It’s easy to forget that your car is only as good as the tires you’ve fitted. The same is true for crossbows and arrows. If you are shooting junk, your results will be junk. We’ve already talked about arrows as a whole in a previous blog post, but times have moved on since then, and we have raised the bar once more. So this is the first in a series of blogs looking at the latest arrows in our arsenal.
Target arrows: more than meets the eye
People sometimes dismiss target arrows as just for messing about. You know: somehow not serious. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, target arrows walk rather a fine line. They deliver a number of overlooked benefits to the user. They need to be accurate, obviously. They should also be kind to the target (as kind as you can be, poking holes in something). And finally, they need to be affordable. These traits make the target arrow the choice for the regular or competitive shooter using standard equipment.
Customers seemingly feel Steambow manages to deliver on all of those qualities if the quantities of the AR-series arrows sold are any indication. So, let’s look at the target arrow range in a bit more detail. There are 3 types of arrows you can buy for your AR-Series crossbow.
Aluminum: an industry staple
The first is the aluminum arrow design. These are the cheapest to buy. Not because they are inferior in the results they deliver but because they are cheaper to produce and because they need that bit more care to extend their service life.
If you use more powerful limbs and/or inappropriate targets, aluminum arrows can bend. That’s not Steambow arrows; that’s any aluminum arrow. It’s a recognized tradeoff when people choose the economical option. So, if you buy the blues, you will enjoy good results, no question, but just be aware that your arrows’ service life might not be as long as the other alternatives.
This is also the reason for recommending them to users of the 35-lbs CQ, 55-lbs TACTICAL, and 75-lbs ADVANCED limbs only. Going heavier? What follows is more for you.
Best of both worlds
The alternatives mentioned above are the two carbon variants. One version is heavier and is a hybrid made of a carbon shaft with an aluminum core coming in at 11.2g. Meanwhile, the other is lighter, being carbon only at 9.4g. The two weights are meant to complement our expanded range of limbs. So, light arrows are for less powerful limbs (35 lbs to 75 lbs), and heavier arrows are for stronger limbs (90 lbs PRO limbs).
Although stiffer than the aluminum arrows, their weight still has limitations: if you are using the 120-lbs MAGNUM or 150-lbs HUNTING limbs, and you just want to do target practice, then opt for the Bodkin arrows. Bodkins will be the subject of “Get to the Point! Arrows pt 2.”
So hopefully this will help you decide which you want to go for in future. And if you want to learn more about the other arrow types we sell, stay tuned for more “Get to the Point” blog installments.
