Hey peeps. I was wondering which would be better to use for deer hunting: a carbon arrows or a aluminum arrows? I heard that carbon has more speed but I also heard that aluminum has more penetration. Tell me what you guys think. Thanks.
Today's Carbon Arrows blow Aluminum arrows out of the water. Not only are they faster, but they are more durable and have better penetration than Aluminum arrows. Their diameter gives them the ability to push through almost anything and sometimes even bone. They may cost a little more but it's well worth the money.
The answer to your question is yes: carbon is strong, small diameter, and usually lighter therefore faster if you're in to that kinda thing. Aluminum is heavier, and not as durable, but penetrates better...therefore, get Easton FMJ's and you have the best of both worlds. Smaller diameter and durability of a carbon core, wrapped in a bone crushing aluminum jacket. I don't ever see myself switching shafts.
Yeah some carbons are faster. Some are just as heavy as aluminums. If your a speedfreak then carbons are for you. As far as durable...i wont bite on that one. Ive had friends drop carbons from a stand and the arrow hits a rock and shatters...never happen with aluminums. My dad shot a doe this year...got his arrow back in 4 pieces. Buddy shot a buck with aluminum...that arrow is back in the quiver. Alot of people hate on aluminums and most have never shot them before. We shoot every tuesday night and i always out pentetrate everyone thats using carbons. Heck you can hear the difference when it hits the target. To each his own, shoot what YOU want to shoot.
carbons are WAY more durable. This year i found a broken aluminum at the archery range and wanted to see how stiff it was. Went to bend it and it literally broke in half like a pencil. Maybe it was just the shaft, I havent shot aluminum in a while to know anymore. But id say since basically aluminums aren't sold on any shop's shelves the answer is carbon.
It was already broken...not sure id take that as a sign of durability. And tons of shops around here carry quite a few different sizes of aluminums. Im sure it wasnt a blanket statement, and probably near you they might not sell them.
If you are wanting a heavy arrow then Aluminums are awesome, shafts with 15-19 wall thickness (i.e. for instance size 2315 or 2219, the wall thickness being the last two numbers in the arrow size) are very durable and a good heavy shaft. These sizes will still bend, but not easily and are allot more durable than you think. Where the problem with aluminum arrows comes in is from the guys wanting a lighter arrow for speed, a size 2312 for instance or size 2213 are thin walled to reduce the shaft weight and bend relatively easy. They don't penetrate as well as their heavier shaft brethren either, but that is due more to mass weight and momentum. The bad reputation most of us have with aluminum arrows is that we came into archery during the age of "SPEED OR BUST". I know when I started hunting carbons weren't mass produced at the time, and the way folks got raw speed was to shoot heavy poundage, thin walled shafts and shortened arrows (with the use of an overdraw). This was the "low point in aluminum arrow history". Folks were bending the thin walled shafts left and right, often just by shooting into dense 3-D targets repetitively or by not being careful pulling their shafts from those same targets. This era of archery left a bad image in most folks minds about aluminum arrows. The first carbons on the scene had their own sets of problems, the super skinny protruded shafts were hard to tune due to fetching clearance issues, especially with the TM hunter style prong rests that were the status quo for that time. To make matters worse they available carbon arrows used outserts that often pulled off the arrow when pulling them from targets, the outserts would also bend because they too were made of thin walled aluminum. Glancing hits with the protruded shafts usually caused the arrow to spilinter upon impact too. When the larger OD weaved carbon shafts came on the market, it was like a breath of fresh air and archers/hunters were more than glad to make the switch. Most of the fletching clearance issues wre now gone, the inserts were now gone and the weaved shafts easily survived most side impacts that caused the protruded shafts to exploded. Folks that craved speed found these shafts to be ideal for their needs and quickly abandoned aluminum thin walled arrows for the new offering the larger OD carbon presented. So to wrap things up if you are wanting a moderately heavy to very heavy shaft, then aluminums have several assets/benefits if you are looking for pure speed from a lighter shaft then aluminum is peobably not going to be your best choice.
I have 5 aluminum Easton game getter II's that I last shot in 1992 that I'll sell you REAL cheap! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Carbon (not the cheap ones) are definitely the way to go, if you have to shoot them make sure that you get something worth the money and not the 5 bucks a half dozen arrows, I shoot Easton axis and ive had them blow through a lot of targets, the penetration is there. aluminum is an outdated technology for arrows, some still like them but they have been out done... biggest problem with aluminum arrows And the FMJs that I have always seen is that they bend relatively easy, heavy no doubt and penetrate well but all too often they are only good for a handful of shots and they develop a bend.. if you wanna see it go spin test some old aluminum arrows and watch the wobble they have... there's nothing wrong with shooting them if they work for you but carbon technology has pretty much out done the aluminum arrows now.
Couldn't agree more...I've been hunting around 19 years or so. I just started using carbon a few years ago...lol. I will never shoot aluminum again. I can't tell you how many different carbon brands I've bought. I think i've owned all in the past few years. The best Carbon I have used...is the CX Mayhem Hunter....for me that is! Not too lite and not too heavy, and the toughest arrow I have owned. I also like the Maxima Hunter's. Beman make some great ones too.
I think they both work well but aluminum arrows are better for shorter people because short people loose kinetic energy a lot faster so with more penetration it makes up for what it lacks in distance
