Stickbow Target Archery Forums

I shoot longbow for competition, and to stay "in class" for most all of the shoots I go to, I have to shoot wood arrows. I put huge amounts of time into the arrows I make in order to make the lighest, best matched competition wood arrows that I can. A broken arrow is a real drag for me. It has gotten to where I don't want take any fun, challenging, high risk shots during practice for fear of breaking an arrow.
Any way I got lucky and found some cheap carbon arrows on close out and with a little expirementation was able to figure out a carbon shaft that matched my woodies in spine, length, and weight. That is one good thing about Wal-Mart. They don't care if you buy one arrow or the whole damn box. I only had to buy one or two of a couple different shafts to fool around with until I found the right combo. Then I went back and every one they had left.
The cool thing about these carbons is that they shoot the same as my woodies, (no, really, I was outside proving it today,)they're tough, cheap, and they're either straight or broken, no screwing around, and they were quick and easy to make.
Setting up these carbons and using them has made practice fun again for me. I can practice making the tough shot. If I blow it, so what? Plenty more where that came from!
For anybody that has to shoot wood for competition, I really reccomend that you try and set yourself up with a dozen or so carbons for practice. Sure you'll still have to bring those woodies out and make sure that everything is working the way it is supposed to. You can check that out with some nice safe shots and save those woodies for your next tournament. Then put them away and really challenge yourself with difficult shots using the carbons and you won't be risking those woodies that cost a bundle to buy, or took you two weeks to make.

Good for you Bender. I can't use wood because of my un-natural draw length but it seems you have found an excellent solution to your wood problem.

Dave

Kinda funny, using carbons as practice arra replacements for woodies. But I can surely understand.

Some day the event/tourney gurus-in-charge will be made to realize the random luck and injustice that wood shafted arras perpetrate on archers who compete. These dayze, one can only dream ...