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Scott Williams – Longbow Archer – Archery GB
“Darren asked me if, after many years shooting with trusty spruce shafts, if I could do a write up after last year deciding to give Scandinavian Redwood (Scots Pine) arrows a proper outing. Same bow, same draw, same archer — so no hiding behind excuses.
The first thing I noticed was the feel. Pine has a slightly more solid presence in the hand. Spruce, by comparison, feels lighter and a touch more eager — like it’s keen to be off before you’ve quite finished saying “loose”. Pine waits. Patiently. Stoically. Very Nordic.
On release, the pine shafts seem to roll out of the bow with a calm confidence, whereas spruce gives a sharper, livelier snap. Neither choice is wrong — it’s more the difference between a well-tuned violin and a spirited fiddle. Spruce sings; pine hums.
Downrange, pine showed itself to be forgiving. Especially if you hit the boss stand. Where spruce can occasionally tattle on a slightly scruffy release, pine seems happy to smooth over my human shortcomings. Groups felt steadier, particularly when I wasn’t at my absolute best (which, didn’t happen often). When they glanced the wood they were hardy, spruce has a mind to explode, pine on the other hand dings.
Spruce still has its charms. In calm conditions it feels quick, responsive, and a bit cheeky, and there’s no denying the lighter mass gives a lively flight. But pine, with its slightly greater weight and stiffness, held its line better when conditions weren’t perfect — be that wind, nerves, or the existential effort of strong competition.
Durability gives the quiet win for pine. It feels robust without being clumsy, whilst I’ve found it less inclined to pick up character-building dents from the inevitable encounters with boss legs and even a hole from another archer’s arrow – the arrows can be straightened and still spin finely on the hand.
My verdict?
Spruce is the sprinter: light-footed, bright, and eager, darkens and brittles
Scandinavian Redwood (Scots Pine) is the distance runner: steady, reliable, and quietly reassuring after a year shooting them.
I’ll still happily shoot spruce — but when it matters, and when I want an arrow that feels like it’s on my side, tapered pine has earned a permanent place in the quiver, particularly in high winds or hot weather.”
On a side note, the arrows shot by Scott are made up by Cliff Gadd of Raven Longbows and he is part of the Wales Archery ambassador team.