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All About Arrows

ARROW ANATOMY

An arrow is a fin stabilized projectile that is launched from a bow. It consists of several key parts that create a reliable projectile.


Figure: Arrow components and features. 

A diagram showing the different parts of an arrow.


ARROW COMPOSITION

Arrows are made of different materials depending on their application. Each material has pros and cons.

Wood

Composed of 50% Carbon, 42% Oxygen, 6% Hydrogen, 1% Nitrogen and 1% of other materials.

A picture showing the elements that make up a wood arrow.

Pros:

  • Original arrow material
  • Cheap to produce
  • Easily made

Cons:

  • Durability
  • Inconsistent strength and stiffness
  • Weak and heavy

Aluminum

Composed of 98% Aluminum, 1% Magnesium, .6% Silicon, .2% Copper and .2% Iron.

A picture showing the elements that make up an aluminum arrow.

Pros:

  • Lightweight
  • Sturdy
  • Versatile

Cons:

  • More expensive than wood
  • Easily bent
  • Poor vibration dampening

Fiberglass

Composed of 53% Silicon, 31% Oxygen, 12% Calcium, 1% Carbon, .5% Sodium and 2.5% other materials.

A picture showing the elements that make up a fiberglass arrow.

Pros:

  • Durable
  • Inexpensive
  • Consistent

Cons:

  • Heavy
  • Slow
  • Brittle

Carbon

Composed of 92% Carbon, 3% Hydrogen, 4% Nitrogen, .3% Sulfur and .7% other materials.

A picture showing the elements that make up a carbon arrow.

Pros:

  • Stiff
  • Very lightweight
  • Durable
  • Consistent

Cons:

  • Prone to splintering
  • Expensive

INTERNAL FORCES

Compression is a force that presses inward on an object causing it to become compacted.
Tension is a force that pulls outward on an object causing it to become extended.


Figure: The yellow object is in compression and the blue object is in tension. 

A diagram showing the differences in internal forces for compression and tension.


BENDING AND DEFLECTION

Bending is the reaction of an object when an external force is applied to it. Deflection measures the actual change in a material subjected to bending. Arrows are rated according to their stiffness, which is the extent the arrow resists deformation in response to an applied force.

Figure: The magnified image describes how the material on one side of the arrow is in compression while the material on the opposite side is in tension when the arrow is bent. 

A diagram showing the different kinds of force in a bending arrow.

SPINE RATING

The stiffness of an arrow is known as spine rating. Having incorrect arrow spine for a bow results in erratic arrow flight and poor grouping.


Figure: Choosing an arrow with an incompatible spine rating for a given bow can lead to poor accuracy on the target. 

A diagram showing how having a correct spine rating in an arrow will increase its grouping.