There are two main components to archery: the bow and the arrow. The type of arrow you use for archery equates for at least half of the accuracy of your shot.
There are many considerations that have to be accounted for in the design of an arrow. The arrow must fly true. The arrow must gain speed quickly. And, the arrow must be light enough to make its journey and not fall short, but heavy enough to not cause a "dry-fire" effect and damage your bow.
As archers, we are lucky today to have manufacturers with brilliant engineers working on perfecting the flight of their arrows. The arrow manufacturers of today work hand-in-hand with the bow manufacturers so you can be assured that any standard arrow you buy at an archery outfitter will work perfectly in your modern bow, whether it be recurve or compound.
Modern vs. Traditional Arrow Shafts
With traditional arrows, the shafts were made out of various types of wood. Native American archers used shoots of dogwood, rose, ash, birch or even reeds; while English bowmen typically made their arrows from ash, oak, or yew.
Most modern arrows shafts are made out of rods or tubes made from carbon, aluminum, or a mixture of the two materials.
Fletching Differences in Modern and Traditional Arrows
Traditional arrows were typically fletched with feathers or cloth or not at all. While modern compound bows have arrow rests, which prevent the fletching from coming in contact with the bow riser, traditional bows did not.
Modern arrows usually come pre-fletched with plastic vanes. It's possible to buy arrow shafts which have not been fletched, but the manufacturers usually do a fine job of fletching and you will likely get more predictable arrow flight in your bundles of arrows by buying pre-fletched arrows.
A traditional bow shooting arrows fletched with plastic vanes isn't a good idea. The plastic vanes can come in contact with the bow's riser. The plastic vanes used today are very rigid and don't have a lot of give to them which will result in erratic arrow flight if they come in contact with the bow and likely strip the vane right off the arrow rendering it useless.
Comparing Traditional Versus Modern Arrowheads
Native American arrow shafts were typically notched in both ends. One end would be used to knock the arrow on the bowstring and you would insert the arrowhead in the other end for extra support before winding it in sinew and securing it.
English bowmen used arrowheads made from iron that were crimped on to the end of the arrow shaft.
Today, it's much easier to attach an arrowhead because all modern arrow shafts accept threaded inserts. To install an arrowhead, simply thread it into the insert. If your arrowhead breaks, you can simply unscrew it and insert another one without discarding the arrow shaft.
The main point to take home is that traditional arrows are made for traditional bows and modern arrows for modern bows. Shooting an arrow that was not specifically designed for your bow can result in a poor shot, damage to the arrow, or even a broken bow.
Richard Silvers - My wife and I are practitioners of a paleolithic diet. Much of my writing covers the topics of health, nutrition, fitness, and weight ...
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