# What wood for arrows??



## AKRuss (Jan 10, 2003)

There are lots of types of wood that will fly but I really prefer Port Orford cedar. It's straight grained, about the right weight and arguably flys the best, IMHO. Nothing walks the earth in North America that can't be brought low by Port Orford cedar.


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## lastmanout (Jan 5, 2008)

PO Cedar is the standard. Being in the east, I have made about 150 arrow shafts from common eastern woods. Poplar, ash, maple, white pine, common fir (2x4). All can be made to fly well. Hardwoods are heavier ( tough slower, good penetration, and can be a bear to straighten) softwoods POC, stika spruce, chundoo, (conifers) are lighter (faster and easier to keep straight). I hear Pope and Young liked birch. Hickory is highly recommended but I haven't tried it yet.


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## rattus58 (Jul 9, 2007)

Port Orford Cedar is the most common and available. However, do not let this be your only choice. I've tried several woods that if I could get them, I'd switch too. Ash, Spruce, Birch and probably some others are all excellent woods and in my opinion, most outperform cedar for hunting and roving.

Aloha...  :beer:


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## longbowhunter (Mar 5, 2004)

It depends.. for bows under 60# I would recommend sticking with Cedar, Spruce or Doug Fir. Due to weight. My bows are all in the 50#-55# range and I prefer Doug Fir shafts, they are medium weight, take stain well, stay straight and penetrate harder and deeper than Cedar or Spruce. With my same bows, I noticed that the hardwoods, hickory, ash, and Lam Birch shoot fine under 20 yards but I notice a considerable drop in point of impact beyond that. Other excellent softwood if you can find it is Lodgepole Pine "Chundo". But, I like Doug Fir the best. 

I also agree with everything else said. IMO - all of the woods mentioned are superior to cedar. 
Art Young's favorite wood shaft was Doug Fir, as well.


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## Eldermike (Mar 24, 2009)

I like POC arrows, it's all I shoot now.


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## huntersteve (Feb 28, 2005)

I shoot POC....I have some Ash shafts that I'm getting ready to build and try out....Steve


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## SlowBowInMO (Dec 4, 2003)

POC makes excellent arrow wood, but unfortunately true quality shafting of POC is not common. We have a whole new generation of trad archers shooting garden stake quality POC and they don't even know it, they've never seen the good stuff.

Only about 1 in 10 shafts from the biggest well known supplier for example would make the cut for a professional arrow builder. That is dismal.

True quality shafting that is consistently available is Surewood shafts Douglas Fir and Hildebrand's Sitka Spruce. If you're going to shoot wood, the last place to cut a corner or save a buck is on your shafting.


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## longbowhunter (Mar 5, 2004)

Well said, SlowBowinMo... I also agree with you completely. Another vote for Surewood and Hildebrand Shafts.:darkbeer:


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## BowmanJay (Jan 1, 2007)

I only shoot sitka spruce now. It is stronger than PO cedar and I like the way they fly and work with. I get all of my shafts from Hildebrand.


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