Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: DC on June 05, 2018, 12:16:52 pm
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Are carbon arrows much stronger/durable than bamboo? How about cheap box store carbons? I've been shooting a lot with my shooting machine and when the arrow hits the target it bends quite a bit. I thought maybe I would go over to the dark side and buy a couple of carbons just for testing purposes. I never thought I would say that out loud :D :D
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I shoot GT trads and i foot the front with aluminum shafting. I wrap the nock with sinew. I have never broken one.
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A friend of mine bought a bunch of carbons from Wal-Mart when they put them on clearance for $1 each. He stripped the plastic vanes off and put feathers on them. He said they shot fine. Carbons are almost indestructible. I shoot them out of my FG bows and sometimes selfbows if no one is looking :D
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Bought one many years ago and set it up for flight shooting. It didn't go any further than my wood flight arrows, in fact some of my wood arrows shot farther.
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Are they or can they be as light or lighter than wood. One of the problems with the machine is getting a light arrow that won't break when it hits my target.
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Most bare shafts will weigh between 7-10 GPI, depending on the chosen spine and brand. Heavier shafts are tougher shafts because the walls are thicker.
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Carbon may be perfect for your application. Foot the tip end with aluminum shafting and you'll have a very structurally sound arrow. Like Pearly said a higher gpi is usually a thicker wall and therefore less prone to breakage. It will also allow you good weight parameters with field points weighing from 80 to 300 grains.
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Question: Why do you shoot a carbon arrow out of a self or backed bow?
DBar
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It's just for my shooting machine. I have it set up in my shop so the arrows fly about four feet. They hit the target at some strange angles and my bamboo arrows were bending so far some have broken. I thought the carbons my take the strain better. I actually had the machine set up so the arrows hit the target dead straight but then I put in a different bow and it went sideways.
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Oh ...your shooting them out of a machine....maybe I should ask why are you shooting from a machine? Do you hunt or shoot 3D with a machine. Machines can be tooooo consistent. Shooting a bow is not that. I like to match the equipment.
DBar
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I have a chrono attached to the machine.I get nice consistent results. Shooting by hand i get poor results.
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I got a couple of carbons out of the scrap bin at the range. Tidied them up a bit and they work great. The tips are rusted in so I have to soak them a bit so I can adjust the weight.
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Scared to stand to close least you be struck by lightning.lol just kidding DC. I know their not indestructible. When I first started making bows my cousin gave me two. I stripped off the plastic vains and put on turkey feathers. I was a pretty poor shoot and hit the OSB wall behind my target. Drove the insert and target point right inside the shaft. I'm thinking they where probably cheap carbons since my cousin gave them to me.
Bjrogg
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Well according to my friend who shoots trad, they are harder to break but if they get scratched or bent he throws them away. With wood, sandpaper and some heat fixes that in a jiffy
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I thought carbons were either straight or broken, I didn't think there was a bent :)
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That’s the theory I’ve always used with my other trad or wheel bows dc. I do sound test, tp a few times after a hard impact. You can hear if there’s a concern. Never shot them off my prim. Bows tho, I see no reason why my opion would change, except if shooting off a bare hand. Carbon splinter would suck.
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DC
Yup, bent carbons do exist. Of course, he did give them to me when we were shooting even though I knapped him a knife >:(
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I don't know if they are more durable when compared to Bamboo but I would choose aluminum arrow's over carbon arrow's any day of the week. Aluminum arrows give me much better arrow flight over carbon arrow's and are unlikely to break on you or splinter. I shoot wooden arrow's exclusively now and have found that carbon gives me worse arrow flight over aluminum and wood.
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From what I read, the hunting carbons tend to splinter on impact with bone and make a large impact area of contaminated meat. I don't have personal hunting experience with them. Jacie did a "Robin Hood" with one of her's and it split more than half way down the shaft! I use wood or aluminum.
Hawkdancer
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Most carbon tubes like arrows and fishing rods are made with mostly longitudinal fibres. They have good bending strength, as long as they're not bending over something, but if anything starts a split it doesn't stop. If an arrow were to hit a bone and skate a bit sideways it would load it in a way it isn't designed for and it would split. I think wrapping the ends of carbon arrows like we wrap nocks and points would be a good idea. I used to use CF arrow shafts for booms on my model yachts and I had to wrap the ends with thread soaked in CA to stop them from splitting.
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From what I read, the hunting carbons tend to splinter on impact with bone and make a large impact area of contaminated meat. I don't have personal hunting experience with them. Jacie did a "Robin Hood" with one of her's and it split more than half way down the shaft! I use wood or aluminum.
Hawkdancer
I've probably killed over 25 deer with carbons and never had one splinter. I'm sure it could happen, but I've never seen it. I've put them through ribs and shoulder blades.