How to Choose Arrows for Your Recurve Bow

Understanding how to choose arrows for your recurve bow affects accuracy more than most beginners realize. Mismatched arrows fly inconsistently regardless of your shooting skill or bow quality. This comprehensive guide explains arrow specifications and helps you select the right arrows for your recurve setup.

Arrow Spine: The Most Critical Factor

Spine refers to arrow stiffness—how much the shaft resists bending. When released from a recurve bow, arrows flex dramatically around the riser before straightening in flight. This phenomenon, called archers paradox, requires arrows matched to your specific setup. Wrong spine causes unpredictable flight and poor accuracy.

Spine is measured by deflection under a standard weight. Lower spine numbers indicate stiffer arrows. A 500 spine arrow bends less than a 600 spine arrow under identical force. Selecting correct spine ensures your arrows recover from the initial flex and fly true to the target.

Matching Spine to Draw Weight

Use these general spine guidelines for recurve bows as starting points:

• 15-25 lb draw weight: 700-600 spine (very flexible)
• 25-35 lb draw weight: 600-500 spine
• 35-45 lb draw weight: 500-400 spine
• 45-55 lb draw weight: 400-340 spine (stiff)

Draw length also affects spine requirements significantly. Longer draw lengths store more energy, requiring stiffer arrows than the draw weight alone suggests. Heavy points also weaken effective spine, potentially requiring adjustment.

Arrow Material Comparison

Fiberglass Arrows

Fiberglass arrows offer the lowest cost and excellent durability for beginners. They handle abuse from missed shots and hard target impacts without breaking. However, fiberglass is heavier than alternatives and less consistent in spine from arrow to arrow. Best suited for beginners, youth programs, and high-volume practice where arrow loss is common.

Aluminum Arrows

Aluminum arrows provide consistent spine at moderate prices. They fly well and offer good accuracy potential when properly matched. Manufacturing processes create uniform arrows with predictable performance. The main disadvantage is susceptibility to bending—aluminum arrows that strike hard objects often cannot be straightened to original specifications and must be replaced.

Carbon Arrows

Carbon arrows represent the current standard for serious target shooters and hunters. They are lightweight, fast, and extremely consistent in spine. Carbon does not bend like aluminum—it either survives impact or breaks. Modern carbon arrows maintain their straightness and performance characteristics throughout their lifespan.

The higher cost of carbon is offset by durability and performance. Inspect carbon arrows carefully after hard impacts, as they can develop invisible internal fractures that lead to sudden failure. Flex each arrow and listen for cracking sounds. When in doubt, retire the arrow.

Wood Arrows

Traditional archers often prefer wood arrows for historical authenticity. Wood requires careful selection and matching for consistent performance, as spine varies naturally even within the same tree. Port Orford cedar remains the traditional choice, with modern options including pine and spruce.

Wood arrows demand more maintenance and careful inspection than synthetic materials. They remain popular among traditional purists willing to invest time in arrow preparation and matching.

Arrow Length Requirements

Your arrows must be long enough that the point extends past the arrow rest at full draw. Cut arrows 1-2 inches longer than your draw length for adequate safety margin. Arrows that are too short create a dangerous situation where the point could fall off the rest during draw, potentially resulting in the arrow going through your bow hand.

Longer arrows are slightly heavier and slightly weaker in effective spine. If you fall between spine categories, going slightly longer allows room to trim for fine-tuning later while the extra length weakens the arrow toward your ideal spine.

Arrow Weight Considerations

Total arrow weight affects bow performance and shooting feel. Heavier arrows absorb more energy from the bow, reducing limb stress and shot noise. Lighter arrows fly faster but can cause excessive bow vibration and stress.

Most recurve setups perform optimally with arrows weighing 8-10 grains per pound of draw weight. For a 35-pound bow, target total arrow weight around 280-350 grains including shaft, point, nock, and fletching combined.

Points and Tips Selection

Field points are standard for target practice, available in weights from 75-125 grains. Heavier points increase front-of-center (FOC) balance, often improving arrow flight stability and forgiveness. Most target archers use 100-grain points as a starting point.

Match point weight to your intended use. Hunters typically choose heavier points that match their broadhead weight for consistent practice results.

Fletching Options for Recurve

Fletching stabilizes arrows through rotation during flight. Recurve archers typically choose between:

• Feathers: Traditional choice, very forgiving of contact with the bow during release, ideal for shooting off the shelf without an elevated rest
• Plastic vanes: More durable and weather-resistant than feathers, require an elevated rest to clear without contact

Buying Recommendations

Beginners should start with affordable fiberglass or aluminum arrows while developing consistent form. Expect to lose or damage arrows during the learning phase—expensive carbon is wasted until your shooting stabilizes.

Once you achieve consistent groups and reliable form, invest in quality carbon arrows precisely matched to your measured draw weight, draw length, and point weight. Buy matched sets from the same batch for optimal consistency.

Ready to upgrade? Check our Aluminum Arrows for quality matched sets.

Ready to practice? Check out our paper targets in the shop.