Changes in Arrow Shaft Material Over Time

The arrow has evolved so much since it was created during the Paleolithic Era. The arrows were originally made of wood that was shaped into the straightest arrow possible. People discovered that aluminum was abundant and that it could be made straighter than wood that would allow it to travel at faster speeds. Then the archery world was introduced to the carbon arrow shaft. Carbon provided the shooter with an extreme amount of durability as well as the possibility to shoot a narrower and lighter arrow. Wood arrows do not provide us with the consistency that we are looking for, so we will focus our attention on the pros and cons or aluminum and carbon arrows. The aluminum versions are the arrow shafts that are sold the most on the market right now. These shafts have a composition that allows them to be bent around, so if they are messed up during flight then it will be relatively easy to fix them. They also have a great consistency in their weight and give the shooter the peace of mind of having balance and stable arrow flight. Aluminum shafts proved their effectiveness with the invention of the compound bow. It was shown that they had a greater tolerance of force than their wood counterparts, meaning that they would not bend as easy when they were shot. When carbon arrow shafts were introduced, many hunters were skeptical because they thought that the arrows would be prone to splintering. As with any new invention, some specifics needed to be worked on, but after getting the science down, carbon arrows have become great options. These shafts are so durable that many people will say that, “these shafts are either straight or broken, but never bent.” The arrow shafts get their durability because they have a technology in them that wraps fibers in a spiral motion, cross weaving the carbon through the entirety of the shaft, which makes them extremely strong.