Bowhunting Equipment

Practical Arrow Shaft Selection for Bowhunters


A finger-released arrow must go through a series of side-to-side oscillations called "paradox" which is started when the string moves laterally to clear your fingers. A heavyweight arrow, being slower will require slightly better distance judging ability past 20 yards, but will produce a quieter bow with maximum penetration. A mid-weight arrow will handle that challenge with ease. After the Shot Once you fire, if you don't immediately hear the smack of the bullet entering the buck's body watch its reaction... At most typical whitetail hunting distances there is no difference in accuracy between the various shaft grades. By today's standards, a heavy hunting arrow will weigh 8 to 10 grains per pound. Correct shaft stiffness:Arrows released with fingers behave differently from those released with a mechanical aid. Determine what broadhead weight you will be hunting with before choosing your arrows, and then use field points of the same weight for off-season practice. Determining weight and speed goals: Not every bowhunter needs to shoot the lightest and fastest arrows available. Field Dressing You've scored, and that's awsome. First, decide what arrow weight you want to shoot, which in effect helps determine the type of shaft you'll need. However, in a tree stand they are typically not a necessity unless your hunting style routinely requires shots past 25 yards. However, your deer-hunting job is incomplete... If you request a brochure from an arrow manufacturer, it will have this step-by-step calculation spelled out for you. If your arrows are too light, your bow can literally be shaken to pieces. In fact, shooting feather-weights can damage your bow and accessories. In most cases, there is only one difference that separates the categories: straightness. Light arrows don't soak up as much of the bow's energy as do heavier ones, leaving more energy behind that has to be dissipated through vibration. Lower grade arrows have straightness tolerances of +/- .003 to +/- .006 inch. Make sure to work through it before referring to the shaft selection chart. More Articles Latest Articles • Tagging Mr. More News Latest News • Norway Industries Introduces New String ... No matter what your goals, a little experimentation will yield the perfect arrow. Point weight:Point weight is also an important element of choosing the correct arrow stiffness, especially if you release with fingers. Scoring Your Trophy Even if you never plan to put a deer in the record book it's nice to be able to attach a score to his rack... Second, choose the correct shaft stiffness to complement your draw weight and arrow length. Since there is no sideways movement of the string, an arrow released with a mechanical aid flexes much less as it leaves the bow. The Archery Manufacturer's Organization (AMO) has proposed a standard minimum arrow weight of roughly six grains for each pound of your bow's maximum draw weight (60 pound bow = 360 grain arrow). The bending of the shaft must be timed perfectly so that it passes cleanly around the bow without hitting the riser or rest. The flex that does occur is generally confined to the vertical plane (up and down). The lightweight arrows are fun to zip on the range and on the 3-D course where shots are long and distances unknown. This is little more than a marketing ploy – a way to partition the market in order to charge more money for the high-grade product. Tight Lips • ATA Top 10 List • The Deer Vision Story • 2008 New Bow Roundup • This Ain’t Hollywood… It's the Truth 2! To achieve good flight, your arrow shafts have to be an exact match for your bow and your release style. Top grade arrows have straightness tolerances of +/- .001 to +/- .002 inch. Unless you’re buying additional features (such as a better nock system or a camo finish) there’s no reason to spend extra for arrows that are only a few thousandths of an inch straighter. When using a release aid, you can get away with a wider range of shaft stiffness and still enjoy good arrow flight.