Arrow weight has a great deal to do with the penetration qualities that are inherent in the broadhead. That does not mean that a heavier arrow will always have better penetration. An arrow needs to be "spined" to match a bow. Most compound bows can shoot a lighter arrow than other bows of the same draw weight and retain true flight.

If you have ever watched an arrow as it is released from a compound bow, you can see that the arrow will warp or almost buckle as it is fired and then straighten itself out. So, the initial thrust on a relaxed compound bow is not the value of the full thrust to come. For this reason, the arrow released from a compound bow doesn't need to be as stiff as a standard bows arrow.

The arrow is made up of five basic parts:

• Arrowhead -- This is the part that hits the target and does the damage. Click here for more
• Inserts/Outserts -- This is the part where the arrow and the arrowhead are fastened.
• Shaft -- This is the body of the arrow.
• Fletching -- These are the feathers which keep the arrow stable in the air.
• Nock -- This is the piece which holds the arrow to the bowstring.

Arrow Nochs

    The proper fit of a noch is that when it is seated on the string, the arrow will just hang from the string by its own weight, but is on firm enough so the arrow will not slide on the string.

    There are four main materials used for the shaft portion of arrows. They are wood, fiberglass, aluminum and carbon or graphite.

Wood Arrow Shafts

    Wood is the original material used for making arrows. Wood shafts were used by the earliest hunters and they were also used as weapons. Finding quality wood arrows today can be difficult. If you want to use wood arrows, you will need to learn about weight, grain, spine and straightness. Wood arrows will very a great deal in these attributes from one arrow to another and from one set to another. Wood is however a very durable material to shoot from a bow. It will take some abuse from rocks and stumps before breaking or other damage. If you plan to use wood, do your homework.

28 Cedar Wood Shaft Archery Arrows from Satellite ArcheryTM- 72 Arrows Features include: 3 Feathers Metal Points Price is for 72 arrows There is no actual image of this item. The image shown is representative only. The actual item will have a cedar wood shaft.

Economy Wood Arrows (Pack of 12) from Cajun Archery, Inc. Mill run grade 5/16 shafts. 2 1/4 feathers and snap nocks, with lightweight crimp-on target point. Spined up to 30 lbs.

    The wooden arrows used by archers for millennia have been replaced by ones made from aluminum-alloy or fibreglass tubing, and plastic fins have replaced feathers.

Fiberglass Arrow Shafts

    Light, Precise; Easy to fit to draw length and weight. Difficult to find, liable to snap

• 1939 - James Easton experiments with making arrow shafts out of aluminum, rather than wood.
  
• 1941 - Larry Hughes uses aluminum arrows to win the American National (archery) Championship.

Aluminum Arrow Shafts

    Greatest Range of Sizes, Weights; Light, More Precise, Interchangable Arrowheads. Aluminum arrows are used by the majority of hunters and target shooters today. The first aluminum arrow was developed by Doug Easton. (Easton Arrows) Aluminum arrow are extremely consistent in weight, spine and straightness. Aluminum arrow are very durable unless abused. Fletching or vanes are easily replaced when damages. These arrows come in more than four dozen sizes. The reason for the range of sizes (weight) is that each bow shoots (and shooter) certain weights and lengths of arrows to obtain maximum speed and efficiency. In addition, lighter weight aluminum arrows are normally used for target shooting and travel faster. Heavier arrows are most commonly used by hunters.

• 1983 - Easton develops the first carbon arrow shaft.

Carbon Arrow Shafts (Graphite)

  Durable, Most Precise, Light with Interchangable Arrowheads. Carbon arrows are growing in popularity. There are two kinds of carbon arrows shafts; pultruded and cross wrapped. Pultruded shafts have grain that runs the length of the arrow. This type required the use of outserts to prevent splitting where the field point of broadhead attaches. Putruded shafts where the first type of carbon arrow and had a reputation for splitting when hitting a hard object like rock, trees or bone. Cross wrapped carbon arrows are a bit larger in diameter but are still less than 5/16ths of an inch in diameter. In general, carbon arrows are very light weight. The cross wrapped carbon arrows are tougher than the pultruded. Neither can be permanently bent.