Shaft selection advice

[RCA Dog]

Holy confusing Batman ! I need some more arrows, but I'm having a hard time with the selection process. Currently, I am shooting Gold Tip Hunter XT with 340 spine cut at 28". Just the regular threaded insert ( I think they call it the Accu-Lite) and the regular nock. Shooting 100 grain field points, and I haven't made up my mind on broadheads yet, but probably a 100 gn 3 blade fixed of some kind.
My idea is that I want an arrow that will excel for hunting purposes, but still be decent for 3d. I do practice indoors during the winter, but I really don't care about the scoring or anything like that. I practice out to 80 yards in my backyard, and maybe it's me or the bow, but after 50 yards or so, the groups seem to open up exponentially.
So I'm thinking that I can either go with the simple thing and just get more of what I have now, but since I'm spending the money anyway, are there better arrows out there for what I want ?
And what fits what ? Gold tips have a .246 inner diameter, so it seems like you have to use their own inserts ? Or Easton FMJ 6mm, or 5mm, or even 4mm all seem to take their own inserts, and I assume all the other brands do as well.
I don't mind spending some money, but I feel like I'm running around in circles. Choices are a great thing, but this seems a bit ridiculous.
For reference, I'm shooting a 2017 PSE Carbon Air 32 with HD cams, 29.5 DL, 65 lb DW (but will be 70 by end of summer), with a QAD drop away.
Sorry for the long post, I guess I had to vent a bit.

 

[Jtelarkin08]

The hunter is one of the best dual purpose arrow there is in my opinion. You don't want small diameter for cutting lines in 3d and it's one of the best hunting arrows ever made.

I would stay away from half in/half out inserts for 3d. They will bend eventually and they are hard to shoot in bag targets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[doverpack12]

Nothing at all wrong with your current arrow setup. I would first look at tuning your arrows for nock/spine orientation and possibly cutting down and adding weight or just adding weight or changing fletching before you switch arrows. Good tips are pretty durable and there really isn't a great insert option for and other arrow diameters that still allow standard threads. I think you can tighten your distance groups with arrow tuning and possibly fletching changes.

 

[307]

Your current arrows are likely much better than your current skill level. I think that's likely very true for almost all of us. The arrow is a very good one and very unlikely to be your limiting factor.

"It's not the arrow, it's the Indian"

I shoot the GT Hunter XT and killed a bull elk with it last fall, then won a Vegas 450/3d competition with it this winter (same bow/arrow set up).

 

[RCA Dog]

Thanks for the suggestions folks. There are so many choices out there, that it becomes overwhelming for someone that hasn't been shooting for very long. I agree with "it's not the arrow, it's the Indian". I was just thinking that since I have to buy arrows anyway, why not see if I can improve on what I've got....and down the rabbit hole I went, lol.
Doverpack - The FACT system is what I need to play around with different point insert weights, correct ? Any ideas on fletching ? I was thinking AAE Max Stealth, or the Max Hunter.
Should I stick with the 340 spine, or go to the 300, since I'll be 5 more lbs on draw weight, and also adding point weight ? The trial version of OnTarget confuses me a bit.

 

[elkguide]

Have your bow tuned by a good tuner first. 28" @ 70#'s is going to push you towards the 300's but I would personally try an arrow cut at closer to your draw length. Yes you will be adding weight and will cut down a little on speed but the overall stabilization will likely be a little bit better. I have tried way to many combinations and have way to many arrows around and for me I have found that a heavier shaft tends to be quieter, more stable and more consistent. Currently, I am shooting a 60# bow at 28.5" draw and shooting a 28.5" - 340 shaft. My hunting arrows of choice for the past several years have been and still are Easton Axis and Easton ACC's.

I have great amounts of fun trying different combinations and seeing what works best for me.

 

[Brendan]

I've been trying the Gold Tip Pierce Platinum, but there's a good chance I'll just go back to the Hunter Pro's or a more "standard" diameter arrow. The Hunter's always spin true, are tough, and work, where the Pierce has been more picky for me with their insert/outsert system. I would like to give Black Eagle arrows a try as I've heard great things about them. I've never used the FACT system - but this allows you to insert weights from the rear of your arrow, through the shaft, and screw them into the back of your insert.

If you buy more arrows - I'd consider going to the 300 spine as well. More flexibility for heavier point weight than a 340.

 

[doverpack12]

Thanks for the suggestions folks. There are so many choices out there, that it becomes overwhelming for someone that hasn't been shooting for very long. I agree with "it's not the arrow, it's the Indian". I was just thinking that since I have to buy arrows anyway, why not see if I can improve on what I've got....and down the rabbit hole I went, lol.
Doverpack - The FACT system is what I need to play around with different point insert weights, correct ? Any ideas on fletching ? I was thinking AAE Max Stealth, or the Max Hunter.
Should I stick with the 340 spine, or go to the 300, since I'll be 5 more lbs on draw weight, and also adding point weight ? The trial version of OnTarget confuses me a bit.

Yes the FACT system will allow you to add the weights from the nock end. I made my own wrench by taking a long metal rod and welding an allen wrench to the end that I cut off the little L shaped portion of. If you cut your arrows down in length a little I don't think you will have any issues with being too weak on spine. I shoot carbon express Maxima Hunter arrows in 350 spine which is actually .330 so very close to Gold Tips 0.340 spine which you have. My arrows are cut to 27" carbon to carbon and I have 40 grains of weight on the back of the insert. As far as fletching the max stealth fly great and are truly much quieter than most other options out there. I have shot them since they originally came out with the trophy taker logo "Stealth Hunter". The Max Hunters work very well and are quite accurate they are just really loud in flight. If all you bowhunt are non jumpy animals then you will be allright, but if you bowhunt whitetails at all I would avoid the Max Hunters and give yourself every opportunity you can to eliminate string jumping. Blazer X2's in a 4 fletch are a very accurate proven combination as well but they are not much of an improvement in noise over the Max Hunters. Nothing wrong with blazers as they just plain work but they are also loud and have alot of memory in the vane and do not recover from going through targets or being left accidentally resting against something.

 

[RCA Dog]

Again,thanks for everybody's help. I have decided to stick with the XT hunter's, and have ordered everything I need to make up some arrows. I went with the 300 spine, and Max Stealth vanes, and ordered some FACT weights as well. I also ordered a Bitzenberger jig so I can put a RH helical on, just because it makes sense to me to do that. As you can probably tell, this will be my first go at making my own arrow, so hopefully it goes well. Does anyone want to school me on spine alignment, or should I just youtube it ?

 

[doverpack12]

Best way I have found is to shoot all your arrows once you get them cut and built but before fletching through paper and turn the nock on any arrows that are not bullet holes. I've used a homemade spine tester with no weight hanging on the shaft and I was pretty close but I still had to turn the nocks on a few of my arrows. One huge advantage to a spine tester setup is you can find the straightest portion of the arrow and cut off one or both ends. I have taken some low grade arrows and made them pretty good spinners this way. Tim Gillingham has a video on YouTube on how to do that. Ontarget7 has a few with a spine tester if you need to see what one looks like.