Testing Information
Bow: Elite Archery Impulse 31
Draw Length: 29 inches
Draw Weight: 65 pounds
Rest: QAD UltraRest HDX
Sight: Black Gold 3-Pin Moveable
Arrows Tested: Easton Archery Full Metal Jacket 320 6MM
Arrow Length: All arrows were cut and constructed to a finished length of 28.75 inches (not including field tip or broadhead).
Arrow Fletch: Two-inch Bohning Blazer Vane with 6-inch Bohning wrap
Arrow Fletch Orientation: 3-degree right helical
Arrow Head Selection: All arrows were fitted with 100-grain 5⁄16-inch tread Saunders Combo Points, 100-grain Rage Hypodermics or 100-grain Wac ‘Em 4-Blades.
EASTON ARCHERY FMJ 6MM 320
Contact Information: (801) 539-1400; www.eastonhunting.com
Finished Arrow Weight: 425.2 grains
Three Arrow Average Speed: 282 fps
Kinetic Energy: 74.61 foot-pounds
An economical FMJ offering from Easton, the 6MM still heeds the slim-diameter call and boasts a straightness rating of +/- .003. A carbon core wrapped in a 7075 metal jacket, the 6MM promises ease of arrow removal from foam targets and comes with pre-installed H nocks.
Test 1: Accuracy
Wind: 7 to 8 mph
When it comes to accuracy, these arrows shine brightly. As was the case with the Maxima BLU RZ arrows, I shot ultra-tight field-point groups from the aforementioned distances. In fact, my final 70-yard group had three arrows inside the 12-ring of my Rinehart Pronghorn target. In addition, all 12 arrows were inside the target’s 10-ring.
The expandable test followed suit. Not only did I shave fletches from multiple shafts, but I also didn’t put a single arrow outside the 10-ring.
My fixed-blade accuracy was also very solid. I did, from all distances, shoot consistently right an average of .75 inches. Nothing serious, but my own curiosity got the better of me and I repeated the fixed-blade test two days later with my Elite cranked down to 70 pounds. This simple tweak remedied my slight right problem. Even with the .75-inch right impact, eight of my 12 70-yard arrows were inside the Block hexagon with the bow set at the tested 65-pound draw weight.
After marking the Easton FMJ 6MM with a pink Sharpie, the author takes time to measure the arrow's exact penetration after being removed from a fresh Block target.
Test 2: Noise
Of the three arrows tested with the enhanced microphone system, the FMJ 6MM was the quietest shaft. On occasion I could detect a slight hum, but most of the time it wasn’t even possible to detect an arrow passing by. I had three separate people listen to the noise test on each of these arrows, and all agreed that the 6MM was the quietest.
Test 3: Penetration
Shot into three fresh Block spots from a distance of 30 yards, the Easton FMJ 6MM 320 penetrated an average of 13.875 inches.
Overall:
In 2015 I harvested nine separate animals with this impressive shaft. All were from bows set at a 65-pound draw weight, and all expired within sight. The 6MM is an accurate, hard-hitting and whisper-quiet shaft that demands attention.
