Benefits of using wood?

[Evolution]

I have been shooting the Beeman 500gr BowHunter Carbon arrows on a short recurve bow. But I'll be getting my new bow today or tomorrow. Its a 62" 60# @ 30" Checkmate Hunter TD. I draw about 27.5" so my friend Jamie figures I will be pulling about 54-55lbs. Jamie obviously knows what he's talking about and I have yet to see a single carbon arrow in his house. Beyond being a traditionalist what are the real benefits of using wooden arrows? My primary interest is deer hunting and small game until Im competent to move on to maybe elk or moose once my skill has evolved, but my secondary concern will be 3-D shooting as that seems almost as addictive as hunting. I guess I would just like to hear if there are any technical benefits to shooting wood in the field or should I just stick with the cheap carbons til I stop losing arrows in the broom and brush?

[Onesock]

Stick with carbons for now as they are cheap and easy to build. Once you build your own woods it is like loosing a loved one if you break or loose a woody. Boo hoo!

[shotgunjohn]

I shoot a bow very similar to your new one. Personally I use aluminum arrows.
I like a little heavier arrow because I feel it gives you better down range energy and therefore penetration. Wood should have the same advantage over light carbon arrows. The disadvantages of wood that I've used is that it can be affected by wet weather. There might be others reasons but I'm not a Techy. One thing about wood ,if you get into making your own arrows, is it's easy to personalize and I've seen some arrows that are works of art. Also has that traditional feel.

[Bow Walker]

Check these shafts out...they satisfy the "need" for wood - but have all the advantages of carbon, ie; toughness, durability, straightness, trust worthiness, etc.

http://www.goldtip.com/products/family.asp?cid=12-60F6455F-2D99-4A64-96CB-7B1D17A37124&rnd=244032445


I'm waiting for The Hermit to see and respond here. He uses carbons and has inserted weight into the shaft before building his arrows. Claims it works like the cat's Pj's.

[islandarcher]

There is nothing like a finely tuned wood arrow! I prefer wood because they are heavier, and thus absorb more energy from the limbs upon release, translating into a quieter shot. I will take a quieter bow over a fast one any day of the week. Plus they don't make as much noise rattling in a back quiver.

[Evolution]

I bought 2 dozen 11/32 Cedar shafts today, managed to get 8 that were the 65 that I wanted and 12 that were between 66-70. cut the nock and tip points into them and started to stain them this afternoon. Im using tru-oil and so far after 4 coats they look beautiful. When I get back from the UBBC shoot in Campbell River Im going to start gluing on the fletching. I dont see how carbon arrows could be cheaper. The beeman's I am buying from Peter's Sports are 8.98$ each. The Port Orford cedar shafts were 2$ a piece, then $.38 for the field point, $.29 for the nock and $1.10 for the fletching- $3.77 each- $74.14 for 20 field tip wood shafts, the same amount of carbons would be 180$ am I missing something or is it that Im just not paying myself for my time?

[tomahawk]

To me its just a personal preference. I only use alum and wood.

As to your comment "My primary interest is deer hunting and small game until Im competent to move on to maybe elk or moose once my skill has evolved", if you are good enough a shot to harvest cleanly a deer or small game you are also a good enough to shoot large game.

[Flingin' Sticks]

I bought 2 dozen 11/32 Cedar shafts today, managed to get 8 that were the 65 that I wanted and 12 that were between 66-70. cut the nock and tip points into them and started to stain them this afternoon. Im using tru-oil and so far after 4 coats they look beautiful. When I get back from the UBBC shoot in Campbell River Im going to start gluing on the fletching. I dont see how carbon arrows could be cheaper. The beeman's I am buying from Peter's Sports are 8.98$ each. The Port Orford cedar shafts were 2$ a piece, then $.38 for the field point, $.29 for the nock and $1.10 for the fletching- $3.77 each- $74.14 for 20 field tip wood shafts, the same amount of carbons would be 180$ am I missing something or is it that Im just not paying myself for my time?

probably cheaper because once you start building them, you can't stop buying new toys for it.

Wood is all that I have really ever shot out of my curve, mostly because I just love building the things. Something about a personalized wooden arrow that just does it for me.

[Onesock]

Evo. You should straighten the shafts a few times over the course of a week or so to get them as straight as you can. Some may not stay straight and have to discard them, hopefully not.

[Evolution]

Of the first three I made, they all seemed to shoot well in my yard. But when the best one went right through my target as well as through the plastic chair holding it up, its no longer serviceable. After 6 or hours fiddling around with these shafts I felt kind of sad when it got screwed up. Oh well ship happens. Anyways time to glue another feather.

[Barry O'Regan]

Great Choice on the Chekmate Hunter, I too picked one up at Boorman's Archery this summer a 60# Hunter II Takedown. As for wood arrows, I agree with most here, some are a friggin work of art, and I would go around my hands and knees looking for a lost arrow in the mud if I had to.
For now I use Bemans as well as aluminum with Flu Flus both in 3-D and for hunting and target at the range. I have had the same set of Bemans since I picked them up in France when I was posted in Europe. A time before Easton bought em. Personal preference I suppose if some use wood, but how many have 20 year old wood arrows they use three times a week that are still shootable. I saw a beautiful set of wood arrows for 120.00 dollars, but for a max of 50#. One day I will get some wood ones, as I too like traditional, but for economics I'll always have my Beman Hunters.

For the record though, my Chekmate with either carbon or aluminum puts em into a 4 inch group at 40 meters all day long including 3-D. I picked up a few 1st place 3-D wins around the lower mainland and Washington State with my Chekmate. It says a lot about Chekmate in Abby, one of the best bows out there.

[huntwriter]

There is nothing like a finely tuned wood arrow! I prefer wood because they are heavier, and thus absorb more energy from the limbs upon release, translating into a quieter shot. I will take a quieter bow over a fast one any day of the week. Plus they don't make as much noise rattling in a back quiver.

Times 2 from me.

Fred Bear always used wood arrows and killed every single game animal species in North America, including grizzly, bison and muskox (one of the toughest animals to kill with an arrow)

Currently I shoot aluminum arrows from my Bob Lee Signature take down bow, but ones I get proficient enough to hunt with it I will have no hesitation to switch to heavy wooden arrows tipped with cut on impact broadheads like the Magnus II or Zwicky.

[Deadeye]

I'm just learning to shoot a bow myself, so I don't really have anything to add but a didjaknow...I'm sure taking a lot from these threads though - thanks all !

Wood is used in high tech laminates (think 'America's Cup' boats and aviation prototypes) because wood is one of the only materials available that can repeatedly resist compression right up to failure without any detrimental effects. It's funny that we have carbon fiber, kevlar, and epoxies to laminate with but we can't make a core material that's as good all-around as Red Cedar.

[Jagermeister]

"Also has that traditional feel."
Can somebody give a definition of the above statement?

[Onesock]

Actually Mr Bear used wood arrows only until fiberglass and aluminum were available and then he used them alomost exclusively. Reasons for carbon over wood are many. The number one reason I chose carbons for hunting instead of wood is penetration. The smaller shaft out penetrates the thicker wood shaft. My carbon arrows weight in at 640 grains and with most of the weight forward there isn't anything this arrow won't go through. Shooting wood is nice but carbon shafts are a much better shaft for hunting. Easier to make and also cheaper than wood shafts are a couple of other reasons.

[huntwriter]

Wood, carbon or aluminum arrows, which one is better? None of them and all of them. All of the above have killed animals efficiently for many years. Dead is dead there are no different degrees of it. Just dead. More important than arrow material is what a hunter feels confident with and how well he/she knows the trajectory plus his/her own limitations.

I shoot aluminum arrows for years and I have dispatched efficiently of as many animals as the hunter using carbon or wood arrows. The only place where the difference matters is in competition shooting where carbon arrows do have a slight advantage over other arrow materials. But this is hunting not 3-D archery, which are two very different things.

Just my personal opinion.

[huntwriter]

Actually Mr Bear used wood arrows only until fiberglass and aluminum were available and then he used them alomost exclusively. Reasons for carbon over wood are many. The number one reason I chose carbons for hunting instead of wood is penetration. The smaller shaft out penetrates the thicker wood shaft. My carbon arrows weight in at 640 grains and with most of the weight forward there isn't anything this arrow won't go through. Shooting wood is nice but carbon shafts are a much better shaft for hunting. Easier to make and also cheaper than wood shafts are a couple of other reasons.

Because he was through his bow manufacturing business connected with arrow manufacturing and had to publicly promote the new materials. But get him away from his business and among close friends and he never would claim that one material had advantages over the other. Given his record of animal kills with wooden arrows it would have seemed very hypocritical to his many friends of him to do that.

I have it from a reliable source –a hunter who actually hunted with Fred many years – that if Bear had his way he would favor wooden arrows over aluminum and fiberglass. He always carried a few wooden arrows in his quiver. No particular reason for it other than that he felt more comfortable shooting wooden arrows and that is what in the end it all boils down to. Confidence in what you're shooting and your abilities!;) The rest is not important and simply a matter of opinion.

[Barry O'Regan]

I'm just learning to shoot a bow myself, so I don't really have anything to add but a didjaknow...I'm sure taking a lot from these threads though - thanks all !

Wood is used in high tech laminates (think 'America's Cup' boats and aviation prototypes) because wood is one of the only materials available that can repeatedly resist compression right up to failure without any detrimental effects. It's funny that we have carbon fiber, kevlar, and epoxies to laminate with but we can't make a core material that's as good all-around as Red Cedar.

I think the laminates are made from hardwoods like maple, and not a softwood like cedar which is good for a excellent arrow material.

The thing is, carbon and aluminum are pretty consistent in the manufacturing process, wood differs in consistency from branch to branch as mother nature who grows the trees, figures, "Ehn, close enough!" If ever cedar arrows were as consistent as carbon or aluminum, we couldn't afford to buy em, as they would be chopped and planed by woodworkers for some other use besides archery arrows.

[Barry O'Regan]

"Also has that traditional feel."
Can somebody give a definition of the above statement?

Traditional feel is without all the technology, just as our ancestors hunted, by using two sticks and some animal sinew to put food on th table. Back to Basics is where it's at!

[Barry O'Regan]

Times 2 from me.

Fred Bear always used wood arrows and killed every single game animal species in North America, including grizzly, bison and muskox (one of the toughest animals to kill with an arrow)

Currently I shoot aluminum arrows from my Bob Lee Signature take down bow, but ones I get proficient enough to hunt with it I will have no hesitation to switch to heavy wooden arrows tipped with cut on impact broadheads like the Magnus II or Zwicky.

Me too one day! Though I think I'll buy mine from an arrowmaker, instead of making my own. Fred Bear was something else, he must be turning in his grave when Daco bought his company and ran it into the ground quality wise.

[Barry O'Regan]

Wood, carbon or aluminum arrows, which one is better? None of them and all of them. All of the above have killed animals efficiently for many years. Dead is dead there are no different degrees of it. Just dead. More important than arrow material is what a hunter feels confident with and how well he/she knows the trajectory plus his/her own limitations.

I shoot aluminum arrows for years and I have dispatched efficiently of as many animals as the hunter using carbon or wood arrows. The only place where the difference matters is in competition shooting where carbon arrows do have a slight advantage over other arrow materials. But this is hunting not 3-D archery, which are two very different things.

Just my personal opinion.


For Deer and Elk it'll be carbon, for small game, nothing beats a nice wood arrows, a judo point and some nice feathers.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

this pretty much sums it up in a nut shell ....

If you want to take part say at National 3D championships in Trad class you best be shooting wooden arrows
from worsley school http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/archery/page.html


Arrows also can be made from a variety of materials. Each type has its pros and cons:



Wood is cheap, but arrows made from wood can be imperfect, and are liable to break or warp. Cedar arrows resist warping; they're heavier and move slower, but penetrate better. Wood arrows are usually used by beginners, or for target practice.
Fiber glass arrows are light and less prone to warping than wood; their properties are more consistent, and they are available in a wide range of lengths and strengths. However, they do tend to break easily.
Aluminum arrows are strong, light and very consistently manufactured. They come in a wide range of sizes and weights, allow for the interchange of tips, and can be straightened if they get bent. They are more expensive than the previous types, but will last a long time.
Carbon/aluminum arrows are very durable; they are made with an aluminum core and a carbon fibre coat ... this makes them light and fast, allowing them to travel farther. You can also interchange tips. These arrows are the most expensive.

[Johnnybear]

No.1 benefit IMO is they are fun to build, tune, etc.:-D. Who said carbons are cheap:shock:?

Wood
http://www.3riversarchery.com/Arrows+Shafting+Fletched+Wood+Tred+Barta++Wilderne ss+dz_c58_s195_p229_i8300X_product.html

Carbon
http://www.3riversarchery.com/Arrows+Shafting+Fletched+Carbon+Pre-Fletched++Beman+MFX+Classic_c58_s195_p230_i6771X_p roduct.html

[Will]

Wood for the look and feel.......I primarily use Alums for small game and "stumping" I have a set with Judo tips etc. for bunnies and such.

I eventually picked up a set of Carbons which I intend to be my "Large Game" getters for some reasons already mentioned....still playing with them(tuning) I hope to get out for Bear this Spring.

Other then the it's the "right thing to do" argument when shooting Trad Bows there are No benefits to using wood shafts....but plenty of benefits for using the others:razz:
Even the weight issues (wood vs carbons)can be equalled with inserts etc. if you prefer launching the heavies.

And GOOD Carbons are definately not "Cheaper" then wood ;-)

Use what you prefer, it only matters to you.......and Practise...........Lots !:wink:


Also.......Fred Bear was/is my Hero !
http://usera.ImageCave.com/WILLY/fredbear4.jpg