A key to good shooting is the type of arrow you use. Even though you may have bought a bow with a high IBO speed such as greater than 300 fps, there is no way it will shoot at that speed if you shoot a heavy fiberglass arrow. That being said, the arrow you need will change with your circumstances and you may need to use each type at some point or another.

There are a few features that are important in what makes a good arrow, namely spine, straightness and weight. Straightness and weight pretty much speak for themselves, but the spine needs a little more explanation. When we talk about spine we are referring to the level of flex in the arrow as it is launched. An arrow with a high spine won't flex as much as an arrow with a low spine. The extent of an arrow's spine depends on the stiffness of the materials in the shaft as well as the geometery of the shaft. Ideally you want the flex to be the same each time you shoot an arrow, but this is hard to achieve.

The key to successful archery shooting isn't so much in the brand of compound bow you use because most contain similar features. Where you will really find your edge is in a judicious selection of arrows, both in the materials they are made from and the quality of the manufacture. Ensure the arrows you buy are straight, that they suit the bow and the type of shooting you will be doing. Your draw length will also rule over the length of the arrow you need.

You usually buy arrows made of fiberglass, wood, aluminum and carbon. We will look at the benefits and downsides of each as well as the uses for each.

Wood was the original material of choice for arrows when bows were first invented and wooden arrows are still used today. Wood is an easy medium to work with, it's flexible and reasonably durable, they are also quite inexpensive. More recently, as bows have become more powerful, other materials have replaced wooden arrows. They are good arrows for beginners to learn with. It is common for a wooden arrow to contain flaws, such is the nature of the material. AnotherA final problem with shooting a wood arrow is that they aren't made longer than 31-1/2 inches.

Carbon arrows are lightweight, strong and fast through the air. They are designed for modern bows that can handle the lighter weighted arrows. Although they are called carbon arrows, and there are pure carbon arrows available, the most common kind of carbon arrow is an aluminum/carbon mix that gives the arrow added strength and durability. Carbon arrows are smaller than aluminum arrows which give them their greater speed. They are for shooting over long distances and maintain their shape well. The downside to using carbon arrows is in the price because they are indeed quite expensive.

Aluminum arrows are widely used for indoor target archery with many archers preferring the thicker aluminum shafts to the thinner carbon arrows. They are also used for archery tournaments. Aluminum arrows are also suited to inexperienced archers due to their resilience if the target is missed. The aluminum arrows are not as expensive as other types and easily replaced if they are damaged, lost or broken. There is also a consistency in their manufacture so you are less likely to get a bent or warped shaft and if the shaft is bent, it can often be straightened and reused. It's easy to replace the arrow tips in aluminum arrows which means you can keep the arrows for a long time

Fiberglass arrows are heavier than other arrows and are mainly most commonly used as a training arrow. Although they are more durable than wooden arrows and can be made to differing sizes to match the archer, they still tend to break quite easily and people tend to prefer aluminum arrows. Fiberglass comes into its own through the fact that the arrows can be made more consistent from one arrow to the next making their flight more reliable.

One option to try, if you're not happy with the types of arrows available to buy, is to construct your own. Each of the parts of the arrow can be bought separately. You'll need a shaft, fletching, point and nock as well as various tools such as a fletching jig, an arrow cutting saw, hot glue and fletching glue.

There is no doubt that buying a compound bow is an important step when starting out in the sport of archery, but as we have seen, When you first take up archery, the focus of your attention is going to be on the more showy, and more expensive, compound bow. That's only natural. But as we have just seen, it's crucial not to overlook the arrows you use with that new bow. In fact the features of your new compound bow might be completely negated by the purchase of cheap or unsuitable arrows.

You will find a wide range of arrows at The Compound Archery Store. As well as arrows you will find a wide range of compound bows and other archery accessories just head on over to http://compoundarcherystore.com/

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