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I'm looking at possibly purchasing some Easton fmj arrows to up my arrow weight. Have read a lot of reviews and see a lot of negativity. Would like to hear some pros and cons from you guys who have been using them for awhile. Thanks
Not sure what a lot of negative things ya read would be other than once then bend... they stay bent...That’s something I can live with though
I don't like them because they have the potential to bend and they do. I believe there r better options, such as the Victory Xtorsion arrow...which wraps carbon and stainless steel fibers.
Love them! I've been using them for 7-8 years. I've killed mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep and antelope with them. Noticed significantly better penetration over all carbon arrows especially on elk. I think it's due to the smaller diameter, heavier weight and smoother finish. Plus they're easier to pull out of targets. I think the nock on them (pun intended) is that they bend and a carbon arrow won't. But fmj's don't splinter like a carbon arrow. For me the benefits far outweigh the occasional bent arrow.
The bending was the main problem I've read about
I have a dozen. I found they would get bent very slightly. They fly great and are very quiet during the draw. But they need to be pampered compared to an all non aluminum.
I’ve moved away from them because they bend.
They do bend and they will mushroom on the end if you shoot a fast bow with a heavy arrow weight and you don't use a BAR or a footer. That said I still shoot them because I feel they are the best arrow out there for bowhunting applications. Heavy, penetrate better than anything I've tried, low cross section in the wind, and extremely consistent and accurate. Just be aware of the cons and make sure you give them a spin on occasion to insure they are straight.
An arrow is designed to penetrate and kill. If an arrow performs properly and success is achieved- what is the bitch with “bend”?
Good Morning,
I don't know if anyone is interested, but I have a bunch of these I am going to sell. I won't be needing these. I know they are heavy, but that was the idea. I will make you a great deal on them!
Please see below, and read carefully!
EASTON FMJ 250 Dangerous Game Arrows These are all cut with 75 gr. Brass Hit Inserts Installed and Quick Fletch Wraps & Blazer Vanes! The Blazer veins work great on these arrows....
11 @ 30.125” 635Gr. $120.00 To Your Door. 1 Dozen @ 29.75” 629 Gr. $125.00 To your Door. Buy Them All For $200.00 To Your Door. I shot one or two of these a few times, almost all are new and never shot.
Easton ST AXIS FMJ Dangerous Game N-FUSED Arrows 1 Dozen- Cut @ 28” With Quick Fletch Wraps and Blazer Veins. Includes the HIT Brass Insets and Epoxy-(Not Installed) $140.00 To Your Door.
I can send you pictures if you want.
LMK. Thanks,
Scar.
I use the Deep Six 4mm FMJ's and really like them. Was talked into trying the Victory Xtorsion but have gone back to the Deep Six 4mm FMJ's. For me they penetrate better, do better in high winds, and have not had an issue with bending. For me they work, hope that helps.
+1 on Brotsky's comments above
Been using them pretty exclusively since 2007 and love em. All the benefits stated above, most of all better penetration for sure. I’ve bent a few but that’s expected.
I have not hunted with them yet but made up a dozen with 75 gr. weighted inserts for a hunt where arrow weight is a requirement. just shooting into targets I can't believe how hard they hit and penetrate. My normal carbon arrow is 429 grains, so not super light, but another 105 grains to 534 is a huge difference.
What are the advantages of the Fmj over the axis? I assume weight, but with a 75 grain insert the axis gets up there pretty good. Then you don’t deal with potential bending.
I’ve had great luck with them. I like the weight of them and they hit hard! I have not had the bending issue. But I have broke some. But a carbon arrow would have broken too.
I shoot the 4 mm ones. The thing that sets them apart from carbon is the tighter specs because of the aluminum. Better straitness and tighter spine consistency. Better spine consistency equals better accuracy for me.
The other day I took some shots at 100 yards. Damn near robin hooded an arrow.
Complete pass through plus another 30 yards after hitting the ground and deflecting, on my last elk kill. I will be keeping mine.
I really like my 5mm FMJs. They will bend, and they will mushroom, but man they hit hard.
Oh how I wish I'd taken pictures. But I have shattered a doe's leg bone with a moderately weighted FMJ and fixed blade heads. I've also shot completely through a red lechwe and a whitetail, from the front.
I'll keep shooting them. Will be shooting 340s with my new bow when it gets in.
+1 Bake, I've shattered and passed through several off side shoulders and shot through two whitetails length wise (not at the same time lol). My rig produces 84# of KE with the FMJ's, that combined with good fixed heads and penetration is not a concern! Ha!
I have shot fm's for several years with my recurve. They are a quality hunting shaft. However I am not fond of the HIT inserts. Like an outset from firenock much better.
Tradmike, that is an excellent system!
I'm looking at Cabela's and they have a dozen shafts for $129 but I'm not sure if they are 5mm or deep six or exactly what they are. Doesn't give much explanation.
I use the lost camo fmj 340 shafts, 11.3 GPS, hands down the best hunting arrow I have ever used. My hoyt is set st 62 pounds, and I have had full pass through shots on 6 bull elk, great shafts.
Have shot them for years at deer, elk, sheep and African game. They penetrate well, and don't have them bend any more often than I would expect a carbon arrow to break. They are also exceptional at being able to pull them from targets easily. I'm a fan.
I've shot them for years. Will they bend "Yes" eventually, but after a lot of abuse. Like stated they hit hard.
When I lived in UT one of the Easton engineers shot at our local shop. He stated the FMJs are the best all around hunting arrow they've ever made.
The one thing like is you don't have worry about them splintering like carbon arrows.
Honestly... this why I shoot them and all carbon... maybe I’m being paranoid but... I’m paranoid about lots of things. And just because your paranoid doesn’t mean no one is after you..
to me there is nothing better
IMO best hunting shaft on the market!
Good shafts but they do bend.
I use them mainly for elk and took them with me to Africa. Not a better shaft for large animal. I don't shoot them for 3D or whitetail hunt with them.
Damn Sugar Check your arrows everyday That’s a nightmare
Best damn arrow they make. I can deal with a bent one from killing an animal but it still doesn’t happen often.
If I had an unlimited budget, they’re my favourite hands down. I found that with practising and constantly “spin checking” them my pile of straights would be decreasing, even though I couldn’t remember bouncing them off anything. I found that no matter what I did I’d eventually have a pile of 12 or 18 with a slight wobble and like 5 or 6 left that were poker straight. Not sure if maybe even in and out of a tight spot would do this? The bends were minor enough that they’d be fine to shoot with field points, but the arrows that I wanted in my quiver had to be 100%, probably more of a mental thing. I switched to standard axis shortly after, but since have mostly shot stickbows. I use all my slightly bent arrows out of a longbow and I can’t tell you that I should ever notice a difference there. Still love em. Out of my recurves I shoot XX75 and I have been crazy impressed by how resistant they are to bending. In 4 years I’ve bent one, by bouncing it off something, the rest are poker straight. And I pretty well exclusively practise with a small game head into bare ground, that’s impressive
I like them, best arrrow available for hunting
I have been using them for a long time. I see no reason to switch.
Both my wife and I have shot them for years. I haven't found a better arrow.
Another great option is the 6MM FMJ......less expensive, they use a standard 8/32 insert (HP in Aluminum or Brass) ….they don't mushroom, you can bend them, but they resist better that the 4 and 5MM....and they are fairly heavy fo rthose who like more arrow weight,
Been using them for a long time. Great shafts. Straight, heavy, pass through most of the time.
One question I have is can you use a regular broadhead with the 4,5,&6 mm models?
Love them!! the pro's out weigh the cons by a long-shot, and the penetration is unmatched- at 29" draw/57#, 570gr (150gr cutthroat two bld- 29 1/4" 340 fmj arrow), 267fps it zipped right through my muledeer, slight quartering towards me, hit right side edge of scapula and exited through the last rib on left side, and never slowed down/lost the arrow. I highly recommend the fmj for hunting, and good for 3-D target shooting as they pull out easier than carbon arrows. If you worry about bending/breaking- don't miss the 3-D target and shoot multi spot targets so as not to slap arrows. Best of luck!
Victory vap v1 I put thru a 2x4 to the fletching. Wish I still had the pic, 100gr head, 400gr arrow, 4 fletched with blazers
Buy the 5mm. The 4mm is weak because heads are too thin at the top of the threads. You can use any head with 5 mm. Bent equals broken in all carbon! You will absolutely love how they pull from 3 D targets. Love the weight!
You can put outserts in 4 mm and use any head you want also
Hard for me to pull out...... arrows that is.
Thanks for all the input so far sounds like a lot more good than bad with these arrows. I'm going to buy some and give them a test run.
I've been intrigued by FMJs in the past, but I just cannot get by the thought of the bending issue. When I switched from aluminum to carbon 11 years ago (yes I was a late bloomer) the first thing I noticed was how long my arrows were now lasting. In the past I would buy another dozen arrows about every 3-4 years. With carbon, I still have 10 of the 12 I bought in 2007. I'm sure FMJs are a great hunting arrow, but I'd rather buy an all carbon version of similar weight. JMVHO.
Can you use an old aluminum arrow straightner?
On the bending issue, they are a cross between aluminum and carbons.... They are harder to bend than aluminum arrows but unlike carbons, they will bend. I've been shooting them for 8 years now. I haven't bent one yet from normal target use, or an animal. I have split the end with another arrow. Mushroomed an end from missing a 3D animal and burying it into a tree. And I think I bent one from missing a 3D animal and glancing off the side of a tree. I've damaged carbons from the exact same screw ups.
Having started with aluminums 30 years ago, then switching to carbons and now shooting FMJ's. I don't plan on giving up my FMJ's any time soon!!!!!
What is the plus to these versus a quality aluminum shaft? Like an XX78 or X7. Both are the same alloy but, you used to be able to buy the XX78 cheaper since it wasn't a target shaft.
I've shot a lot of carbon and aluminum through compound and trad bows. My old compound setup before going strictly traditional for a while, used 2413 xx78, 4 inch vanes and a 125 grain head for a finished weight of 515 grains. I hunted a lot of things and killed elk, hogs, and too many deer to even count with them. I cannot ever remember not getting a pass through on any animal except a couple hogs. I've shot length wise through deer. From 8 yards to 45 yards. I've Texas heart shot them on purpose. I seriously never worried about angle. When I could see the vitals, I put one of those arrows through them with no regards to bone.
I used aluminums on my trad bows too. When setup with A BLUNT, THE XX78 SHAFTS WOULD OUTLAST THE CARBONS. They were simply tougher. They did not mushroom and they never craked if they deflected. Can't say that about a carbon unless I footed them. So, I wander why these composite shafts are so much better. I'm a tight wad by nature and don;t like the odea of $10 worth of arrow shaft being launched every time I shoot something. But, I like the heavier arrows for sure. And, buying a Beman ICS series arrow and installing brass inserts and footings doesn't equal cheaper. So, I'm going to do something likely for hunting out west. So, whats the advanatges tpo the FMJ versus a plain aluminum X7 shaft?
They are quieter than aluminum, in a quiver and when shot. They're also more damp, recovering out of the bow more quickly, and transferring energy at the target more efficiently. Like some, I used to think they were a combination of the worst attributes of each - carbon and aluminum. But after shooting them, I now think they represent the best attributes of each. They don't bend as easily as aluminum and they don't break as easily as an all carbon.
One thing I hated about carbons, besides being too light weight, was pulling them out of targets. Maybe they have better finishes now, but when I tried them they always welded themselves into foam, and the finish wore off.
I'm thinking about using the brass insert for some extra weight and foc but not sure if I need to go up in spine or not. I'm shooting a Mathews Creed at 58# @27.5" and my arrows are 28.25". Usually shoot 400's but not sure if the added weight on end will drop spine too much. Thanks for all the input so far
You won’t go wrong with the 340s
Those do look really nice!
