PSA: Don't use Easton 5mm Aluminum Half-Outs

[doc holiday13]

I bought a dozen axis arrows last year. they came with the halfouts instead of the HITS. They were just practice/3d/tac arrows so NBD right?.... Wrong I've snapped 9 of the 12 half outs on a variety of targets from soft to very hard.. First one I broke happened when my arrow penetrated beyond the back of my target and hit the fence behind the target. The field point stayed in the fence and the half out snapped inside the shaft. Another broke off in a 3d target at Tac. It was a 100 yard shot on an elk. Pulled the arrow and it came out without the point and the upper half of the insert. The half-out just snap off without damaging the carbon. I had a dozen SS half outs from Black eagle so I replaced the aluminum with those. Fortunately I was able to cut the arrow back enough and change the field points to match the arrow weights up so i don't need to make any changes, but dang.. what a kick in the head for these things to snap off so easily

 

[Billy Goat]

Might be too late, but why not just use standard hit inserts?

I bent several of the BE SS half outs.

 

[doc holiday13]

Might be too late, but why not just use standard hit inserts?

I bent several of the BE SS half outs.

I think because the arrows are .006 straightness quality easton sends them with half-outs. I got a doz on sale for like $100shipped . The only purpose of these arrows was to get reps and shoot tac. So if they broke they broke.. but i never expected the half out to break

 

[CowboyD]

I've had similar experiences with Victory arrows and half-outs, so much so that I gave away those arrows and will only use HIT or standard inserts.

 

[jmez]

Outserts are a solution looking for a problem.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Outserts are a solution looking for a problem.

I'm no fan of outserts or half-outs, but the problem they address is a real one: the ID of small/micro diameter shafts is too small to accommodate the entire shank of a standard (8-32) thread field point/broadhead.

The threaded portion of a standard shank will fit in a 5mm/.204" shaft, but there's no room for any insert material between the unthreaded portion and the shaft, hence the choice of hidden insert (HIT) or half-out. I'm a strong proponent of HIT's, but they are a little trickier to install properly and the design is patented by Easton. HIT's will work in non-Easton shafts, but I imagine most arrow manufacturers would prefer to sell their own product (hence the proliferation of various 5mm half-out designs).

4mm/.166" shafts can't accommodate any portion of a standard shank, so some type of half-out/outsert is the only option unless you switch to Deep Six (6-40 thread) points/heads, which would allow you to use a Deep Six HIT.

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm not a fan of any outserts or halfouts, but aluminum ones are a non-starter from the beginning. My RIP TKO's came with Victory's aluminum outserts.......I never even considered using those because I know the aluminum won't hold up, I used brass HIT's instead. Now two years later, I haven't had a problem with any of these arrows.

 

[JStol5]

I used those half outs and they suck. I broke them on foam targets. I use stock HITs and an iron will collar now. Durability is greatly increased.