Selecting the right arrow is an under-appreciated aspect of archery, but could possibly be the most important to successful shooting. Even though you may have bought a bow with a high IBO speed such as 300 plus fps, there is no way it will shoot at that speed if you shoot a heavy fiberglass arrow. That being said, different arrows are made for different circumstances and you will have a need for each at some point or another.
The key to successful archery shooting isn’t so much in the quality of the compound bow you use because they are all fitted with many of the same features. Where you will really find your edge is in a judicious selection of arrows, both in the materials they are made from and the quality of the manufacture. Make sure the arrows you buy are straight, that they suit the bow and the type of shooting you will be doing. Your draw length will also govern the length of the arrow you need.
The four most common materials used to make arrows are aluminum, wood, fiberglass and carbon. We will look at the pros and cons of each as well as the uses for each.
The traditional material used to make arrows was wood and it is still in use today. Wood is an easy medium to work with, it’s flexible and reasonably durable, they are also quite inexpensive. It has only been in more recent times that wooden arrows have been replaced with other materials. They are good arrows for beginners to learn with. They can have a tendency to warp or bend making their flight less true.
Carbon arrows are fast through the air, strong and lightweight. They are designed for modern bows that can handle the lighter weighted arrows. Although they are called carbon arrows, and pure carbon arrows are available, the most common kind of carbon arrow is an aluminum/carbon mix that gives the arrow extra strength and durability. Carbon arrows are not as long than aluminum arrows which helps make them fast. They are for long distance shooting and maintain their shape well. The downside to using carbon arrows is in the price because they are indeed quite expensive.
Fiberglass arrows are heavier than other arrows and are usually used as a training arrow. Although they are more durable than wooden arrows and can be made to differing sizes to match the archer, they still tend to break quite easily and people tend to prefer aluminum arrows. Fiberglass comes into its own through the fact that the arrows can be made more consistent from one arrow to the next making their flight more reliable.
Aluminum arrows are popular with indoor target archery with most archers preferring the thicker aluminum shafts to the thinner carbon arrows. They are also used for archery tournaments. Aluminum arrows are also suited to beginner archers due to their resilience if the target is missed. The aluminum arrows are not as expensive as other types and easily replaced if they are damaged, lost or broken. There is also a consistency in their manufacture so you are less likely to get a bent or warped shaft. It’s easy to replace the arrow tips in aluminum arrows which means you can keep the arrows for a long time.
There is no doubt that choosing a compound bow is an important step when taking up the sport of archery, but just as important are the arrows you use. In fact the features of your new compound bow might be completely negated by the purchase of inferior or arrows that don’t suit you.
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