The Best Hunting Arrows of 2024

The name Gold Tip is a prominent one in the archery industry. For the bowhunter looking for a quality arrow that isn’t going to break the bank, the Gold Tip Hunter ($54) is where it’s at.

The Gold Tip Hunter is a midweight 0.246″ diameter carbon arrow that was modeled off of the original arrow that put Gold Tip on the map to begin with. In other words, there were high standards a many.

It has a straightness tolerance of 0.006″ and comes in spine stiffnesses of 500, 400, 340, and 300. Included components are a GT nock and Accu-lite insert that is spine specific.

All of Gold Tip’s arrows are made with the goal of maximum durability, maximum penetration, and superb arrow flight. Whether it’s on the range or in the field, the Gold Tip Hunter is going to perform for you all while not making your wallet easier to sit on.

We look forward to deer season every year and failure is simply not an option.  The Easton 4mm x10 Parallel Pro is the arrow of arrows for a successful deer season.

Easton is a prominent name in the hunting world and, arguably, nobody knows arrows better after over 100 years in the business.  Their new x10 Parallel Pro is a micro-diameter 4mm carbon arrow with a 7075 aluminum core.  You’ll find 15 different spines available for this arrow, so there is no shortage of options.  It has a straightness of .001” and weight tolerance of +/- 0.5 grains.  Components are sold separately, but this arrow will marry up perfectly with any of the Easton 4mm offerings.

Easton spares no expense when it comes to tolerance standards in the x10 Parallel Pro.  Their on-the-dime spine around is so tight that it eliminates the need for any kind of spine alignment during setup.  And the 5-point straightness check ensures match-grade accuracy in every arrow.  This is a precision and accuracy king.

The variability in the offerings here is a huge perk.  Easton offers a very wide range of spines to make sure you get the absolute perfect arrow for your setup, which is going to translate very well downrange.  The spines offered are 250, 300, 350, 380, 420, 470, 520, 570, 610, 660, 710, 810, 880, 1000, and 1150.  These are more of a lightweight arrow — I’m not going to go through the GPI of all of them, but the 300 spine is 9.5 GPI for reference.

Deer hunting doesn’t in the least require a massive amount of arrow weight.  But it does require pinpoint accuracy, and that’s why we believe this Easton x10 Parallel Pro is as good as it gets for deer camp.

Elk hunting grows in popularity each turn of the calendar and the pursuit demands tough gear. For the diehard elk hunter looking for an arrow that is just as tough as the wapiti they seek, it doesn’t get much better than the HD arrow ($234) from Day Six Gear.

Day Six Gear was created with the intention of making specialized equipment that would perform in the worst of conditions, which is exactly what the HD arrow is and what it will do. This heavyweight carbon arrow was built with superior strength and durability in mind.

It’s got an ultra-thick interior wall that can handle the toughest of situations. Coming in 250, 275, 300, 350, 400, and 500 spines, there is no shortage of options to fit an elk hunter’s needs.

A hunter can buy these in bare arrow shaft form or in three- or four-fletched form. Along with the HD arrow, they also offer a centric component system of an insert and collar.

Options for both include aluminum (23gr), titanium (50gr), and stainless steel (75gr). Long story short, this arrow is going to make short work of elk and have enough steam to keep going after the fact

Don’t worry. We didn’t forget the traditional bowhunters out there. Black Eagle Arrows has more than staked a claim for itself in the archery/bowhunting industry and it’s because of products like the Instinct Traditional Arrow ($80).

This remains the only wood grain micro-diameter carbon arrow on the market. It blends the pros of a carbon micro-diameter shaft without giving up the old-timey look of traditional arrows.

The Instinct Traditional can be found in 350, 400, 500, and 600 spine options. These arrows come with Black Eagle’s 100-grain stainless steel outserts to give hunters more forward weight. They also come with their N Nock (6 grains) and have a straightness tolerance of 0.005″ or better.

For the struggle stick fans, the Black Eagle Instinct will be with you every step of the way.

New for 2024 is a company called Altra Arrows.  They’ve set out to create no-compromise arrows with unmatched precision, and their Centrum Premier .166 arrow reflects that.

This is a 32” in length micro-diameter .166” high modulus carbon arrow with a straightness of .001”.  All arrow packages are weight-matched to be +/- 1 grain.  Altra offers options of a fletched 6-pack or an un-fletched 12-pack.  The fletched comes with Q2i RAPT-X vanes.

The big cheese of the Altra Arrows is their No Spine Technology. Traditionally, all carbon arrows have a stiff side. This can arguably affect where to install a cock vane, cause the need for nock tuning, etc.  With Altra Arrows, there is no stiff side, so the result is a lower barrier of entry to perfect arrow flight.

Something else to note is the ARCOS Insert/Outsert System.  This comes standard with your .166 Premier arrows.  It’s a 3-piece system — there’s an insert with an O-ring collar and an outsert system that threads onto the insert.  The unique part about this is the O-ring, which provides more concentricity between the outsert and insert.  It also helps lock that insert in place better.  And last but not least, it provides vibration dampening.

We don’t have any hands-on experience with these arrows yet, but judging from the specs this company is laying out, as well as the word on the street, these should not be overlooked in your arrow purchasing process. 

If we had to pick a second place for a “budget arrow” it would undoubtedly be the 6.5 Hunter Classic from Easton.  It may be affordable, but it definitely isn’t cheap on performance.

The 6.5 Hunter Classic is a 6.5mm carbon arrow shaft made right here in the U.S.A.  It falls in the middle in terms of straightness between the Bowhunter(.006”) and Match Grade(.001”) versions coming in at .003”.  Easton offers this arrow in five different spines — 250, 300, 340, 400, and 500.  

One of the unique features of this arrow is the fact that it’s made using what Easton calls their Acu-Carbon Uniform Spine process.  This means that the carbon strands are woven instead instead of rolled.  As a result, there is no need for spine alignment and users get more consistent accuracy downrange.

All 6.5 Hunter Classic arrows come with the Easton 6.5mm inserts. These are 4 times larger at the shoulder to help increase durability and add to FOC.  With that, you’ll also get the Easton Microlite nocks.  A nock that is shortened by design, reducing the real estate between arrow and bowstring.  It’s also more lightweight, which will also aid in achieving higher FOC (if that’s your thing).

The Easton 6.5 Hunter Classic is a phenomenal choice for any bowhunter looking for a moderately priced arrow ready to hunt anything in North America.

We couldn’t go anywhere without mentioning this solid pick from Black Eagle Arrows. The X-Impact ($195) is an arrow that’ll show up for work time and time again.

Black Eagle created the X-Impact which is constructed with 100% high-mod carbon, and it’s the lightest arrow shaft available from the brand. It wanted to create an arrow that allowed for more point weight up front and excelled at long-range, pinpoint accuracy.

This translates into a faster system that doesn’t give up knockdown power. Deer are fast, but the X-Impact is faster.

You’ll find spine options of 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900. This is an unreal range to choose from front to back. The X-Impact has a straightness tolerance of 0.001″. Arrows come with Black Eagle anodized outserts as well as their Micro-Nock (8 grains).

The Black Eagle X-Impact has just as much of a place in hunting camp as you do. It may not cook dinner, but it’ll sure help provide it.

Carbon Express is no stranger to the hunting woods.  The company’s Maxima Triad arrow ($300) should not go unnoticed.

This is a micro diameter(0.166”) arrow that was built with the goal of faster arrow recovery in flight and devastating penetration upon impact.  The Maxima Triad is offered in 300, 350, and 400 spines and is made with 30-ton carbon, which helps with faster recovery in flight.

Another big standout with the Maxima Triad is the Carbon Express Tri-Spine/Red-Zone technology. This patented technology provides one-third less oscillation than that of single spine arrows. It reportedly improves recovery in flight and downrange accuracy.  

As a bonus, these arrows are laser-checked for .002” straightness.  They also come pre-fletched with Q2i Rapt-X 2” vanes and have Launchpad Precision Nocks.

The Maxima Triad from Carbon Express checks lots of boxes for bowhunters. 

Easton has been in the arrow-making business since 1922, so you could say they know a thing or two about what bowhunters need out of an arrow. For a heavy-hitting arrow that excels in the penetration game and more, check out the Easton FMJ 4mm ($200).

A favorite among bowhunters across the country is what the Easton FMJ has become through the years. That isn’t changing anytime soon. The full metal jacket is the result of wrapping a carbon-fiber core with a 7075 aluminum tube.

This arrow is made to pummel anything in its path and do it again and again. Pair that technology down into a micro-diameter 4mm shaft and you’ve got an unstoppable needle-like arrow that screams penetration.

The FMJ 4m m offers spine options of 250, 300, 340, and 400. Included with all arrows is a 4mm 8-32 aluminum half-out (50 grains) as well as a 4mm Micro Lite nock (6 grains). Straightness options include either 0.003″ or the Match Grade 0.001″. And if you feel so inclined, Easton also offers 4mm Deep Six components, which are sold separately.

It’s no surprise that Gold Tip is making another appearance on this list. The brand has been trying to appease the likes of bowhunters since the beginning. And the Velocity Pro ($169) is the perfect solution for a hunter looking for a more lightweight shaft that will cater to more speed and a flatter trajectory.

The Velocity Pro is a 100% fully carbon shaft that was made with more speed in mind, hence the name. Gold Tip does this simply by creating an arrow with a lower GPI (grains per inch), but without sacrificing quality. This arrow comes in options of 300, 340, 400, 500, and 600 spine and has a straightness tolerance of 0.001″.

All arrows come with an internal component system on the front to make broadhead alignment a snap as well as a bushing and GTO nock on the back.

If you’ve got the need for speed, the Velocity Pro from Gold Tip deserves your attention. This arrow is gonna make slower bows faster and faster bows melt your face

Victory Archery is mostly known for its 100% carbon arrow shafts. The brand’s RIP SS ($130) is a hybrid carbon/stainless steel arrow that’s a lighter, faster version of its predecessor, the Xtorsion. This arrow may fly under the radar, but it also flies straight and true into the target.

The RIP SS was made with ultimate performance in mind, evidenced by its .204 diameter and premium materials. Each arrow is made with stainless steel layers infused into a 90-degree carbon weave. This translates into more momentum and better penetration.

Victory offers the RIP SS in spines of 250, 300, 350, and 400. Like other arrows in the Victory lineup, you’ll have the choice between Sport (.006”), Gamer (.003”), and Elite (.001”) straightness.

All arrows are 100% hand-finished with Blazer vanes. They come with a 50-grain Shok TL aluminum insert along with a 9-grain IP nock.