Pros & Cons of Different Arrow Shaft Woods

[Dave Markowitz]

Having just got back into archery after about 15 years I find that my knowledge is a bit out of date, including the matter of what wood to use for arrows. (Most of my previous archery experience involved shooting Easton XX75 aluminum arrows.)

I am now shooting a 40# Toth Magyar Horse Bow and hope to work up to shooting my 55# Martin Howatt Hunter.

I currently have some Port Orford Cedar arrows. I see that I can now buy arrows made from POC, hickory, laminated birch, ash, Douglas Fir, and even others.

What type of wood for your arrows do you prefer and why?

Thanks.

 

[mole]

River Cane is my preferred material because of its toughness and the fact that I can gather it locally. I also like poplar dowels that I make into arrows, but you'll spend a good bit of time going through many dowels just to find one good enough to make an arrow. A buddy of mine likes the laminated birch and also makes arrows from straight grained Ash boards using a dowel cutter from Lee Valley.

John

 

[stickwhistler]

I use POC for a 55 lb Korean bow, and POC for a 70 lb Grozier Bow.
They both can stand being used in a 225 lb crossbow!
I just had to try.
I admit I used goggles, and my chainsaw helmet and jacket
to do this - but I am allergic to pain (especially mine!) - and
wanted protection in case anything went wrong e.g. shattered
bits of wood rebounding off the front sight etc.

I have only ever broken one POC in last 5 years,
and that was at the tip, the shaft being remade
into a 21" arrow for the crossbow by shortening and re-tipping.

I bought a Veritas dowel maker, to allow me to make
arrow shafts from 'any wood I wanted to',
and have tried birch, beech, ash, poplar, alder and oak
as they all grow locally.
Making shafts has never been so easy or quick, but...

None has stood the test as well as the POC.
In fact this week, I cut 10 oak (Quercus petraea) dowels to 3/8",
and half of them broke in the test shoot.
All were spined at 60 lb (as in bending with a weight) but couldn't stand the shock.
I accept it may be my making of them, or selecting the pieces,
but it grew in my garden, so the timber was free.

Bearing in mind the time spent making them,
the POC (bought from an archery shop via the internet) work out cheaper.
An arrow made for a few pence that breaks the first time
isn't a saving at all, and actually wastes time (that could be spent shooting).
It is fun making your own, but the POC make better standard size arrows.

If I make 1/2" arrows for the crossbows - then they all work as well
at that diameter, over 20 - 40 yards into foam (or a box of clothes).
I can't say how they perform into solid wood, because I haven't
missed my targets yet ( just showing off ).

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Thanks for the replies.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

I use river cane and blue spruce.
I can usually dial those two in pretty easily to my arrow spine needs when sorting through a mess of them or making them.
Spruce is stouter than cedar as is river cane. The nodes grow closer together than bamboo, so you can make an appropriately lengthed shaft without sweating it too much.
For a heavier arrow, I use African blackwood.