Arrow Shafts

Arrow Shafts

The shaft is the most important part of your arrow setup. Get this wrong and nothing else matters – broadheads, fletching, expensive sights – none of it fixes a bad arrow.

Carbon shafts dominate now. Light, fast, durable, and they don’t bend when you miss and hit a tree. Most carbon arrows are rated by spine stiffness (300, 340, 400, 500, etc.) and straightness tolerance. Budget shafts run ±.006″ straightness – fine for hunting inside 40 yards. Mid-range is ±.003″. Premium shafts hit ±.001″ or better, which matters if you’re shooting long range or competing.

Aluminum shafts are still around, mostly for indoor target shooting where extreme precision matters more than speed. They’re heavier than carbon and they bend if you look at them wrong, but they’re cheaper and fly incredibly well at shorter distances.

Micro-diameter vs standard diameter – skinny shafts penetrate better and drift less in wind. Standard diameter shafts are tougher and easier to find components for. Most hunters run standard unless they’re chasing elk in high wind.

Spine selection depends on your draw weight, draw length, and point weight. Too stiff and your arrows fly right. Too weak and they fly left (for right-handed shooters). Every manufacturer has spine charts – use them. Don’t guess.

Shafts come bare or pre-fletched. Bare shafts let you build exactly what you want. Pre-fletched saves time if you don’t care about customizing every detail.

Buy a dozen, shoot them, replace the ones you lose or break. That’s the cycle.