How to Choose Arrows for Hunting

Why Your Arrows Matter More Than You Think

When preparing for hunting season, many archers meticulously fine-tune their bows, adjusting sights, stabilizers, and releases. However, the arrow itself often receives less attention than it deserves. While it's easy to assume that one arrow is as good as the next, or that all arrows in a dozen will fly identically, this is far from the truth. 

Even arrows that are perfectly weight- and spine-matched can exhibit different flight characteristics, especially if they are inexpensive or poorly assembled. Investing time in understanding and selecting the right arrows ensures precision, reliable performance, and ultimately, amore effective shot in the field.

Understanding Arrow Spine: Stiffness is Key

The spine of an arrow is one of the most critical factors in ensuring proper arrow flight and accuracy. Getting it wrong can lead to frustrating tuning issues and inconsistent shots, especially with broadheads.

What is Arrow Spine?

Arrow spine refers to the stiffness or flexibility of an arrow shaft. It's typically labeled with numbers like 500, 400, 340, 300, or 250. The smaller the spine number, the stiffer the arrow; conversely, a larger number indicates a less stiff arrow. When an arrow is shot, it flexes as it leaves the bow (known as "archer's paradox"). A correctly spined arrow will flex appropriately and recover quickly, flying straight. If an arrow is too weak (underspined) for your setup, it will flex excessively and fail to recover, leading to erratic flight. If it's too stiff (overspined), it may not flex enough, also causing accuracy problems.

Factors Determining Correct Arrow Spine

Choosing the correct arrow spine requires considering several specific details of your bow setup:

• Actual Draw Weight: Don't rely solely on the bow's stated peak draw weight. Your bow might be set for 70 pounds but actually be pulling 67-65 pounds at peak, or even slightly higher. Using your actual measured draw weight is crucial for accurate spine selection, as even a few pounds can shift you between recommended spine categories.

• Arrow Shaft Length: Your arrow shaft length is typically not the same as your personal draw length. For instance, if your bow has a 30-inch draw length, your arrow shaft might be cut to 29.25 inches or even 29 inches. The overall finished arrow length, including inserts and points, impacts spine. You generally want the arrow to extend slightly beyond your arrow rest at full draw; you’ll want to be sure that any fixed-blade broadheads clear your bow hand knuckles so you aren’t slicing yourself when you shoot.

• Point/Vane/Nock Weight: The spine of an arrow is dynamic, meaning its effective stiffness can change based on the components you add. A heavier broadhead or field point will effectively make an arrow flex more (weakening the spine). Conversely, adding weight to the back of the arrow (like heavier fletching ornocks) can slightly stiffen the spine. A correctly spined arrow is a combination of the shaft's inherent stiffness and the total weight distribution of its components.

Tips for Choosing the Right Spine

To get the most accurate arrow spine for your setup, consider these tips:

• Consult Manufacturer Spine Charts: Every arrow manufacturer provides a spine chart, usually available online or at an archery pro shop. These charts offer recommendations based on your arrow length, point weight, and bow's peak draw weight.

• Utilize Online Calculators/Apps: There are tools that allow you to input your exact bow specs and experiment with different arrow options, components, and lengths. These programs can provide highly accurate spine recommendations, estimated FOC, and FPS for your specific setup.

• Err on the Stiff Side: When in doubt or on the cusp between two spine recommendations, it's often better to choose the slightly stiffer arrow. An underspined arrow can be a nightmare to tune, while a slightly overspined arrow is generally more forgiving.

• Paper Tuning and Broadhead Tuning: For the most precise fit, paper tuning and then broadhead tuning at extended yardage are excellent methods. A "nock left" tear in paper indicates a weak spine, while a "nock right" tear indicates a stiff spine. A fixed-blade broadhead will reveal a lot about your arrow's tune at longer distances.

Arrow Length: Getting the Right Fit for Your Bow

Proper arrow length is crucial for both safety and optimal flight performance. The ideal length varies slightly depending on whether you're shooting a compound or a traditional bow.

Compound Bow Arrow Length

For compound bow shooters, determining arrow length is relatively straightforward due to the bow's defined draw stop or back wall. To find your ideal length:

1. Place a full-length, uncut arrow on your bow.

2. Draw the bow back to your full draw length.

3. Have a friend mark the arrow anywhere you desire in front of the arrow rest. 

4. Many hunters choose to cut the arrow so it's about 1 to 1.5 inches beyond where it contacts the rest. If you are going to be paper tuning, you may want to start with a little extra and cut it down from there for the correct tuning.

5. If you plan to use large fixed-blade broadheads, you might want to mark the shaft so the broadhead always extends past the front of the riser. This prevents any clearance issues with the broadhead potentially hitting the bow's shelf area during the shot. The most important thing is that the arrow is long enough to remain securely on the rest at full draw. Archery pro shops can accurately cut your arrows and install components.

Traditional Bow Arrow Length

Determining arrow length for traditional bows (recurve or longbows) is a bit trickier because they don't have a defined draw length. Your draw length can vary slightly from shot to shot. For traditional bows, it's generally best to be generous with your arrow length. Leave some extra length to account for inconsistencies in your draw. This ensures the arrow stays on the rest throughout your entire draw cycle, even if your anchor point shifts slightly. 

Arrow Diameter: Skinny vs. Standard

Over the past two decades, the range of arrow diameters available for hunting has significantly expanded. These days, you can choose from various sizes, including 4mm, 5mm, and 6mm, among others. The choice between a skinny or standard diameter arrow often comes down to your target animal, specific hunting conditions and desired performance characteristics.

Benefits of Smaller Diameter Arrows

Smaller diameter arrows, such as 4mm and 5mm, have gained popularity for several reasons:

• Improved Penetration: It is commonly believed that thinner shafts offer better penetration into game animals. While a broadhead creates the initial wound channel, the smaller shaft encounters less resistance as it follows, passing through soft tissue. When encountering bone, the reduced surface area of a skinnier shaft can also lead to more efficient penetration, as there's less pressure exerted arrow. 

• Reduced Wind Drift: An advantage of smaller diameter arrows is their increased resistance to wind drift. With less surface area for the wind to push against, they are less affected by crosswinds, leading to more consistent point of impact, especially at longer distances. This makes them an excellent choice for long-range hunters or those frequently hunting in windy conditions.

Benefits of Larger Diameter Arrows

While smaller diameters offer distinct advantages, larger diameter arrows, like 6mm carbon shafts, also have their benefits, particularly that they are easier to tune. This can be a significant benefit for archers who prefer a simpler tuning process.

FOC (Front of Center): Boosting Arrow Performance

Front of Center, or FOC, is another critical metric that describes the percentage of an arrow's total weight located in its front half. Essentially, it's where the arrow's balance point lies. An optimal FOC percentage significantly boosts an arrow's performance and accuracy.

• Impact of FOC:

• Too High FOC: An arrow with an excessively high FOC might nose-dive early and lose speed more rapidly, potentially resulting in an erratic point of impact or a more steeply arced trajectory.

• Too Low FOC: Conversely, an arrow with too little FOC can lead to inconsistent flight, often manifesting as left and right miss issues due to instability.

• Ideal Range: An FOC between 10% and 15% is a great range to aim for when building and tuning hunting arrows, providing a balance between stability and trajectory.

• Adjusting FOC: You can fine-tune your arrow's FOC by adjusting the weight of your broadhead or the inserts you use. Many manufacturers offer various insert weights that allow you to experiment. The best way to determine the optimal FOC for your setup is through group tuning, observing how different FOC percentages affect your arrow groups downrange. 

Finished Arrow Weight: Speed, Penetration, and Accuracy

The total finished weight of your hunting arrow is a commonly discussed aspect of arrow building, with archers being concerned how it will affect kinetic energy, penetration, and trajectory. But weight may be less important than you think.

According to studies that have been done regarding arrow penetration, impact velocity, and arrow weight, some facts have emerged. First, it’s true that generally speaking, a lighter arrow will travel faster than a heavier arrow from the same bow, and it will have more momentum. 

Second, though the velocity changes with lighter or heavier arrows, kinetic energy will not. When you draw your bow, you put a certain amount of potential energy into it. At the same draw length, that amount of potential energy is the effectively the same every time. When you release the arrow, that potential energy is turned into kinetic energy, and regardless of the weight of your arrow, it will carryalmost exactly the same amount of energy every time. This makes intuitive sense given that the energy you put into each shot stays the same, but it can be confusing to see a lighter arrow fly faster while not achieving greater kinetic energy.

Primarily tests are done on targets for obvious reasons, and while this gives good data about how arrows penetrate targets and tells us that the kinetic energy output by your bow remains constant, it is not so useful regarding penetration into meat. More work would need to be done there to determine if there is a sweet spot for arrow weight and velocity that is somewhat disconnected from total kinetic energy. Until then, you should feel empowered to pick the arrow weight that shoots best for you without worrying about the impact on the animal.

Nocks: Small Components, Big Impact

The nock is the small plastic piece at the back of your arrow that clips onto the bowstring. Its fit is paramount for a clean release and consistent arrow flight. A proper nock fit should exhibit the following characteristics:

• Easy Release: The arrow should pop off the string easily if you pluck the bowstring as you might a guitar string. It shouldn't be excessively tight, which can pull the string forward, causing erratic launch angles, string noise, and potential string torque.

• Smooth Movement: The nock should be able to slide freely up and down your serving without excessive friction or biting. You don't want it to be loose with a lot of play, but it should move without resistance.

• Durability and Consistency: Ideally, your nocks should be durable enough to withstand repeated shooting without losing their fit.

Many hunters value lighted nocks for their ability to track arrow impact and aid in recovery. Lumenok is a prime example, known for its durable, high-visibility lighted nocks. Fortunately, Lumenok designs are engineered to match common serving dimensions, making it possible tointegrate them into your setup without sacrificing performance or reliability. 

When experiencing nock fit issues that can't be resolved by simply swapping nocks, it might indicate that your bow's center serving diameter needs adjustment to match the nocks you prefer. 

Vanes and Fletching: Guiding Your Shot

Vanes, or fletching, are the stabilizers at the back of your arrow that cause it to spin in flight, much like the rifling in a gun barrel spins a bullet (and for the same reason of adding rotational momentum that helps to stabilize the arrow). The correct vane setup provides enough surface area and rotation to ensure stable flight without introducing excessive drag.

Vane Configuration (Three-Fletch vs. Four-Fletch)

The most common vane configurations are three-fletch and four-fletch. Both can be effective, but many archers have strong preferences:

• Three-Fletch: This is the traditional and still widely used setup. Many excellent shooters continue to use three vanes with great success. 

• Four-Fletch: This configuration has gained popularity, with some top archers swearing by its benefits. Proponents often claim that a four-vane setup is more forgiving and provides superior accuracy.

Ultimately, both configurations can be accurate. Experimentation and observing your broadhead flight at extended ranges will reveal which works best for your specific bow and arrow setup.

Helical vs. Offset Fletching

Every arrow needs some form of offset or helical fletching to induce rotation in flight. This rotation adds stability to the arrow, which is particularly important for broadheads that can catch more wind or react more to inconsistencies.

• Offset Fletching: Vanes are glued to the shaft at an angle, creating a slight "push" against the airflow to induce spin.

• Helical Fletching: Vanes are glued with a more aggressive twist, with each vane curved to wrap around the shaft, which generates more spin and stability.

• Choosing the Right Amount: You need enough helical or offset to stabilize your broadhead effectively, but no more. Too much can introduce unnecessary drag and reduce speed. 

• String Twist Consideration: In a fascinating twist–sorry, we had to go there–the natural twist in your bowstring can also influence arrow rotation. While this might be a detail that only the most skilled archers can discern in accuracy, it's a factor worth considering for those looking to optimize every aspect of their setup.

Vane Profile and Stiffness

The physical characteristics of your vanes—their profile (height) and stiffness—also play a role in arrow performance:

• Vane Profile:

• Higher Profile Vanes: These offer more surface area, providing greater stability for broadheads, especially larger ones. However, they can also reduce clearance around the arrow rest or cables and may be louder in flight.

• Lower Profile Vanes: These offer less stability but provide more clearance and may be quieter in flight. If opting for three vanes, a higher or longer profile is often required to achieve sufficient guidance. Four smaller, lower-profile vanes can offer enough guidance while maintaining stealth and clearance.

• Vane Stiffness: Stiffer vanes tend to be quieter in flight. Flexible vanes can ripple more in the air, potentially creating additional noise. 

When to Upgrade Your Arrows

It's easy to hold onto a favorite dozen arrows for years, but arrows are, in the end, consumable items. They endure immense stress with every shot, and nothing holds up forever.

Even if arrows are expensive, if your current set has been shot extensively over several years, it's a good idea to consider an upgrade. While you don't necessarily need the absolute most expensive shafts, especially if you put in the work to build and tune your own arrows, getting a fresh dozen can be as crucial as buying a new bow (and possibly even more important). It ensures arrow-to-arrow consistency, reliable flight, and peace of mind when it matters most in the field.

Confidence in Every Shot

Choosing the right hunting arrows is a foundational step toward successful and ethical bowhunting. It's not just about matching numbers on a chart; it's about building a complete system that works harmoniously with your bow, your broadheads, and your shooting style. By understanding the critical roles of spine, length, material, diameter, FOC, inserts, nocks, and vanes, you can assemble arrows that are breathtakingly accurate and maximize your chances for clean, effective shots.

Ultimately, the goal is to have unwavering confidence in every arrow you release. This confidence stems from knowing that your equipment is optimized, tuned, and ready for the moment of truth. So, as you prepare for your next hunting adventure, take the time to critically evaluate your arrow setup. A thoughtful approach to arrow selection will pay dividends in consistency, penetration, and the satisfaction of a well-placed shot.

And when that moment of truth arrives, having the ability totrack your shot and recover your arrow quickly adds another layer of confidence and efficiency. For enhanced visibility, shot tracking, and rapid recovery, try integrating Lumenok lighted nocks into your arrows.

Ready to see your shot impact and recover your arrow with ease?Buy your Lumenoks today!