goldenrod for arrows

[swiftjustus]

i read someware that goldenrod made a prety good arrow, i was wondering if anybody had any experience with it?
thanks
  swift

[Kegan]

Minuteman has, and he sent me some (worked well), but I personally prefer them for the hand drill myself .

[ricktrojanowski]

I've messed around with horseweed a little.  You could probably use the giant goldenrod as well.  It will probably spine pretty light.  The horseweed I tried came in at 35-the low 40's#.  Also pretty weak on impact.

[mullet]

  It was too light for me.

[TRACY]

What Mullet said. I suppose you could add some weight if you really wanted to use them. A lot like blackberry shafts.

[Hillbilly]

I've tried goldenrod and horseweed both for arrows, and I wasn't impressed. If you don't have anything else, they would work, but they're light, low spined, and not too strong. I had to add hardwood nocks and foreshafts to get them to hold together, too much work for the arrow you get from it.

[JackCrafty]

All this talk about horseweed for arrows......I don't know how you guys do it.    It doesn't work at all for me.  I can't get past the straightening phase without those suckers breaking or cracking.

If goldenrod is similar to horseweed, I don't think it's worth the trouble IMO.  For something really cheap and easy, if you have access to a table saw, just rip some spruce or fur lumber into arrow-size blanks and go to it.

[Kegan]

Goldenrod is a bit tougher than horseweed. However as I said, they make SUPERB hand drills for fire making .

[Minuteman]

I shot a goldenrod shaft with a trade point on it through a whitetail doe at 22 yards four years ago. As far as the qualities of goldenrod vs horseweed , horseweed is very much over rated as an arrow shaft . Far too flimsy for anything but the lowest weight bows. The place where g-rod shines is with wide handle indian style bows. The wider handle calls for lighter spined arrow. The handle of the bow I shot the doe with was 1 1/4" wide. They are also naturally weight forward if you place the fatter end in the front. ( which is the right way  by the way)
 You do have to look at a buncha shafts to get a dozen that are heavily spined enough for a hunting weight bow. I've found them in an old farms leaking septic field as big as my thumb! Well fertilized to say the least.
 I plan to make a few more goldenrod shafts before I croak and will do my best to kill more deer with 'em.
 They do make good bow/ hand drill spindles for firemaking too.

[ricktrojanowski]

Jackcrafty- Not that I liked the horseweed for the arrows, but I love it for the hand drill.  I like to straighten the spindles out just like I would for an arra.  Use some low heat and you can get them nice and straight. 

[Hillbilly]

Chris, the wide handle thought makes sense. Also, there's so many different species of goldenrod (39 or so different species just in NC)that there's probably a lot of variation in quality for shafts between them. The kind I tried sucked, I'll have to keep an eye out for some other types to try. Rick, horseweed is my favorite hand-drill spindle material, too.

[Minuteman]

Had no idea there were so many kinds. 
 It does work. I guess you just have to have the right kind.

[TRACY]

Chris, Let me know when you're gonna work some more g-rod. Maybe a Heartland Jamboree demo?

Thanks Tracy

[Minuteman]

This year's plants won't be ready by then, Tracy. But I got a hand full of last years batch left. I'll see if I can remember to bring some along.