Arrow hit concrete... Now what?

[PhlyanPan]

So I did a bonehead move and missed the target shooting in my basement. Arrow hit the concrete block wall.

The nock came flying across the room but otherwise the arrow looks fine. I flexed the crap out of it and can't hear any cracking or other noises that sound like the arrow breaking to me. Should I shoot it again?

 

[weaver]

Must be shooting gold tips....
Flex it and shoot it.
If it breaks at the shot and goes through your hand please forget this post.

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[PhlyanPan]

It's a carbon express actually. I was utterly shocked.


It's happened once before and it was very obvious that I could never shoot that arrow again which is why I was so surprised at the result this time.

 

[2blade]

make sure the nock end didn't crack, if it didn't, based on your inspection I would shoot it again.

 

[dkime]

Best case scenario it’s fine, worst case scenario, it shatters on the shot and you’ve got a bad day ahead of you. I’ve had plenty of maximas break in my life from softer impacts than that, if it were me it probably would’ve gotten pitched in the garbage.


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[Jbehredt]

It’s probably good based on your inspection. I’d throw it away.

 

[Trr15]

I'd trash it.

 

[TripleJ]

It’s probably fine judging by your inspection. But, balancing the price of an arrow vs the price of an ER visit and surgery to remove carbon fibers from your arm plus the down time of not being able to shoot...I’d probably just chuck it. Arrows are expensive this day and age but they’re still relatively cheap in the overall scheme of things.

When I first switched to carbon arrows after shooting aluminums my whole life, I screwed up one evening and missed my backyard target and hit a fence with the arrow. It took some flexing and twisting to get it out. I gave it an inspection and it seemed fine. At the shot, I heard a huge crack and saw something I couldn’t quite recognize. What i had witnessed was 2 separate arrow halves flying down and sticking into said fence once again. I was so incredibly lucky/blessed to not have an arrow piece in my arm. There is nothing wrong with erring on the side of caution.

 

[VTJ]

very good chance in insert is bent, at the very least the head/FP may be .... put in a new point and spin it ... if there are no cracks, esp around the insert, shoot at your own risk .. personally, I'd toss it ...

 

[Rob5589]

Flexing it won't show cracks in the ends. Trash it would be my suggestion.

 

[Jellymon]

Is $10 really worth risking this? Any doubt whatsoever, toss it.

 

[scp]

That picture is the stuff nightmares are made of. I’m throwing all of my arrows away and buying new ones now...

 

[Wrench]

Pull the nock and insert, pinch the end....if it doesn't show signs....it doesn't show signs. You might as well mark it though, you'll be wondering for a long time about it and may develop target panic.....which will only be cured by throwing it out.

 

[Piscatory_4]

Is toss it.

 

[YZF_88]

Toss it. A cracked arrow cost me last year's season, a lot of money and significant nerve pain that won't go away. It sucks.

 

[Scrappy]

With zero penetration and it bounced off the wall, it's obvious that you were shooting a rage.

 

[Don Qui Puncher]

Those pictures are horrendous, I couldn’t imagine, @YZF_88 how was the recovery? We’re they able to remove everything? Still shooting a bow?

 

[YZF_88]

They removed the big pieces in the ER. Had surgery the next week to get the rest out and repair the severed tendon. I was able to shoot a bow a few months later. Recovery was worse than any shoulder surgery though. Very sensitive to the touch still.

Shooting is fine now. However, I started riding motocross again and the thumb will go numb after a few laps.

 

[Jblodgett]

Definitely not worth shooting that arrow again.

 

[Spiral Horn]

The pictures tell the story. It’s just not worth the risk, Got very lucky a few years back when one of my arrows (that I didn’t even suspect it was cracked) virtually exploded. Wasn’t seriously hurt and I’m still wondering how that was even physically possible. Just had to pick a few shards of carbon out of my bow hand. Had an angel in my pocket that day. Now I‘m a zealot on checking my arrows and toss them immediately if there any doubts.