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| Bloodsport One arrows, VaneTec Swift Vanes (left) Elivanes P3 (right) |
History
When I got my recurve, I got Easton Platinum Plus aluminum arrows. The shop recommended and I bought 1816 arrows, which worked OK except for one serious problem: I could draw them off the back of the arrow rest. That's actually a major hazard! After consulting Easton's charts I found that the 1913 arrows would offer similar spine at a much safer arrow length of 31". The downside? They're not as common and components are hard to get. I also discovered that the 1913 arrows are too stiff for a light-poundage recurve and I ended up having to use threaded inserts with really heavy points to even get them close to tuned right.I decided it's time to move to carbon and found that arrows with the right spine are pretty easy to get ... if you have short arms. If you need a 31" arrow shaft in 800 to 900 spine, there just isn't anything out there. Some come close (Victory VAP is 30.5"), but even that would have my clicker hitting the riser instead of the clicker plate, scratching the paint more and more for each shot.
The Solution
When I shot a compound, I had great success with Harvest Time HT-2 arrows. They worked really well for me. Harvest Time was bought by Muddy Outdoors a few years ago, which resulted in all the Harvest Time arrows being re-branded. Harvest Time made an arrow called the HT-1, which is a skinny carbon arrow designed for hunting that is intended to deliver maximum penetration with high durability and light weight. These arrows now are called Bloodsport One arrows. In my desperation to find a carbon arrow in the 800-900 spine range that was long enough, I checked out the Muddy Outdoors Boodsport site and discovered that ALL spines in the Bloodsport One arrows are made in 31" shaft length, and even better, they make them that way right up to 1000 spine arrows!What Are They?
The Bloodsport One arrows are skinny, lightweight, carbon arrows. They come in three straightness tolerance options (0.006", 0.003", and 0.001") and are available in spines from 300 through 1000. They can use glue-in points and use Easton G Nocks (no bushing - they push right into the arrow shaft). They actually come with Bohning F Nocks, which are Bohning's equivalent to the Easton G Nocks. Here are the specs, copied from the Bloodsport website:Spine ID OD GPI
1000 .165" .209" 5.1
900 .165" .211" 5.3
800 .165" .215" 6.1
700 .165" .220" 6.5
600 .165" .223" 7.1
500 .165" .231" 8.2
400 .165" .238" 9.1
350 .165" .245" 10.2
300 .165" .255" 11.7
So, as you can see these arrows, although designed for hunting, actually have specs that make them competitive with Easton Carbon One, Carbon Express Medallion XR, and Victory VAP arrows, but at a longer shaft length. For long-draw, low-draw-weight recurve shooters, these arrows fill a need that just isn't served by anyone else. The skinny outer diameter means they don't drift in the wind, and the light weight means you can get more distance without having to go up in weight.
How Well Do They Work?
I've been using these since summer 2013. I got 800 spine with 100 grain glue-in target points. As it turns out, I might have been better off with the 900 spine since they're still a tiny bit stiff.As for flight, they work very well. I've had people comment on how they look like fast-moving spears when they're shot.
What I Like
- They're not terribly expensive - quite a good value, in fact
- They're high quality
- They fly well
- They are light weight
- They're skinny for less wind drift
- They come in long shaft length at soft spines
What I Don't Like
I don't like the graphics. They're designed for hunters wanting to make sure everyone knows they enjoy spilling blood. I wish they'd make the same arrow with different graphics for us target recurve shooters. Seriously, that's all I don't like about them!Recommendation
If you're in the same predicament as me - long draw, light draw weight - you will have a difficult time finding an alternative to these arrows. Even if you do, they'll likely cost more money for similar quality. The Victory VAP is close in length but at 0.003" tolerance are quite a bit more expensive. The Carbon Express Medallion XR is similar in price and have similar specs, but the shaft length at 800 and 900 is much too short for me. The Easton Carbon One arrows are the same story as the Medallion XRs.These simply solve the problem for me without making me go up in draw weight. They're very good arrows and if you can live with the graphics I highly recommend them. For orangutan-armed, wimpy recurve shooters like myself, these really solve a tough problem!
