Looking for a source of low cost arrows

[Tuckahoe]

My wife and I did a little shooting this afternoon after church. When we bought our bows they came with four carbon arrows. Well after today we need some more arrows. Yes we are learning but were a little rough on arrows today. One lost to a roll of hay (cows will find later) One across the sky to never never land after I bumped the release at a 45 degrees across the woods.
Is there a source for good shooting arrows local sporting goods store wanted over $120 for a dozen. We are just not to the point in our shooting to need something that expensive Just need something to learn with.

[tufhelp]

Don't overlook Freecycle, if you have a decent sized group near you put up a "wanted" add - you may be surpised at the response. I have a friend who needed a photographic tripon the other day. I put up a wanted add and had one in 10 minutes! Don't forget to make some offers with some stuff you may have that you want to get rid of but don't want to put in the landfill...

[swampyankee]

You might want to try aluminum arrows. You'll give up some speed but they'll run you about half as much. I've used them for years, just have to make sure your distance estimates are accurate.

[two_bears]

Look for some river cane in your area and look on the ferret web site to learn how to make them usable. Also i use hardwood saplings that are about finger thickness and straight as can be. But you can heat and straighten. Lots of ideas on other archery sites

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

As Swampyankee mentioned, try aluminum. I've used Easton XX75's for years and I'll not change.

[Catalpa]

I was doing some thinking about arrows myself, wondering if it's worth the money to change over to carbon arrows.

I have had very good luck getting aluminum arrows off ebay at decent prices; enough so that I don't sweat it if we lose one while practicing. You might want to try there, especially during the off season. A couple of years ago I got a dozen XX75's, fletched, nocked, and cut to my size with the inserts put in for under $20.00.

But boy, it's a lot of work trying to make sure they don't get bent . I have some of my best ones saved for hunting, but it seems they catch on brush and tree limbs all the time, and I'm wondering if it wouldn't be easier to hunt with carbon arrows.

Any thoughts? Can I practice with aluminum, and then shoot carbon for hunting, or would my bow have to be tuned to the carbon arrows?

[traper]

your bow wouled probaly have to be tuned to carbon arrows.at least that is what i had to do

[RangerRick]

With just a little care you'll get 5000 shots out of a good carbon shaft while maybe 1000 with aluminum if you're lucky. The carbon will also give you better penatration, I think a little faster and is just more durable.

Ranger Rick

[mtdrtbag]

If you are shooting a compound. Carbon arrows are really the way to go. I shot aluminum for years and was a tough sell when carbons came about, but once I started using them I won't hunt with anything else. Look around on the internet and sometimes you can find discontinued shafts that are on closeout. I shoot a Beeman venture shaft and fletch them myself. A dozen of these bemans are about 60 dollars, but you can find other carbons cheaper than that. An Arizona E-Z fletch tool is about 40 bucks, but again, you can get a single vane fletcher for alot less. If you know your draw length. Most of the bow shops around here will cut your shafts to lenght for little or no money. Carbons are more durable, shoot faster and flatter. I would never reuse an aluminum after shooting an animal, but will with a carbon. I would not hunt with an aluminum used for target practice, but wouldn't hesitate to do so with a carbon.

[flatwater]

I shoot wood arrows that I make myself out of my long bow. I sometimes buy oak doweling or just go to my local archery shop and get the blanks. I seal them as soon as I get them after I wood burn a camo design in them. I only get about one in a hundred that will warp on me.

[madmac]

Don't shoot wooden arrows in a modern compound bow. They will break and guess were the broken piece goes? In your arm. Not trying to dis credit anyone but I have shot as well as designed bows with PSE back in the days I lived in Tucson AZ. Bob Ragsdale was a good friend of mine and we were always playing with new designs. The bows became so complexed it started taking all the fun out of it so I switched. I then went to a custom longbow made of black locus which I shot for a long time till my elbow finally forced me to give it up. Anyway carbon is the ticket. Just look around as you will find good deals on them. Nothing really wrong with aluminum except you will give up some speed as well as durability. Not trying to brag about my early archery days but wanted to add credibility to what I say in regards to wooden arrows and modern compound bows. I have seen them break leaving the bow as well as in mid air halfway to the target.

[flatwater]

Your right madmac there not for compounds but they worked well for my recurve and longbow

[madmac]

Flatwater I miss shooting ceder arrows in a longbow. I was like you. I would buy the shafts, fletch them and put my colored bands on them so folks would know they were mine. Those were simple times. 550 grain ceder shaft with a 145 grain zwickey did a good job on big game. The old longbow would always shoot to the same point of impact and life was good.

[jim]

That's exactly what a buddy of mine used about 20 years ago. He killed tons of game with that set up.

jim