Beman MFX & Easton Axis Arrows

[3fingers]

Do the new Beman MFX and Easton Axis arrows with the HIT inserts perform and penetrate that much better than other carbons such as Carbon Express Heritage or Gold Tips?

[Big Sneaky]

I think that they do.  I think that because they are smaller diameter, there is less resistance when going through an animal.  I like them and have been shooting them for the last 2 yrs.

[Bill Tell]

From what I have been told they don't penitrate any better per say.  The advantage is less wind effect with a cross wind.

If you think about it when you get a large cut say a inch and an eighth in your skin and you go to the Dr. they have to stich you up to close the skin. Right?  Skin and tissue pull away from the center of the cut.  The only exception to this is fatty tissue.

[katman]

I am with big sneaky less surface area yielding less resistance. While skin has tension lines that pull it apart in a cetain direction I do not think the same is true of internal organs/structures. Now compare large diameter wood/aluminum shafts and Axis/MFX and the difference would be greater.

[chuckbowhunter]

I shot the very first pultruded carbon Bemans (when it was almost impossible to keep fletching on them) that came out in the early 90's  and have shot small diameter shafts ever since.  Having shot many big game animals with small diameter shafts I have convinced myself that they penetrate better than large diameter shafts.  In Africa where there is little ground cover I would shoot thru animals and think I missed because I could see the arrow ricochet off the ground on the other side of the animal,  Clearly the advantage is much greater when comparing to large diameter aluminum shafts like 2317's but I shoot Axis or Bemans exclusively now and just haven't found anything better.  For a trad shooter I really don't know how you can beat the Beman MFX Classic's.  I shoot them with brass inserts at 600 grains and bulk them up to 900 grain if I need to for buffalo or other large animals.

[9 Mile Archer]

Chuck how do you bulk them up to 900grns?

[chuckbowhunter]

Start w/ Beman MFX 340's, 100 grain brass inserts, 8 gpi weight tube (available from 3 Rivers) and put on 210 grain Steel Force broadhead. This will give you total arrow weight right at or just over 900 grains.

[9 Mile Archer]

Thanks Chuck, had not seen the 8grn per inch weight tube till now.  I could get mine to the 650 range with 100grn screw in insert and heavy bh's.  Have you had any problem with the long inserts popping nocks?

[chuckbowhunter]

9 Mile,
I have not had that problem with the Beman, Axis or Carbon Express even when shot out of an 80# compound.  I have heard of it happening but not been a problem for me.  The x-nocks fit pretty tight and even when shooting them into rocks (accidently, of course) I have had the nocks come partially out but not completely.  I really doubt if you would pop nocks shooting game.

[RamiusEng]

I have had nocks pop out of my MFX's.

[JImmyDee]

...so I've been looking at carbons since last summer.  Bought some Easton AXIS, some Carbon Tech, some Arrow Dynamics...  Shot some Gold Tip, Grizzly Sticks, &c, &c.

chuckbowhunter's remarks interested me; "'Classic MFX,' eh?  I'll just pop on over to the Beman site and see what he's talking about."

I find the site, click through to the arrow selection page, give my particulars, and find that they recommend Energy, BlkMax, ICSH/V, and CAMO.  A little further down the page (I'm not making this up!) I see that: Energy means ICS Energy; ICS means ICS Hunter Elite, ICS Hunter, and ICS Venture; BlkMax means Black Max MFX; Max4 means Max-4 MFX; and finally, CAMO means ICS Camo Hunter, ICS TreBark, and ICS Classic.  [Keeping this straight, are you?  Not me!]

Bless their little marketing hearts!  It reminds me of:
    * Coca-Cola
    * New Coke
    * Diet Coke
    * Coca-Cola C2
    * Coca-Cola Zero
    * Cherry Coke
    * Diet Coke Cherry
    * Coca-Cola with Lemon
    * Diet Coca-Cola with Lemon
    * Vanilla Coke
    * Diet Vanilla Coke
    * Coca-Cola with Lime
    * Diet Coke with Lime
    * Raspberry Coke
    * Diet Raspberry Coke
    * Coca-Cola Blāk
    * Black Cherry Vanilla Coke
    * Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke

I ain't gonna buy a can of flavored, carbonated water just 'cause someone slaps an attractive name on it and I ain't gonna buy any of those arrows 'cause I have no idea what the difference between "High-strength C2 carbon composite" and "Micro-diameter MFX carbon construction" is or what any of the rest of that vapid language means,

BTW: I never saw anything called "Classsic MFX" among their recommendations; some used the word "Classic" and some used "MFX" but the two never appeared together.

[chuckbowhunter]

Classic just means they have a wood grain finish so they look like a cedar shaft.  

When I use weight tube is always use a spot of epoxy to hold them in place as I don't always use them full length.  

As much as I like the Beman's I only use them for hunting as the finish wears off in the carpet bales that all the clubs here in California use.  

For my practice/everyday arrows I use the Axis 340 with 100gr. brass insert, 6 inches of 5gpi weight tube glued in behind the insert and a 125 grain point.  I shoot a TM-300 rest with cushion plunger so I can use 418 (4.18") Flex Fletch Vanes. My total arrow weighs 588 grains and I shoot a 64# Dalaa.

Until recently I had never had any luck bare shaft tuning arrows.  I have always tuned by paper shooting.  But it seems like everyone in the trad gang has success with bare shaft tuning so I tried some bare shafts out of my bow with arrows that I had already matched via paper tuning.  Too my amazement they flew perfectly out to 20 yards.  The next time I change arrows and need to spine test some I may try bare shafting them.  Thanks to whoever pointed me to the Adcock website.

[JImmyDee]

So I'm hearing, "MFX," right?  Not the ICS?  I'll try some.

My favorites so far are AXIS and the Arrow Dynamics Trads and TradLites.


The Eastons

I originally got some AXIS Obsession shafts because the camo film adds a little weight to the shaft.  (I've sionce decided that weight at the point is the way to go.)

After a couple hunderd shots, the camo started wearing and the shaft started to mushroom just behind the pile.  Soon after, strands of carbon started to peel away from the shaft.  (The mushrooming may be due to the epoxy used to attach the inserts -- Easton's changed the recommended adhesive since then.)

So I started sleeving my carbon shafts with a couple inches of aluminium.  I like it.  A lot.

Total point weight?  280 t0 300 gr seems just fine.


The Arrow Dynamics

I first bought some of their Trads.  Again, I loaded up the piles and got them to fly pretty well.

Craig, at Arrow Dynamics, suggested I try the TradLites with less weight.  I've got one bow that will shoot down to 8gr/lb (My other bows don't like those light arrows at all.) but I'm not comfortable with arrows that light.

I've got mixed feeling about the AD shafts: they are not as uniform in finish or dimension as the Eastons, but they seem to fly every bit as well and seem to be able to handle a wider range of weight on the points.

I've got to tune some up for more bows before I decide whether or not I *really* like them.

(And, I guess, I have to find the time to throw some Bemans in the mix and see what comes out.)

Thanks!