Easton arrows have filled bowhunters’ quivers for over eight decades. And the manufacturer continues to push forward, developing new technologies and crafting aluminum and carbon arrows that help archers top the podium and bowhunters fill the freezer.
In the beginning, Easton’s focus was on improving aluminum shafts. The XX75 offered archers and bowhunters an aluminum shaft with superior straightness and shot-to-shot consistency. On the heels of the XX75 was the XX78, which used 71780-T9 aluminum alloy, improving the arrow’s strength and stiffness. Then, in 2006, Easton launched the still-popular Full Metal Jacket. The FMJ combines a micro-diameter carbon core with a metal jacket, boosting strength, accuracy, and penetration.
As the push for carbon arrows increased, Easton responded. Arrows like the Axis, Flatline, and other models provided speed and consistency. In recent years, Easton’s focus has been crafting micro-diameter arrows that reduce side-to-side wind drift, are uber-accurate, and track seamlessly behind a broadhead, reducing friction and creating more pass-throughs. Over the last year, Easton released three new arrows that focus on these features—and I’ve been shooting all three for months. Here’s a closer look at each.
Easton X10 Parallel Pro
Available in spine sizes of 250, 300, 340, and 380, Easton’s 4mm X10 Parallel Pro is a hunting-specific arrow built on the concepts of Easton’s X10 arrows, which have been the standard for Olympic archers since 1996.
Over the past year, I tested the X10 Parallel Pro on the range and in the woods. I believe it to be Easton’s most accurate bowhunting arrow yet. The slim 4mm profile reduces wind drift, and the arrow is uncanny in finding 10 rings and lungs at extended distances. Each shaft has a straightness rating of +/- .001″, wears a 4MM Microlite Nock, and Match Grade Half-Out components are sold separately so every bowhunter can customize their arrows however they want.
I opted for Easton’s 55-grain Aluminum/Aluminum Half-Outs for my build. Easton does offer Half-Outs for the X10 Parallel Pro in grain weights of 75, 100, and 150. I aimed to create a sub-435-grain arrow that offered reasonable speed and hit with enough kinetic energy to blow through a bull elk at 60 yards. Mission accomplished. My 431.7-grain X10 Parallel Pros fly from my 28.75-inch draw-length, 70-pound draw-weight compound bow at 295 feet per second. They hit with 83.44 pounds of kinetic energy, which is enough to handle any animal in North America.
I’ve used these arrows on everything from foam to big-game animals, and they perform flawlessly. I like the Half-Out system. It makes building shafts faster and easier than using Easton’s HIT (Hidden Insert Technology) inserts. The carbon over aluminum A/C construction ensures precise tolerances, which leads to remarkable downrange accuracy. I have yet to shoot an arrow from any manufacturer as accurately as I shoot the X10 Parallel Pro. The arrow consistently produces sub-3-inch groups at 60 yards.
Easton 5.0
Easton has appeased the need-for-speed crowd many times over the years. I killed several pronghorn and whitetail with its Flatline, HyperSpeed, and Sonic shafts. For 2025, Easton gives bowhunters the 5.0. Available in standard and Match Grade options, the 5.0 is a lightweight, small-diameter hunting arrow that bowhunters can tailor to their preference.
Made using Easton’s proven Acu-Carbon process and high-modulus carbon fiber, the 5.0 ensures weight and spine precision. For comparison, a 70-pound draw-weight bowhunter shooting Easton’s 5.0 340-spine shafts will have a 7.5 grains-per-inch (GPI) rating. That same bowhunter shooting a 340-spine X10 Parallel Pro will have an 8.9 GPI rating. Easton designed the 5.0s to be faster. However, because Easton offers many insert options and HIT collars, bowhunters can design their 5.0 as flamethrowers or middle-of-the-road weight shafts focused on high FOC (front of center).
I built my 5.0s to be tweeners. I wanted them to be 30 grains over my minimum shaft weight of 350 grains (70-pound draw weight), which would give me plenty of speed but would still hit with a wallop. I spent my spring whacking butterballs with the 5.0s, and they performed brilliantly. This fall, they will be my go-to fall arrow for pronghorn and mule deer. My 381.5-grain 5.0s fly at 308 feet per second and hit with 80.38 pounds of energy.
The shafts are remarkably accurate and sink deep into foam targets. I did opt for Easton’s 16-grain 5MM Hit Insert and 20-grain HIT Collar, but Easton gives you plenty of options to build your 5.0s exactly how you want them. If you’re hunting elk, consider creating your 5.0s between 390 and 415 grains. If you’re spot-and-stalk hunting pronghorn or mule deer and know your shots will be longer, give yourself some room for yardage error and go lighter and faster.
Some people believe a nock is a nock, but that’s not true. Aside from the rest, the bow’s only point of contact with your arrow is the nock. Poor nock fit and weak nocks will lead to tuning and accuracy problems. For 2025, Easton fitted its 5.0s with 5MM Microlite nocks. These nocks feature an ultra-compact body and a redesigned throat that enhances string fit. This was the arrow I used for the 2025 F&S bow test, and it tuned excellently from every bow I tested.
Easton FMJ Max
Easton’s latest addition to its FMJ line—the 5MM FMJ Max—is available in standard and Match Grade options. The reason for the addition is versatility. FMJ arrows are known for their hard-hitting, deep-penetrating power. However, they carry a heavy GPI rating. With the FMJ Max, bowhunters still get an Acu-Carbon core fused with a precision aluminum jacket, but the overall GPI is lower than the original FMJ. A leaner GPI means increased velocity and added penetration.
An aluminum over carbon shaft has several advantages. Bowhunters get the straightness and slick, deep-penetrating benefits of aluminum blended with the durability and consistency of high-modulus carbon. I tested Easton’s new FMJ Max head-to-head against the original. The total arrow weight of my FMJ Max using a 16-grain HIT Insert was 421.1 grains. The total arrow weight of my original FMJ was 466 grains. From 60 yards, my original FMJ hit 6 ½ inches below my FMJ Max.
The most remarkable thing is that the FMJ Max offers increased speed without compromising kinetic energy. Like the original FMJs, the Max arrows pull easily from foam targets, and like the 5.0s, they wear Easton’s Microlite 5mm nocks. Plus, as Easton does with many of its arrow models, bowhunters can purchase an array of components such as 16-grain HIT 8-32 inserts or 50-grain steel one-piece Half-Out inserts. Easton also offers HIT Collars. Bowhunters love to have the ability to customize arrows to their exact wants and needs. Easton allows every bowhunter to build the type of grain-weight arrow they prefer.
Match Grade vs Standard Arrow Shafts
Arrows, like all things in archery, have increased in price. Ultimately, you must decide if the juice is worth the squeeze. I’ve tested Easton Match Grade +/-.001″ straightness shafts against standard +/- .003″ Easton shafts. The difference is marginal. From 80 yards, my 5.0 Match Grade arrows group only slightly tighter than my 5.0 standard grade shafts. If I were a hunter who limited my shots to 50 yards and in, I’d opt for standard-grade arrows and save myself some pennies every time. If you’re a bowhunter who does a lot of spot-and-stalk bowhunting out West and has maximum confidence in your long-range ability, or you just like to practice at longer ranges, I’d shell out the extra coin for Match Grade.
THE 1871 CLUB
