I did a quick search on this and didn't find much; can you folks give me your opinions on carbon vs. aluminum arrows for a modern compound bow?

I've always used aluminum except for one short stint with carbon arrows, which after losing most of my tip inserts in the target bag,I quickly went back to aluminum arrows. This was an adhesive issue and occurred about 10 years ago, but at the time it soured me on carbon shafts.

Where do things stand now with regards to the 2 different arrow types? What about fletching length? Will the 2" vanes I keep seeing on carbons stabilize a 125 grain broad head?

You can't find carbon with a metal detector!

Score 1 point for aluminum arrows!

what about the tip aren't they metal?

Definitely carbon for modern compound bows. The main reason is that carbon doesn't bend like aluminum. Shoot an arrow with a little bend through a 300+ fps bow and it isn't pretty... Regarding stuff falling off carbon arrows - there are specific adhesives that arrow and fletching manufacturers recommend, follow their advice and you won't have a problem. Regarding small vanes - I shoot Blazer vanes with 125 grain Slick Tricks and get excellent groups and performance.

Aluminum will cost you a small fortune compared to Carbon.

The ROI is by a huge margin better with carbon, so much so I would not buy Aluminum if they were 75% cheaper.

Thanks guys.

What about these teeny tiny little vanes? Will they stabilize fixed blade heads like my 125 Muzzy's with anything less than perfect tuning?

I shoot blasers with slick tricks and they are a match made in heaven

There is nothing wrong with aluminum arrows even thru modern fast bows. On average they are going to be a little heavier and slower then carbon arrows. I know a lot of guys that hunt with aluminum arrows that take many animals every year. If your bow is tuned properly it will shoot carbon or aluminum just fine.

The trend was carbon when arrow weight was where you picked up speed. I switched about 15 years ago and haven't looked back. However, today, with faster bows, a lot of guys are going back to aluminum arrows for heavy, durable arrows. Carbon will not bent (warp) on you but they are very easy to break.
FMJ arrows use both technologies and so do ACCs, they are just opposide of one another.(one had aluminum inside, the other outside)
If you already have aluminum that will work for you, no reason to switch. If you are buying new arrows, however, get the best performing, matched arrow for your setup and I think you will be very happy. Either way, new arrows will hurt your pocketbook.
I think I calculated mine, the other day, with broadhead, at $25-$26 each. That hurts when you lose one.

As for vanes, I shoot Fusion vanes in 2". No stabilization issues.

I shoot muzzy 125s out of a Mathews Z9 with tiny helical fletches on carbon express shafts. They fly like darts.

I use 4 inch helical with Carbon and the Thunderhead 85 gr. The plus is, Carbon Arrow will out last Aluminum Arrow 10 to 1.

Shoot the best of both worlds and check out Easton full metal jackets.They are carbon fiber with aluminum on the outside.They are a little heavier than most carbons.They are very thin flat shooting and super deep penetrating arrows.Personally there is nothing wrong with either arrows.On average the carbons have a flatter trajectory.So they get my vote!!

I am in the Carbon camp. They seem to last better and they seem quieter to me.

Frankly arrows are cheap compared to the bow ( and broadheads), so buy a half dozen of each and play around

Haha you never bought X10 ProTours and Tungsten points.

Holy Crap.. I just looked the X10 ProTours up.. I won't be buying them either..

LOL Just a little pricey!

Pricey and my bend??That's why I bought the 300"s.Little heaver but when it hit's there is no stopping her!!Aim high.

What the h_ll are you talking about????? X10 Protours are outdoor target arrows.

I shoot Easton Axis carbons with blazers and slick tricks. Those Axis are great shafts!

...and therefore quieter. A heavier arrow absorbs more of the bow's energy that would otherwise be converted to sound waves.

Thanks for the input, guys. I just got my new bow and went with carbon arrows and Twister vanes. They do shoot well, but I haven't tried them with broadheads yet.

Now I just have to get my bow quieted down. It seems to have a lot of twang @ release. Sounds like it may be the string.

Be sure to get the Tungsten points for those ProTours, they are only another $230/Dz........I shoot the Beman ICS Bowhunters for Trad and Compound. They shoot great, are tough as nails and are fairly inexpensive. I still like the AAE type vanes about 3" long from my compound. The profile is lower than most of the shorties and I get better clearance. I also put the UniBusings in them to avoid splits in the nock end of the arrow from tight groups or at 3D's.

bruinruin,

The carbon arrows and short vanes do work very well in most modern bows today...but don't be afraid to experiment a bit to find the right arrow broadhead combination for your particular setup.

The heavier your arrow, the quieter and more efficient it will make your bow...given that your bow is properly tuned in the first place. And once you add fixed blade broadheads to the mix you may find that you'll have to retune your bow some to make the broadheads to fly properly. (the main reason why so many archers are going to mechanical broadheads...less tuning)

Twang at release could be a number of factors.
What is our bow ssetup and what arrows are you using?