Ocean Spray Shoots

[Don Case]

I was out collecting some Ocean Spray shoots and noticed that Ocean Spray has two kinds of wood. The new shoots have kind of brown stripy bark and the older shoots have the normal grey Ocean Spray bark. Which one makes the better arrows or does it matter?
thanks
Don

[Pat B]

Use the older, more mature shoots. They are probably second or third year growth.

  Heck, I've never cut ocean spray so I actually don't know the answer to your question.      

[Don Case]

A chance to redeem yourself then, is there any reason to take the bark off an arrow? I think the grey bark would look cool. A bitch to find though.

[Pat B]

   I don't know. I have just always done it that way.

[bowtarist]

I have sometimes left the bark on rose shoots.  It starts to peel some during straightening, bubbles up and sometimes flakes off, but I just sand it away. Once in awhile it will start to get crumbly during use, but I sand and seal again. Rose has a pretty thin bark after drying though.  Never tried it w/ any other shoots.  I'd say some guys peel bark off because they need to, to get the weight even on their set of arrows.

[Ed Brooks]

DonC, Pat is correct in the older ones make the best arrows. I have used both and the young ones can be used they are light in spine tho. as for the bark I have some that the only bark gone is were a knot was and I had to sand it smooth, and yes they are a lot harder to find this way. Ed