Paper or plastic?

[Captainkirk]

OK, not really.
But similar.
Do you prefer carbon, aluminum, or good ol' wood for your shaft material, and why?

[Gamestalker]

With my trad bows, I still shoot cedar. Why?.... Because that's what I've always shot & I don't want to use more modern materials.
I do have to admit that I've seen some of the new stuff that has a woodgrain look & kind of thought that it might be a way to have more durable arrows that would shoot better, but still have the traditional look.

[Captainkirk]

Well, having shot all three now, I can say this;
I prefer the look (and smell!) of a traditional wood shaft with a glue-on broadhead hands-down. But for price and durability, aluminums are tough and the cheapest in most cases, and I believe carbons to be the most durable.
Carbons have certainly taken the guesswork out with 4 basic spine ranges (600, 500, 400, and 340) but there is something about a nicely done woody that speaks to me. I will always own woodies, that much is certain but they are not ideal in every situation and somewhat more fragile for stump-shooting or cluster target shooting where a collateral strike usually constitutes a broken arrow. Funny how some folks get all bent out of shape as to what constitutes a traditional bow, yet embrace the latest and greatest on arrows....

Personally, I find a traditional wood shaft arrow to be an object of art, much as some self-bows.

[Cookies]

Space-age goodness for me! I like my carbons mainly because they're cheap (ish), durable and easy to come by: I don't feel too terrible losing one every now and again.
They also have a nicer "feel" to me than aluminium. It's hard to explain. I've had a couple aluminum arrows, but I'm not a fan of the cold, "industrial" way they feel. One day, when I'm a better shot and have extra money kicking around, maybe I'll pick up some nice woodies to hunt with. But until then, it's carbon for me!

[Old Shortstop]

I shoot them all. I hunted with aluminums for years. Then I switched to woodies out of my longbows and stuck with the aluminums out of my recurves. Now I seem to have setup of all 3 out of each of my bows. I still find the aluminums easier to tune, but that is probably because I started with them. I shoot very similar weights, 50-56#, in all my bows and I have been doing this a long time so I rarely have issues coming up with a setup that shoots well.

I dip, crest and assemble all my own arrows and have been told I have more arrows and shafts than many archery shops. I like making them. It is relaxing to me. After all, life is too short to shoot ugly arrows.

D.P.

[Tom M]

Let's see, this is July 2016. My flavor right now is wood. One reason I am trying to use up my Doug Fir shafts. I like the shafts but have been told they do not like the hot, dry heat of AZ. Seems the dryness sucks the moisture out of them being water. Cedar has oil so is better choice. That comes from an arrow maker of considerable fame.
I do know the bare shafts sucked up the pure Tung oil I applied below cap dip. Funny thing, I enjoy shooting them as much as making them.

[Carpdaddy]

Please don't make me choose , I like them all. Use carbon most for the ease and toughness. But during each season I will get frisky and go to my cane arrows for a while. If they were not so varied in weight and challenging to straighten I would use them all the time! Here's my quiver prep from last year with four 500 & four 400 spine, and then four cane.

[Dan]

I have carbon arrows but I may gather up the stuff to make my own wood arrows one of these days.