Aluminum vs. Carbon

[Stratosman]

Okay,

I have always shot aluminum arrows still continue to do so. What are the advantages of spending the extra $ for carbon? I know the obvious answer of arrow speed, but at 25-30 yards are you really gaining that much additional arrow speed to make a difference? I am interested to know what percentage of bowhunters use carbon and how many use aluminum? Let's hear some opinions.

[Hotspotter]

I use the cheapie Cabela's carbons, and have had good success with them. They're faster than comparable aluminum arrows, and at around $35/dozen w/ vanes on sale, they're as cheap. On the handful of deer I've shot with them, I've had all but one complete pass through. The one that didn't go all the way through did not break off in the deer's chest cavity either, which seemed to counter the "brittle" stereotype I've seen branded on them.

I've shot both and prefer the carbons so far, but maybe I'm not giving the aluminums a fair shot? The wrapped aluminum arrows look pretty tough, I might give those a try.

Joel

[jlm]

I agree with the above post. You won't gain all that much more speed like most think. The real advantage is that you will be shooting straight arrows all the time rather than taking risks with aluminum arrows. You never have to worry about bending an arrow and carbon arrows are tough. I bought two dozen several years ago when they were just catching on and am still shooting them. I shot aluminum at one time and will never go back to them. Some folks feel that the shaft is too thin for a good blood trail, which I disagree with. The broadhead is what does the cutting and the shaft follows so shaft diameter should really have no effect on blood trails. Go with carbon, you will be happy you did!

[metrojoe]

Instead of buying my kids new arrows I had all my aluminum cut for them and bought my first set of carbons this year. The pro shops don't seem to be carrying a wide variety of aluminum shafts. I was going to have to switch to a different size arrow, unless I wanted to order them. So I just decided to go with the carbon shafts.

My pins are a little tighter now, but I didn’t see a huge change. Also, I guess you never have to worry about bending an arrow.

[bigbucks]

I shot aluminum for 6-7 years & killed several deer with them, this will be my third or fourth on carbon. I'd never go back. The aluminum arrows will kill a deer just as dead, just as easy, but they bend. I never was good at telling if I'd gotten the arrow totally straight after bending one or not, with carbons it's either straight or broken, no questions.

As far as the carbons being brittle, I'd have to say they are more brittle. I've broken them by missing my target & hitting the wood pile. I've also broken several on deer, as I did several aluminums too. The carbon definitely penetrate farther & hit harder. All you have to do is shoot a few of each into your target & see which ones are in farther & a lot harder to pull out.

I shot a doe a little low at close range two years ago & a little forward. The carbon went through the close shoulder & the off leg, breaking both. I don't know that an aluminum arrow would have done that. The arrow stopped right in the middle & she broke it in 3 pieces when she jumped, but that's a lot of force against a shaft. If it wouldn't have broken she couldn't have even moved.

[Cooter]

The only advantages alum. had over carbon arrows are history. Those being some carbon arrows were simply too light and too thin diameter, along with the nocks and adapters on the older Bemans. Price might still favor alum., but not by much - and carbons last longer. Unless you lose or break them they're ready to rock. If they are broken, it usually means you have a dead critter. Shot two deer last year with the same arrow and will hunt with it this year just to see how many before she breaks. If it does break, it means I hit too much bone.

[Stratosman]

Sounds like everyone is shooting carbon, I must be the last guy still shooting aluminum. I see the point on the bending deal, that would sure be nice, no middle ground. I have also shot two deer with the same aluminum arrow before. But that was the only time I didn't have it break or bend on impact.

[g man46]

What do you guys think about longer range shooting. I also use carbon, but always wondered if they're lighter are they more prone to wind drift, also if they have less energy down range. As far as short range they are FAST and I have shot a sow bear, and a doe with the same arrow last year, and besides the vanes being screwed up, it is ready for another.

[rtwills]

I shoot beman ics400's . They are alot more flatter shooting than the old 2216-2117 aluminum I used to shootand also less windage issues.As far as distance shooting, I shoot a Browning mirage sx,75# draw with a 31" shaft.last year I shot a buck @ 30 yards,through shoulder,1 rib,through 2 ribs on other side and went another 10 yards. the next deer(doe) was at 70 yards and hit 2 ribs and through both lungs and only had fletchings still in the deer.
since I started shooting carbons about 15 years ago, I have only broke a couple,from the deer laying on it.
Carbons are great but you have to practice for longer yardage shots, dont think just a better arrow will allow you to do this.I would recommend taking the same shots as an aluminum.

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If people weren't supposed to eat animals.
Why are they made out of meat??
FM Stickersl

[T-ProGuy]

I bought a dozen Easton A/C/C's eight years ago when I bought my first bow...I still have 9 of them. The only reason I am three arrows short is due to some messing around, and trying to make some ridiculous shots while practicing...absolutely shattering the carbon wrap on them.

Last season, I shot a buck from 7 yards. I made somewhat of a poor shot (the deer was slightly quartering away from me) the arrow entered at the back of the left ribcage, and got lodged in the front right shoulder blade. The deer ran for about three hundred yards, smacking the arrow on brush and large trees all they way. Unfortunately, my lantern went dead before I could find the deer, so I had to go back the next morning. Upon finding the deer, I noticed that he crashed onto the side with the arrow still sticking out...he laid on it for more than 12 hours.

The arrow was still in near perfect shooting condition after all this. I still shoot this arrow almost every day, and it flies as straight as the day I bought it. In my opinion, this is a testament to the durabliity of carbon arrows...there really is no comparison.

[EXTREME]

I agree with all the carbon shooters here. I have shot several deer with carbons and have yet to break any of them. Besides one that I shot with an expandable, they all passed through and stuck into the ground. I have nothing against alum., they fly great and are easier to pull out of 3-D targets, but I like the durability of carbon. They don't bend. And all the talk about not penatrating because they are too light is just that...talk. They zip right through deer with Muzzy's. Just my $.02.

[BLACKJACK]

Good topic!

When I started bowhunting 15 years ago, carbons were a LOT more expensive than aluminum, so I went aluminum. Then two years ago when I bought a new bow, I decided to try carbons. At this point, I'd never go back to aluminum. As everybody else has said, carbons are so much more durable!! They're either straight or they're broken, no in between. I can sell you a dozen aluminum arrows - cheap - that have slight kinks in them from bouncing off my archery butt or a tree.

Another plus for carbon is that it did flatten out my arrow flight, I was able to group my pins tighter. I had shot a heavy arrow, a 2219, and it had big arc to it in flight.

The one reason that I might go back to aluminum is if I was going after big big game, elk or caribou. I think you'd get more kinetic energy out of the heavier aluminum arrow.

So, buy the carbons. The price is comparable to aluminum, you'll get pass thru shots on deer, and your arrows will last longer.

[korn_fish]

If your worried about more kinetic energy for larger game, just get bigger grained broadheads.

[BLACKJACK]

Putting too heavy of a broadhead on an arrow will make it fly poorly. I'm not an expert on this subject, I just know what I've read in Bowhunter and other places, heavier arrows have more energy. People will argue its shot placement thats more important, and they're correct, but on heavier boned animals, when you start hitting ribs and bones, you have a better chance at shooting all the way thru with a heavier arrow. For whitetails, carbons are fine, I've shot thru three of them.

[Shorelunch]

I bought new arrows last summer. I was planning on buying carbon. I went to two different north metro archery shops and both recommend aluminum. Both shops said because aluminum weighs a little more, they have more inertia, and thus more kill power (or something close to that effect). I ended up with some Easton 2413 XX75's. I was surprised by what they said because the carbons were a little more exspensive. Either way you can't go wrong. I also bought an arrow spinner to check for straightness.

[Stratosman]

Shorelunch,

That is the same thing an archery shop told me last summer when I bought my arrows. There must be some benefits to shooting aluminum. And that is the exact reason I started this topic is because of what the archery shop told me. However, I knew that alot of guys shoot carbon, so I wanted to hear both sides, and all posts so far ar high on carbon, but yet archery shops push aluminun, why?

[Ole1855]

Stratos,

I've shot Easton aluminum for years, it's true I bend some, and I break others, but all in all I like the Eastons. Maybe the reason the pro-shops are pushing aluminum over carbon is the reason so many above have posted.... If you don't bendem or breakem, you aren't buying replacements.

Ole

[bigbucks]

You guys must be gentler on your arrows than I am & don't ever just plain slip in practice sessions. I wreck or lose 2-4 arrows practicing every year & wreck a few more on deer most years. I gotta gets some bale to put behind my target, open hayfields & wood piles don't cut it.

[TomBow]

Aluminums--good arrows but bend them and they are bent and pretty much unusable, you can straighten them but the bend will weaken them. Aluminums have many different sizes because each size yields a different spine rating or stiffness of the shaft.

Carbons--durability is high, the old "brittle" word on them is just that OLD NEWS from the first carbons that came out. Production processes of carbons are much better now than they were. Carbons have many fewer sizes because each size covers a much wider range of spines than aluminums. If you choose to raise or lower your draw weight, the aluminums may become difficult to tune because the spine might not work for the new draw weight, while the carbons will probably still work.

I beg to differ on the "heavier arrows penetrate better" comment made by some bowhunters. Heavier arrows have more momentum down range but if you take a light arrow and a heavier arrow and shoot them from the same bow, the initial kinetic energy is the same, the heavier arrows weighs more but travels slower than the lighter arrow. The faster arrow flies with a flatter trajectory over the same distance as the heavier arrow so they are more forgiving for range estimation errors because the heavier arrow drops faster because it slows down faster. I have reused carbon arrows I've shot through deer without a problem, the only carbons I've broken are due to hitting nocks with other carbons which caused the shaft to crack. I believe Carbon Express has a video on their HSOforum which shows a carbon arrow and an aluminum arrow being shot into a cinder block. The carbon arrows takes the impact without breaking and the aluminum arrow gets bent and splits.
What can I say? I shoot carbons, would I go back to aluminums? Nope. But if aluminums work for you, shoot well from your bow, why switch? Both types work well if properly spined for your bow, cams on the bow, draw length and draw weight.

[Ben1022]

bigbucks,

I'm w/you about wrecking arrows. I go thru 'em like socks and underwear! I'm always stump shooting, practicing at long yardages and I seldom hold back on an opportunity to shoot a rabbit in the off season. Luckily, I have the fortune of getting arrows at the "good guy prices" and as a result, shoot all of them. Moneywise, I don't see an appreciable difference in the short run or long run. They're all about the same price and do about the same thing. As mentioned, aluminum do bend. However, carbons will break, too...just less often and may save a few bucks here or there. Certainly not enough for another dozen in the short run. I shoot ACC's, all sorts of carbons, aluminums, hell...even the old P/C's. Personally, I believe the P/C's were the best penetrating arrow ever made. I just always had a hang up with the outserts.
The trend is certainly going toward carbon arrows but if you look at the number of sales of alum. vs. carbon sales....carbon actually pales in comparison.
Here's an easy way to figure your kinetic energy out and see where you are for the game you are shooting...

velocity squared times weight of arrow divided by 450240 (some constant). This gives you your KE in ft/lbs.

ex 290fps squared = 84100
84100 x 400gr arrow = 33640000
33640000/450240 = 74.7lbs of KE

I forget what the number recommended for hunting deer is but either arrow can get the job done for you.

[Pooh]

from what ive seen here around town some love carbons, and others wont go back. a bunch of buds go to "the shack" every weekend. of 4 of them 3 use carbon, and 2 of the 3 that use them are going back to aluminum. they claim they dont have the whop of an aluminum.
i shoot aluminum. i like them and am planning on going to carbon as soon as my aluminums are all gone! they dont bend, they break. if its shootable its as good as the day you bought it. plus you can reach out and hit a deer farther away and have more energy in your arrow. ask anyonw who has shot a deer out to 60 yards and see if they shot it with an aluminum. i know lots of guys who have shot deer out to 60 yards and none of them use aluminum

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this is just my 2 cents
Pooh

[Deitz Dittrich]

I dont have much to add to this topic.. its been pretty much beat to death.. So I will just put in my vote...

I shoot Easton A/C/C... best of both worlds. Straightnes of Aluminum(whoever tells you that carbons are as straight as alums is crazy...)and the strenght and lightness of carbon....Yes they bend and are unuasable, but I would never trust a carbon that "may " be dammaged. I have seen some ugly pitures of guys with carbon splinters in thier hand and forearm!

[rtwills]

EX, you brought up a good point.You do have to inspect carbons for defects after shooting,they do splinterand that could be hazzardous when shooting.I have shot competition for 20 years and love the carbons on my hunting bow.I feel for hunting they have best knock down power and I like the flat trajectory.Same goes for 3d shoots.But for the accuracy on indoor 300 rounds I like aluminum shafts.
Indoor I shoot freestyle unlimited and use easton 2512 shafts ,they are very light but give you the advantage of "line cutters" especially in a vegas round.
I think the problem is that too many people try to get too technical on their hunting set up,if you shoot straight and hit the target,what more do you need?I have killed just as many deer with my first Bear kodiak recurve as I have with my 1300.00 set up i have now,I just look better now....LOL

------------------
If people weren't supposed to eat animals.
Why are they made out of meat??
FM Stickersl

[Stratosman]

I thought the same thing, but a dozen aluminum arrows will last me a few years, so the repeat business isn't that steady.

[buzzsaw]

My opinion... eventually we will all be using Carbon arrows. Most importantly they fly straighter. I disagree, they do have more knock down power than Aluminum arrows just check the depth in your practice target (The Block or whatever) and there is NO doubt the carbons penetrate deeper. I won't go back to Aluminums... just my preference.