Aluminum or Carbon

Do you want an arrow to stay strait or one that bends?

Carbons! Aluminum arrows actually flex as they fly and oscillate. Carbons don't, that's why they penetrate so well and are so accurate and are easier to tune. They robinhood easier too because they fly straighter which I don't like so much. Arrows like Gold Tips are very durable compared to alumninum too. Gold Tips are what I shot to win the Sportsmans Warehouse 3 in 40 contest this year in Mesa, Az. It should be posted in a week or so on their website and I'll see how I did nationally. This is with a hunting rig, no target bows or arrows allowed. I got a $100.00 gift card which I reinvested in arrows almost immediately!!
Mark

I have been bow hunting since 1980 and I have killed many critters with fiberglass, alunimum, carbon, and carbon/aluminum arrows. My preferance is the carbon/aluminum arrows like the ACC. They are durable and extremely straight. Yes they are more expensive but they would last me years. I used to go through a dozen aluminums per year. I have shot the same dozen ACCs for over 5 years. Just refletch them and they are good to go.

Carbon arrows have come a long way. Some of the higher end shafts from Gold Tip and Carbon Express are as straight as the ACCs were, and fly superbly. They are lighter and recover and stabilize very quickly. I would definately use premium carbon arrows from here out. All carbons are not equal. The cheaper arrows are not as straight as the high end ones. As the speed of the bows increases the more perfect the arrow is the better it will fly. Definately so with broadheads!!

I have to agree with AJ on this one. I have been using ACC's for quite sometime and find them great. I do have alot of Goldtip xt's and some GT pro's they both are excellent arrows also. Don't let anyone tell you that all carbon arrows are the same, they aren't .Cheap carbon arrows won't fly and better than bent aluminum. I have found that you can find some great deals on arrows on E-bay, If you can get them for a good price you can sometimes cut them to your length add new bushings and still get them alot cheaper than new.

When you talk straightness watch out because the archery industry seems to have adopted their own standard for measuring it. In geometric tolerancing it is measured unilaterally meaning you use one value. They are useing a bilateral value which means you need to double it to get a true idea of what you have. If your Gold Tip XT Hunters are marked +/- .003 it really means .006 straightness. I guess 3 looks better than 6 and talking to other shooters I've found out it works. We are pretty easy to fool. The arrows still shoot better than I can most days, and I shoot pretty well.
Mark

Aluminum all the way...alot less painful!!!!

"HighLander" wrote:Aluminum all the way...alot less painful!!!!

thanks for the reminder! :)) you might have to bust out the old pics for this thread

I am carbon all the way but Highlanders experience should be taken note by all. I have started watching wear and tear on my carbon arrows a lot more closely and then junk them if questionable.

hahahaha shall I shoot arrows or telephone poles?

Here is your reminder what can happen if you do not check your arrows before shooting.....by the way carbon does not show up on a xray. So you will be digging carbon out of you hand for months.
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The tail shaft was stuck into my hand.
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Ouch!!!!!!!! Thats going to leave a mark.

uogh!!!!!!!! tahnks for that reminder. i started checking all my carbons after i pulled my arrows each time last year because of your incedent

Carbons have come a long way, and as long as you keep a watch on them and flex them before each outting, listening for any cracking, and inspect them every so often, they will last a long time and do a very good job for you.

Chuck Adams still shoots aluminum, so don't let anyone tell you they wont work, or they suck, they have killed a crap load of animals thats for sure!

BOTH carbon and aluminum occilate when you shoot them, just that carbon doesn't do it as much, carbons dont get bent, and carbons are generally smaller diameter which allows better penetration, however less stable flight. Carbons have come way down in price and gotten stiffer and straighter, some of the early ones were scary!

Its a matter of personal choice, but my vote is Carbon. . . . but Hey. . . if someone were to sponsor me to shoot aluminum again, I would probably take them up again! :arrow

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