Yeah, some red oak can act like it is all but punk wood. I suspect it is really fast growing trees putting on a lot of bulk but virtually no substance.
As many have discovered, lower density woods within a species tend to yield low performing bows. I made my first bow from a green ash stave that was very dense, it grew in a tiny draw on the edge of the South Dakota badlands, about 80 yrs old and 5 inches across. Every green ash I have cut since then has been grown as an ornamental in someone's yard and they have been up to 18 inches across and just 40-50 years old. Thick growth rings one would think are better, but some of them have made bows over 3/8th thick in the limb and still only pulling 30# of draw weight. Absolutely useless, good for nothing but kindling a fire.
When I go through the boards in my local box store I pick for grain orientation on all four sides, being exceedingly picky. Then once I have a couple candidates I start comparing them for weight. I take the heaviest ones and put the light ones back.
Post a pic of the end grain. Let's see how open and spongey it is!
