It was November and I was on a whitetail hunt in Illinois. We had just picked up the last hunter for the evening and I noticed one of his arrows was covered in mud. He began telling me the story of his errant shot and asked me to inspect the arrow. I noticed the number 500 was branded on his shaft. I asked the man what poundage he was pulling, and he told me his bow was set at 68 pounds. I instructed him he was shooting too light an arrow and one that was way underspined for his rig. He snatched the arrow from my hand, gave me a stern look and said, “This arrow is heavy, it weighs 500 grains.”

Truth be told, a lot of bowhunters don’t understand arrow spine or its importance. A properly spined arrow will recover faster in flight and take your shooting accuracy to new levels. If you aren’t familiar with arrow spine or have any idea which arrow would be right for you, contact your local pro shop or use an arrow chart like those found at the following three manufacturer’s websites.

Carbon Express and its popular Maxima RED, a technology-rich carbon arrow, continue to raise eyebrows. The RED boasts stiffer ends to contain and control dynamic spine to the center of the arrow, improving overall performance.

Easton’s Deep Six Full Metal Jacket provides bowhunters with a full metal jacket over a micro-diameter carbon core to ensure maximum arrow penetration through boosted kinetic energy and less friction during flight.

Victory Archery’s ultra-small-diameter VAP arrows are married with the Penetrator Hunting System to produce consistent long-range accuracy, deep penetration and bone-busting force.