I live in an area with lots of hills and trees. The largest fields that are available for use are still surrounded by trees. Needless to say, I don't walk too far for rockets, because if they drift very far they are hanging in branches, usually high enough to cause a nosebleed! I HATE when that happens! This caused my philosophy about building and flying to become somewhat conservative.
I build the rockets I want to keep a little stouter than most would and use a smaller chute. For instance, I have a Big Bertha that I use a 12 inch chute on. It has lite ply fins with epoxy fillets. It comes down fast, but it is not damaged because it is much stronger than the usual Bertha. It also is not hanging in a tree like some kind of weird Christmas ornament. On some kits I use wood hardener on the stock fins and cover them with self adhesive paper. Basswod fins on others. The lite ply is tough stuff. I had a 2.6 inch V2 fall from apogee after a shock cord failure without damage. It has lite ply fins and epoxy construction. My Estes Wizard got stock fins. I don't mind so much if I have to replace a Wizard, as say compared to my Deuce, V2 or something I spent some time and money on.
I pay a price in altitude, but I am (usually) not building once and done tree decorations. The toughest rocket I have is a Rocket Vision Check Six, a minimum diameter 24mm bird with phenolic BT, hard plastic NC and G10 fins. It uses a 6 or 8 inch chute and always lands in the large field on a D12 7. On smaller fields or windy days I use a C11 5. It once darted after ejecting the motor and suffered no damage. I swear you could hammer it into the ground.
I think that most Estes chutes are oversized for the job. Try the next size down or cut a large spillhole unless your recovery area is hardpan or pavement. If you do downsize recovery, try stronger fin materials. Basswood is stronger than balsa and can be used without much weight penalty. Lite ply is stronger yet, but is unsuitable for most small rockets as the smallest thickness available is 1/8th inch. It is also harder to work with.
I do not adjust recovery times by selecting longer or shorter delays. In my experience, an improper delay causes recovery sytem damage and failure. If the chute ejects way before apogee, the rocket is still moving so fast that the chute shreds and/or the BT zippers. If it falls too far after apogee before ejecting, it has gained momentum and is again moving too fast for safe deployment. Down size the engine WITH the delay. Instead of insisting on a C6 7 on that windy day, go with the B6 4 and get the rocket back to fly again when things are a little more predictable. Or build a little heavier with a smaller chute and use a C6 5 or even C6 3 as appropriate and don't walk as far.
That is just one person's experience and opinion. As it is free, consider its value before applying to your situation.