Arrow Life Expectancy...

[Staver]

Just thought I'd throw this question out there for kicks.

About how long does it take to go through a dozen arrows before they're either lost, broken, or just not shootable anymore!  Joe H

[Pat B]

It can take one shot to loose one! and to break one!   I have arrows that are 10 years old and have been shot thousands of times. I also have pieces of arrows that only lasted one shot!     Pat

[DBernier]

I have shot some arrows so often they have lost up to 5# of spine.     I usually loose an arrow or two at some bow shoots.     For me it takes a long time to go thru a dozen arrows. I've had the remainder of some for 15 to 20 years and even re fletched them, checked the spine and then added more to bring it to a dozen again.    Good question.

Dick.

[Coo-wah-chobee]

.............I use tonkin cane. Some I have made are over 10 years ole. Usually lose em before they break, as a matter of fact only broke 2 in more years than I care ta say ! Never had the "ole timers "drop in spine  (whatever that is ! ) Course I have lost some spine through the years ! ..........bob

[DBernier]

Bob, years ago when I tested my arrows for spine weight, each shaft was marked and weighed. I usually marked the nock end with this info. When I made arrows from them, I usually transfer this info. to the nock it's self. I do this with every batch of arrows I do. Over the course of years I have shot some of them almost every day on my indoor range. Just for sh--s and grins I respined them after years of shooting and found some of them lost up to 5# of spine weight and all of them lost some weight. I "suspect" this may be due to the constant flexing from the archers paradox and the break down of internal/surface wood fibers etc. Not a wood expert but just my guess.

Dick

[JackCrafty]

I usually make my arrows in batches of 3-5.  It takes about a year to wear out the set before I need to make a new batch.  I guess I shoot twice a week on average...about 20 to 200 shots depending on how much time I have.
Some of my arrow damage is due to sloppy storage.  I've been known to "accidentally" put fresh-cut staves and shoots on top of my arrows when I'm out "collecting"....must be all the excitement.   

[Papa Matt]

Jack crafty, nice quote        I always hate walking through forests that belong to State Parks because there are tons of super-straight untouched reeds and shoots for arrows but I never feel like going to prison over a stick.


I guess it just depends on how often and where you shoot. I'd say I lose about 1 out of 5 arrows either to damage or under weeds before they are a year old. But I like to go squirrel hunting in the fall when all the leaves cover the ground so bad. I'd say I lose arrows more often than anything which enfuriates me as I'm sure anyone else. I square the tips and everything but they still find a way to dig in.

-Matt

[Kegan]

Hickory- a few loses, no breaks. They'll outlast me I'm sure .

Birch dowels- shooting from an 80# bow at everything- including stumps, plastic lids (thrown into the air), dirt, the ground, trees, and anything else that might in some way hurt arrows- the shaft usually breaks behind the tip, after about two weeks and several hundred shots. Of course, if I were more careful they would last much longer. Cept for the ones I bust the nocks on .

I usually have about six or so arrows in my quiver though, so I guess I never go through a dozen?

[markinengland]

I made a set of 15 hazel arrow with Bulletwood foreshafts and self points. Aftet two years shooting I am working on a new set as I am down to 6 arrows now. 9 broken arrows in 2 years of weekend shooting when trees keep jumping out in front of me isn't bad!
Shoot arrows seem way more durable than POC.
I have never ever managed to break a bamboo arrow though!
Mark in England

[M-P]

I have to admit that a set of a dozen arrows gets replaced ~ twice a year.  I shoot twice a week on average,  mostly POC arrows.  My biggest loos is just plain loss.  An arrow that skips off the back of a 3D target is usually too far gone to find.  My second biggest loss is split nocks due to Robin hooding.  I use horn reinforced self nocks.  It takes a hard knock to damage them, but a straight blow from another arrow really does them in.  (I'm not bragging, I just run with a crowd that seems to delight in hitting each other's arrows.)  Once I have fewer than 6 matched arrows, I start making a new set and use the old sets for practice.  Ron

[Mechslasher]

i was too rough on poc shafts so i switched to cane and have never looked back.  i've got a dozen with sitka spruce foreshafts i made over five years ago that i've yet to wear out.  killed a hog and a half (eddie can tell about the half hog i helped him with) with a couple, the foreshafts broke off like designed and saved the arrow.  i reglued the foreshaft and they are ready for hog hunting again.

[wanabehunter]

Ive lost some on the first shot.. thats why I learned to make my own arrows.. tons of fun -

[NorthernArcher]

I must have gone through at least two dozen POC arrows in my first YEAR of shooting.  In my opinion POC is probably the LEAST durable shafting material available.  I've also tried the commercially available Pine (chundoo) and Sitka Spruce shafting.  The Sitka Spruce was pretty tough, but a bit too light.

For the past few years I have been using Red Osier almost exclusively.  I still lose arrows from time to time, but rarely ever break one.  Because I love making arrows so much, and my shoot arrows last so long, I never seem to have any problems with keeping my quiver full.

[Pappy]

I will usuall go through a dozen or so a year.I loose a few stump shooting and at the Practice
range and 3 d shoots,but don't break many.I will go through a half dozen or so during hunting
season,It almost always breaks an arrow when I shoot a deer and it is making it's get away.Don't
mind that to bad,venison is worth an arrow. 
   Pappy

[Postman]

Most of you are probably going to cringe at this, but after spending way too much time looking for golf balls in a previous life  (probably the main reason I gave it up, more or less) I decided for stumping, to avoid the same frustration, shooting an arrow and quickly finding it outweighs how ridiculous this looks:

I have a few spray painted blaze orange with orange spiral flu's


Disclaimer:
Got the spiral flu idea from Pat B. but he in no way, shape or form should be held responsible and / or accountable  for an entirely blaze orange arrow. void where prohibited, individual results may vary