Some things are built for performance. Others are built for looks. A new for 2021 arrow from Easton Archery is built for both.
I got my hands on a dozen of these new hunting shafts about a month ago and just started shooting them these past few weeks. Long story short: They are impressive! My initial reaction to the Easton 6.5 WHITEOUT is, obviously, its good looks. The all-white shaft has classy Easton orange highlights and matching-color insert, along with Speed Nock (included). The first thought that comes to mind is these arrows will look great on video because we’ll be able to track the flight much better! But even better is this arrow will make it super easy to check for blood sign after a shot.
Those benefits are far down the line of importance. My obvious concern was, “how well do they shoot?” It took a little range time to get them dialed in, which required a couple of adjustments, because these shafts are much lighter than the Easton FMJs that I also shoot regularly. That said, let’s look at the specs on this new WHITEOUT arrow:
As you can see, the WHITEOUT is almost a full 3 grains per inch lighter than, say, a 4 mm FMJ. That’s because this arrow is all carbon (made via the ACU-Carbon® construction process). This helps wring every ounce of speed out of your compound bow. Speed kills, but when it comes to light arrows, it requires precise shot placement and self-discipline. I insist on both when I’m hunting, and that’s why I go back and forth between bow setups (heavy and light) depending on where I’m hunting.
Which is better — heavy arrow or light arrow? That’s up to you. For this review, I will stick with the WHITEOUT. My WHITEOUT arrows for this setup (Mathews V3, 29-inch draw, 55-pound draw weight) come in just a hair under 300 grains. Add a 100-grain SEVR broadhead to that, and I’m up to 400 grains. That’s light for a lot of guys’ tastes, but, again, it comes with the benefit of increased speed. I’m not a speed freak and frankly don’t care if I’m shooting 250 fps or 340 fps. What I do care about is where my arrows hit the target and how far they are dropping from pin to pin (because that helps with shot placement, too).
It may sound simple, but my indicator is how these arrows impact the target in relation to my other arrows. After 20 shots with the new Whiteouts, I determined they were hitting (left and right) almost identical to my FMJs at 20 yards. However, they were also hitting about 2-1/2 to 3 inches high. A simple sight adjustment (I’m shooting the new IQ bow sight this year), and I’m “money” with my 20- and 30-yard pins, and what was my 40-yard pin is now my 35-yard pin. Sounds kind of wonky, I know, but it works for me.
Long story short: The new WHITEOUTs provide impressive accuracy for a bowhunter who likes to shoot without worrying about learning new lessons in physics. But I think the coolest benefit will be seeing it in flight (and after impact) sometime, say, this September!
