How to Know What Size Arrows You Need

Carbon Arrow Nuts & Measurement Standards

BASICS AND MEASUREMENTS

PROPER ARROWS ARE ESSENTIAL` If you're i of the many bowhunters who select arrows each season by just grabbing a scattering from the miscellaneous arrow bucket at the local super-mart, you may be surprised to learn that you've been cheating yourself. Shooting the proper arrows will greatly improve your accuracy and success in the field - and for less money than you might retrieve. If you want reliable and accurate performance from your compound bow, your arrow must be specifically matched to YOUR bow setup. In that location is no such thing as a "one size fits all" arrow. An improperly sized and/or poorly constructed pointer volition not only wing erratically, profoundly degrading your accuracy, merely it may present a condom hazard for y'all and your expensive compound bow. If you are serious about bowhunting, you owe it to yourself, and to the game you pursue, to shoot the correct ammunition. Modern archery is a semi-technical sport. And so in that location are a number of technical considerations to juggle when selecting arrows: proper spine, FOC residue, weight, straightness, fletching material, fletching angle, arrow length, etc. And if you're feeling a bit lost, don't worry. This isn't exactly rocket-science - this online guide will provide you lot with all the data you'll need to choose the correct arrows for your bow. These next sections will take y'all step-by-step through the process of selecting and ordering custom carbon arrows to fit YOUR bow, purpose and budget. We hope you discover this help department useful.

PARTS OF AN ARROW` The parts of a modern hunting arrow are pretty straight forward, just these parts will exist referred to throughout this aid guide. So before we really get going here, let's accept a moment to os-upwardly on our pointer jargon. The foundation of every arrow is the SHAFT, a long hollow tube usually made of aluminum or carbon/graphite composite materials. The rear of the arrow is fitted with a small slice of molded plastic chosen a NOCK, which allows the arrow to physically attach to the bow's string. At the front of the arrow is a modest aluminum (sometimes plastic) sleeve chosen an INSERT. The insert gets glued into the stop of the shaft and provides a threaded hole in which to spiral in the arrow's TIP. The tip is the concern finish of the arrow, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a practice point (as pictured here). A standard viii-32 insert allows you to screw-in and apply of a variety of tips in the same arrow (broadheads, judo-points, blunt-tips, field points, fishing tips, etc.). The final component is the arrow's FLETCHING - the flight wings. The pointer's fletching is unremarkably done with colorful parabolic shaped pieces of soft plastic (vanes) or feathers. In most cases, the 3 fletches are glued onto the shaft in an as spaced circular blueprint, with two fletches one color (the hen-fletches) and the the third fletch a different color (the erect-fletch).

Pointer LENGTH

STANDARD OF MEASUREMENT` The standard AMO Method of measuring an arrow is the altitude between the bottom of the groove of the nock (where the string rests in the nock) to the end of the arrow, not including the tip or insert. We measure out and trim all arrows to length using this standard AMO (at present the ATA) method. Be advised that some archery retailers may be unaware of industry AMO standards and may confuse the AMO length of the arrow with the arrow'south shaft length or the pointer's tip-to-tip physical length , which will both be different than the AMO measurement. So don't trust anyone else's declared measurement of your arrows. If you are buying replacements for your existing arrows, be certain to Measure FOR YOURSELF before ordering custom carbon arrows. In one case an pointer is cut, the process can't be undone. And then equally in carpentry, the mensurate twice and cut once philosophy must be observed. If you already have existing arrows which fit your bow correctly, simply measure 1 past this method and social club the same size. If you are unsure about what arrow length is appropriate for your bow setup, the next section may help.

REQUIRED ARROW LENGTH` The proper length for your pointer will depend upon several factors: the draw length of the bow, the type of bow y'all have, and the position of your arrow remainder. Before we dive into this effect, we should briefly hash out how the describe length of a bow is measured. Officially, a bow's describe length setting tin be found by measuring the distance between the groove of the nock to a position 1.75" beyond the grip pivot point when the bow is at full draw. Confused? Not to worry. There's a simplified method also. Conveniently plenty, for nearly bows, i.75" beyond the grip pivot point is roughly at the outer border of the bow'due south riser. And so without splitting as well many hairs, we tin say that a bow'due south draw length is approximately from the nock point to the front of the riser - when the bow is drawn back. So if yous drew dorsum a 29" pointer, and the insert of the arrow lined-upward with the outside edge of the bow'due south riser, the bow is ready for approximately 29" describe length. Whew! Glad that's covered! Many people think the bow'southward draw length and pointer length accept to match. This is not necessarily true! . On modern centershot cutaway compound bows, the arrow rest typically sits well inboard of the outer riser edge. So on most setups, it's perfectly acceptable to use an arrow that is slightly shorter than the bow'southward adjusted draw length. As long every bit the arrow sits comfortably beyond the arrow residue (nosotros like to run across 1" minimum overhang), then the arrow length is sufficient.

SAFETY ALERT` Arrows which are as well short for your bow setup are a serious hazard. Even an pointer that is but long enough is too short. The best safe practise is to make certain your arrows sit down at least 1" beyond your arrow rest when the bow is at full draw. A fiddling scrap of extra arrow length gives the arrows an important margin of safety. A footling likewise long is okay. A piffling besides brusque is not. An arrow that is too short can club behind the pointer rest at full draw. If this happens and yous don't discover it earlier y'all burn the bow, the arrow could buckle and snap upon release, possibly sending shards of carbon into your bow hand or arm. This kind of obstructed path shot tin be a very very bad thing. See our Arrow Safety Alarm page for the gruesome details. Unfortunately, some shooters (and shops) deliberately cutting arrows too close to the pointer rest, usually to minimize arrow mass and get the fastest possible arrow speeds. But this do regrettably comes at the expense of safety. The extra 1-3 fps you gain by cutting arrows just long enough isn't worth risking an pointer shaft stuck in the forearm. So never shoot arrows which are too short.

KNOW FOR SURE` Be specially cautious if you lot brand draw length changes on your cams. For example, if you modify your describe module setting from 28" draw length to 29" draw length, and your original arrows had a 3/4" overhang, at the new setting the arrows will be 1/iv" too short. Also, nosotros recommend you not automatically trust the factory sticker on your bow that indicates depict length. Measure for yourself. In many cases, the manufacturer's sticker and the ACTUAL depict length of the bow exercise not match, especially on bows that have been around the cake a few times. And since irresolute your draw length may necessitate irresolute arrows too, we can avoid some problem here by thinking ahead. If your bow does not already fit you comfortably, you should take the depict length adjusted before ordering your custom arrows. Arrows which may exist perfect for a bow at 29" draw length, may exist totally inappropriate for the same bow set at 27" describe length. So, to buy the correct pointer, y'all must know the draw length of your bow. And of course, the draw length of your bow should correspond to your trunk's depict length requirement  (which is an entirely separate discussion). If you aren't sure of your (personal) draw length, please read our Bow Fitment Guide earlier moving on.

MORE ISN'T MORE` On the other hand, shooting an excessively long pointer isn't so smart either. If your pointer length is excessive, your pointer will have additional (and unnecessary) mass and the additional length will increment the arrow's spine requirements (more on this in a moment). Basically, extra long arrows significantly decrease your arrow speeds and limit the performance of your bow. So we shouldn't presume that more than is more than either. Choosing a condom all the same optimally performing pointer length is the goal. For most of us, information technology's really not so complicated. If yous have a mod middle-shot cutaway riser bow which is already setup to fit y'all, finding your optimal pointer length is piece of cake. Simply describe an pointer back to full depict and hold, while some other person (safely continuing to the side of course) takes a Sharpie marker and makes a mark on the pointer approximately ane" forward of the arrow remainder. Then mensurate the arrow from the groove of the nock to the mark on the arrow, and you've got information technology. Obviously, this doesn't employ to older bows or traditional bows without centershot cutaway risers. But for virtually any compound bow fabricated in the last thirty years, this method works like a charm.

ARROW LENGTH AFFECTS Pointer SPINE` Earlier you make up your mind about your arrow length, in that location's ane more detail we'll demand to consider. The length of your arrow is a factor in determining the proper stiffness, or spine, for your perfect arrow. The longer your arrow is, the more limber it will human action when shot. The shorter your arrow is, the more strong it will act when shot. We'll cover this upshot in more than item in the adjacent section, merely you should be aware that shooting an extra long pointer often results in a double-whammy regarding pointer weight. If you shoot an excessively long pointer, not just will the backlog shaft weight effect in a heavier and slower flying arrow, only the added length may necessitate changing to an even heavier/stiffer arrow spine. For those of you lot looking to bulk-upwardly your carbon arrows to gain a little KE, a little more pointer length may be a skilful affair. But most shooters want to get every bit much zip equally possible out of their high performance chemical compound bows, so keeping an middle on excess arrow weight is a consideration.

NO! Non THE HACKSAW! When you purchase your new set of arrows, you have ii choices regarding pointer length. About raw shafts come up in stock-lengths of 30-33", so that they tin be trimmed to brand a proper AMO length arrow to suit virtually whatsoever bow. You may choose to receive your arrows UNCUT (full-length) OR you may receive your arrows already trimmed to length and inserted. At that place is no added charge for trimming and inserting your arrows at our pro-store, but here are a few things to consider before yous decide. Carbon arrows should only be cutting with a high-speed annoying-wheel saw. Attempting to trim your new carbon arrows with your hacksaw or your plumber's tubing cutter will result in splintered fibers and a weakened arrow shaft. And if you lot tin can't make a make clean 90º cutting, your insert flanges volition not fit in perfectly straight, and then your pointer tips will all be pointing in slightly dissimilar directions. If you lot're the "handy" type, be sure you lot know the challenge you're accepting by ordering total length shafts. If you would rather avert the handyman hassle and you're already sure of your arrow length, we would be happy to professionally trim and insert your new arrows free of charge. Nosotros even include practice tips installed in every arrow. Just it's upward to you lot.

Arrow SPINE & TIP WEIGHT

Courage OF THE ARROW` If you lot've ever gone fishing, you probably already empathise this concept. A fishing pole shouldn't be too limber or too stiff. You wouldn't have your heavyweight fishing-rod when you go Bluegill and Perch fishing? Information technology'southward simply too stiff for the chore and would perform poorly. A strong rod doesn't cast light baits very well, and dragging in small pan fish on a heavyweight rod would be no fun anyhow. On the other manus, you wouldn't dare take your ultra-calorie-free fishing-rod for an afternoon of Florida Tarpon fishing. The ultra-lite rod wouldn't be potent enough to fight such large fish, and information technology might fifty-fifty break if you hooked a good one. Correct? For arrow selection, the concept is essentially the same. The arrow must take the appropriate force and stiffness for the job - non too stiff - not likewise limber. Before we proceed, please note that the official term is "spine" - every bit in courage. Not "spline" - as in gears and sprockets. Arrow spine refers to the arrow's degree of stiffness - how much the pointer resists being bent. Some arrows are very stiff, others are very limber, and neither the arrow's diameter or physical weight necessarily correlate with the spine stiffness. So we accept to figure this 1 out.  If you always intend to achieve serious accurateness with your compound bow, you lot'll need to choose an arrow that's just potent enough, but non too stiff for your particular bow setup.

Not A LASER Beam AT ALL` About people recollect an arrow flies just like it looks when at residue - perfectly straight. But zip could exist further from the truth. Once fired from a bow, an arrow immediately begins flexing and oscillating. That's not a defect. Each pointer bends and flexes in a particular cycle as it leaves the bow (archer's paradox). If the timing of the cycle is correct, the tail of the arrow clears the bow without making contact with the arrow residuum, riser, or cables. If the timing of the cycle is not right due to improper arrow spine, the over- or nether-oscillation of the arrow results in serious fletching contact and/or paper-tune tears which cannot be corrected. So we take to get this one right, both for the purposes of performance and safety.

STATIC Pointer SPINE` There are just 2 primary ingredients which make up one's mind an arrow shaft's static (at balance) spine characteristics: the stiffness of the bodily shaft material and the length of the shaft. But it'due south not quite that uncomplicated. How strong an arrow seems while existence flexed past your hands is one thing. How that arrow behaves when its accelerating from 0-200 mph is some other. When the pointer is at residue, we refer to it's stiffness characteristics equally static spine. But when that same arrow is in motion, it's stiffness is a matter of dynamic spine - which adds more than ingredients into our consideration pot. So pay attention. This gets a niggling tricky. If you support an arrow shaft at two points a given distance apart, so hang a weight in the centre of the arrow - the weight will cause the pointer shaft to sag. How much the shaft resists this type of angle would be a function of the pointer's static spine. The actual static spine of the arrow shaft is adamant by the elasticity of the materials in the shaft and the geometry of the shaft. In multi-layered arrows (carbon/aluminum, etc.) the bonding materials likewise contribute to the static spine. The within bore, the cross-section shape, and the thickness of the material all contribute to the static spine of the shaft textile. However, arrows don't perform under static weather, like a floor joist or a curtain-rod. Arrows perform under dynamic conditions, with motion. A hanging weight doesn't really represent how forces are applied to arrows when they're actually shot, and so static spine is actually used as simply a benchmark for predicting dynamic spine. And those familiar pointer "spine sizes" like 340's, 400's, 500'southward reference the arrow'due south static characteristics simply.

DYNAMIC ARROW SPINE`An arrow shaft's static spine remains constant. But the arrow's dynamic spine can alter dramatically depending on how information technology's used. The real mean-n-potatoes of arrow performance relies on the pointer's dynamic spine. The dynamic spine is how the arrow actually flexes and behaves when shot - and there are many factors which affect the dynamic spine. The static spine of the shaft is only part of the equation. Every bit you fire the arrow, the explosive force of the bow compresses the shaft and it momentarily bends under the strain. The more than powerful the bow, the more than the arrow bends. And so the dynamic spine of 2 identical arrows, shot from two dissimilar bows of varying output, could be drastically different. If your arrow has the proper amount of dynamic spine when shot from your modern seventy# hard-cam bow, and you take that aforementioned arrow and shoot it with your son's 40# youth bow, it will be dramatically too strong. The arrow will have as well much dynamic spine. Besides, if y'all shoot your son's arrows in your seventy# bow, it'south likely the arrows volition be dramatically too limber (non enough dynamic spine). Determining a proper dynamic spine is a bit more than circuitous and requires examination of several contributing factors beyond just the shaft material and length.

TIP WEIGHT AFFECTS DYNAMIC SPINE` When an pointer is fired it bends because it is effectively being compressed. The arrow is momentarily trapped betwixt the forrard motion of the string and the static load of the arrow's tip. And the longer the shaft is, the more easily this compressive forcefulness can bend it. But it'south non quite that elementary. The static load of the pointer tip plays a role every bit well. The heavier the tip, the more it resists being put into movement. Call up those laws of motion from loftier-school? An object at residuum tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by a force. It'southward like that. The arrow's tip is the "object at residuum" and the forrad movement of the string is the "force". The stationary mass on the terminate of the arrow resists the forward motility of the string, and since the heavy tip of the arrow is where almost of the pointer's mass is full-bodied, that's the area of the pointer that resists the nigh. Then the forrard move of the string and the resistance of the tip create the opposing forces. The greater the tip weight, the greater the compression (and flexing) of the the arrow shaft when it's shot. The lighter the tip, the lesser the compression (and flexing) of the arrow shaft when information technology's shot. Then a heavy tip DECREASES an arrow's dynamic spine (makes it human action more limber). A lighter tip INCREASES an arrow'southward dynamic spine (makes it act more potent). See? Who doesn't dear Physics?

MACHO-Human being CHECKPOINT` Before we go on, this is a good time nip something in the bud. Some archers are hopelessly stricken by the Macho-Human Syndrome when information technology comes to choosing arrows and pointer tips. Some guys simply cannot manipulate with the macho idea that bigger is better and more is meaner. We assure you, bigger is not necessarily better - at least not when it comes to selecting arrows and arrow components. Choosing an excessively stiff arrow shaft and/or an excessively heavy arrow tip will likely yield no benefits any for bowhunting in Northward America with a modernistic compound bow. In fact, MMS sufferers are often at a technical disadvantage to other bowhunters with proper setups. With today'southward hot new compound bows frequently pumping out 60, lxx, even eighty+ ft-lbs of kinetic energy, much of the "erstwhile school" thinking (largely from traditional archery conventions) almost hefty pointer mass and heavy tip weights is no longer applicable. Some of the most popular broadheads are now only available in the common 100 grain diversity. Of form, other common tip weights (notably 85 grain, 90 grain and 125 grain) even so control a share of the modern archery market. Nonetheless, the useful awarding for the heavy 150+ grain head is limited. For modern archery anyway, the availability of heavyweight tips serves more of a psychological demand than a technical ane. We respectfully suggest, if you lot absolutely must supersize some part of your bowhunting gear, get an extra big bow case. But get arrows that actually fit your bow.

BOW OUTPUT DRAMATICALLY AFFECTS DYNAMIC Arrow SPINE` The physical features of the arrow (the shaft's static spine, the shaft length, and the pointer's tip weight) all play a role in giving the pointer its spine characteristics. But as we mentioned earlier, the arrows terminal dynamic spine (how much it will actually flex when shot) will greatly depend on the output of the bow. Your draw weight, draw length, cam-blazon, let-off per centum and bow efficiency all contribute to the bodily output of the bow. And bows with more powerful outputs will crave stiffer arrows to achieve the proper dynamic spine when shot. Bows with less powerful output volition require more limber shafts. But don't worry. Yous won't demand to brand a speadsheet to figure all this out. Arrow company engineers have already crunched the numbers for united states of america on their spine selection charts. All we have to do is understand how to read the charts and interpret the spine sizes. Are you set up? Go on to the next chapter.

Carbon Arrow Selection & Research Guide  | Chapter i

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