity is poor arrow-pulling technique.

Woodies are fun to make, fun to shoot, smell great when they break, and are pretty much a whole additional hobby in their own right. Unless you can find dirt-cheap, just- barely-adequate quality shafting and you take a lot of shots where you really don’t ever expect to see that arrow again, there are very few practical reasons to even mess with them. Which is not to say that it’s not worth doing, but it has to be worth it to YOU.

Rooty mentioned in his post that aluminium and carbon arrows store energy differently .... would anyone care to explain or elaborate on that comment.

Phil,

I wouldn't say they store energy differently but they react differently on the shot and impact. They recover faster from paradox, and impact "paradox."

Yup, it's more like they transfer the energy differently.

Just more quickly for carbon. I believe Modulus of Elasticity is the correct terminology… I learned that from the fly-rod catalog descriptions many years ago! Basically (not that Phil needs this explained ;) ) it’s how quickly a rod or arrow will straighten itself out after being flexed. And I suspect that carbons stop oscillating more quickly because, being a lighter material, it doesn’t seem that the ends would travel as far past “straight” due to less momentum.

But then add a heavy point and while I’d assume that max deflection would occur in the middle of the shaft, I can’t help but think that the flying arrow would “shake off” the oscillations differently when the mass disparity between the two ends is greater. I am fully prepared to be corrected on that by anyone who can explain the flaws in the assumptions….

I will add that I was sort of forced into going carbon, just for the convivence of buying local Gold Tips, when I got short on shafts or components. I can't do that anymore with aluminum or wood. It all has to be mail order.

But the other thing is, after I got used to making and tunning them, I don't find them hard to tune at all, but maybe I am not a good enough shot be able to tell, as I use a glove and a lot of feather.

But the one thing that I do like really well about carbon, is they are tough. I shoot at everything and I hit a lot of hard stuff, and it happens but in general, I ruin a lot less arrows when shooting carbons.

Wood and Aluminum

did not care for carbons (I did not get the durability from them stump shooting)

Wudstix, Dan, Corax, thanks, that would be my take on his comment.

Wood arrows are the ultimate if you want to change your life style with all involved. For me aluminum has its place 2216 with 200 tips for a variety of 60# recurves cut to center. 2018 with 200 tips for a variety of 60# asl bows. For carbon I have from 700 to 250 spine. If you just want to shoot I prefer carbon. For most in your position starting or restarting a 600 spine carbon will cover a lot of bows with various lengths and tips.

No to your answer. I have shot them all over the years. I am using aluminum because I feel they are very easy to tune and are very consistent and straight. Too many inconsistencies with carbon plus they are a pain in the ass to tune. I love wood but the prices are becoming ridiculous and I believe that it is just a matter of time before they price their selfs right out of business.

Yes Price and additional labor to make up

Lately I have been buying fletched arrows. The price difference didn't seam unreasonable. The last couple years I have been using trad vanes. Good but ugly. I have reorganized my shop and found long lost gear. I may take another look at burning feathers again.

Have a hard time shooting anything other than wood. I do however shoot aluminums too. very consistent.

A story on aluminum and dumb me. I had a bear tag here in WI. Bear came in, I pulled up (shot compound at the time) settled the pin (12 yard shot) behind the shoulder and shot. Hit the bear 12" +/- to the right (bear facing left)? I was in disbelief and pissed. Tracked that night and the next morning. I got home that night and was trying to figure out what happened. I pulled my practice arrow out and hit dead center a few times. I pulled a arrow out of my quiver and put a target point on and hit 12 - 14" right every time? Grabbed the arrow that I was practicing with and spun it looking at the point, it was straight. I spun it looking at the nock, not straight. Not sure when it happened or how. but there was a slight bend in the shaft at the base of the fletching. 2 outcomes, shoot all arrows your hunting with before hunting with them. If aluminum, check for bends.

I have shot carbon and aluminum and have killed animals with both.

As mentioned numerous times above they both have their pros and cons.

I have been shooting aluminum the last couple years with excellent results and don't see any need to change what I'm doing.

Have fun and shoot arrows (whatever they may be made of).

Carbons out penetrate aluminums by a lot. There was a slow motion camera showing how much vibration of the shaft when they hit the target. Aluminum went up and down a lot, wood was about half as much and carbon was hardly noticeable at all. Carbon are also a lot more durable. At the Muzzy Stump shoot I'd go through at least 10 shafts mushrooming on the stumps or hitting rocks but with carbons maybe two at the most.

I've started using Red Balau (wood) and it is practically bullet proof and indestructible. Raw 29" tail tapered and nock and point tapered run around 660 grains. Hits like a sledge and penetrates the block about half way.

Back in the day my cousin owned a pro shop. We shot an aluminum 2117 arrow, and a sst carbon arrow through a 55 gallon drum at near point blank range with a 70 lb. PSE compound to see what results we would get. The aluminum shot through one side of the drum, and bent. Never to be used again. The carbon sst punched through both sides of the drum, and was able to be shot again. From that day on it was a no brainer for me, but to each his own.

You say that you have been away from archery for a few years. If you need to retrain yourself, I would choose carbons. In case of a miss of a back stop or a 3D animal, your arrow will most likely survive. If you don't need retraining and will be hunting this fall you may try aluminums for the added weight. I've shot carbons for 20 years but recently bought 2 doz. aluminums for hunting, both shoot good.

this is what a carbon stumping arrow does for me even when I foot with aluminum use hot melt or epoxy or super glue

the other end even worse footed or the tapered inserts can't keep a nock on aluminum does better and douglas fir even better

this is the kind of stuff I shoot and this is my 65 yard tree with a black spot- can see its been struck a lot

these hollows are not soft either

Any shaft material will work as long as they are tuned to your bow. Aluminium is the most precise material shaft to shaft though.

Still a fan of Ash, Hickory and now Red Balau.

Andy has a “glued on properly” problem. LOL

Yep I Stay on wood and in aluminum just fine

Aluminum is a lot easier to strip and re-fletch than carbon

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