For the last 7 years, I have consistently been shooting the black eagle rampage arrows with some sort of aftermarket insert (Ethics, Sirius, Iron Will, etc). While they have performed great and I have no problems with them overall I felt this year was a year that I sat down and revisited the idea of a new arrow build, in return I have found what might be the best all-around arrow for me. Which I will discuss shortly. However, with today's market the way it is and so many options being available I figured this would be a great time for me to discuss what I look for in an arrow, and overall build as this can be a daunting venture for a lot of people. Especially with all the high FOC and heavy arrow people swarming social media outlets.
The first step I take in finding a shaft that I am going to shoot is what do I want to do with this arrow? What is my maximum effective range? What broadhead will I be shooting, and what size game will I be shooting? These questions generally have had the same answer year in and year out for me hence why I have stuck with the same shaft for so long, making minor tweaks along the way based on what I have experienced in the field or on the range.
WHAT DO I WANT TO DO WITH THIS ARROW?
This is the first question I ask myself when looking at a potential arrow build. It's pretty simple, I hate changing setups from 3D, Indoor, to Hunting throughout the year I always try to go with a do-it-all setup that will fit my needs. Seldom building a specific arrow for target-related archery, unless I have a bow at the time that will be dedicated to that discipline of archery.
WHAT IS MY MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGE?
This answer can vary from archer to archer, I won't dive into ethics or how you feel on the topic, but for me, my maximum effective hunting range is 85 yards. I've taken a handful of animals at this distance and practice much further than this distance regularly throughout the offseason. 85 yards and closer is not unfamiliar territory for me behind the bow. I will follow that up by saying the situation needs to be right for me to make that shot on a live animal, and I have passed many animals within my effective range due to conditions that have occurred in the field ( heavy wind, alert animal, moving animal, low percentage shot angle, the list goes on ). Do not hold yourself to the same maximum effective range as others, find that distance for yourself.
WHAT BROADHEAD WILL I BE SHOOTING?
Typically I carry both a fixed and a mechanical/hybrid style head. Some might ask well why is this important? I have found this comes more important with fixed blades then it is with a mechanical to do everything in your power to keep concentricity across your dozen shafts. This just helps allow for easier and more precise broadhead tuning. You can cut out a lot of headaches by getting a shaft and component system that fits these needs if you address this at the forefront.
WHAT SIZE GAME WILL I BE SHOOTING?
This is the most overlooked topic when it comes to the heavy arrow and high FOC argument, and could likely be a post in itself. You do not need nearly as much arrow weight to kill an Alabama whitetail as you do to kill a Minnesota Whitetail. Even in the instance of a poor shot. These two animals are the same species but vary drastically in size, and bone densities based on where they live. I am a deer hunter, midwestern whitetail, and mule deer are going to occupy 90% of my time, but remember I said I like a do-it-all setup. So, I will usually err on the side of slightly heavier than needed for my quarry and when I chase a bigger critter such as an elk, moose, etc. I will solely shoot fixed blades, and tighten my effective range down to 50 yards.
NOW WHAT?
Now that we have answered all of these pre-build questions we put that data into considering our final arrow build and it's time to diagnose how we are going to land on the shaft we choose. This is easy to do by setting out the landmark for what numbers you want to hit. I am going to detail my preferences in an all-around arrow setup that fits these needs and will perform wonderfully for 90% of archers out there in the same situation as me.
ARROW WEIGHT.
480-525 grains is my preferred range to be in. However I tend to like to hover around 500-510 grains in most situations. I come to this number simply based on my specs. 28"/ 72# This number may fluctuate one way or another if you're shooting longer draw length, lower poundage, or a mixture of both.
SPEED
I feel that for archers 255-275 FPS is about the best place to be regardless of draw length. The only difference to hit that point would be total arrow weight. I find this speed range to be very forgiving to mistakes, while still being able to get pretty much any head to fly accurately out of a well-tuned bow. (280 fps at the most). speed doesn't necessarily kill but you will miss faster.
FOC
Front of center is the least of my worries when it comes to an arrow build. it usually just ends up wherever it ends up after I've checked all my other boxes. but I tend to like to be under 17% FOC. anything over 17% in the wind can cause some erratic flight, especially with broadheads.
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY
This is a big one for me I want my arrow to stay intact! Especially for how expensive they are. Settling for less durable or lesser quality systems to try to save a few dollars here and there will only result in you spending more in the future because you broke so many arrows.
SO WHERE DID I LAND?
I could spend 4 days writing about every shaft on the market and the pros and cons of each. For the sake of your time and my time I'll summarize this into what arrow I decided to go with for 2024, and how I came to that conclusion, if there is one key takeaway from this post let it be this, do not follow the crowd build an arrow that will fit your specific needs, for your specific situation. You don't need a 600-grain arrow and 20% FOC to be successful and forgiving in the field.
Arrow Build:
Day Six XD/HD 300 Spine
C2C: 26.75"
Insert: 100gr /75gr
Broadhead: 125gr
Wrap: 5gr
Fletching: 3x 8gr
Nock: 7gr
TAW: 529gr /539gr
FOC: 17% / 15%
How I came to this arrow build is rather petty and almost lazy, especially since I had no issues with my rampages, but as I get busier and busier, my time to fuss with my builds dwindles. Certain frustrations come from the rampages that I have typically overlooked until this year. The main one is that I spend all this money on these shafts and the stock inserts are garbage, they lack any sort of structural integrity benefits for me and my setup, so they always go into the garbage. Then I have to spend additional money to get aftermarket inserts that will fit my needs. This is not a huge deal, but it is inconvenient when you start looking at the total cost of a build because you are spending almost as much on the aftermarket parts in some cases as you are on the shafts. THIS IS STUPID!
When I look at a shaft to use I look at a few options now. What does this shaft offer that other shafts don't? Day Six has a durable 4MM & 5MM shaft with a proven insert system, offering various insert weights to choose from. 4MM shafts have always been superior in the wind and penetration department, but lacking in the durability and sustainability department. leading me away from them most of the time. However, being able to get a proven durable system in a one-stop shop situation from a company that offers both 4MM and 5MM options is a no brainer for me. Especially since they offer consistent specs on their products. I prefer to spend more time shooting, less time building while not sacrificing quality in my build.
I am by no way affiliated with Day Six Gear, but their products do stand out.
I will be doing more testing on these shafts throughout 2024 and report back my over all detailed view on Day Six HD / XD Arrows and their performance.
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