Best Arrows For Recurve Bows

What To Consider When Choosing Arrows For A Recurve

Arrow material

This is the first thing you need to be looking at when you’re choosing arrows.

There are a handful of different materials that are common in the archery world today,

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Carbon Fiber

This is the top of the line material for arrows.

Carbon fiber is what 98% of arrows used for compound bows are made from.

Overall it is the sturdiest and lightest weight arrow material you can use.

And it can be used to make micro-diameter arrows that fly better in windy conditions.

These arrows work great with recurve bows too, especially for hunting.

If you’re looking for the best performing arrows for your recurve, carbon fiber arrows are the way to go.

There’s a pretty wide range in the price of carbon fiber arrows, on the low end they might only be $10 or $20 more per half dozen than aluminum arrows, but on the high end the price can start adding up.

But then again these arrows will likely last longer than aluminum arrows.

At the end of the day, if you want to shoot as accurate and consistent as you possibly can, you need to go with carbon fiber arrows.

Aluminum

You really don’t see people using aluminum for their recurve arrows that much any more, but it’s still doable.

The biggest downside to aluminum arrows is that they are heavier than most other arrows.

They also tend to not perform as well as carbon fiber arrows.

On the other hand, you can find them for cheaper than carbon fiber arrows which is a plus.

If you’re on a really, really tight budget with your set up, you can get some aluminum arrows, but you have to deal with the drop in performance.

Wood

Historically, this is the material that was most often used to make arrows, which is why some archers who shoot traditional bows prefer to still shoot with wood arrows.

Shooting wood arrows is much less about performance and is more about looks & historical accuracy.

Since wood is a natural material, there is much less consistency from arrow to arrow than there is with other materials, which makes shooting consistently accurate more challenging.

To get good shot groups with wood arrows you basically have to start with a ton of arrows, shoot them all a few times and just keep the ones that are grouping the closest together.

Another downside is that wood arrows are less sturdy than carbon fiber arrows, so you will likely have to replace them more often.

If you’re wanting the wood grain look to go with your recurve, but don’t care as much about the historical piece, there are carbon fiber arrows made for recurve bows that have a wood grain print on them that you can get instead.

The bottom line with wood arrows is that you really only need to use them if you want to be historically accurate, not for any kind of performance.

**Note: NEVER shoot wood arrows from a compound bow!**

Fiberglass

The only positive about fiberglass arrows is that they’re cheap.

That’s literally it.

Which can make them tempting to buy, especially when you’re first starting out.

But they are more prone to breaking than any other material out there and are the most dangerous.

I put them on this list, just so I could tell you to avoid them at all costs if you want to be able to consistently shoot safely.

Spine

Arrow spine refers to how stiff the arrow shaft is, the lower the number, the more stiff the arrow.

The reason this is important is that when you shoot an arrow it starts flexing right when it starts moving, if your arrow doesn’t have enough spine, it’ll basically just wiggle all over the place and never shoot accurately.

In the absolute worst case scenario, an arrow can break.

So having a high enough spine of arrow is extremely important.

As you shoot a stronger draw weight on your bow, you’re going to need a lower (stiffer) spine.

The good news is that arrows from the best manufacturers will have a chart on the box that shows exactly what spine you should use for each draw length and draw weight combination.

Fletchings: Feathers vs Vanes

The types of fletchings you use on your arrows really comes down to personal preference, but there are some pros and cons to different materials

There’s two main materials used in non-Olympic archery: feathers or plastic.

Plastic fletchings are usually called vanes.

These are what archers use on compound bows because they are stiff enough to handle the high arrows speeds that compound bows shoot.

The positives of using vanes are that they are durable, weatherproof and come in a wide variety of shapes & sizes.

All of these make them perfect for archery hunting.

But there is a downside to using them with a recurve bow…

Because the vanes are so rigid, they can kick the back of the arrow out to the side if they hit the riser of your recurve while you’re shooting.

This makes you less consistent and less accurate when shooting with a recurve.

There are ways you can get around this with some recurve arrow rests, but over all, it causes most traditional archers to go to feather fletchings.

Feather fletchings are more flexible than vanes and more historically accurate.

Any archer who’s looking for historical accuracy will usually have wood arrows and feather fletchings.

Feather fletchings also don’t kick the arrow around if they come into contact with the bow riser, which makes them perfect for shooting arrows off the shelf.

This makes shooting with them more consistent and more accurate.

Because feather fletchings are so much more flexible, they usually are longer than vanes to get enough surface area to steer the arrow.

The downside with feather fletchings is that they are not weatherproof and can get waterlogged if they are in the rain.

There are some waterproofing techniques you can use to improve their performance, but these only go so far.

Even with this down side, most traditional archers will still hunt with feather fletchings for the improved performance shooting off the shelf.

Arrow Weight

This is mainly a focus for bowhunting, but it can play into target shooting as well.

The first thing to know is that arrow weight is measured in Grains Per Inch (GPI), which is usually listed on every box of arrows you buy.

Arrow weight plays the biggest role in how much force your arrow has when it hits the target (or animal).

This is very important for bow hunters because it influences how far the arrow penetrates into the animal.

Outside of that, it can also affect how straight the arrow shoots in different weather conditions, mainly wind.

Some people take this to the extreme by building their arrow set ups with extra heavy arrows and extra heavy broadheads on the front to create more force on impact.

For average archers this isn’t much of a concern, but it can play a role as you get more advanced.

One thing that will affect the weight of the arrow you can use is the spine of your arrow.

Arrows with a lower spine (stiffer) are going to have a heavier GPI than arrows with a higher spine.

This usually leads to needing a heavier draw weight to get good speed on your arrows.

Overall, arrow weight isn’t going to be a major concern for target archers at first, but it is something to keep in mind.

Arrow Length

This will really only come into play for archers with longer draw lengths.

The standard arrow length for arrows right off the shelf is 30”, which means if your draw length is over 30” you’re going to have to pay extra attention to what arrows you buy.

There’s a fair number of arrows out there that are made in 32” lengths, any draw lengths longer than that and it becomes tougher.

For everyone with shorter draw lengths, most archery shops will cut your arrows down to sie for you when you buy them, but one important thing to keep in mind is that when you cut arrows down, you affect the spine of the arrow.

Basically, as the arrow gets shorter, it gets stiffer, so if your draw length is significantly lower than the length the arrow comes in, you may be able to go down one level on the spine chart and get a less stiff arrow.

Best Arrows for a Recurve Bow

Gold Tip Traditional XT Arrows

These Traditional XT arrows from Gold Tip are a beautiful blend of the look of a wood arrow with the high performance of a carbon arrow.

Not only do they have the look of a wood arrow, but they also come with feather fletchings

If you’re looking to hunt with your trad bow, this is one of the best options out there!

The only real downside is that these are a little higher priced than some other options that aren’t made specifically for traditional shooters.

Easton 6.5mm Carbon Legacy Hunting Arrows

The Carbon Legacy Hunting Arrows from Easton are probably the best arrows for beginners to get.

They have the lowest cost per half dozen on this list, while still being quality arrows from one of the best arrow manufacturers on the market.

They’re carbon arrows, but they do have a light wood grain finish over the arrow to look good with traditional bows.

For fletchings they come with 4” feather fletchings with a left helical.

The nice thing is they come in a wide range of spine/weights, so you can get the right one for your recurve bow no matter what draw weight you’re shooting.

For a beginner looking to get started with traditional archery, this is the arrow to go with.

Related: Best Recurve Bows For Beginners

Easton 5MM Carbon Legacy Fred Eichler Edition Small-Diameter Hunting Arrows

Small diameter arrows have grown in popularity for their ability to shoot well even in windy conditions.

This can be especially important for hunting situations when weather conditions are unpredictable.

These Easton 5MM Carbon Legacy Fred Eichler Edition Small-Diameter Hunting Arrows are one of the few small diameter arrows made with recurve bows in mind.

They come with 4” feather fletchings and an earth tone color over most of the arrow shaft.

The arrows don’t look as ‘traditional’ as some of the other arrows with wood grain patterns, but if the look isn’t as big of a deal for you, then these will work great.

Bear Traditional Only Retro Arrows

The Bear Traditional Only Retro Arrows are made specifically for bow hunters shooting traditional bows.

To get their retro look, they come with either red or green 5” feather fletchings that match the ends of the arrow wrap.

For added visibility after the shot, the majority of the arrow wrap is white.

Other than the wrap, the rest of the arrow has a nice wood grain finish to go with wood recurve bows.

These arrows are very high quality and have a high quality price tag.

If you like the retro look and want to shoot some of the best arrows on the market, these are for you.

3Rivers Harvester Wood Arrows

If you’re looking to go full traditional and use wood arrows, this is what you’re looking for!

The Harvester Wood Arrows are some of the best wood arrows you can find without getting full custom arrows.

Not only are they high performance wood arrows, but they also look amazing.

Added bonus is 3Rivers Archery is extremely helpful and can make sure you get the right set up you need, they can even cut your arrows down to size for you and add inserts before they ship them out.

The downside is these are going to be anywhere from $20 to $30 more per half dozen than most of the other arrows on this list.