The hunting arrow is possibly the most confusing product in the hunting industry. For those of us who know archery, it’s really quite simple: Match the shaft to your shooting rig, style and specifications. For the average consumer, however, it has to be as intimidating as a calculus test. There are literally dozens of options from at least a half dozen companies, and the do-it-yourselfer can become immediately lost in the spine vs. straightness vs. carbon vs. alloy tech-speak. 

Despite the confusion, the hot trend these days is leaning heavily toward skinny shafts. Understanding why this shift is happening is important for archery dealers, retailers, and distributors, as well as bowhunters themselves. 

1. Flatter Trajectory

Advancements in bows, arrows, sights, arrow rests and broadheads have spelled the end of the 25-yard archer. Before fast bows and skinny arrows, one sight pin took you out to 30 yards, maybe, and accuracy become exponentially more difficult beyond that due to arrow drop. Skinny arrows (we’re talking sub-.30-inch diameters) provide flatter trajectories at much great distances.

When comparing a .27-inch shaft to a .30-inch shaft, that can mean a difference of  3+ yards at 35 to 40 yards because the skinnier shaft will recover quicker and, hence, fly flatter. That’s huge for a bowhunter because it could be the difference between a heart-shot deer and a clean miss.

Granted, there not much of difference between a “fat” and a skinny shaft inside 30 yards. Consumers deserve to know this, especially if they never have intentions to push their yardage beyond that distance.

2. Increased Penetration

Kinetic energy has everything to do with weight and speed. When it comes to arrows, an interesting twist (pardon the pun) occurred when engineers at Easton patented Slim Technology. The researchers learned that by holding energy at a constant level, a smaller diameter shaft would penetrate deeper than a larger arrow of similar specs. The key lies in reduced surface area of the shaft, which results in reduced wind drift and more stable flight characteristics.

Increased penetration is inherently linked to the arrow shaft itself, but other factors increase the end result, including short, low-profile vanes, built-in weight forward arrow designs and integrated components like those found in Easton’s Axis Realtree® shaft.

As for weight, the latest skinny shafts carry their weight without showing it. Some of the premium shafts boast 10 to 11 grains per inch of arrow, as opposed to the standard 8 or 9 grains per inch on a conventional shaft.

For example, Carbon Express Pile Driver Extreme 250 has a 0.266-inch diameter, yet provides 9.36 grains per inch. By comparison, the Maxima Red has a 0.295-inch diameter and offers 8.11 grains per inch. That might not seem like a huge difference, but for the average bowhunter that could mean as much as a 40-grain difference just in the arrow shaft. That extra weight is not only going to pack a harder punch, it’s going to be a lot quieter coming off the bowstring.

3. Stunning Good Looks

All of today’s arrow offerings look good, but the skinny shafts — with their custom dips, camouflage patterns, integrated components and low-profile vanes — have taken attractiveness to a new level.

A good example is the Bloodline Realtree® shaft from Easton Archery. This is a no-nonsense hunting arrow that provides the increased penetration of a smaller-diameter shaft and the increased speed of a lightweight carbon arrow. The arrow gets its strength from a carbon nano tube, which also provides consistent straightness of +/- .003-inch. It also comes factory-crested with pre-installed red H nocks and HP inserts included. The white crest, BloodLine logo and Realtree Xtra® camo pattern give this skinny arrow a classy feel. You simply cannot underestimate the “cool factor” with this arrow.

Super-skinny good looks can be found in the Easton Carbon Injexion arrow. This is a state-of-the-art shaft featuring Easton’s Deep Six Technology (think integrated components and custom broadheads). The micro-diameter arrow, also available in Realtree Camo and a factory crest, is built specifically for bowhunting.

The Whole Package

There’s a steep difference between a fad and a trend. Trends don’t fade away, and neither will skinny hunting arrows. Their construction, durability and performance will surely weather the test of time.