River cane arrow vs Cedar arrow question

[David_Daugherty]

When I got into primitive archery my mentor taught me to make my arrows from river cane.  So that is what I have always done.  He said I would learn that the river cane makes a "wicked arrow".  Well I have made and bought some cedar arrows over this past year.  I have used them mostly for target practice.  I have noticed that with repetitive use several of the cedar arrows have broke when hitting the target.  My river cane arrrows have never broke or fractured at all.  I ordered and made the cedar arrows to the correct spine weight.  So am I missing something or is the river cane just a more durable arrow?  Maybe the flexibility of the shaft allows it to absorb more shock? 

[killir duck]

the river cane i got from you a couple years ago has been great it's stronger than my bamboo and lodgepole pine shaft. by the way how has the knife been?

[David_Daugherty]

Wonderful, thanks a lot!!  My 2 teenage sons try to claim it from me all the time.  My daughter got a doe about 2 weeks ago and we used it to process the deer.  Worked great!  Have you been able to take anything with the cane I sent you?

[killir duck]

just a few rabbits and gophers and 3 porkypines, i also shot a spike bull that one of my buddies wounded it went almost all the way through with my 64# osage bow it hit 2 ribs the total arrow weight was 580 gns with a gizzly bh

[David_Daugherty]

That's awsome!! The shaft held up ok with the bull?

[H Rhodes]

I'm with you David.  I have broken fewer cane arrows than wood or aluminum.   

[DGF]

I've heard of cane arrows refered to as natures carbon. If you have the cane growing around you I think it's worth the work of making them into arrows for more than just the durability, but also for price. Cedar arrows smell great when broken, but that's the only consolation.

-Dan

[mullet]

I prefer cane or Tonkin bamboo.

[agd68]

I shoot both regularly. Yes cane is much tougher than cedar or pine. However, I find wood is easier to work with. You can manipulate it alot more to make it do what you want. A solution to the breaking cedar is to foot the shaft with a hard wood.

[crooketarrow]

 Yes cane is always harder, tuffer.

[Pat B]

Cane arrows, like hardwood shoot arrows are way stronger, more durable than doweled shafting no matter what wood they are made. of.

[killir duck]

yep after i cleaned it up and refletched it it was as good as new

[Tom Leemans]

My tonkin cane shafts are tough as nails.

[JW_Halverson]

For the life of me I have never, ever, understood why on God's green earth people get excited about cedar shafting?  I swear you could make a more durable shaft from peanut brittle!

At least they smell good when they break. 

[BowEd]

Yea tonkin and dogwood are hard to beat for toughness.They both come in naturally as 630 to 700 grain thumpers too which is a plus also in my book.Just gotta stick the time of tuning into them and they serve me great.