Do you shoot as well with primitive arrows?

[David Long]

As compared to spiffy modern carbon or aluminum arrows, do you shoot as accurately with your shoot or other wood shafts? Given that each wood shaft is unique and different form the others, I would think this is difficult, but doable with great care and patience in the making of the shafts. True?

Dave

[huntertrapper]

we do hunt with them to kill humanely, so they are very good if shot and made correctly

[Kegan]

Mhmm. But my best arrows aren't primitive, but hickory I cut up with a table saw and doweled with a power drill. Selfnocks, trade points, and tied on fletchings, they fly with pin point accuracy out to 45 yards (that's as far as my bow can shoot them on the level). Actually, even my extremely crude and mismatched sourwood shot well out to about twenty yards. They all shoot better than I !

[huntertrapper]

there ya go. my trade points can can hit a small leaf at 15 yards. i have to be able to shoot well though also.

[mullet]

  My bamboo and cane arrows I hunt with were made by Art Butner and Chris Cade. I'd call them some of the best "Matched" arrows I have. And I've been offered more money for them ,then some of the best Carbon arrows cost.

[Justin Snyder]

Matching wood arrows to a bow can be a lot easier than matching carbons.    Not many shops will cut 6 different arrows to length and put tips of them to see if they shoot good. 

[Hillbilly]

After learning how to make good ones, I like my primitive arrows much better than commercial ones, and shoot better with them than store-bought shafts. As Kegan said, my arrows are more accurate than I am. 

[hawkbow]

The history and romance behind a handmade wood arrow has a way of capturing the archers soul .To witness the flight of an arrow crafted by your own hands as it buries to the fletching in your intended quarry,will ignite a passion for the hunt that will in all likelyhood stay with you throughout your lifetime. Through countless hours of practice, even the weakest spined most crooked shaft can be shot with deadly accuracy. Once you learn the flight of that particular arrow ... Mike

[Hillbilly]

Plus, aluminum and carbon have no souls.........

[El Destructo]

we do hunt with them to kill humanely, so they are very good if shot and made correctly

Ouch..... I shoot Douglas Fir Shafts ....Handmade....with Selfnocks....Handmade.....and Hide Glued Turkey Feathers.....from Birds that I shot with.... are you ready..... Wensel Woodsman Broadheads ....I put them down with one Shot

[Pat B]

I can put my arrow where I want it to go out to about 20 yards...most of the time. Thats accurate enough for me. I wouldn't hunt with it if it didn't fly well.   Granted, a nice cedar arrow shoots very well and is probably easier to shoot well but they aren't as much fun(or work) to make. I've never seen an aluminum or carbon arrow fly...they are too fast.    Pat

[David Long]

Absolutely great stuff you guys. Thanks a heap  I have been fiddling with Red Osier shafts for awhile now, and I am really impressed by the way you can "tune" the spine by sanding a bit. I do this while shooting through paper until I get straight flight, and it seems to work pretty well. I really enjoy the nice elastic, quiet feel of the bow (a yew self bow, antler tips) with these shafts. Alas, I am still a little more accurate with the manufactured shafts.
Dave

[JackCrafty]

The modern stuff is easier to learn on.  I own a compound bow and aluminum arrows....but I haven't used them in over 10(?) yrs.  The equipment was dead-on accurate.

The primitive stuff requires instinctive shooting skills and a complete familiarity with the equipment.....which takes time.  You have to become "one" with the bow and arrow.

Most people I've seen who are into primitives are into hunting as opposed to target shooting.  Hunting is a whole different ball game than target archery.  If you're into target shooting, you'll have to be extremely careful about how you make, maintain, and use your equipment.  And you'll have to compensate for the changes in weather - which doesn't happen with modern stuff (as much).

At least that's my experience.