Annihilator Broadheads owner Brandon Brodie believes many compound-bow hunters would benefit from testing a stiffer arrow. His concern has grown as heavier broadheads and inserts have become part of more hunting builds. In an interview, he urged hunters to reconsider spine when changing those components and to evaluate the complete arrow before blaming a broadhead for poor penetration.
"And in fact, most bow hunters are under spined, especially with the craze to add more point weight," Brodie says. His focus throughout the conversation is the arrow's performance in a compound hunting setup. He repeatedly separates that discussion from target competition.
Understanding what a lower spine number means
Arrow spine describes shaft stiffness. With conventional carbon-arrow deflection ratings, a 250-spine shaft is stiffer than a 300, which is stiffer than a 350 or 400. The number describes stiffness, rather than the arrow's finished weight in grains.
When Brodie tells hunters to "spine down," he means move to a lower number and a stiffer shaft. It is a distinction that matters when discussing heavier hunting arrows, because spine and mass describe different characteristics.
Static spine is the shaft's stiffness under a standardized test. Dynamic spine describes how the assembled arrow responds when shot. Arrow length, draw weight, cam characteristics and component weights all influence that response.
Adding point or insert weight generally makes the arrow react dynamically weaker. That is the technical reason to revisit spine selection when increasing weight at the front of a hunting arrow.
His preference for a stiffer hunting shaft
For a 70-pound hunting compound, Brodie favors the 300-to-350-spine range, with a strong preference for 300 or stiffer. He extends that preference to shorter-draw hunters and says a 26-inch draw does not change his view that a 70-pound setup warrants a stiff shaft. He also describes years of using an even stiffer build himself.
"I even shot two fifty spines for years at a seventy pound bow with a twenty nine inch draw," he says. His account is that those arrows flew well and grouped satisfactorily for his hunting purposes. He sees that experience as a reason hunters should test stiffer options before assuming their accuracy will suffer.
His recommendations extend to lighter draw weights. Brodie points to a friend shooting 250-spine arrows from a 60-pound bow, and he advocates considering 350 spine for a 45-pound hunting setup. Those examples reflect his preference for stiffness across a wide range of hunting equipment.
The specific numbers need the context of the finished build. Arrow manufacturers select spine using several inputs, including actual shaft length, draw weight, bow speed and point and insert weights. A manufacturer's chart or calculator provides a starting point for that exact combination; Brodie's recommendations offer a viewpoint to evaluate through tuning and testing.
Why he connects spine with penetration
Brodie believes a stiffer shaft can reduce unwanted flex and improve how the arrow delivers energy to the target. His interest is practical: an arrow that groups accurately and penetrates effectively in a hunting situation. That is also why he wants hunters to examine more than the broadhead after a shot falls short of expectations.
"If you want better penetration, you will get that with a stiffer spine," he says. He points to his own arrows and the setups of hunters he knows as support for that view. He wants hunters to examine shaft stiffness alongside tune when assessing penetration.
His suggested visual check is to watch the rear of an arrow as it enters a foam target. A lighted nock, particularly near dusk, makes that movement easier to see. He describes seeing more flex after impact with some weaker shafts and less movement with stiffer ones.
Brodie interprets that difference as more efficient energy transfer. Watching the nock provides visual feedback, but it does not quantify energy transfer or establish what caused a penetration difference. An arrow's kinetic energy depends on its finished mass and measured velocity; a useful comparison also records the components and target conditions.
Test the idea with your complete hunting setup
Brodie's practical suggestion is to try a compatible stiffer arrow before buying an entire set. He recommends asking a bow shop to help arrange the comparison and beginning at 20 yards. The point is to find out how the arrow behaves from the hunter's own equipment.
"Just try it," he says.
A useful test starts with arrows that are correctly sized for the bow and compatible with its rest, string and components. Record shaft length, spine, finished arrow weight and the weight of the broadhead and insert. If those details change between arrows, consider them when interpreting differences in flight or penetration.
Confirm repeatable groups, make the necessary tuning adjustments, and test again. Then shoot the exact broadheads that will go hunting, working out to distances where the shooter can maintain consistent accuracy. A stiffer shaft still needs to be part of a properly fitted and tuned system.
For Brodie, the central concern is that hunters may add front-end weight without reconsidering the shaft behind it. His experience has made him comfortable with stiffer arrows, and he wants others to explore that option. The result worth keeping is a complete hunting arrow that demonstrates reliable flight and accuracy from the individual bow.
