New bowhunter: arrow, and broadhead question

[N2TRKYS]

I’ve had great luck with Gold Tip Hunter XT arrows.

 

[Sobrbiker]

When I got my bow last October (a 2017 Elite Tempo, 60#, 28” DL), I went to local shop and asked if they had good arrows that wouldn’t break the bank, with the intent of hunting.
They hooked me up with Victory V-Force Gamers, and I went with 300 spine for weight and penetration.
They shoot awesome w/DT helical blazers, i shoot to 100yds routinely with them.
I did try half dozen Gold Tip Kinetic skinny arrows and built to 17% FOC and they shot no better than the $107/doz V-Force standard arrows at 12.5% FOC (125gr heads, 450gr total weight).
With my budget arrows with “noisy” fletchings, and lots of practice and learning to tune got me a Coues whitetail right through the boiler room at 94ys Friday before last.
my experience is that knowing your setup intimately, and finding what works best for you is more important than trying to buy results.
Get your bow dialed in with what flies best for you and practice as much as possible.

 

[N2TRKYS]

When I got my bow last October (a 2017 Elite Tempo, 60#, 28” DL), I went to local shop and asked if they had good arrows that wouldn’t break the bank, with the intent of hunting.
They hooked me up with Victory V-Force Gamers, and I went with 300 spine for weight and penetration.
They shoot awesome w/DT helical blazers, i shoot to 100yds routinely with them.
I did try half dozen Gold Tip Kinetic skinny arrows and built to 17% FOC and they shot no better than the $107/doz V-Force standard arrows at 12.5% FOC (125gr heads, 450gr total weight).
With my budget arrows with “noisy” fletchings, and lots of practice and learning to tune got me a Coues whitetail right through the boiler room at 94ys Friday before last.
my experience is that knowing your setup intimately, and finding what works best for you is more important than trying to buy results.
Get your bow dialed in with what flies best for you and practice as much as possible.

Yep, I’ve never had any issues with “cheap” regular ol’ GT Hunters. Lol

 

[Reburn]

With respect until you for sure know your draw length, arrow length, and draw weight your kinda pissing up a rope trying to select and build arrows. Practice is good until you get fatigued. Then practice can make you develop bad habbits. Shoot until you get tired and then stop. Even if its just 5 arrows. I stopped slinging arrows just to sling arrows. I usually shoot 5 or 10 a day. The first shot always a broadhead because well thats the only one thats going to matter.

 

[caddis75]

Lots of great info on here already. I would definitely go with a 5mm (standard diameter) Easton Axis for your first arrow. Based on your draw weight and draw length, I would go with a 260 spine, possibly 300, with a 50 grain brass HIT insert.

Also, I’m not familiar with your bow model, but as others have said, be sure your draw length is correct before you cut a new set of arrows. You can do it yourself-video link below. I like to cut my arrows so they are exactly my draw length or slightly longer from the front end of the shaft or footer to the throat of the nock (where the string sits). That way, the tip of my arrow is a little farther out, eliminating any clearance issues between my broadheads an my riser/hand.

Even better than a brass HIT insert would be an insert/footer combination, as the footer forms a metal sleeve over the front end of the shaft that protects from splintering upon impact. Most stainless steel footers will be in the 100 grain range, but if you go full aluminum or titanium you can get a similar weight to a brass HIT insert.

Ethics Archery makes an excellent system—I use their aluminum insert with SS footer, which weighs 110 grains for my 4mm Easton A/C Injexion arrows (picture below). I’ve heard good things about the Elk River custom footers too. Iron Will also makes an excellent HIT/footer system and has a titanium option, giving you high strength but a more normal weight compared to a brass HIT insert. Iron Will is probably the best option for 5mm arrows, but they are pretty pricey.

That being said, footers aren’t necessary and require a bit more work and money, but I think they are worth it in the long run. I’ll post the link to a video showing how they perform compared to regular inserts below.

Nock On Archery has match grade (+/- 0.001” straighness) Axis 260’s in stock right now and 300’s should be in stock soon. It’s a pretty good deal for a dozen shafts with brass inserts and glue included. You’d have to get them fletched though.

John Dudley, the owner of Nock On, is a retired Pro archer who was on the US Archery team for several years and is the best source of information about the technical side of archery I have found yet. Check out his YouTube channel and his podcast if you’re interested in becoming a better archer (especially the School of Nock on YouTube) or possibly building your own arrows, working on your bow yourself, or tuning your bow to your arrows. Most of the imports things I have learned about archery have been from him, and it’s all free.

I know it’s a long shot, but if you’re in the Bozeman, MT area I would be happy to help you build and fletch some arrows. Hope this info helps.

Video on how to measure bow’s actual draw length:

Nock On match grade Axis shafts:

Nock On Axis Pro Series Bare Shafts (12ct)

The Ultimate Match-Grade Arrows From John Dudley I’ve spent decades perfecting my arrow setup, and these Nock On Axis Pro Series shafts are the culmination of that journey. These are the arrows I grab when heading into the backcountry or stepping up to the competition line. These 5mm arrows...

shop.nockonarchery.com

Video showing difference between arrows with /without footers upon deflection:

Ethics Archery insert/footer system:

Adjustable Outsert System, .204, .281 Sleeve

Threads are 8/32 Requires a .310 Field point The sleeve is required to use the post Some sanding or gluing may be required for a proper fit **Post Only/Sleeve Only options are for replacements only. The outsert post cannot be used without a sleeve, and the outsert sleeve is not interchangeable...

ethicsarchery.com

Iron Will Outfiitters HIT/footer system:

Iron Will Reinforced HIT System — Iron Will Outfitters

You already use the toughest broadheads. Now, get the most out of them by reinforcing the end of your arrow with the Iron Will Arrow Reinforcement System. Comprised of our specially engineered HIT Inserts and hard-hitting Impact Collars, the system ensures the end of your arrow stands firm on impact

www.ironwilloutfitters.com

Hi,

I was able to measure my draw length using the above video. It is 32 inches. How long should I cut my arrows if that is my draw length? Thanks.

 

[Josiah Bower]

Hi,

I was able to measure my draw length using the above video. It is 32 inches. How long should I cut my arrows if that is my draw length? Thanks.

Short answer: 32”.

My preference is to cut my arrows a little on the long side to ensure clearance between my broadhead blades and my riser and hand. At a minimum I want the front end of the arrow without a head on it to be in front of the riser at full draw.

The sweet spot for me that’s easy to remember is to cut your arrows so the distance from the throat of the nock to the front end of the shaft (or footer if you have one) is equal to your draw length. So if you go with an axis shaft, a 50-75 grain brass HIT insert, and no footer, you would cut the shafts to 32”.

That being said, I have a shorter DL at 27.5” and like a relatively heavy arrow (currently shooting 530 gr arrows), so you might want to go shorter to cut down on wind drift in a crosswind. I just checked and the end of my arrow shaft is about 3/4”-1” in front of my riser, so I could cut them that much shorter if I wanted.