Carbon VS Aluminum – Which is Better?
Author: Admin
“Should I be shooting Carbon or Aluminum Arrows?” This is a very common question I hear from a lot of archers. The truth is, is that there is really no set answer it is basically a case of your personal preference. As with any products there are always pros and cons to them. In this article I am going go through some of these pros and cons with you.
Aluminum arrows have been around for decades, since about 1939 when James Easton created the aluminum arrow shaft. There are upsides to using aluminum arrows such as aluminum arrows have been tried and tested for years. Aluminum arrows also offer more of a size selection usually at a cheaper price than carbon, which is what makes them a popular choice. When it comes to shooting at targets because aluminum arrows are usually bigger around they are a whole lot easier to pull from the targets.
There are some downsides to aluminum however. The biggest issue with aluminum arrows is that they bend very easily and are less durable than carbon. Over the last few years the prices while still lower than carbon in most cases are going up and are expected to become pretty close if not match in price.
Carbon arrows have only been around since about the early 80′s and is a fairly new and evolving technology. Due to this carbon arrows are more expensive than aluminum arrows and there are not as many sizes available. Carbon arrows if damaged and shot have been known although rare to explode or shatter.
Carbon arrows however will not bend and are more durable than the aluminum. Carbon arrows because of the increase in strength and durability in the shaft does allow for deeper penetration. As the technology advances carbon arrows are slowly coming down in price.
In my honest opinion I would recommend using carbon arrows and there are a few reasons for this. The biggest reason is that they do not bend and this is huge. I have seen a carbon arrows stepped on, deflected off trees, and fences and put through absolute hell and they are still as straight as the day they were bought.
Now obviously for safety reasons I would not recommend purposely sabotaging your arrows because although the cannot bend they can be cracked or stressed and if damaged bad enough could shatter upon shooting. Also carbon fiber allows for more flexion so when the arrow hits the target and vibrates because of the sudden stop it will be less likely to stress the arrow shaft and cause it to weaken.
December 28th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Carbon arrows do in fact bend and if you dont believe me try flexing an arrow in a severe arch and then spin it, it will wobble like a weeble!
January 2nd, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Hello Steve, it is true that carbon arrows do bend, however it is not in the same way that aluminum arrows bend. There are two reasons why aluminum arrows will wobble after being bent or hitting something. The first is that the one or more of the layers of carbon that make up the shaft is broken or splintered thus degrading the overall structure and balance of the arrow, and the second is if your insert or tip is bent. Usually once you replace the tip or insert the carbon shaft will straighten back out. Obviously carbon arrows are not meant to be bent in a severe arch and this will of course more than likely break or ruin your arrow.
January 17th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Honestly i love Carbon arrows better because they shoot and start spinning faster also they arent as heay and dont drop as much as aluminum arrows
February 5th, 2012 at 6:05 pm
Having my 3rd surgery in the am to fix tendons and nerves. First two surgeries doc removed 90 pieces of graphite.