[cpileri]

What is the strongest/most durable material for arrow shafts?

Like the kind one would use through a custom 200+lb pull crossbow or an even heavier footbow?

a commercial source, preferably?

Looking for something tough, and light of course!
Please feel free to blabber on, as I know next to nothing about this sport which has recently piqued my interest!

Also, where can I find out how much a shaft weighs per inch of material? is therea chart?
C-

[Bruz]

What is the strongest/most durable material for arrow shafts?

I reckon Titanium would be...never heard of it before but you have the toughness and lightweight. Solid carbon fiber would probably be my next choice, depending on what you are shooting it into.

Are you looking at making a monster or something?

[Skofnung]

A 200lb longbow (footbow?)? I do not believe I have ever heard of such an animal. You'd need quite a pair of arms to draw one that heavy.

The heaviest I have seen is a ~ 120 lb English longbow. The guy that shoots it uses wooden arrows sometimes, but he uses carbon fiber ones most of the time. I think that the carbon fiber ones will hold up to pretty much anything you want to put them in, so long as you are shooting into soft targets.

Yhea, what are you planning on doing with these arrows?

[cpileri]

Well this is really fo reducationa purposes only.

But remember that thread about launching arrows from a shotgun or whatever?

I started thinking about it and wondered if the confined space of the barrel keeps the bending to a minimum when the arrow is accelerated so much more rapidly than from any bow, or not!

I can see a weak arrow just blowing to smithereens with the trigger pull.

So I go tinterested in the strengths and weights of various shaft materials. And I cant find any info on it.

I am new to archery/bowhunting, if you couldn't tell.

BTW: that custom bow is a real bear to pull!

C-

[Psssniper]

Now I'm not an engineer but a thick walled tube shaft would seem to be stiffer than an equivalent sized solid shaft. (four surfaces versus two)
I used to design and fly kites, stunt, single line, etc. and we did a study of arrow shaft stiffness at the request of a local archery store that was being inundated with kite people asking all kinds of questions. Unfortunately this was in 1988 and I don't know where my results are. Carbon does shatter and the splinters are a REAL mother, be careful.

[MrAcheson]

a thick walled tube shaft would seem to be stiffer than an equivalent sized solid shaft

You have two shafts of the same exterior dimensions, one is solid and the other is hollow. The hollow shaft will be stiffer and stronger for its weight , but the solid shaft will be stiffer and stronger in absolute terms.

You have to shafts with different exterior dimensions, but the same weight and length. One is solid, the other is hollow. The hollow shaft can be stiffer and stronger (or at least as strong) in both absolute terms and relative to its weight.

[Sunray]

"...200lb longbow (footbow?)?..." He clearly says crossbow, but the question's the same. Where do you plan on getting one and what possible purpose would you have for a 200+ pound cross bow? I'd suggest solid steel bolts. I've seen 'em made using car springs as the prod, but have no idea what poundage they got. Nowhere near 200 though. Are you planning on building a powered winch to draw it?
Welsh longbows, the English just stole it, can be upwards of 160 pounds, but that ain't common nor is it for an FNG.

[Joe Demko]

Footbows were used by the Ottoman Turks, though as an entertainment rather than a tool or weapon. They are exactly what they sound like. The bow is "held" by the feet and drawn with both hands from a supine postion. They held contests with them to see who could shoot the farthest and also for accuracy. They are reputed to have shot arrows some truly astounding distances. If memory serves, they used steel arrows.

[Kingcreek]

C, I knew a guy that was playing around with a custom super-crossbow a few years ago. He was using carbon shafts tight fit and superglued within aluminum shafts for a sort of laminated bolt. lots of spine and strength without alot of extra weight.

[cpileri]

Thanks all!
Kingcreek,
You dont happen to be able to get the dimensions/numbers of those 2 components (carbon and aluminum shaft), can you?

Nice to avoid simple trial and error. Shop personell look at you pretty funny.
"Hey buddy, quit scratching up my arrows or I'll show you where to stick them...!"
C-

[Kingcreek]

Nope, Sorry, that was a few years back.
most of us archery folks have a collection of various shafts from past "experiments". I've got a 5gal bucket full. shouldn't be hard to get a close fit with a few tries.
I can try a few of what I've got here but I'm leaving in a couple hours and won't get a chance to do anything until next week. I'll pm you if I come up with somthing.

[zahc]

It shouldn't be hard to make a carbon fiber/graphite shaft that would take that.

[Bruz]

You dont happen to be able to get the dimensions/numbers of those 2 components (carbon and aluminum shaft), can you?

Check out Ebay...they sell "lots" of old alluminum and old carbon shafts all the time. I would reckon alluminum shafts are about the right size for a carbon shaft to fit in it. I would not even be that concerned with glueing them together, may be some advantages by not, be some fun experiments!

[cpileri]

Thanks again, all.
I may just have to go see what i can dig up.
I wonder if there is a second hand archery store in the greater nat'l capitol area?
C-

[Nobody]

Carbon fiber arrows are going to likely give you the most strength to weight ratio for arrows/crossbow bolts. However, you must consider grasshopper, that the bow has to have a certain amount of mass in the projectile into which to impart it's launch energy or severe stress be placed on the bow limbs and thereby greatly shorten their lifespan. Most bow/crossbow manufacturers publish a list of what the recommended overall arrow weight should be for their bow/bow weight. Spine weight is the measurement used to determine the stiffness of an arrow/bolt. Proper spine weight is important because the stress of firing an arrow inparts an oscillating flex into the shaft from which it must recover over distance to maintain any reasonable degree of accuracy. Too stiff of a spine weight is not good, nor is too weak of a spine weight.

There are many websites of archery enthusiasts that provide lots of data about this topic. Also, arrow manufacturing companies often have data on their websites. Be forewarned that there is a lot of animosity among bowhunters against crossbow hunters and this can make it difficult to maintain civil discussions at some websites. I'm partial to all bows so I don't have any particular prejudices. Try the excalibur crossbow website forum, the stickbow forum for recurves and longbows, the bowsite for compound bows, and many many more. It's illegal to hunt with a crossbow, unless you are handicapped, in many states in the US. Also, be aware of local laws regarding crossbows as some places tend to view them more like firearms because the "look" more like a firearm. Actually, in truth, a firearm looks more like a crossbow since the crossbow came first. :D Crossbow bolt performance is very much like arrow performance launched from a bow, with the exception of the release mechanism. With a crossbow, the bolt will have greater speed but much less mass and will lose it's penetration potential over a shorter distance. A arrow may be heavier and slower as it is longer but will maintain more penetration energy over a longer distance due to it's weight/momentum. Unless you are hunting, this is a non-issue until it comes to picking a shaft weight that will allow enough energy to be transferred into the arrow to avoid excessive shock wear on the bow limbs. In summary, Lighter is better for sighting because of flatter trajectory but not so good for penetration. Heavier is harder to sight because it has greater arc, but maintains more momentum for penetration over distance due to that very weight.

Hope some of this gibberish helps!

[zahc]

At ethical hunting ranges, They is almost no difference in energy between a light arrow and a heavy arrow shot out of the same bow. The light arrow will absorb less energy from the bow and will dissipate it faster but the difference in nil. Never go lighter than reccomended though. I prefer heay/slow arrows because the bow is quieter and broadheads easier to tune. <250fps for me.

[Nobody]

I agree with you about the energy levels if we're talking about deer, javalina, etc., but I think there's a big difference when you move up to boar, bear, maybe moose, and definitely some of the tougher african game.