10 Best Hunting Arrows of 2021
Even with today's most advanced firearms, nothing beats the joy of hunting game with a bow and an arrow.
Bow hunting has come a long way and has also seen plenty of advancements over the years. The wooden arrow is superseded today by aluminum and carbon fiber arrows, with new technologies making the arrows better, more accurate, and deadlier.
This hunting arrows review presents you with the best arrows for your hunting rig, and this includes those with the newest technologies. It also presents you with all the extra information that you'll need to make the right choice.
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10 Best Hunting Arrows – Review
- 1. Carbon Express – Best Overall Hunting Arrows
- 2. Misayar – Best Budget Carbon Hunting Arrows
- 3. Gold Tip HXT340A2 – Factory Fletched Hunting Arrows
- 4. Huntingdoor 12-Pack – Wooden Hunting Arrows With Turkey-feather Fletching
- 5. Antsir 31.5 Inches – Set Of 12 Fiberglass Hunting Arrows
- 6. M.A.K 30-Inch – Carbon Hunting Arrows With Free Broadheads
- 7. Huntingdoor 31-Inch – 500 Spine Carbon Hunting Arrows
- 8. Archery Sharly – Carbon Fiber Hunting Arrows With Feather Fletching
- 9. Gold Tip G810300-P – Best Carbon Arrow Shaft
- 10. Beman 626361-P – Set Of Six Classic Hunter Arrow Shafts
- How to Buy the Best Hunting Arrows
- Conclusion
10 Best Hunting Arrows – Review
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PRODUCT |
FEATURES |
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1. Carbon Express (Best Overall) |
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2. Misayar (Best Budget Carbon Arrows) |
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3. Gold Tip HXT340A2 (Factory Fletched Arrows) |
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4. Huntingdoor 12-Pack (Wooden Arrows With Turkey-feather Fletching) |
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5. Antsir 31.5 Inches (Set Of 12 Fiberglass Arrows) |
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6. M.A.K 30-Inch (Carbon Arrows With Free Broadheads) |
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7. Huntingdoor 31-Inch (500 Spine Carbon Arrows) |
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8. Archery Sharly (Carbon Fiber Arrows With Feather Fletching) |
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9. Gold Tip G810300-P (Best Carbon Arrow Shaft) |
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10. Beman 626361-P (Set Of Six Classic Arrow Shafts) |
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PRODUCT |
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1. Carbon Express (Best Overall) |
2. Misayar (Best Budget Carbon Arrows) |
3. Gold Tip HXT340A2 (Factory Fletched Arrows) |
4. Huntingdoor 12-Pack (Wooden Arrows With Turkey-feather Fletching) |
5. Antsir 31.5 Inches (Set Of 12 Fiberglass Arrows) |
6. M.A.K 30-Inch (Carbon Arrows With Free Broadheads) |
7. Huntingdoor 31-Inch (500 Spine Carbon Arrows) |
8. Archery Sharly (Carbon Fiber Arrows With Feather Fletching) |
9. Gold Tip G810300-P (Best Carbon Arrow Shaft) |
10. Beman 626361-P (Set Of Six Classic Arrow Shafts) |
1. Carbon Express – Best Overall Hunting Arrows
- Diameter: 0.295 inch
- Length: 32.5 inches
- Weight: 8-9.7 GPI
- Material: Carbon
Developed with perfection in mind, this Carbon Express set combines all the available arrow technologies to offer you the best possible hunting arrows for the money.
The package is available as a 6 or 12 pack, with each arrow featuring a maximum weight deviation of +/-1.0 grains and a straightness tolerance of +/-0.0025. They are also available in 2 spine versions, including 250 and 350 .
You get a high-quality and 32.5-inch long carbon fiber shaft. Each one is made with Carbon Express' BuffTuff weaving technology to get a good spine consistency, durability and arrow strength.
Its major downside is its high price. But keep in mind that the other cheaper arrows can't offer a similar strength and accuracy level.
The finish also includes the Mossy Oak Treestand camouflage pattern to offer you best hunting arrows that are both reliable and beautiful.
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2. Misayar – Best Budget Carbon Hunting Arrows
- Diameter: 0.307 inch
- Length: 30 inches
- Weight: 12 GPI
- Material: Carbon
For those who want top hunting arrows at a budget price, why not check out this pack of 12 arrows from Misayar. They are very thin at just 0.307 inch, making them very nice for hunting.
With these Misayar's arrows, you get a 12-GPI weight, which helps to penetrate the hide and flesh of most game animals. Its composite carbon shaft also provides stability and durability.
Keep in mind that they are only good for draw weights of about 55 pounds and below. So, they aren't for stronger bows.
The vanes are plastic and very colorful, while the field points are hardened steel for a long life. You can always change it out though and add a 100-grain broadhead tip.
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3. Gold Tip HXT340A2 – Factory Fletched Hunting Arrows
- Diameter: 0.300 inch
- Length: 32 inches
- Weight: 8.9 GPI
- Material: Carbon
Gold Tip's Hunter XT is a premium quality hunting arrow. It's designed for those who appreciate high performance at a fair price. This arrow comes with a black shaft, including 2-inch green and white raptor vanes.
There are 4 different spine ratings available here and these include 300 , 340 , 400 , and 500 . With a 32-inch factory length and an 8.9 grains per inch weight, this arrow also features a slim 0.300-inch outer diameter, which is ideal for hunting.
Included components in the package are a GT nock and accu-lite inserts for screwing in the tips. What's not so great though, is its price, but it seems worth it.
The hunter XT is a well crafted mid-weight arrow, balancing speed and deep penetration to produce a hunting arrow that you can depend on for years to come.
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4. Huntingdoor 12-Pack – Wooden Hunting Arrows With Turkey-feather Fletching
- Diameter: 0.312 inch
- Length: 31 inches
- Weight: 35 grams per arrow
- Material: Wood
If you are a passionate archer with a deep love for recurve or longbows , then why not spice things up with a truly old-school arrow?
Huntingdoor presents this classical and beautiful piece of art, handmade from natural wood, fletched with 5-inch long turkey feathers, and ready to shoot straight out of the box.
This set contains 12 arrows, each one is 31 inches long, with a 0.312-inch diameter. They're rated for low-weight 40 to 60-lb recurve or longbows, and they come pre-nocked, plus a 100-grain field point.
You should note that while these arrows look amazing, they're neither as straight, accurate, nor as durable as carbon fiber arrows.
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5. Antsir 31.5 Inches – Set Of 12 Fiberglass Hunting Arrows
- Diameter: 0.314 inch
- Length: 30 inches
- Weight: 125 grains
- Material: Fiberglass
You can get your hunting arrows for a lot less than the price of carbon arrows if you're willing to indulge fiberglass. Usually provided for beginners, fiberglass arrows do have their advantages, and this includes durability and a low price.
This set comes with 12 arrows, each featuring brightly-colored plastic vanes and a nock. There's also an insert to host the nickel-plated stainless steel field points.
Made for 30 - 60 lbs bows, and featuring a 0.314-inch diameter, each arrow has a spine rating of 500, plus a 30-inch length, which is neither too soft, nor too rigid.
Fiberglass arrows are okay and often accurate to a given level, but you shouldn't expect the strength and precision of carbons arrow from a fiberglass arrow.
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6. M.A.K 30-Inch – Carbon Hunting Arrows With Free Broadheads
- Diameter: 0.309 inch
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Length: 30 inches
- Material: Carbon
M.A.K's carbon hunting arrows offer you a great opportunity of buying well-made carbon arrows at a great price. The arrows are 0.309-inch wide and 30 inches long, and are recommended for 40 - 60 pounds bow.
In addition to the well-made shaft, the arrows also come with nickel-plated stainless steel field tips and nicely-colored plastic fletching for improved accuracy.
As an added bonus, you'll receive 6 vanes, 6 nocks and 3 chisel-tipped broadheads for hunting, all for free.
Depending on your hunting style, the three broadheads might or might not be enough for you. And that's the major drawback here. Its spine rating is 500 and its price is very attractive, making this one of the best hunting arrows for the money.
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7. Huntingdoor 31-Inch – 500 Spine Carbon Hunting Arrows
- Diameter: 0.297 inch
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Length: 31 inches
- Material: Carbon
Huntingdoor is making an offer here that few can resist. You get a full package containing 6 carbon arrows with field tips, plus 6 3-bladed broadheads for hunting.
The field tips can get changed easily, but the broadheads are high quality and durable tips that'll penetrate deep into any game and cause enough damage.
You get a carbon shaft with a 0.297-inch diameter and adjustable nocks to make the arrow fit your bow perfectly. There are also colored plastic vanes for easy identification and standard thread inserts for switching between field tips and broadheads .
It has a 500-spine rating and is recommended for 40 to 55-lb bows. The arrows are also fully assembled and ready for shooting, straight from the box.
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8. Archery Sharly – Carbon Fiber Hunting Arrows With Feather Fletching
- Diameter: 0.299 inch
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Length: 31 inches
- Material: Carbon
Featuring natural feather fletching, these arrows are perfect for traditional archers who like to keep things old school. There are 2 red and 1 black 4.5-inch long feathers on each arrow.
Made from carbon fiber, each shaft is straight and accurate, providing you with better hits and longer lasting arrows. They also have a very thin outer diameter of 0.299 inch, making them less susceptible to wind drag during flight.
This arrow set is also a 12-pack. The arrows have a 500 spine rating and a 50-lb draw weight recommendation.
Its tips are removable and you can replace them with 100-grain broadheads. The nocks, however, are glued tight, making it impossible to make any adjustments to the arrow before shooting.
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9. Gold Tip G810300-P – Best Carbon Arrow Shaft
- Diameter: 0.302 inch
- Length: 32 inches
- Weight: 9.3 GPI
- Material: Carbon
Gold Tip's G810300-P Hunter XT arrows are well known for their precision, but you don't need to buy the entire arrow package, because you can just buy only the shafts, which is the offer here.
Although the price might seem high for just arrow shafts, you should note that these are very high-end shafts, with a straightness tolerance of +/-0.003 and a weight tolerance of +/- 2 grains.
In addition to that, each shaft is also covered in a Realtree Xtra camo finish for that true hunting feel.
Of course, this package is for the hunter who knows what he's doing, wants to customize his arrows by himself, and needs the very best arrow shafts he can get.
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10. Beman 626361-P – Set Of Six Classic Hunter Arrow Shafts
- Length: 32 inches
- Weight: 7.3 - 9.5 GPI
- Material: Carbon
The ICS Hunter Classic from Beman is a popular and well-made arrow. It's tested and relied on by many expert archers. This offer is for the arrow shaft without a head.
It comes with inserts for either installing practice field tips or for broadheads. You also get vanes on the arrow and a direct-fit S nock.
There are 3 spine options available and they include a 300 spine with 9.5 GPI weight, a 340 spine with 9.3 GPI , a 400 with 8.4 , and a 500 spine with a 7.3 GPI weight rating.
Each arrow also has a straightness tolerance of +/-0.003, and they come a few inches longer, so you can cut them to the right length for your rig. The Beman ICS Classic is not just a good hunting arrow, it's one of the best carbon hunting arrows available.
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How to Buy the Best Hunting Arrows
There are many factors to generally look out for when choosing an arrow. These include the length, material, arrow spine, and weight.
When it comes to hunting arrows, good penetration becomes more important and this gets created by combining more weight, a thinner shaft, and good speed.
Following is a closer look at these factors, and how they can combine to create the ideal hunting arrow.
1. Arrow Weight
Truly, a heavier arrow will not fly as fast as a lighter arrow, but it often penetrates the animal deeper. As an arrow gets fired from a bow, it travels with a momentum which is a result of the bow's draw weight in pounds and the arrows weight in grains.
The environment will have more impact on a lighter arrow fired with the same force and it will not hit the game with as much impact as the heavier arrow.
Heavier arrows also cut down on the noise made by the bow when firing the arrow. For hunting, therefore, a heavier arrow is always preferred.
2. Arrow Length
The length of your arrows will depend on your bow's draw length. So, you need to measure your draw length first, before knowing what bow length to buy. The ideal arrow length is usually 0.5 or 1 inch longer than your draw length.
You can either measure your bow's draw length in an archery shop or draw the bow by yourself and have a friend measure the distance to the back of the riser. You can alternatively measure your arm-span, spread out horizontally, and divide it by 2.5.
3. Shaft Thickness
The thickness of the arrow shaft is another important factor in determining how suitable an arrow is for hunting. An ideal hunting arrow should be as thin as possible, allowing it to fly with less wind drift.
Its walls should also be thicker than that of comparable target-practice arrows because this makes it heavier. This thickness is the difference between the shaft's outer and inner diameters, for hollow shafts like aluminum and carbon fiber.
4. Straightness
The straightness of the arrow is another marker for quality. Each manufacturer provides a tolerance figure that got used in measuring and maintaining the arrow's straightness.
You'll get fraction numbers with 3 decimal places between 0.001 and 0.006. The higher numbers are less straight, while the lower numbers are higher quality, straight arrow shafts.
5. Arrow Spine
Arrow spine combines many features like the material, length and weight of the arrow shaft to find how much or how little it wiggles in flight.
In other words, it's a measure of arrow stiffness, with lower numbers like 300 being stiffer than the more flexible arrows with a higher spine rating like 500.
6. Arrow Type/Shaft Material
Arrows are usually classified according to the materials they got produced from. Wood was originally used in arrow making, but technological advancements have introduced aluminum, fiberglass, and carbon arrows.
Fiberglass is great for kids and beginners, aluminum is affordable and good for practicing, while carbon fiber arrows are the best for hunting.
Carbon arrows are flexible and very durable. Due to the strength of carbon fiber, the shafts can also be made thinner to cut down on wind drag, and their density gives them the perfect weight for optimal penetration of your target.
7. Fletching
Arrow fletching was traditionally accomplished using feathers, but most arrows today come with plastic vanes. Still, a feather remains the best fletching material, as you can see from the Archery Sharly arrows .
Although there are often exceptions, conventional vanes are usually 2, 3, or 4 inches long, with the longer ones stabilizing broadheads better, while the shorter ones are more forgiving in windy situations.
You'll find 3 types of fletching turns. There's the straight one with vanes that are parallel to the arrow shaft, a helical fletching turn, which is the best broadhead stabilizer, and an offset turn which combines the two.
Helical fletching turns are the most accurate for hunting with broadheads, but only if your bow doesn't use a containment arrow rest. Else, the offset fletching turn works with most arrow rests and is also the most popular choice among hunters.
Conclusion
We have reached the end of this best hunting arrows review and you should hopefully have found what you're looking for. As each archer is unique and different from others, so too are personal choices, including the choice of an arrow.
As it stands, the Carbon Express arrows pack is the best overall hunting arrows. They come in two spine versions and are available in 6 and 12-packs.
If you're on a budget, however, then the recommendation for budget carbon arrows is the Misayar arrow pack , with its colorful vanes and 12 GPI rating.
And in case you are the old-school type, then
Huntingdoor's 12-pack
is the answer. You can't go wrong with these wooden shafts and turkey-feather fletching.