Aluminum arrows still?????????
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: Bou'bound
14-Apr-24
Anyone still in the dark ages and shooting aluminum arrows with compounds. If so what is your set up.
From: Groundhunter
14-Apr-24
I don't shoot vertical anymore, but yesterday at the gun show, they sold alot of them, from guys downsizing. Curious, I asked a seller, he said 2117 and 2018s were the big sellers.
From: Mike B
14-Apr-24
If they fly well and do the job, why not use them?
From: Knothead
14-Apr-24
If they ever make a comeback, I should be able to make a fortune.
From: ahunter76
14-Apr-24
State Field Championships.
State Field Championships.
I do for hunting and competition. Dark ages, chit. I did the carbon bit 2 years and was never satisfied with them. I've been in the game since 1956 & was a shop/lanes owner for 18 years SO "I know how to tune".. Carbons were nothing but a pain in the arse. I did arrow 5 biggame in that 2 years I used them. Now that I've given you a little back ground I'll answer the question. My out door target Darton is set on 45#s & I use a 1716s cut 26". Sometimes I use a 1913, same length. My Darton hunter is 60#s & I use a 29" 2216 with a 125gr 3 blade fixed. Sometimes I use a 2219, same length, head. I can use a 2117 too. Sometimes I have them fletched with blazers but prefer feathers. My hunters last year had 2" Razors, 4 fletch. My indoor Darton is 50#s & I have aset of 2712s, 4" 3 fletch, 30", 300 gr points. I practice with my hunting BHs through 50 yds & they shoot like bullets. Hunting, I can't remember taking a shot over 25 yds in tons of years. In Field & Target I shoot through 80 yds.. I use woodies most of the time in my 50# 68" longbow but so have a set of 29", 2117s with 4" feathers for it.
From: ahunter76
14-Apr-24
From: fdp
14-Apr-24
Lots of folks still shoot aluminum. Still no carbon made that is as consistent as aluminum.
From: Bou'bound
14-Apr-24
Carbon won’t bend though. No consistency with bent aluminum
From: BlacktailBob
14-Apr-24
I have a bunch of them at my cabin on POW Island. I use them to shoot bears at bait. Shots are less than 20 yards and heavy aluminum arrows tend to blow through bears nicely. Most arrows are destroyed after killing a bear, so I’ll probably eventually run out of them. I don’t know though, I’m 68, so maybe I’ll run out of gas before I run out of aluminum arrows. Until I do, I’ll keep shooting the old 2219’s for black bears.
From: Corax_latrans
14-Apr-24
2 carbons and an Alumalog from 45….
2 carbons and an Alumalog from 45….
I have all of my bows tuned with both aluminum and carbon. Not that hard to come up with very similar TAW by going up a spine class and about 100 grains point weight from the Aluminum spec, so here are a pair of 340s with 225 grain points and 2117s (400 spine) with 125 points. They come out matched for weight within about a gram, so they’re close enough that I can’t shoot the difference. The added bonus is that I can foot my 500 woodgrain carbons with pieces of 2117, so I’m pretty much Both And.
From: stagetek
14-Apr-24
31.5" 2018's 3, 5" shield cut feathers using recurves from 47 - 52lbs.
From: ahunter76
14-Apr-24
Carbon won’t bend though. No consistency with bent aluminum. In reference to that comment. I have some Aluminums that I had when I moved into this house 25 years ago.. They are just fine, no cracks or bends. I say, IF you can put your arrow in the target anywhere, you will have no more damage than a Carbon. I see "little" things all the time that destroy a carbon. 3ds in particular. Hunting-I have 3 arrows sitting that have taken 5 Biggame critters each & many more that have taken 3 & they are still good to hunt.. They are not as fragile as some might believe. I'm actually building some outdoor aluminum target arrows today, 3 fletch, 2" shield. My last couple years (same size) have Blazer Vanes & I just wanted a change. Since I build all my own & build/repair for 8 family members in some form of archery, it's a common sight.
From: Corax_latrans
14-Apr-24
If you have a forgiving backstop, aluminum shafts will outlast their anodized finishes… And they can be straightened…. if you have the patience for it.
I had to switch to carbons for the durability, because taking a LOT of long shots with stickbows on a very rocky 3D course can rack up a serious tab in a real hurry. Re-bar legs (and sometimes spines) in the targets + ricochets off the backlines and belly-lines will take a real toll on the thinner-walled aluminum… I don’t usually shoot them at all past what would be a realistic hunting range unless I’m working with a big NFAA butt.
But if you’re shooting pins at known distances, you’ll probably ruin more shafts with poor arrow-pulling technique than anything else…..
From: Highlife
15-Apr-24
From: BOBSTER
15-Apr-24
Still using them here, 2413 tipped with a 125gr. NAP Thunderhead. But why not, I am still shooting my Mathews Z Max also. They match up great.
From: 12yards
15-Apr-24
My youngest son has an Elite Enlist that I bought him several years ago that he isn't shooting. So I'm setting it up with some 2315s I refletched with 4" feathers and some 150 grain Magnus Stingers. Or I might sharpen up some old Bear Super Razorheads. Just for chits and giggles. Should be fun.
From: Toonces
15-Apr-24
I still use them. Tried carbons for a while. Didn't like them.
From: carcus
15-Apr-24
Do fmj's count?
From: x-man
15-Apr-24
If I was shooting black bear from a short range at bait stations like Bob, I would also be shooting 2219's. For indoor spots, 2712's are the most practical and most common shafts. I would never use pure aluminum for 3D or Field though(ACE or X-10). Carbon is also still the best alternative for "general purpose hunting/3D" if you only want to have one setup. I always hear the bent/broke reason but, to me. one of the biggest drawbacks to aluminum is the high resonation. They lose much more energy per foot traveled than carbon does, and I would prefer to have as much energy retention as possible when hunting. Especially beyond the average 17 yard shot.
From: Live2Hunt
15-Apr-24
I stopped shooting them when the new shafts I needed (2117's and such) were only offered at 31.5" or lower. Did the Woodie thing for a bit and may again, but mostly carbons now.
From: WV Mountaineer
15-Apr-24
I always did for the most part. Back in 2004 I tried my first release. In 2007, I figured I try carbon. I shot one elk with them. It was a complete pass through. I shot numerous deer with them too. About a 75% pass through rate.
Fast forward to present. I bought a new compound in 2017. I bought a ton of 2413 arrows. They are slower but, dang it man they shoot through everything. Andxx78 won’t bend if it’s a straight on hit.
I’m back to carbon on both bows due to cost of arrows. But, I weight them to get in the 475-500 range. They won’t penetrate like aluminum because the end busts if it hits something hard dead on. Collars will save a lot of them but, if you hit solid it still messes up some shafts.
From: Corax_latrans
15-Apr-24
“… to me, one of the biggest drawbacks to aluminum is the high resonation. They lose much more energy per foot traveled than carbon does…”
Please explain.
From: bluedog
15-Apr-24
Had maybe a hundred aluminums from when I switched to carbon years ago.. Couldn't find anybody that wanted them so been using them for garden stakes over the years. Fletched stakes look cool.
From: TGbow
15-Apr-24
I started out in the 70s using aluminum n wood. I have a few carbons but the majority of the time I use aluminum. Most consistent shaft material on the planet. I find 1916, 2016, 2018, shafts to be very durable..but then I don't intentionally shoot at anything that may damage my arrows, whatever shaft material I'm shooting.
From: Corax_latrans
16-Apr-24
Don’t anybody trash any 2114s, 2117s or 22XX without talking to me first, eh?? Those things are awesome…. I need inserts, too…
From: ahunter76
16-Apr-24
I'm with Corax.
From: bluedog
16-Apr-24
Slight chance I have yet another bundle of aluminums up in rafters. If so I won't use them for garden stakes, I'll let one of you guys know, not sure just a chance I have more.
From: Dale06
16-Apr-24
I shot 2219s for about 30 years. Switched to carbon 15 years ago and much prefer them. But I killed a lot of stuff with aluminum.
From: Corax_latrans
18-Apr-24
2219 is a BEAST, ain’t it? I have some sections of that which I’m hoping I’ll be able to use to foot the 340s. Those need a little bomb-proofing around here…
From: Juancho
19-Apr-24
I had to switch to carbons when they stopped making 2419s. I find carbon not as consistent or as easy to tune as aluminum. A lot more available spines and weights on aluminum. Sure, they bend, but are easy to make straight again, and very cheap compare to carbon.
From: DanaC
20-Apr-24
Heaviest arrow I can make work from my (recurve) bow is a 2018. 2016's are better flight-wise and tuning-wise. If I cranked up a few ponds draw, the former would be ideal for 'heavier than deer' size critters. 12.3 gpi. Would probably need 200-225 grains up front.
