Your bow is useless without the perfect arrow.
A lot of beginners make the same mistake–buying a high-quality, expensive bow but skimping on the arrows. Once you start shooting, you’ll notice that the arrow makes a big difference in terms of accuracy.
Without good arrows, it doesn’t matter how good your bow is. Arrows are a necessity for archery–not an accessory.
But picking arrows for your compound bow isn’t an easy task. There’s a wide range of options out there, and all the details are enough to make any archer’s head spin.
Whether you’re a beginner, a professional, or somewhere in between, choosing the perfect compound bow arrows can improve your archery experience.
The following guide isn’t all-inclusive, but it will give you a good place to start the search for the right arrows for you. These tips and selections will help you start shooting your compound bow and arrow as quickly as possible.
What Are Compound Bows?
The compound bow is best identified by the system of pulleys at either end of the bow, as well as the multiple strings. It’s used in field archery, target archery, and bowhunting.
There are many styles available, but they all have the same fundamental design.
Each bow has wheels attached to the limbs and bowstring. These store energy as the bow is drawn to reduce the holding weight and make it easier to hold. This means that a compound bow reduces the draw weight by 50 percent or more.
What’s special about a compound bow?
Compound bows are seen as the most recent evolution of archery. The pulley system on either end of the bow is what gives it a unique “let-off” capability.
The let-off is the point during the draw of a bow when the archer can hold less weight. This means that the archer will begin drawing back the spring at the full weight of the compound bow.
Partly through the draw, the archer will reach the let-off point and the draw will be reduced to less than the original weight. The archer stays at this weight until they release the arrow.
This allows the archer to take more time while aiming for greater accuracy.
Compound Bows vs Traditional Bows
While all bows use the stored energy of the flexed limbs to shoot the arrow quickly, compound bows and traditional recurve bows store energy differently.
Recurve bows store that energy directly. When you draw back the string, the further you draw, the more energy transfers to the arrow when you release. The harder it is to pull back a traditional recurve bow, the faster it will shoot the arrow.
The key point of the traditional recurve bow is that when you’ve pulled the string all the way back, you’re holding the full weight of the bow. If the bow has a 60-pound draw weight, for example, you’re holding 60 pounds when you pull back the string.
The wheels on the end of a compound bow are called the cams. They’re designed to create the let-off point, which reduces the total draw weight.
Through these cams, the archer can hold the bow at full draw for longer in order to take more careful aim. They can also hold the bow steadier, which further improves their accuracy.
What to Look For in an Arrow
Before we get into the specific arrows to consider for a compound bow, let’s get into the types of arrows that are available on the market today.
It’s crucial that you can identify which styles and designs will work best for your bow and your preferences.
Wooden arrows
If you prefer to shoot old school, wooden arrows are the way to go. These give the authentic experience of traditional archery and they’re very inexpensive.
They do tend to break easily and not every arrow is the same. They’re also recommended for recurve or longbows, so it might be best to steer clear of these if you’re shooting a compound.
Fiberglass arrows
These are a typical choice of arrows for group archery programs, because they’re inexpensive and good beginner arrows. However, they do have a tendency to splinter, and some shooting ranges may outlaw them entirely.
Another downside is that they tend to be heavier than other arrows. This makes them poor at long distance accuracy and probably best for a recurve bow.
Carbon arrows
These arrows are the best for speed. They’re light, fast, and don’t bend under pressure. Another advantage is that they have less wind drift when they’re shot–which is great for both consistency and accuracy.
They do tend to be more expensive than other options, especially aluminum.
Aluminum arrows
If you’re looking for the best precision to price ratio, aluminum arrows are the perfect choice. They’re cheaper than carbon arrows and they’re very quiet when shot by a bow. There’s also a wide range of spine choices available.
They’re typically heavier than carbon models, so you’ll need to use thinner arrows to get the same level of speed. This means less penetration–which isn’t great for hunters.
One downside is that aluminum arrows often bend. While some can be fixed, others can’t be recovered.
Composite arrows
These arrows are the best of both worlds. They’re typically straight and uniformly spined, which is great for accurate shooting long distance. They’re also incredibly durable and they rarely splinter.
They’re often used by high-ranked competitive shooters, so the cost is pretty high. These are great for compound bows but not recommended for beginners.
Vanes or Feathers
The fletchings are the fins found at the end of the arrow. They help the arrow spin and stabilize the flight of the arrow for better accuracy.
Most arrows are fletched with three vanes or feathers. While vanes are made of plastic, other arrows have fletchings made of feathers.
Which type should you pick? Let’s break it down.
Vanes
Vanes are fletchings made of plastic. They’re more durable and capable of withstanding the effect of weather.
They’re often used by outdoor compound archers or hunters because of their ability to handle tough weather without breaking. They also have less wind drift, which makes them great for any outdoor shooting.
Feathers
Feathers on the end of an arrow are often made from primary flight feathers of turkey wings. They’re lighter and more flexible than vanes, but they can hit the bow’s riser, which might disrupt accuracy.
Feathers are often preferred by archers because of their versatility and accuracy for indoor shooting. They’re also used by hunters who are looking for pinpoint accuracy.
One downside is that they can get waterlogged from the rain. This makes them hard to shoot during outdoor weather.
How to Choose Arrow Points
When you’re choosing the type of arrow and deciding between vanes and feathers, ultimately the best choice comes down to your personal archery preferences.
What kind of bow are you using and what will you be using it for?
When it comes to picking out the arrow points, there are a few options to choose from. They can be narrowed down to two categories: Target practice and bowhunting.
Target practice
For target practice, it’s important that you find tips that are designed to be shot into foam or bag targets. Some points can be screwed in, while others are glued over the tip of the arrow.
For greater accuracy, look for arrow points that are narrow around the tip. For greater durability, try the broader, bullet-shaped points.
Hunting
For bowhunting, you’ll want to get broadheads. There’s a wide variety of heads out there, each for different types of bows and game.
If you’re hunting small game, a flat head is great for blunt force. For larger game, pointed heads are more common. Some broadheads have multiple blades and they come in a range of designs.
All of these heads are designed to penetrate skin and muscle–so don’t try using them on any kind of target.
Choosing Compound Bow Arrows
Now that we’ve discussed all of the options, it’s time to get down to the real question: how do you decide on an arrow?
With all of the different options out there, even if you know your preferences it can be hard to choose. Here are some steps you can take.
1. Draw Length
For the first step, you need to find out your draw length. Try going to an archery store or a sports goods store that sells archery items and ask about a draw length measurement.
They’ll give you a special arrow for measurement. All you’ll have to do is draw it back with your bow. Someone will check the scale and note how far the arrow goes back.
Going to a professional will help you get an accurate draw length–plus they can recommend some arrows to try.
If you aren’t able to go to an archery store, instead just measure your arm span from the tip of your left middle finger to the one on your right. Then divide that number by 2.5.
In terms of draw length and arrow length, a good rule of thumb is to take the number of your draw length and add one inch. It’s important that the arrow is just a little bit longer than your draw length so that it doesn’t hit your hand while shooting.
2. Weight
Next, you need to pick the perfect arrow weight.
Remember that the weight includes all the components of the arrows–shaft, point, fletchings, etc. You can determine the weight by:
- Find the weight of the shaft (you can look for a chart based on size/length)
- Find the weight of the arrow point or broadhead
- Add approximately 35 grains to compensate for the other parts of the arrow
For target practice, your arrow should weigh between 5 and 6 grains per pound of draw weight. For hunting, it should be between 6 and 8 grains per pound of draw weight.
This rule isn’t necessarily set in stone. Any arrow between 5 and 8 grains per pound of draw weight will work for a compound bow. Just keep in mind–you should never pick an arrow below 5 grains. This could result in serious damage to your bow.
3. Spine
The spine of your arrow is one of the most important things to consider–but also one of the most complicated. Arrow spine comes down to the stiffness of your shaft. The lower the number, the stiffer the spine.
This is important because shooting with the wrong arrow spine for your bow can make it hard to shoot accurately, or even shoot at all.
Picking the right arrow spine can take a lot of trial and error. Especially if you’re ordering online, don’t worry about the spine right away. You’ll need some practice before you can determine the right spine for your bow, style, and technique.
Once you’ve become better acquainted with your bow, then go ahead and get a little deeper into the world of arrow spine. Here’s a chart that can help you crunch the numbers.
The Bottom Line
Selecting the right compound bow arrows is no easy feat. From the different styles of arrows and tips, as well as the measurement of arrow length and weight, it might take some time for you to narrow down the right choice for you.
With this guide, it’s time to get started on the road towards exploring archery and bowhunting through hands-on experience. Don’t worry too much about finding the perfect arrow–the only way to find out what works best for you is to practice.
Remember: there is no perfect arrow for a compound bow. There are only the arrows that are perfect for you.
Ready to get started? Check out our article on buying a compound bow to learn more and start shooting.
