I saw some pretty horrific pictures today of bow shooters with their hands impale by pieces of a carbon arrow that broke after being shot. I'm about to get into the archery sport, and I just want to know before I buy my arrows, will it be safer to buy aluminum shaft arrows instead of carbon? People said aluminum ones aren't as strong, but right now I'm more concern with the safety factor. Yes, I do know that I'm suppose to always check carbon arrows for cracks before I shoot them, but we're all human and sometimes people will forget and make mistakes. I just don't want my hand embedded with carbon shrapnel. So should I get carbon or aluminum? Maybe the new full metal jacket ones will be a good compromise?As a side note, my first bow will be a recurve somewhere around the 30-35 lb draw range. Does the power of the bow affect the chances of an arrow breakage?
Your 30-35 lb draw bow is slightly underpowered for hunting. Some states regulate the draw weight to around 50 lbs. So that your arrow does damage when it hits. I would recommend a compound bow as they are easier to draw and the power is there. tTe power will affect the arrow as they bend pretty good when released. But all arrows do that.even the glass and wooden arrows. If there is a flaw in the arrow throw it away!!
In the long run you will find it is much cheaper to use carbon arrows even though the initial cost of them is higher then aluminum. And don't be frightened by the videos of carbon arrows breaking when shooting them. The odds of lightning striking you would be about the same. In most incidences of arrow breakage when being shot, it was with a heavy draw compound and using carbon arrows that were much too light weight to be shot from a bow that they were not designed to be shot from. People sometimes use the lightest weight carbon arrows they can find to make their bow shoot faster then anyone Else's. Sometimes they pay a price for it.
If this is your first bow, I'd say go aluminum. Get the Platinum Plus from Easton, much cheaper and a hell of a lot better build than carbon arrows twice its price. The key with aluminum is to choose shafts with thick walls. When you look at the shaft sizes, you have a 4 digit number. The first 2 digits represents the outer diameter of the shaft, while the second 2 digits represents the wall thickness. With Plats, you want to get something with a 16 wall thickness. That's 16/1000, so 1516 or 1716 etc. The size/stiffness of these shafts will depend on 2 major factors, and 1 not so major one. The major factors are drawlength and draw weight at that drawlength. The one other factor is the bow design and material. Certain newer top end limbs will be so fast that they need stiffer arrows compared to older bows of the same drawweight. Now, carbon shafts, carbon shafts break yes, but it's your responsibility to make sure before you shoot to check for micro cracks. To do that, you bend the arrow and turn the shaft while listening for cracking noises. Well built carbon shafts will last a very long time, but well built carbon arrows are also at least 3 times more expensive than the Plats. Some durable arrows include the Gold Tip, and the Carbon Express. Not all carbon arrows are built to be durable mind you. Some are built for speed sacrificing durability. So, my vote is get yourself a set of Platinums, these shafts, while cheap had been the world record holder for a rather long time at 18m and 25m.
Sounds like someone was using a traditional, and overdrew and had the carbon arrow come off the rest just as they were releasing it... Thats the 1 and only way i can think of a bow shooter to get bits of a carbon arrow in their hand...That and using a high poundage bow and a low poundage spine carboned arrow
