Best wood for an arrow?

[iowabow]

Red Osier
shot one through a deer with flint point and it never broke so that's good enough for me.

[NorthernArcher]

I have put my Red Osier arrows through a fair bit of abuse stump shooting, and I can definitely say that I lose more than I break.

[Jodocus]

Arrowwood, of course!      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viburnum_lantana

Really, that stuff is awesome. Very stable, light, easily straightened without heat and then remains straight (unless you do something that would break other woods, in which case you simply straighten it again). Where that stuff grows, it makes up for the vast majority of prehistoric arrows for a reason.

But I don't think it grows in the US 

[willie]

jackcrafty

lots of birch where I live. i will give it a try. do you use split, sawn or natural?

willie

[Badger]

  I like to buy fine grained clear doug fir, about 15 rings to the inch ( estimate). I can get 5/16 diameter and finish up my arrows at about 500 grains, 55# spine most of the time.

[Pat B]

Viburnum dentatum is our arrowwood viburnum. I've used Viburnum prunifolium(blackhaw vib.) for arrows but f you skin them too soon they will check.

[artcher1]

Douglas fir does make fine shooting arrows. If I had to buy my shafts, and only make arrows for hunting, that's all I would use. But since I make my own shafts, I use what's available locally. That's mostly from poplar boards and hardwood shoots such as sourwood..........Art

[feathercast]

I made some shafts from ash this fall. Bought a truckload from a sawmill & thought I would give it a shot. Ran them through my dowell jig. They shot great.

[warpath]

I like ash, hickory, and believe it or not, P.O.C.  I've never run into the problems everyone here talks about with cedar. Probably because once I've got them to the diameter I want, I soak them in wood hardener for 48 hours. Just made myself a new set since my last set lasted me a good 2 years with no issues. I'm also making my own cedar and spruce shafts so I know that they made from the best grain possible and not just whatever is at hand. Oh yeah, and I really like chundoo!!

  G

[willie]

G

what is the wood hardener you mentioned?

willie

[Hartknifemaker]

I think I will get some poplar and try that for arrows and see how it works, thanks guys!

[warpath]

Willie- Min-Wax makes a great wood hardener that I like alot.

  G

[JackCrafty]

Willie, I buy birch dowels and just pick the best ones.  They are getting harder to get in good quality, so I will probably rip some boards next time.  The thing I like about birch is it's ability to be straightened without heat.

[seabass]

poplar and cane for me.

[Buckeye Guy]

The best wood is the one you have cause you cant make wood arrows without wood
the Viburnum are good stuff for sure Pat do you know the proper name for the northern arrow wood  vs the southern arrow wood ? The one that grows up north just before you get to the big bridge that divides the yuppers from the yanks seems to be the real deal for sure, as I have not foud any better !