Earlier in 2025, I did a video going over my 2025 Arrow Setup. Now that 2025 is nearing its close, I wanted to touch base on how everything worked. In short, things worked out fantastically, but I will be making ONE minor change. Here, I want to tell you why and why this will also be my arrow setup going into 2026.
When I first started bowhunting, my goals for an arrow setup were about as clear as mud. I just didn’t have the experience to have clarity on such things. Through the years, after countless failures and hard-earned success, the haze has lifted and revealed what is truly important to me in an arrow setup. It’s pretty simple. I want an arrow setup that is consistently accurate, forgiving, and an accurate broadhead that deals a great deal of damage.
Being consistently accurate is probably number 1 for me. There can be no question as to how an arrow is going to fly in my mind. That consistency breeds an unwavering confidence, which is a deadly tool to bring into the mountains.
On the forgiveness side of things, I am referring to arrow trajectory. Personally, I like a flatter trajectory, as I believe that is the most forgiving. Which for me means an arrow in the 450-470 grain range or even a shade lighter. Heavy arrows have their place, but that place is not in my quiver personally. A flatter trajectory is going to prove fruitful if you’re a few yards off on your estimation.
As for the broadhead, I prefer a lower profile with maximum devastation and dependability. That has led me to a hybrid head. You’ve got the sureness of the cut on contact tip with the brutality of the mechanical to back it up. I’ve played with fixed heads for many years and had success too, but hybrids have always done me right on all fronts.
The arrow shaft I’ve been rocking the past few years is the Victory VAP TKO. I’ve used both the 300 spine and the 350 spine. The 350 flies the best for me, so that’s what I’m using currently. These microdiameter arrows have always flown great for me in the past and seem to be much easier to pull out of targets.
The components up front are the Evolution Outdoors Glue-In system(broadhead/field tip and collar). I never thought I’d use a glue-in system, but after lots of testing both in the field and on the range, I don’t know if I’ll go back from here. Since I’ve used these, I haven’t broken ONE arrow up front. Not even if my arrow hit a brick wall, rock, etc. It adds an immense amount of structural integrity on the front end of the arrow, and its been impressive to say the least. The downside is that each arrow is what it is. So, there’s no flipping between field tips and broadheads via unscrewing the heads.
On the back end of the arrow, I’m using 4 AAE Hybrid 23’s. This is the lowest profile vane I’ve personally used. This, combined with using a 4 fletch, means that I can dial even longer yardages on my tape, due to the extra clearance. With that, there’s also no need to pay attention to a cock vane being up or not, like you would with a 3 fletch. It’s more efficient all the way around, and I’ve found them to steer my broadheads just fine.
The main broadhead I run for everything is the Evolution Outdoors Hyde. This is a hybrid head broadhead that is both incredibly accurate and delivers mega damage. The blades open from the front and are held in place by a small pin. Once they open on impact, and they always do on animals, that pin is marred and will need to be replaced. This is the downside of this head, but it’s beyond worth it if you ask me. Because of this, I practice with either the Evolution Outdoors fixed Jekyll head or the practice head. All of them fly the same, from my experience.
When that’s all said and done, these are the numbers:
Let’s dive into the results, because in the end, that’s what really matters!
In terms of arrow flight, this is a very consistent and accurate system. The thing I love the most is how easy it is to get these broadheads hitting with field tips. The ONLY thing I do is get a bullet hole through paper with a fletched field tip. Once that happens, I can shoot these broadheads(hybrid or fixed) clear out past 80 yards with my field tips. To this day, I’ve never had what I’d consider a flier. Meaning an arrow that randomly flew in a different direction than the others.
In 2025, I was lucky to harvest 3 animals with my bow. The first was a Coues deer in Arizona. I shot the deer at 40 yards broadside, and it went 23 yards from the point of impact to where it died. This was a full pass through the lungs with a great blood trail.
After that, I shot a bull elk at 87 yards broadside in Arizona. Again, a full pass through with a great blood trail that ended after 41 yards. This was a pure lung shot.
Lastly was a javelina at 59 yard heart shot quartering away in Arizona. This was a full pass through with what I’d call a PHENOMENAL blood trail. On impact, it looked like someone turned on a faucet. The javelina went right around 30 yards.
After all of that positivity, there is one change I am going to make to my arrow setup. Everything is going to remain the same, except the glue. We’ve been hotmelting them in. For the most part, this works great, but on certain targets, like carpeted ones, sometimes they can pull out from the shaft. Because of that, I’m going to look more at just permanently gluing in my components, rather than using hotmelt. No, I won’t be able to heat the head back up and pull it out for swapping, but that’s fine by me.
What this really all comes down to is confidence. I’m not telling you this is the greatest setup of all time. I am telling you, though, that I have an IMMENSE amount of confidence in it, and the proof is in the pudding. If I don’t have confidence in my equipment, I reevaluate things and make a change. As I sit here now, aside from the glue, I’ve got no worries walking into 2026 with this arrow setup. 2027 might be different. Time will tell. Good luck in the new year!
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