Public range - damaged arrows?
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: Lark Bunting
19-Apr-21
Went to a public range recently and noticed a film on my arrows after a couple dozen shots. After I got home I wiped them down with a damp sponge and noticed the coating seemed damaged. Are these trashed? I flexed them and didn't have any issues but I'd rather not have an arrow explode into my hand.
From: Lark Bunting
19-Apr-21
Hmm, that image did not translate well, my photo is very detailed on my phone. Anyway, the arrows have no smooth coating on the first several inches and there are little micro fibers of carbon peeling/flaking.
From: Lark Bunting
19-Apr-21
Any clearer?
From: Lark Bunting
19-Apr-21
Last attempt...
From: Paul@thefort
19-Apr-21
what were the targets made of? Sometime bailed straw, carpet, layers of high dense foam, packed layers of cardboard, 3d targets?
From: daleheth
20-Apr-21
IMO. If you are not sure if they are good then they are bad. It is not worth "proving". I saw an arrow blow up and go through the meat on the guys bow hand it looked painful
From: Will
20-Apr-21
If there is a shop near by, go have them look at the arrows. It's hard to see from the pic's given the bit of glare.
that said, some targets will leave an almost saran wrap like film on the shaft. You can wipe of lightly scrape it off and it comes off, often in a strip. It's sort of an opaque film, very very thin. It's something to do with the arrow target interface (heat from friction I think though I'm not sure on that).
I can not tell from the pic's if that's what you are dealing with, and as others noted, you dont want to find out by having an ER doc remove an arrow from your hand... So take the arrows to a shop.
From: JohnMC
20-Apr-21
I'd guess it film from the target as well. I have seen that from a lot of targets and I can't imagine a range having/keeping targets that would ruin arrows. Try this take your pocket knife and run it a back and forth across shaft with the blade at a pretty steep angle. One range I shoot that always a issue but comes off easy with knife.
From: x-man
20-Apr-21
Not 100% sure but, it looks to me like material has been removed from those shafts. Maybe some inserts or, worse yet some broadheads buried in the target that your shafts are rubbing along as they penetrate. If there is missing material, do not shoot them.
From: Lark Bunting
20-Apr-21
Not sure what these targets are stuffed with, I've shot there in the past with no issues. Further investigation might show the field point is slightly smaller diameter than the arrow diameter. You'd think 9/32 is 9/32...expensive lesson learned. Going to have to order another half dozen.
From: Matt
20-Apr-21
I would wipe them down with WD-40 or perhaps acetone to see if that is a film added by the targets or material removed from the targets.
From: Inshart
21-Apr-21
I would try using a piece of plastic or your fingernail to see if you can remove the film. My target does that but I can remove it by scraping the shaft with a stiff piece of plastic. Not sure I would use a knife - might damage the shaft?
From: Tilzbow
21-Apr-21
I’ve had stacked carpet and Blob targets wear arrows like that. Both materials have sand or sand like material in the adhesive. I think Blob targets were actually made with carpet adhesive.
What’s the target material at your public range?
From: backcountrymuzzy
21-Apr-21
A guy at the range once told me he was shooting the hay bale targets they had and hit a broadhead embedded in the target and destroyed an arrow. Not sure if that matches the damage on your arrow but you never know whats inside those range targets
From: Ok...Russ
21-Apr-21
Lark, I think you solved it with the smaller diameter field point. Had something similar happen but it didn't damage the arrow like yours - just left a film buildup. Speed of the arrow creates friction that kind of 'heated up' the target material as it went through and since the arrow shaft was 1/64th bigger then it's making the hole bigger than what the field tip did when it started the hole. Yes, expensive lesson.
From: Bou'bound
21-Apr-21
if you have damaged multiple arrows by hitting a hidden broadhead you are one hellofagood shot
