Wood = Good - TexasBowhunter.com Community Discussion Forums

Dry Bones · 01-05-2018, 09:48 PM

With the start to a new year, I have been curious enough about wood arrows to finally take the step. I traded into these as a starter. I will continue to shoot targets with them until i get the chance to take a live animal, then I can make my final decision. I know a lot of us use carbon, but just something about a wood arrow in flight from a longbow or recurve... It just feels right.

Dry Bones · 01-05-2018, 09:50 PM

The above arrows are Douglas Fir that have been "Lightly Toasted." All weighing withing a few grains of 494 and spined at 48#. Longbow is 51# @ my 27"

coop · 01-06-2018, 12:26 AM

Good looking arrows. With the exception of a little experimenting with fiberglass in the early 70s, graflex in the early 80s and aluminum in the late 80s I have used and hunted with wood for over 50 years. While each of the other type of arrows had their advantages I kept going back to wood. I've had more than my share of luck in those years so I don't see me changing any time soon.

Good luck with the woods.

bassmatt72 · 01-06-2018, 07:55 AM

Cool, I've dabbled with trad gear off and for a few years and I enjoy messing around with wooden arrows.

Tomkat70 · 01-06-2018, 09:04 AM

Nice

tradtiger · 01-06-2018, 10:00 AM

Nice. Like the char-camo.

White Falcon · 01-06-2018, 10:14 AM

I Like!

Geezy Rider · 01-06-2018, 11:30 AM

Nice.
Until I'm a better shot I'm not getting anymore woods. I had a dozen made by a real craftsman and I've broken everyone of them.

Dry Bones · 01-07-2018, 10:03 AM

Geezy Rider, that was exactly why I haven't ventured that route. i had a set done about a year ago, and broke them to fast. Now I feel a little more confident in my shot and have decided to move forward with the woods again.

Phillip Fields · 01-07-2018, 11:55 AM

When I got back into trad archery in the early 90s, I used wood arrow. I continued to use wood until 2002 when I started getting ready for my first African trip in July 2003. I wanted something I could depend on not warping in a change of climate. It is hot and humid at my home near the coast of Virginia and I knew it was going to be cool and dry in the Limpopo region of Africa, so I built a set of carbons. I had run into a warpage problem in going from Virginia to Alaska in '97. The extra toughness also added a certain assurance that baggage handlers wouldn't leave me with broken arrows.

I'm back to shooting wood on my primary bow, but keep some tuned carbon, just in case I decide to make another major trip.

chackworth3 · 01-07-2018, 07:12 PM

Some good looking arrows. As far as shooting goes, nothing beats shooting some well tuned wood arrows IMO

Bisch · 01-08-2018, 02:36 PM

Good looking sticks, but I’m just gonna stick with my old carbon/aluminum hybrids!!!

Woods are too finicky for me.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Dry Bones · 01-08-2018, 06:52 PM

One bad day and few broke sticks. So this was what I really did not want to admit. Carbon arrows can take a lick and still shootable. Does not seem like the wood is going to do that. Still fun to shoot, but I may have to go back to carbons for my casual everyday shooters.

DRT · 01-08-2018, 08:42 PM

Carbons are tougher but I trashed a few of them over the years. Two last Thursday out of my compound. Had been so long since I practiced with it past 25 yards. We have a rock holding a piece of plywood on top of the target. A carbon arrow at 275fps comes apart when you center a big rock. Btw those last two pins aren't 35 and 40.

Sent from my SM-J710MN using Tapatalk

wytex · 01-09-2018, 11:08 AM

Been using woodies for years and have only broken a few, usually stump shooting. I shoot footed shafts now only because they look really nice, extremely expensive to buy bare shafts though. I leave the bottom 6-8 inches natural so blood color is easily seen.
You set up sounds alot like mine: doug fir- osage footed shafts, 51# longbow 26 1/2 inch draw, 125 gr broadhead. Predator Longbow out of Muenster, Tx.
Woods are just fun to make and shoot. Like the toast on em!

caughtandhobble · 01-09-2018, 12:03 PM

Those are some great looking arrows. I bet they shoot as well as they look with those tight specs.

I love good wood arrows. It seems every time I get or make a nice set I break 2 or 3 the first week of shooting them. I have an old set of 3 Rivers pre-stained arrows that I have had for years, lol.

tex4k · 01-09-2018, 12:17 PM

Nothing more therapeutic than building up a bunch of poc arrows, I can even smell one after breaking an arrow and not feel quite so bad about it.

Dry Bones · 01-09-2018, 08:36 PM

I know this is going to be a opinion based question. BUT where do you buy your shafts? I have been planning on ordering from Surewood for my Douglas fir, but have not committed anywhere yet. Does not need to be the BEST there is, but a good set of shootable shafts in either Douglas Fir or POC.

Draco · 01-09-2018, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dry Bones

I know this is going to be a opinion based question. BUT where do you buy your shafts? I have been planning on ordering from Surewood for my Douglas fir, but have not committed anywhere yet. Does not need to be the BEST there is, but a good set of shootable shafts in either Douglas Fir or POC.

Check into Sitka spruce shafts. They are 4 times as strong as cedar but weigh less.

wytex · 01-10-2018, 12:38 PM

Raptor Archery. He has several different wood shafts and makes good products. Might not be cheap but I've always gotten quality from Ted.
Alaska yellow cedar is also a good wood. I try to find nice heavy shafts in a 11/32 tapered shaft, better penetration for me with my 49-50# draw weight. Quieter too.
Anybody else use 4 fletch ?

Dry Bones · 01-10-2018, 05:03 PM

I will probably be the <1% here, but I like as little fletch as I can get away with. REALLY good tuned arrows do not need much fletching. I have hunted the past few seasons with 3- 2" fletchings. I stepped up to 3" this year and the woods pictured were traded with 5" fletchings already in place. I know I will not do that when I make my own. The 2" worked pretty well with my carbons.

Phillip Fields · 01-10-2018, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dry Bones

I will probably be the <1% here, but I like as little fletch as I can get away with. REALLY good tuned arrows do not need much fletching. I have hunted the past few seasons with 3- 2" fletchings. I stepped up to 3" this year and the woods pictured were traded with 5" fletchings already in place. I know I will not do that when I make my own. The 2" worked pretty well with my carbons.

I like plenty of fletching and use 5". I consider my arrows to be well tuned and could get by with 2" fletching. But, I am a hunter and sometimes find myself shooting from awkward positions. If I pluck the string or short-draw, a 5" fletching will quickly correct the arrow and keep me on target. A 2" will not. 2" are fine on the target or 3d range, but fall short in the hunting woods.

Selfbowman · 01-16-2018, 01:12 AM

I started with carbons but shoot nothing but woods now. Those flight arrows are a pain though. Arvin.

Dry Bones · 01-23-2018, 09:56 PM

Thought I should do some updates. These are the remainder of what I traded into.
Then a few pics of some random shooting. I'm liking the wood flight. Somehow it's just more relaxing. I tried rotating the pic, but for some reason it keeps turning itself back on the page.

Dry Bones · 01-23-2018, 09:58 PM

Sorry for the big pics. Missed the set. I'll try again
These are just a few from the different woods I now have. Notice the middle arrow. It a cane arrow with stone point and self knocked. Knapped and made by Jeff Freeman.

Dry Bones · 01-23-2018, 10:11 PM

All of these have the longer fletchings (5"), which is fine and I will leave them this way. BUT my first made arrows will be much shorter, like my carbon arrows. Just my preference. None of the deer or pigs that I have been fortunate enough to take have minded a 2 or 3" fletch yet so I will keep doing what suits me.
I realize there are advantages to using the longer fletchings as Phillip has pointed out. I just really like the shorter feathers with less wind noise,... and the look.

01-05-2018, 09:48 PM	#1
Dry Bones Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Navarro County Hunt In: East Texas, Whatever comes available	Wood = Good With the start to a new year, I have been curious enough about wood arrows to finally take the step. I traded into these as a starter. I will continue to shoot targets with them until i get the chance to take a live animal, then I can make my final decision. I know a lot of us use carbon, but just something about a wood arrow in flight from a longbow or recurve... It just feels right. Attached Images

01-23-2018, 09:56 PM	#24
Dry Bones Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Navarro County Hunt In: East Texas, Whatever comes available	Thought I should do some updates. These are the remainder of what I traded into. Then a few pics of some random shooting. I'm liking the wood flight. Somehow it's just more relaxing. I tried rotating the pic, but for some reason it keeps turning itself back on the page. Attached Images Last edited by Dry Bones; 01-23-2018 at 10:07 PM. Reason: sideways pic

01-23-2018, 09:58 PM	#25
Dry Bones Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Navarro County Hunt In: East Texas, Whatever comes available	Sorry for the big pics. Missed the set. I'll try again These are just a few from the different woods I now have. Notice the middle arrow. It a cane arrow with stone point and self knocked. Knapped and made by Jeff Freeman. Attached Images

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01-05-2018, 09:50 PM	#2
Dry Bones Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Navarro County Hunt In: East Texas, Whatever comes available	The above arrows are Douglas Fir that have been "Lightly Toasted." All weighing withing a few grains of 494 and spined at 48#. Longbow is 51# @ my 27"

01-06-2018, 12:26 AM	#3
coop Ten Point Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Joshua, Texas Hunt In: Lake Whitney	Good looking arrows. With the exception of a little experimenting with fiberglass in the early 70s, graflex in the early 80s and aluminum in the late 80s I have used and hunted with wood for over 50 years. While each of the other type of arrows had their advantages I kept going back to wood. I've had more than my share of luck in those years so I don't see me changing any time soon. Good luck with the woods.

01-06-2018, 07:55 AM	#4
bassmatt72 Ten Point Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Belton TX Hunt In: Any place I can.	Cool, I've dabbled with trad gear off and for a few years and I enjoy messing around with wooden arrows.

01-06-2018, 09:04 AM	#5
Tomkat70 Ten Point Join Date: May 2009 Location: Beeville Hunt In: Mason ,Brady,Menard	Nice

01-06-2018, 10:00 AM	#6
tradtiger Pope & Young Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Austin Hunt In: Lee Co., Granger	Nice. Like the char-camo.

01-06-2018, 10:14 AM	#7
White Falcon Pope & Young Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Holly Lake Ranch Hunt In: East Tx. and Anywhere I can!	I Like!

01-06-2018, 11:30 AM	#8
Geezy Rider Pope & Young Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Weatherford, Tx. Hunt In: Wise Co.	Nice. Until I'm a better shot I'm not getting anymore woods. I had a dozen made by a real craftsman and I've broken everyone of them.

01-07-2018, 10:03 AM	#9
Dry Bones Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Navarro County Hunt In: East Texas, Whatever comes available	Geezy Rider, that was exactly why I haven't ventured that route. i had a set done about a year ago, and broke them to fast. Now I feel a little more confident in my shot and have decided to move forward with the woods again.

01-07-2018, 11:55 AM	#10
Phillip Fields Pope & Young Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Chesapeake, VA Hunt In: NC,TX, and anywhere else I can	When I got back into trad archery in the early 90s, I used wood arrow. I continued to use wood until 2002 when I started getting ready for my first African trip in July 2003. I wanted something I could depend on not warping in a change of climate. It is hot and humid at my home near the coast of Virginia and I knew it was going to be cool and dry in the Limpopo region of Africa, so I built a set of carbons. I had run into a warpage problem in going from Virginia to Alaska in '97. The extra toughness also added a certain assurance that baggage handlers wouldn't leave me with broken arrows. I'm back to shooting wood on my primary bow, but keep some tuned carbon, just in case I decide to make another major trip.

01-07-2018, 07:12 PM	#11
chackworth3 Ten Point Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Pottsboro, TX Hunt In: Grayson county, Oklahoma	Some good looking arrows. As far as shooting goes, nothing beats shooting some well tuned wood arrows IMO

01-08-2018, 02:36 PM	#12
Bisch Pope & Young Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sonora, Tx	Good looking sticks, but I’m just gonna stick with my old carbon/aluminum hybrids!!! Woods are too finicky for me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

01-08-2018, 06:52 PM	#13
Dry Bones Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Navarro County Hunt In: East Texas, Whatever comes available	One bad day and few broke sticks. So this was what I really did not want to admit. Carbon arrows can take a lick and still shootable. Does not seem like the wood is going to do that. Still fun to shoot, but I may have to go back to carbons for my casual everyday shooters.

01-08-2018, 08:42 PM	#14
DRT Pope & Young Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Fort Worth, Tx Hunt In: Jones and San Saba Counties and Missouri	Carbons are tougher but I trashed a few of them over the years. Two last Thursday out of my compound. Had been so long since I practiced with it past 25 yards. We have a rock holding a piece of plywood on top of the target. A carbon arrow at 275fps comes apart when you center a big rock. Btw those last two pins aren't 35 and 40. Sent from my SM-J710MN using Tapatalk

01-09-2018, 11:08 AM	#15
wytex Six Point Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Wyoming Hunt In: Wyoming , Texas, Colorado, Nebraska	Been using woodies for years and have only broken a few, usually stump shooting. I shoot footed shafts now only because they look really nice, extremely expensive to buy bare shafts though. I leave the bottom 6-8 inches natural so blood color is easily seen. You set up sounds alot like mine: doug fir- osage footed shafts, 51# longbow 26 1/2 inch draw, 125 gr broadhead. Predator Longbow out of Muenster, Tx. Woods are just fun to make and shoot. Like the toast on em!

01-09-2018, 12:03 PM	#16
caughtandhobble Ten Point Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Highlands Hunt In: Texas	Those are some great looking arrows. I bet they shoot as well as they look with those tight specs. I love good wood arrows. It seems every time I get or make a nice set I break 2 or 3 the first week of shooting them. I have an old set of 3 Rivers pre-stained arrows that I have had for years, lol.

01-09-2018, 12:17 PM	#17
tex4k Ten Point Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Big Lake TX. Hunt In: Reagan, Upton, Crockett, and Uvalde counties	Nothing more therapeutic than building up a bunch of poc arrows, I can even smell one after breaking an arrow and not feel quite so bad about it.

01-09-2018, 08:36 PM	#18
Dry Bones Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Navarro County Hunt In: East Texas, Whatever comes available	I know this is going to be a opinion based question. BUT where do you buy your shafts? I have been planning on ordering from Surewood for my Douglas fir, but have not committed anywhere yet. Does not need to be the BEST there is, but a good set of shootable shafts in either Douglas Fir or POC.

01-10-2018, 12:38 PM	#20
wytex Six Point Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Wyoming Hunt In: Wyoming , Texas, Colorado, Nebraska	Raptor Archery. He has several different wood shafts and makes good products. Might not be cheap but I've always gotten quality from Ted. Alaska yellow cedar is also a good wood. I try to find nice heavy shafts in a 11/32 tapered shaft, better penetration for me with my 49-50# draw weight. Quieter too. Anybody else use 4 fletch ?

01-10-2018, 05:03 PM	#21
Dry Bones Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Navarro County Hunt In: East Texas, Whatever comes available	I will probably be the <1% here, but I like as little fletch as I can get away with. REALLY good tuned arrows do not need much fletching. I have hunted the past few seasons with 3- 2" fletchings. I stepped up to 3" this year and the woods pictured were traded with 5" fletchings already in place. I know I will not do that when I make my own. The 2" worked pretty well with my carbons.

01-16-2018, 01:12 AM	#23
Selfbowman Ten Point Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Tx Hunt In: Where ya'll take Me	I started with carbons but shoot nothing but woods now. Those flight arrows are a pain though. Arvin.

01-23-2018, 10:11 PM	#26
Dry Bones Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Navarro County Hunt In: East Texas, Whatever comes available	All of these have the longer fletchings (5"), which is fine and I will leave them this way. BUT my first made arrows will be much shorter, like my carbon arrows. Just my preference. None of the deer or pigs that I have been fortunate enough to take have minded a 2 or 3" fletch yet so I will keep doing what suits me. I realize there are advantages to using the longer fletchings as Phillip has pointed out. I just really like the shorter feathers with less wind noise,... and the look.