First off, I'm not trying to convert anyone here, just want to share an unusual experience from this morning and maybe gain a little knowledge. I was walking through ****'s last night and just for s&g, picked up 3 of their generic Easton Fall 2117 arrows. Brought them home, cut them to length, glued in the insert and left them to dry overnight. This morning I installed 100 gr. field points and weighed them on my cheapo kitchen scale (only scale I've got). The CE arrows I've been shooting all last year weighed 25 grams, the Eastons, 32. I shot a dozen of the carbons to warm up and got my usual 2" or less group at 25 yards and then nocked up one of the 2117's. Holding on the same point on the target, it hit about an inch lower than the carbons. I pretty much expected that. Refer to the pic below; the middle arrow in the pic was the first shot. The second shot, top arrow in the pic, grazed the nock of the first, leaving that little dark mark. Third shot darn near Robin-Hooded the second, busting the nock. It amounts to a 1" group with 3 arrows. I switched back to the CE's and got the usual result, but the 2117's still grouped better. So..... Is it the 4" vanes vs the NAP Quickfletch Twisters on my carbon arrows? The Eastons seem to have a little bit of a helical fletch, but it's very minor. Is it the fact that the 2117's fill the hole in the whisker biscuit more? The extra weight? I'm going to pick up some 85 grain field points to try and bring the aluminum arrow weight closer to the carbons. I'm really interested to hear opinions. EDIT: I was walking through the store that starts with a "D" and ends with "icks"!
Could be that your bow has a minor tuning issue. The Aluminum arrows, from my experience anyway, are more forgiving than a carbon arrow. The advantage to carbon is the durability and how many more choices there are out there. The longer vanes only add to hiding tuning issues which would make them group even better. I shoot carbons from my compound for durability reasons, but I can see why someone would shoot aluminum even today.
I used to shoot aluminums last year, and switched to carbons this year, and was thinking about switching back to aluminum. My aluminums I had where spot on and the carbons are all over the place, Not to mention the aluminum will absorb more KE for more knock down power!
By the way longer vanes help to stabilize the arrow quicker than those junk 2 inchers. A two inch vane in my experience is only good for field tips, and I've heard for mech broadheads from the people I know who shoot them. Remember longer vanes slow the arrow down more, but a fast miss is still a miss.
Depends on the typewrite of carbon arrow Imo. Ive shot some that are crap....but then some that are unreal. I prefer CE Mayhem hunters
Sounds to me the 2117's are tuned better to your bow then the carbons. 4 years ago I switched to a 340 FMJ. Prior to that I shot 2216's for 15 years out of my recurve. So far my percentages are lower with my FMJ's on getting pass throughs. My belief Is that my FMJ's absorb too much of the Impact and not enough energy Is put Into passing through the animal. My 2216's weighed over 100 grains less but I got pass throughs more with them then I've had with my FMJ's so far.
That's interesting. I picked up a half dozen more 2117's last night (along with the last 4 boxes of .308 on the shelf...dang ammo's ridiculous during an election year and for obvious other reasons right now) and got them cut up. I didn't opt for 85 grain field points. I'm just going to zero the sights with the aluminums and 100 gr. tips. I'll give 'em a try next fall.
I used 2117 for years and did well. I now use the carbon wrapped aluminums. I feel I get a little of the weight yet the reduced diameter allows for a lot more speed. I use ACC 139. They are quieter too than my oldies.
