Beginner 101: Selecting an arrow spine to get started

[jyatsko]

Hey Guys,

When I purchased by PSE Brute Force a few months ago, it was suggested I go with Easton Axis N-Fused Carbon Arrow Blazer Vanes 300 HIT and a 100 grain head. I need more arrows but they are hard to find, maybe they were discontinued?

Anyway, I’m new to back country archery and was hoping to get some suggestions on a replacement arrow.

Bow: PSE Brute Force
Draw Weight: currently 60lbs, hoping to increase to 65 over the next few months.
Arrow Length: My Easton’s are 29.5 inches, tip to notch.
Hunting Area: high country (north CA, west Sierras) for Mule deer / Blacktail in the lower elevations

As a beginner, I couldn’t tell the difference between a 300 grain or 500 grain arrow, so I’m hoping you guys can help out by making a few suggestions. I’m sure as time goes on, I’ll learn more about spines and form my own opinions but for now, I just need to get more arrows so I can Practice! Practice! Practice!

Thanks in Advance,
J

 

[AKMAN]

J -
I'm still relatively new to archery hunting hunting myself, but from your specs and a 330 IBO sounds like a .300 spine arrow would be just about perfect. You could even bump up to a 125 grain FP/BH.
If you're having trouble finding them, Cabelas will ship them from the manufacture to your door, but then you'll need to find somebody to cut them for you. Lots of places will fletch, cut, and install inserts for a pretty nominal fee before they ship them. All you have to do is screw in your field points. 3 Rivers Archery (www.3riversarchery.com) is more focused on recurves and long bows but does a great job on arrows. Nice if you're a long way from a good shop or don't want to assemble them yourself.
I just ordered a dozen .300 Easton Aftermath shafts, which is closer to a "promotional grade" arrow than your Axis to do some spine testing with. Unfletched or assembled, but I only paid $60 for 12 and threw on some NAP Quickfletch vanes. Cheap enough to play with and I won't feel bad shooting them into the rocks and trees after ptarmigan when I'm done.

 

[cody covey]

whats your draw length?

 

[Dameon]

I don't like playing guessing games with arrows, so I use OnTarget2 from Pinwheel. You can get a free 10 day trial, try it out, and decide if you want to keep it. For now, if I were to guess that your draw length is 30 inches and draw weight is 60-65 lb, I would recommend a 330 spine arrow such as the Easton Hexx or Easton DaTorch, cut 29.25 carbon to carbon, with a 100 grain head, and the fletching of your choice. You should be at optimal spine from 60 to 65 pounds. If you don't want to try software and want to talk to an arrow expert, call Jerry at SouthShore Archery Supply. Jerry will fix you right up and will answer every question you can think of.

 

[jyatsko]

I believe it's 29.5 or 29

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[jyatsko]

Guys, thanks for the replies so far.

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[Brendan]

Spine and grains aren't the same thing. Spine = Arrow Stiffness. Grains = Arrow weight.

Required stiffness / spine will be determined by your bow, it's IBO speed, your draw length, your point/insert weight. If you have too weak an arrow you essentially "overflex" it and can get some crazy arrow flight, and in extreme cases could create a dangerous situation.

After settling on a spine - then you pick a target arrow weight. Lots of opinions here, but a good mix is shooting for a finished arrow weight that puts your finished arrow speed between 260 and 290 fps with a compound. Heavier arrows are quieter, conserve momentum better, and in general will hit harder. The downside is you can get more drop.

If it were me - 340 spine would probably work fine, 300 spine will give you more flexibility if you increase your poundage and or point weight in the future.