Facts About Carbon Arrows

In any sport that uses equipment, there is always a desire for innovation. For archery and bowhunting, aluminum shaft arrows were the dominant advance in arrow technology for most of the 20th century. Carbon shaft arrows represent the latest innovation on the arrow technology front.

  1. History

    • Carbon shaft technology was originally developed, reports Whitetail Stewards, Inc., in the late 1980s by two archery equipment companies: Beman and AFC. Although poorly received at first owing to technical problems, since the 1990s the popularity of carbon arrows has been rising.

    Types

    • The two all-carbon arrow types are pultruded, with unidirectional carbon fibers and exterior fitting of nocks and points, and internal component, with the carbon fibers in a cross-weave and nock and points fitting inside the shaft, according to HuntingNet.com. The other carbon arrow has an aluminum core with carbon fiber over it.

    Benefits

    • The benefits of carbon arrows are increased shaft strength, reduced weight and better target penetration. Enhanced target penetration is especially advantageous for bowhunting.

    Disadvantages

    • Lower-cost pultruded arrows can shatter on impact or from rotation, such as from twisting to remove from a target, reports Whitetail Stewards, Inc. The smaller shaft size of some carbon arrows may also require a number of adjustments on the bow itself.

    Cost Issues

    • The aluminum core carbon arrows tend to be significantly more expensive than the internal component/cross-weave arrows and traditional aluminum arrows, according to HuntingNet.com.