Not sure any of them are the “best”, but I’ve been shooting goldtip pierce platinum‘s for a few years, and I’ve been trying out some Sirius Orion for a few months. Both of those have been great arrows. Got a few RIP TKO‘s on the way as well

 

I'm not Mr High End, I like to kill deer and go to a few 3d shoots in the off season. I won't buck up for the .001s, I'm not a good enough shot for that to matter. The .003s are just fine with me. And the .006s are probably good enough, I shot them for years. I've never got away from the standard diameter, they work for what I do. On brands, I've had some carbon express that I liked ok, the old ones were terminator selects. I think the last ones were called mayhems--pretty sure the same arrow, just a new name. Always kind of partial to gold tip hunter xt's, they seem very tough--altho I have had a few of them that didn't fly the very best. Have some eastons I like fine too, they shoot good but to me they seem to break or the inserts push back up in them easier than gold tips. Got some victory's last fall and altho I haven't had them as long as the other brands, I'm not sure but what I like them the best of any I've ever had. Scheel's sells them, calls them 'Vendetta's. Had'em on sale last fall for $35/half dozen. I'll be getting more of them at some point--even tho I don't really need more arrows. A guy on youtube did a bunch of fairly scientific tests on various kinds of arrows and victory's came up pretty big. Samuel White, I think? I thought it was pretty informative. After seeing that, when I saw them for $6 apiece I had to try them. Grabbed some for a buddy too, and he likes them a lot too.
Dont know if that really helped...

 

I’ve run the gauntlet of arrows. From alum to carbon to carbon/ alum. From std. to fat to skinny to micro and back to std dia. And ended up back shooting gold tips of various types. Prefer the std. diameter any more, really like being able to use their fact weight system,has been very helpful and easy to change foc, and experiment with. I think I have spent enough time any money now, to know that the grass ain’t always greener on the other side(s). Gold tip have proven to be as durable as almost any, and very much more durable then a lot of them I have tried. And they are all plenty accurate for me.

 

I just buy GT XT's usually. Get them unfletched and trim both ends to length, to help improve the straightness. Nock tune them as bareshafts until all of them are flying the same, mark them for indicator vane, and then fletch them up.
I would avoid buying them prefletched, they are not fletched according to dynamic spine and you end up with nocks in all different positions to get them to all fly the same. Makes my OCD flare up.

 

I prefer fmj’s. If it wasn’t those I’d shoot aluminum. Carbon scares me.

 

Heck, whatever flys out of your hunting bow. I imagine if you’re a target archer only, a .0000001 tolerance makes a difference but not for most of us. I’ve killed elk with everything from fence posts (Easton GG 2219s) to skinny minny Black Eagles. More important to the task at hand, use a good COC broadhead, practice your calling till you’re good at it, learn that when elk make noises, they are communicating something, learn your area (takes at least 2-3 years of hard scouting/hinting), and get/stay in elk woods shape. Sorry, a bit of off trail there I spose but recommend you don’t get too deep in gear prep as opposed to more pressing things that will help you bring that elk home for dinner.

 

As far as arrow straightness goes, any of the big names make straight arrows for slightly more money than the not so straight arrows. I like shooting the Victory VAP TKO's right now. Only the top 10% of shooters will notice the straightness between a 0.003" and 0.001" difference and in most cases both will get the job done.

 

I would concur with the guys above just about all of the carbon arrows on the market today are pretty darn good. It’s worth looking to find some on sale

 

Some guys are like my dad was, they'll buy whatever they can find for the cheapest amount of money.......but then end up going through a dozen arrows every year, and continue to buy junk "because it's cheap". But "junk" adds up eventually. That's why I hunt and search for the toughest arrows I can find, that are also high quality. I still have a dozen Trophy Ridge Crush 300's that I bought in 2008 and shot exclusively for 8 years, at an approximate average of probably 10k+ arrows shot a year. They are the toughest arrows I've ever shot, and are some of the most accurate as well. I took them to the shop last year and had them tested on the RAM spine tester......every one of them was still spot on, or very very close to spot on with their original straightness and spine specs.

The only reason I stopped shooting them was because I went up to 75lb draw, and because I can't get them anymore. So I've been searching for an adequate replacement and so far have narrowed that down to Sirius Apollo 250's and Victory RIP TKO Elite 250's. I rounded up a bunch of other arrow sets and shafts I had laying around and sold them all that fully paid for a couple dozen of these new shafts. Both seem to be quality arrows that seem more durable than your average arrow shaft, and both shoot pretty darn well. If we'd ever start to get some warmer temps around here, I'd be able to get more intensive testing done. But I have high hopes so far. I have 175gr up front on the Apollo's, and 200gr on the TKO's. I think either will make an outstanding hunting arrow, and will also test them in some long range 3D shoots.

 

I get it, my uncle is the same, going broke too save a dollar. I wanted to try the Apollo test kit but was planning on going to my shop and buying a couple of stores of different brands to test and fletch. I've never done this before and really just wanted some ideas. Thanks to all that have thrown some wisdom into the eather!


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Easton axis 5mm

 

That is what I used to shoot. It's a good arrow and has been around for a while. After shooting some arrows and being mean to them by leaving them in the target overnight, I noticed the Axis arrows were more likely to misshape than my wife's Victory arrows did. Found out Victory shafts use more carbon. Made the switch to the Victory VAP TKO 300 Spine and find they shoot better and penetrate better.

 

I shot for Black Eagle for years and have never been disappointed. Every target and hunting arrow I've purchased from them has been exactly as advertised. I've put 300spine Carnivores through Whitetail, hogs and gobblers and have had excellent results.

I built a dozen Kill'n Stix for a customer and was impressed enough to start stocking them in my shop. My customers seem to really like them. The Ventilators (.003") and the PT Series (.001") seem to be the most popular and are getting to the point where my customers are referring their friends.

 

I shot the same dozen Gold Tip XT’s for years with no issues. They were accurate and super durable. I recently got a new bow and had to switch to a stiffer spine so I got Black Eagle Rampage. I have been very impressed with the flight and penetration but not so much with the durability. Although, to be fair, most arrows would have broken in the same situation but probably not the Gold Tips.


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Another vote for the GoldTip XTs. For the money, they're tough to beat.

 

Shooting No Limit Burn Sticks. .001 straightness. $70 close out on Eders.

 

Dollar to dollar it’s hard to beat the Gold Tip XT. They are durable and will shoot very well. The Easton Axis 5mm is another great pick. Black Eagle Has a few picks as well. There, that should clear it up for you....

 

Pretty new to this and i would like to know what the best arrows are, both top of the line in straightness consistency durability. I also want to know what you shoot and why. Just trying to get a little insight.

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i

Pretty new to this and i would like to know what the best arrows are, both top of the line in straightness consistency durability. I also want to know what you shoot and why. Just trying to get a little insight.

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i shoot xx75 gamgetters there chap and great

 

Victory VAP's for me (I buy the Elites), from hunting to field archery. I don't see the need to 'experiment', they are just as good as the best, and better than most.

 

I have run the gauntlet on arrows, and always return to gold tip, of one flavor or the other. Never had an issue with them, just always thought I would jump on the skinny arrow, micro, fat, carbon aluminum. Band wagons and now have made full circle back to std. diameter GT’s.

 

Aluminum arrows.

 

FMj

 

I made some hunting arrows for my friend. Measured with tester GT Velocity V6's.
Surprisingly good arrows even if that V6 doesn't say so.
I've shot them yrs. ago and they're not bad at all when U can cut them both ends.
And after all, pretty cheap ones..

 

I have gone the route of nothing but the best since the 80's. I found that (aside from the broadhead) the arrow can make or break even great bows that are in perfect tune.
While I have my arrows built to the highest standards (I dont build anymore) an Easton aluminum arrow is pretty much as good as it gets off the shelf in my estimation.

Currently I shoot Spynal Tapps out of Excalibur bows. Since I shoot very high arrow weights, the advantage to using a matched arrow is that the extreme high FOC is controlled to the best of ability due in part to perfect indexing. Nock tuning isn't a method that works (as well) when running 500 grains up front.

 

Nock tuning isn't a method that works (as well) when running 500 grains up front.

I would think that the more weight you have up front, the more critical it would be to have perfectly aligned arrows to match their dynamic spines. So I would expect to be doing even more nock tuning than usual. With that much weight up front I'd probably be nock tuning every arrow while they are bare shafts, then they are at least all fletched to that to start with.

 

For the money Easton Camo Hunters, or even game getters are great arrows. Good weight, and very straight