Matteo Campagna
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At a similar spine, an aluminium shaft weighs more than a carbon one

2 studies

ForContextAgainst201220142016201820202022202420262012, for2019, for
Each circle is a study: its position gives the year, its row whether it is for, against or context, its size how many participants it measured. Light circles are studies on other populations or without archers.

There is a single measurement, from 2019, and it is a preprint: a test rig vibrates the shaft with an actuator and derives its stiffness, damping and an equivalent mass. Taking the pairs with the closest spine, the 2219 aluminium, whose nominal spine corresponds to 8.6 millimetres of deflection, has an equivalent mass of 22.7 grams against 13.5 for the carbon 300, at 7.6; the 1916 aluminium, at 15.8 millimetres, reaches 14.8 grams against 9.8 for the carbon 600, at 15.2. In both pairs the aluminium weighs between one and a half and 1.7 times as much as the carbon. The reason comes from the material properties used in a 2012 model: the carbon and resin layer is about three times stiffer than aluminium, 222 against 72 gigapascals, at just over half the density, 1,590 against 2,800 kilos per cubic metre. The limit is that the 2019 mass is the one estimated by the dynamic model, not the weight in grains of a finished shaft, and that the shafts are few, tested on a single rig, and the authors themselves find widely varying measurements between shafts of the same spine.

Also phrased as: "aluminium or carbon"; "weight of aluminium arrows"; "carbon arrows are lighter"; "heavy aluminium shafts"; "difference between aluminium and carbon"

In practice

Archers almost take it for granted: carbon is lighter, aluminium heavier and cheaper, and switching from one to the other is partly done to gain speed.

Evidence

  • 2012
    For Model Published later

    Finite-difference and finite-element models of the vibration of carbon-on-aluminium target arrows, validated with laser vibrometry on 3 arrows: the carbon and resin layer has a Young's modulus of 222 gigapascals along the fibres and an effective density of 1,590 kilos per cubic metre, the AL7075-T9 aluminium core 72 gigapascals and 2,800 kilos per cubic metre. About three times stiffer at just over half the density: for the same stiffness carbon needs less mass. This is the mechanism, not a weighing of shafts at a similar spine.

    Modelling the three-dimensional vibration of composite archery arrows under free–free boundary conditions · Marianne Rieckmann, James L Park, John Codrington, Ben Cazzolato

  • 2019
    For Equipment tests Published later

    A test rig with stochastic perturbation from an actuator, preprint: equivalent mass estimated by the dynamic model. 2219 aluminium (nominal spine equal to 8.6 millimetres of deflection) 22.7 ± 0.2 grams against carbon 300 (7.6) 13.5 ± 0.4; 1916 aluminium (15.8) 14.8 ± 0.2 against carbon 600 (15.2) 9.8 ± 0.2; carbon 500 10.3; cedar between 13.6 and 17.5. At a similar spine aluminium weighs 1.5 to 1.7 times as much as carbon. It is the model's equivalent mass, not the weight of a finished shaft.

    Dynamic Characterization of Arrows through Stochastic Perturbation · Ryan Fish, Youzhi Liang, Kyle Saleeby, Jonathan Spirnak, Mingxiu Sun, Xiang Zhang

Status history

  1. 2012 Transferred The first indication comes from the material properties used in a model of the vibration of composite target arrows: the carbon and resin layer is about three times stiffer than aluminium, 222 against 72 gigapascals, at just over half the density, 1,590 against 2,800 kilos per cubic metre. It follows that for the same stiffness carbon needs less mass, but nobody has yet weighed shafts of the two materials at a similar spine: with the calculation alone the claim is transferred.
  2. 2019 Reported The first direct test arrives: a rig that vibrates the shafts estimates their equivalent mass, and at a similar spine the 2219 aluminium has 22.7 grams against 13.5 for the carbon 300, the 1916 aluminium 14.8 against 9.8 for the carbon 600, with cedar between 13.6 and 17.5. It is a test on the equipment, so direct evidence, but a single one, in a preprint and with a mass estimated by the model: reported.

Related

Related articles

Research lines

Cite
APA

Campagna, M. (2026). At a similar spine, an aluminium shaft weighs more than a carbon one (Version 1). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/equipment/aluminium-carbon-shaft-weight

BibTeX
@misc{campagna2026_astealluminiopiupesanti,
  author = {Campagna, Matteo},
  title = {At a similar spine, an aluminium shaft weighs more than a carbon one},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
  url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/equipment/aluminium-carbon-shaft-weight},
  note = {Version 1; accessed 2026-10-16}
}

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