? for wood arrow shooters

ChiefStingingArrow · August 17, 2019, 09:03:48 PM

Is there a species of wood that is more "unbreakable" than others? And by more I mean there is clear evidence that one species of wood holds up better (read makes good stumping arrow) than other types of species...If so what species have you experienced that to be? I am looking for the toughest wood arrow that I can find.

Caddo · August 17, 2019, 09:29:07 PM

Not exactly wood but, bamboo is the toughest you'll find. I've found it to be "tougher " and more durable than wood shaft.

LD

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darin putman · August 17, 2019, 09:47:06 PM

About all I've shot is fir, cedar and bamboo. As far as breaking it seems to me that the less grain runout I have on my shafts the tougher they are. I personally favor surewood shafts for this reason and that they seem easier to keep straight. Don't know that my reasoning is right but makes since to me.

Fletcher · August 17, 2019, 09:55:50 PM

Hickory, ash and maple shafts are really tough, but I would much rather shoot fir.

Orion · August 17, 2019, 10:01:36 PM

As Fletcher notes, the hardwoods -- hickory, ash, maple -- are tougher than the soft woods -- POC, Doug Fir, Sitka Spruce. The hardwoods are also a lot heavier. Agree that bamboo is as tough as the hardwoods, and lighter.

Pat B · August 17, 2019, 10:20:49 PM

Poplar is a very tough shafting. It weighs about the same as POC but way more durable.

Tradarchery · August 17, 2019, 11:12:29 PM

Another vote for Doug fir. I have made some "wonderful" shots aiming big, missing bigger. Hitting all sorts of hard things.

Most of the time I just straighten the arrow and keep shooting it.
Picture below is the results from a hit with a broadhead on a cement block around a fire ring. The arrow was stuck in the block. I straightened it and it is still in my quiver.

~Brian

Sam McMichael · August 18, 2019, 08:50:22 AM

Hickory is heavy, but it is tough as nails.

Jim Wright · August 18, 2019, 09:37:30 AM

I.M.P.O. the really tough, breakage resistant hardwoods are quite heavy and hard to straighten and not surprisingly often hard to come by. Some of the more recently popular exotic "hardwoods" are a bit more durable but still break. The often touted "footed" shafts are a bit tougher, pretty and add f.o.c. but simply transfer the point of breakage to the back of the footing rather than behind the field point. Wood shafts will break!!! (and I've heard rumors that even carbon ones sometimes do). A large majority of mine have occurred on angular, glancing shots rather than direct hits. To me it's something to live with and I thoroughly enjoy making my own. I shoot Surewood Douglas Fir Premiums and have never gotten a single bad shaft from them. They always come straight, require practically no effort to keep them that way and are a bit tougher than the other available "soft wood" shafting.

SuperK · August 18, 2019, 02:54:05 PM

I have shot cedar, poplar, chundoo, Sitka spruce and Douglas fir. The Douglas fir has been the most durable, by far. I would even rank it above some carbon shafts esp. on direct, straight on hits.

ChiefStingingArrow · August 20, 2019, 10:24:00 PM

Thanks for the replies!

Red Beastmaster · August 21, 2019, 08:42:22 PM

My stumpers are oak dowels from Lowes. I can't say they are unbreakable but they can take a pounding.

Wudstix · September 11, 2019, 09:48:43 PM

I'm fan of tapered Ash and Maple. Tapering seems to let you get away with a little more spine and weight, that may help with durability.

-- Michael

KentuckyWolf · September 11, 2019, 10:32:04 PM

For wood arrows....hickory. I have tired and used several different types of wood shafts over the years, but hickory was hands down the toughest. They are also the hardest to find commercially available.....marched to weight and spine. They are also needy...if you will than some for maintaining straightness.

A Lex · September 11, 2019, 11:50:36 PM

Toughest I've used are Red Balau shafts from Kevin Forrester, strong and heavy.

I've used a fair number of them, and they come close to indestructible for wooden shafts for me. I shoot them out of a 75lb longbow and sure I've broken a few on hard glancing shots, but they are seriously tough.

Worst breakage is when big critters fall on them, but then I suppose that's a good problem to have.

Best
Lex

Petrichor · September 12, 2019, 12:43:28 AM

Spruce. Slightly lighter than cedar and seems to be much tougher. Have a batch of arrows that has lasted 2 years in changed on my primary bow. 9 or original 12 left this far.

Wild Bill MCP 808 · September 12, 2019, 08:30:06 AM

Hickory and Ash but that ups the weight.

Russ Clagett · September 12, 2019, 04:03:49 PM

For the price, I'm not sure you can beat Surewoods, which are doug fir....I've hit rocks which wrecked the tips, but still reused the shafts...

Just my 2.

zwickey2bl · September 12, 2019, 11:07:28 PM

I bought three dozen ash shafts last year, planning to use them on my elk hunt and also thought they'd be durable stump shooting arrows. I promptly broke three of them the first camping/stumpshooting weekend, usung the hex blunts. Just bad luck maybe, but I hadn't broken that many POC shafts in the previous year.

A Lex · September 12, 2019, 11:51:55 PM

Yup, those Surewood Douglas Fir are excellent. I only use wood arrows and 90%+ have been Surewoods. Only other shafts I use are the Red Balau mentioned above. I reckon they are a bit tougher than the Douglas Fir.

Please note though, I've no complaints about the Surewoods what-so-ever, except they are sometimes a bit hard to get in the higher spine that I need. If I could get them, I'd use them. Till then, I'll have to wait till they can find some more of the necessary logs to make them.

Best
Lex