We can’t ignore the fact that bowhunting is a sport predominately populated by men, although women are now, thankfully, making up a good portion of that number. Being a largely male pursuit, though, means the bowhunting world has often succumbed to the “more is better” philosophy that we are all (or at one time have been) guilty of. Nowhere has this been more evident than in bow draw weight.

While it is true, simply from a physics perspective, that heavier bows produce higher arrow velocities from heavier arrows that directly translate to greater downrange kinetic energy and, thus, harder hits and deeper penetration, the truth is that lower weight bows can get the job done quite efficiently with a proper setup.

Consider, for example, TV host and accomplished bowhunter Michele Eichler. Michele has taken big-game animals across the world, from African game to North American moose and elk and pretty much everything else on down the line. She’s also a small-statured woman with a short draw length who shoots a bow in the 45-pound draw weight range.

No one can argue with the success Michele enjoys with her low-weight, short-draw setup. Now, compare that to the guys with 30-plus-inch draws who like to run their hunting bows in the 65 to 70-plus pound range. They get a lot of bang for those heftier rigs, such as flatter trajectories for long-distance shooting and phenomenal penetration from their heavier hunting shafts. And we’ll be the first to say that there is nothing wrong with the “more is better” mindset in this regard, so long as the bowhunter can effectively manage such robust hunting rigs.

The thing is, do we need to? For more and more bowhunters, both male and female, the question really comes down to, “Can I?”

The unfortunate truth in the general hunting community is that we are an aging lot, with fewer and fewer new recruits entering the bowhunting fold. For many of us, the effects of age and the accumulation of life’s physical impacts on our bodies mean that an increasing number of our ranks can no longer effectively shoot high-weight bows. Shoulder and back injuries make heavy bows difficult or downright impossible to handle and we are now faced with scaling back on the draw weight rather than give up our passion for bowhunting. Most women and youth bowhunters, of course, are not able to manage heavy weight bows at any rate.

As a result of aging traditional bowhunter demographics and the rise of women bowhunters and a modest influx of youth hunters (many of whom have discovered the love of archery through participation in the National Archery in the Schools Program), we are seeing an increasing number of archers focusing on bows with draw weights south of 55 pounds and draw lengths dipping into the 24- to 27-inch range.

But can these bows hunt? Absolutely.

For a little perspective on the draw weight thing, it helps to look back in time. Not a long way back, but at least into the 1960s and 1970s—what many consider to be the heyday of field archery and recurve bow manufacturing. At that time, 45- to 50-pound draw weights were the average for hunting bows. This was the “comfortably effective” shooting weights for most hunters and a whole pile of big game animals were taken with these bows using cedar and straight-wall aluminum shafts. We mention this so that bowhunters today who are looking at lower weight/shorter draw length alternatives will realize there is nothing wrong about making this adjustment.

That said, bowhunters with shorter draw lengths and lighter bows can still benefit from the same in-flight arrow characteristics and terminal performance of heavier gear through proper shaft selection.

The folks at Easton decided to address the needs of smaller stature bowhunters and those veteran bowhunters looking to dial-back their draw weights by introducing new lighter spine size product in the company’s popular 5mm AXIS arrow line. The AXIS is now available in seven spines ranging from 260 all the way down to the 700 spine. A size-mix that broad can now cover bow weights ranging from about 30 pounds up to nearly 80 pounds. depending on arrow length. Additionally, these arrow spines with cover draw lengths down to about 23 inches.  

Made in Easton’s Utah factory, the AXIS is a 5mm micro-diameter all-carbon shaft. 5mm micro arrows deliver on two key ingredients needed for a high-performance hunting shafts. First, the small diameter creates less friction when it enters an animal because there is less surface area compared to larger, more standard-size carbon arrows. Another advantage of that thinner shaft profile is that it is smaller than the diameter of most broadhead ferrules. That bigger ferrule allows the smaller-diameter AXIS to more easily slip through the wound channel, thereby increasing penetration and the potential for pass-through shots in big-game animals. The AXIS is currently available in three straightness grades—the Match Grade at ±.001” (spines 260 through 400), the standard AXIS at ±.003”, and the new AXIS SPT at ±.006” giving bowhunters access to micro arrow performance at nearly any budget.

The other huge benefit of the AXIS 5mm diameter is the cross-sectional dimension is realized in flight. Just as the reduced surface area allows the arrow to slip more easily through an animal due to the minimized friction, so too, does the AXIS punch through the atmosphere with less effort than larger shafts. That means less energy lost to atmospheric friction and more available energy for penetration once the arrow reaches the target.

Increased wind resistance is another gain with the AXIS 5mm diameter. When shooting in a crosswind, wind drift can be significant on larger-diameter arrows, even at relatively short distances. Since the AXIS has such a small cross-sectional diameter, wind drift is reduced, making the arrows more accurate and better ensuring you hit your intended point-of-impact. That’s important for any bowhunting scenario but is especially so if you are shooting at longer distances, such as is often encountered when hunting Western game where prevailing winds are often relentless.

Another consideration in hunting arrows is optimal weight. Adequate weight is essential to penetration, and that is a big concern for astute bowhunters who are shooting lower weight bows and/or shorter draw lengths. The small size AXIS addresses this concern with enough weight to soak up the bow’s energy without overly sacrificing arrow speed. The 700, 600, and 500 AXIS boast grains-per-inch of 6.1, 7.2, and 8.1, respectively offering a well-balanced mix of speed and added momentum.

According to the International Bowhunting Organization (IBO), a hunting arrow’s weight in grains should be equal to or exceed the bow’s draw weight multiplied by five. The AXIS hits or exceeds that standard when fitted with a typical 100-grain broadhead. For example, a bowhunter shooting a 23-inch 700 AXIS (total length) with a bow weight of 45 pounds would still exceed the IBO weight standard. Of course, many bowhunters looking to maximize penetration will go one step farther and add additional weight up front to both increase impact energy and to achieve a higher Front of Center (F.O.C.) weight distribution. The standard AXIS uses Easton’s 8-32 HIT inserts while the SPT uses the 8-32 half-out. Available as an accessory item, shooters can opt for brass HIT Break-Off 8-32 50-75 grain inserts for boosting total weight and F.O.C. Combined with an exceptional penetrating broadhead, such as the SEVR Titanium 1.5 mechanical, low-weight, short-draw bowhunters can achieve accurate flight characteristics and lethal terminal performance on most any big game animal.

Smart bowhunters in both compound and traditional bow camps have learned that there is a difference between “the heaviest bow you can shoot” and “the heaviest bow you can shoot effectively.” For many, that means rolling back the weight due to physical challenges. Smaller-statured shooters, of course, have their own challenges in setting up equipment that will ensure quick and ethical kills in the field. Regardless from which direction you are approaching the challenge, an arrow that takes into consideration the needs of lower draw weight/shorter draw length setups, such as the light-spined AXIS sizes, provide the logical solution.

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