There are a lot of us out there that don't necessarily want to run two different arrow setups in order to have fun throughout the hunting off-seasons - seasons filled with 3D and Total Archery Challenge opportunities. Fortunately, there are very many arrow builds that would work wonderfully in all three of these scenarios (depending on what type of game you are chasing, of course). Technically you could use any type of arrow build you want for TAC - nothing is stopping you from taking a heavy moose-or-hog-hunting arrow to those events - but flat trajectories and long distance capabilities are the name of the game there, and you don't want to run out of sight clearance on a 70 yard shot.
Luckily for us, we are spoiled for choice nowadays when it comes to arrow builds that can be effective in the woods and do a great job masquerading as purpose-built TAC arrows. Read on as I walk through just a few choice examples of arrow shafts and pre-fletched arrows that would be perfect for splitting your time between the range and the high country. Given the "accuracy is king" idea here, each arrow will have a maximum (or minimum?) of .0025" straightness. I'm going to go over micro, small, and standard diameter arrows - most available as fletched arrows and shafts - and giving you their specs for common spines.
4mm | .166" | Micro Diameter
Black Eagle X-Impact V2: View Shafts | View Fletched
Starting off with the X-Impact from the folks at Black Eagle, these arrows epitomize speed and consistency at range. They are super sorted and held to a precise straightness code, while the 4mm size ensures they are able to push through windy conditions with little affect on their flight.
300 Spine Weight: 8.1GPI
350 Spine Weight: 7.4GPI
400 Spine Weight: 6.7GPI
Coming in at a very respectable weight - especially for micro-diameter arrows - your X-Impact arrows are capable of blistering speeds out of the gate. The included nock collars also help with shot-to-shot reliability and will help protect your shafts when you are stacking arrows at distance.
Easton Axis 4mm Long Range Match Grade: View Shafts
These will not result in the lightest arrows you've ever built, but they CERTAINLY won't be the heaviest, either. The pure purpose of these, though, is the long range accuracy built into the DNA of each shaft. The "beyond straight" holds true in their .001" straightness rating, and their micro-diameter size means they cut through the wind like no other.
300 Spine Weight: 9.3GPI
340 Spine Weight: 8.3GPI
400 Spine Weight: 7.6GPI
The little bit of extra weight per inch also means they will hold better, and carry more kinetic energy over extreme distances - this leads to the "Long Range" designation you find in their name.
Altra Phantom 166 Premier: View Shafts | View Fletched
Altra arrows have a reputation for flying straight and flying consistently right out of the box, and the Phantoms are at the precipice of that reliability. The factory fletched versions include proprietary vanes that are primed for long-distance hunting, and the improved outserts bring extra durability and straightness to the table.
300 Spine Weight: 8.5GPI
350 Spine Weight: 8.0GPI
400 Spine Weight: 7.1GPI
These Altras bring an advanced lightweight design to your arrow setup - no sacrifices on durability or weight - and Altra's shaft-to-shaft repeatability is paramount.
5mm | .204" | Small Diameter
Victory RIP XV Elite: View Shafts | View Fletched
If someone walked up to you and said, "Name a lightweight arrow right now," there is a pretty decent chance that the Victory XV would come to mind first. These have sat at the precipice of "flat trajectories at long range" arrows for a bit now, and there is good reason for that.
300 Spine Weight: 7.1GPI
350 Spine Weight: 6.4GPI
400 Spine Weight: 5.9GPI
Much like many arrows on this list, the 5mm/.204" size of the RIP XV's mean you have a very wide range of insert, point, and nock options to build these however you'd want - and Victory's slick coating means they will be easy to pull from targets, too.
Carbon Express Mach 5: View Shafts
Carbon Express brought out all the stops when they designed these arrows. They purpose-built them as a combination hunting and TAC platform and they really hit the nail on the head.
300 Spine Weight: 7.2GPI
350 Spine Weight: 6.4GPI
400 Spine Weight: 5.8GPI
You can see purely from a weight standpoint that these Mach 5 shafts will live up to their name. On top of that, these are the most popular arrow size for both hunting and TAC - 5MM/.204" - so you have the opportunity to truly customize the front and rear ends of this build to your heart's content. Add in CX's Tri-Spine building process and these will be sure to fly true shot after shot.
Easton 5.0 5mm Match Grade: View Shafts | View Fletched
These are the lightest ever carbon 5mm arrows developed by the experts at Easton, and with Easton's ACU-Carbon spine and five-point straightness test, they are a great choice for anyone looking to build a reliable arrow for both hunting and TAC purposes. The single-mandrel construction process also ensures unparalleled tolerances from shaft to shaft.
300 Spine Weight: 8.4GPI
340 Spine Weight: 7.5GPI
400 Spine Weight: 6.8GPI
While the GPI does not reach the low levels of some other 5mm offerings on this list, the ACU-Carbon system allows for high FOC builds, and the pre-fletched version comes with AAE Hybrid 26 vanes which will steer whatever broadhead you throw on there.
Gold Tip Black Label Quantum: View Shafts
Designed specifically to combat wind drift and to ensure deep penetration, the Black Label Quantum almost seems purpose-made for a hybrid TAC/hunting arrow. The slight coating pattern that Gold Tip applies to these shafts makes them exceptionally easy to pull from targets, too.
300 Spine Weight: 8.3GPI
350 Spine Weight: 7.7GPI
400 Spine Weight: 7.0GPI
While it doesn't have the lowest lows as far as weight is concerned - compared to arrows from this list - it comes in at a very capable 8.3GPI for its 300 spine. This means you can get your high speeds while ensuring proper penetration at longer ranges as it keeps its kinetic energy for longer.
6.5mm | .245" | Standard Diameter (and Easton Sonics)
Carbon Express Predator Air: View Shafts
Ladies and gentlemen, it's right in the name. Yep, air. What do we know about air? You got it - it's light. Outside of the name, these shafts feature a uniform, 360-degree spine consistency for improved uniformity from shaft-to-shaft, while the standard diameter provides forgiveness and familiarity for many bow setups.
300 Spine Weight: 8.6GPI
350 Spine Weight: 8.1GPI
400 Spine Weight: 7.2GPI
Many standard diameter arrows can easily creep into the double digits for 300 spine weight, but these don't even come close to that.
Gold Tip Force F.O.C.: View Shafts | View Fletched
Much like the Quantum arrows from Gold Tip that I outlined above, their Force F.O.C. arrows take that principle of lightweight, penetration-focused performance and marry it to a standard diameter arrow. The lightweight design does not sacrifice the ability to utilize a higher-FOC build, though, as these shafts were specifically designed to withstand weight on the front end. They are also weight sorted to within 0.5 grains per shaft.
300 Spine Weight: 8.8GPI
350 Spine Weight: 8.2GPI
400 Spine Weight: 7.4GPI
Boasting very respectable weight ratings for each spine, the Force F.O.C. shafts allow for increased kinetic energy and precision down range without the heavy weights that come with many standard diameter hunting arrows.
Easton Sonic 6.0 Match Grade: View Shafts | View Fletched
The Sonic's are famously in a league all their own. With a unique 6mm design, these split the standard and small diameter categories. This brings tighter flights through wind and higher speeds than their standard counterparts, while still boasting the durability and full-insert systems of those standard arrows. Easton's five-point straightness test and ACU-Carbon building process ensure durability and precision at range.
300 Spine Weight: 8.8GPI
340 Spine Weight: 7.8GPI
400 Spine Weight: 7.2GPI
Matching the weight of the Predator Airs above, these slightly smaller arrows bring penetration and speed to the larger arrow field.
Just as a reminder, you don't need a light arrow build to have fun at a Total Archery Challenge shoot. You also don't need to run an arrow that can be flat at 120 yards for many hunting scenarios. You also don't have to run the same arrow for everything you do. On top of all of this, you don't need to use any of these arrows for a hybrid hunting/TAC build. That's one thing that is so great about the sport - you can run your bow and arrows however you see fit. As long as you're having fun and hunting ethically, that's all that matters.
If you want to experiment with how different builds might look for you, feel free to check out our Custom Hunting Arrow Builder - we will take your design and have it expert-built and shipped to you in just a couple days.