We were given a set of “getting started” arrows by our club as they have more than they know what to do with. Unfortunately we’ve managed to break several of the knocks already so I’ve now got to find replacements. This wouldn’t normally be an issue but these arrows seem to be a bit unusual. I’ve asked around at the club and no one recognises them.
There’s very little information online about these arrows. They are full carbon and appear to be cut to 29.5″ AMO (I don’t current have a knock to measure up to but the shaft is a little over 29″).
I found this post on Archery Talk about Beman Hunter 60/80 arrow which I assume is a different spine. The post is dated 2009 and one person is saying they stopped making this range at least 6 years before that. Since it’s 2026 while I’m wring that means these arrows could easily be 20+ years old.
The shaft measures 5.75mm which just puts it at 15/64″. The inner diameter at the knock end is 3.9mm or about 10/64″. This measurement is confirmed by a commenter how gave the following figures:
| Model | Grains/Inch | External Diameter |
| 30/50 | 7.5 | 15/64 |
| 40/60 | 8.3 | 15/64 |
| 50/70 | 8.3 | 15/64 |
| 60/80 | 8.7 | 16/64 |
| 70/90 | 9.3 | 16/64 |
| 80/100 | 9.7 | 16/64 |
| 90/100 | 9.7 | 16/64 |
Glue in points were available for both shaft sizes. For 15/64″ the weights were 62gr, 82gr, and 100gr. For 16/64″ the weights were 62gr, 91gr, and 100gr.
The arrows use outserts (as opposed to inserts, now generally called over nocks) for nocks which are now all but impossible to find.
Update 1
After much searching and asking around I found that eBay has listings for some new old stock over nocks. They are ludicrously expensive, we’re talking £40 at least and they ship from the US which would incur eye-watering import charges. There are also over nock adapters which would convert the 15/64″ shaft so it took 5/16″ taper nocks. I’m not sure that is much of an improvement as I don’t recall seeing nocks like that for sale (and they are also £40).
The best idea I’ve come up with so far is probably to try Merlin Alimax Nock Pin. At 3.9mm they should be a nice snug fit but I’m not sure the arrows can take it.
Update 2
I’ve asked around at the club and my idea to fit a brass band around the nock end of the arrow and a nock pin adaptor hasn’t been met with bewilderment. I’m a little concerned that I’ll move the FOC to far back as it’s already a little on the low side and there’s not much I can do about the point. Hopefully changing out the ludicrously large fletching will fix that.
I’ve also found some information about how these arrows were made. Apparently they used a technique called pultrusion. It seems the carbon fibre strands were lined up, pulled tight and then set in place. The downside of this manufacturing technique, apparently, is that the arrows stiffness is very dependent on it’s length so cutting these arrows shorter isn’t really an option. These arrows were also made before the industry standardised on a measurement of stiffness so there are no official figures but I’ve seen a couple of reports of them being about 400 spine which is much stiffer than my partner needs.
Overall these aren’t a great match for the archer using them. They are too stiff which is causing some erratic flight. and they are some too heavy.