Stickbow Target Archery Forums

Hi All
I posted this on leatherwall also. I wanted your opinions since I'd still like to try wood.

Thanks
Steve
Hi All,
I tried wood arrows for the first time this past saturday. I bought a "test kit" from 3 Rivers. The 60-65 lb arrows flew beautifully from my old 45 lb Bear Alaskan with my 31" draw. Problem was I lost 4 arrows to breakage! I know my shooting leaves a bit to be desired but... 1 lighter spined arrows flew high and hit the backstop (tire rubber). I went to pull out the shaft and it broke behind the point. 2 arrows went low since I'm used to shooting carbons and the POC's were heavier. One broke when it rebounded off a tire another broke whenit lodged in a piece of 2x4 in the target. When I mounted the field points, I used a "bear paw" taper tool to create the tapers. I mounted 100 grain, 11/32" field points and all the shafts had the points pushed back farther on the shaft! 3 of the actually scraped the varnish. A friend who shoots in excess of 100 shots whenever he goes to the 3-D course says he routinely loses 3 to 6 shafts per session! I just thought his bow was too heavy and he hit a lot of rocks. Now I wonder. I can't imagine anyone would shoot wood arrows with that kind of attrition rate. Any Idea of what I could have done wrong?

Well, I'm sure that RobD will have something to say.

Yup, wood arrows break. They aren't bad if you hit the target, but you can easily kill a wood arrow by hitting firm wood or hard rubber, let alone rocks and metal.

Think of it as incentive to either get better or shoot closer...

Some people have made up arrows using Minwax Wood Hardener on the first 3-4 inches to create a virtual footed arrow and reduce the kind of breakage you have described, and of course there are real footed arrows.

IMHO, aside from the wonderful vintage aesthetics of a hefty wood shaft (the smells, the ritual of shaft preparation and finishing and fletching) wood is an inferior arrow shaft material in terms of consistency of build, usage and durability.
Yes, I still shoot woodies for roving - I'm hooked on the aesthetics - but for serious target work and hunting I use carbons exclusively. Having used just about every wood shaft genus available I do prefer hex pine shafts, and I find them to be more durable than than a self shaft. I don't think there's a better wooden arrow shaft to be found than a hardwood footed hex pine. YMMV.

One of the things you did right was pull your own arrows:) Several times, I've seen 'helpful archers' snap somebody else's arrow in half when they were pulling them.

I use wooden arrows most of the time and there is attrition but not nearly as severe as you and your friend have experienced. Of a hundred shots at field archery, 3D or target archery I most often will not actually break a shaft. I may lose a field point or two, or a nock or fletch, all easily repaired. Of course an unmarked 3D shoot in rough terrain may break more shafts. When a shaft breaks it most often does right behind the field point. I save those until I have a bundle then retaper and repoint them. I make my new arrows a couple of inches overlong so I can do this twice.

At some 3D events I am more likely to lose than break an arrow. And to judge from the wailing I hear it may be more painful to lose a costly carbon arrow than a wooden one.

So I wouldn't give up too soon. Your rate of attrition may decline to a reasonable level.

Longbowguy
I actually had 3 break behind the field point
The problem was my long draw. The 3 Rivers arrows were about 32" before I put on the points. Once they broke I gave they to my shorter drawing friend. Next time I'll look for 34" shafts..
Rob
I've had problems with my carbon ICS Ventures cracking behind the nock. Miss a target and hit a log, sometimes the nock pops and there are hairline cracks on the shaft. I took some aluminum shafting and cut 3/8" pieces. I then reinforced the tip and nock sections using crazy glue. I took an old shaft and deliberately shot 5 times into a piece of 2x4. No problems.

Steve

Roving is real hard on any shaft material and I've found that even cheap carbons are way more durable than the best footed woodie, YMMV. In addition to woodies I also use Beman ICS Ventures for roving and I use wicked in quality thin CYA to reinforce the nock and foot areas, but I don't bother to do the alum shaft thing. My preferred hunting shafts are Arrow Dynamic Trad tapered carbons, and they are amazingly durable as is.

"I also use Beman ICS Ventures for roving and I use wicked in quality thin CYA to reinforce the nock and foot areas, but I don't bother to do the alum shaft thing."n
What's CYA, Rob? I just got a dozen ICS Venture 500's that I'm preparing to fletch...

CYAnoacrylate - the pro medical grade version of "Krazy Glue" - the stuff used by modeler's and found at hobby shops (Zap, Jet, Hot Stuff, etc). Comes in at least three viscosities and you want the water thin type. I use Hot Stuff pretty exclusively for fretted instrument repair and it works just fine on carbon shafts.