## Background

Nearly two years ago, James Yates
([@yates_in_the_backcountry](https://www.instagram.com/yates_in_the_backcountry))
pitched an idea: **an archery ballistics study done right.**

The goal was simple: quantify the ballistic performance of various arrow
designs, in a controlled environment, with complete transparency. *Without
commercial influence or industry bias.*

After a year of planning, assembling the right team, and countless hours of
hard work, we're proud to share what we've found.

We hope these results inform—and maybe even challenge—some of our long-held
assumptions.

They certainly have for us.

> \| Tristan Litke **Precision Cut Archery**, Founder and CEO

## The Team

Meet the people and companies who made this project possible.

### James Yates

Archery Editor for [Western Hunter](https://westernhunter.net), full-time
chemical engineering consultant, and passionate backcountry bowhunter, James
sparked the idea for this project, recruited the team, and drove it forward at
every stage.

### Tristan Litke | Precision Cut Archery

Founder of Precision Cut Archery and a software engineer, Tristan partnered
with James from day one. He and his team led the data collection and analysis,
bringing advanced ballistics tooling to the study.

### Easton Archery

[Easton Archery](https://eastonarchery.com) provided vital support—supplying
shafts, a custom shooting machine, an indoor test facility, and primary
funding. Their generous contribution was truly a selfless act for the
advancement of archery.

### Jamie Mcintosh | Archery Sound Lab

Jamie holds a Master's of Architectural Sciences degree specializing in Audio
and Acoustics and runs an acoustic consultancy firm. The
[Archery Sound Lab](https://www.archerysoundlab.com.au/) led the controlled
sound testing efforts for all vanes used in the study.

### Black Ovis

[Black Ovis](https://blackovis.com) built all of the test arrows used in the
study to an exacting standard. They were also onsite throughout the testing
days, repairing arrows as quickly as the shooting machine destroyed them.

### Hoyt Bowhunting

[Hoyt Bowhunting](https://www.hoyt.com) generously provided a pair of sister
AX-2 test bows used in the study.

## Preamble

This study focused on three key areas of arrow ballistics performance:

- **Aerodynamic Drag:** The resistive force acting against the arrow's forward
  movement, causing it to slow down, drift more in the wind, and lose energy as
  it travels downrange.
- **Restorative Lift:** A stabilizing force from the vanes, acting
  perpendicular to the arrow's flight, that helps correct the arrow's
  orientation and counteracts destabilizing effects (like broadhead lift or
  shooter torque).
- **Sound Signature:** The noise produced by the arrow as it passes through the
  air.

Said simply: we should all be interested in minimizing drag and sound while
maximizing restorative lift.

Unfortunately, there’s no standard for arrow ballistics testing—and little
third-party testing. That leaves a lot of room for bold marketing claims,
influencer hype, and inconsistent manufacturer specs. It can be hard to
separate fact from fiction.

This study was designed to change that. We purchased every component ourselves.
No one on the team was paid or incentivized. Our only aim was to answer
important questions—honestly and independently—and to share what we learned
with the archery community.

Please note that we did what we could with the time and budget we had. We wish
we could have tested more configurations and taken more shots with each. We've
calculated 95% confidence intervals (statistical uncertainty) for all results
to convey the degree of uncertainty due to the small sample sizes.

In the spirit of full transparency, all our methods, raw data, and analysis are
freely available—use, challenge, or build on them as you see fit. For details on
copyright and licensing, please see the notice below.

## Let's Dive In.

[Figure: Show me the results!]