Arrow Selection Guide: How to Choose the Right Arrows

Arrows are arguably as important as the bow itself. A perfectly tuned bow shooting mismatched arrows will group poorly, fly erratically, and frustrate you endlessly. Here's how to choose arrows that are correctly matched to your setup.

The Most Important Variable: Arrow Spine

Arrow spine refers to how stiff an arrow shaft is. It is the single most critical arrow selection variable. An arrow that is too stiff ("too stiff spine") or too flexible ("too weak spine") for your bow will oscillate incorrectly around the bow riser on release, causing the arrow to hit left or right regardless of your aim.

Spine is expressed as a number — counterintuitively, a lower number means a stiffer arrow (e.g., a 300 spine arrow is stiffer than a 500 spine arrow). The correct spine is determined by:

• Your bow's draw weight
• Your draw length
• Your arrow length
• The point weight you're using

Every major arrow manufacturer (Easton, Carbon Express, Gold Tip, Victory) provides a spine selection chart for their products. Use it — don't guess.

Arrow Materials: Carbon vs Aluminum vs Wood

Material	Pros	Best For
Carbon	Light, consistent, durable, weather-resistant	Most target archers, field archery
Aluminum	Extremely consistent diameter, heavier for wind	Olympic recurve (indoor), tight-tolerance tuning
Carbon/Aluminum Hybrid	Best of both — ultra-consistent, lighter than all-aluminum	Elite competition
Wood	Traditional feel, economical	Traditional/longbow archery only

Arrow Length

An arrow's length should be at least 1 inch longer than your draw length. Most archers shoot arrows 1–2 inches past the front edge of the riser at full draw. Arrows that are too short are a safety hazard — they can fall off the rest at full draw and cause serious injury to the bow hand.

Point Weight

Point weight (measured in grains) affects arrow spine behavior. Heavier points weaken the dynamic spine of the arrow. Standard indoor target points are 100–120 grains for most setups. If you change your point weight significantly, recheck your spine selection — it may shift your arrows' behavior enough to require different shafts.

My Recommendations by Level

• Beginners: Easton Jazz (aluminum) or Carbon Express Medallion — affordable, consistent, widely available
• Intermediate: Gold Tip Prodigy, Victory VAP — excellent carbon option for competitive shooting
• Advanced/Elite: Easton ACE or X10, Skylon Radius — used at the Olympic and World Championship level

I personally shoot the Easton X10 at elite-level competitions — they are the gold standard for Olympic recurve indoor shooting but carry a significant price premium. At your first few competitions, Gold Tip Prodigys or Victory VAPs will perform exceptionally well.