(12 December 2013, 22:27)Timelord Wrote: 
& thankyou for the links.
V. Basically, would a wooden arrow of same physical size and of the correct type of wood, be heavier or lighter than a modern materials arrow? The heavier one would have more impact/penetrative ability. Would a carbon shaft flex like a wooden one? Would it be as forgiving structurally? I presume (dangerous assumption) that an aluminium one would not flex to the same degree before becoming out of true or even kinked.
Faster shaft does not necessarily mean more impact. Ft/lb velocity is quite different to terminal impact ballistics - WHICH is what I am looking at! This is what really matters, not the technical launching specs. This applies across all projectile weapon types and is where the Sporting angle is at an oblique with combat mechanics.
Mass has much more to do with impact than high speed (subsonic only discussion!!) and in the case of an arrow pecking or punching through harder facings, then the mass is far more critical than the speed (within reasonably similar & authentic launching velocities)
Lighter projectiles lose speed more rapidly over distance. A heavier arrow may in fact be travelling faster upon reaching a more distant point of impact and has more mass on target.
**(Terminal ballistics is all that really counts, not launching specs)**
This discussion has reference to many projectile weapons, including air rifles and so is a very important discussion, which is I why I have pressed it to the point of exhaustion.. Thankyou Tartar Horde and all other readers for suffering the long winded dialogue & regards, TL. 
No problem Timelord I will address each point as I am able. The question about weight of wood vs alloy/carbon, in general a wooden shaft will be heavier than an alloy/carbon shaft, BUT shafts come in different weights so it is only a general rule, as you could buy an alloy/carbon shaft/s that weighs more than a wooden one, so no definitive answer there Timelord. Carbon, Alloy and wood all have to flex (spine) the same amount for the bow they are shot from, so there would be no difference (out of the same bow), the only difference in degrees of flex would be the poundage of the bow they were shot from, as the flex of the arrow would be different for dissimilar strength bows. Carbon/Alloy shafts are definitely NOT as forgiving as wood. If you are taking you energy measurements at the target then many things can effect the result before the shaft reaches the said target. The only formulas available to me to get an idea are mathematical ones that project the final speed at target, taking into consideration friction, fletching size etc. Mass and speed (velocity) are intricately linked and one affects the other greatly when talking about projectiles. Mass in my view isn't as important as people believe as something light travelling very fast has more energy, than something with greater mass travelling slowly, and the most efficient energy reading regarding arrows (and no doubt gun ammunition) is the one where mass and velocity come together at (the sweet spot) you get to the point where having greater mass/ or speed gives you no more advantage. Your analogy between light arrows and heavy ones is a valid point, yes the lighter arrow may lose more energy than a heavier one due to conservation of energy laws (Newton) as objects with more mass conserve their energy more efficiently, but what if the lighter arrow was travelling fast enough to have greater energy at the target?, and I still can't give you a definitive answer as the variables are too many for me to work out. Steve the same argument has occupied Archers for millennia a good example being the heavy arrows shot from an Historical English Longbow vs the lighter faster shafts shot from an Asiatic style composite, the 5.56 vs 7.62 argument in the gun world.
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