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Easton Carbon Injexion and New Archery Products Deep Six Broadheads

By Jace Bauserman

New gear wonders claiming to change the face of archery seem to be everywhere. Many of these hot new products create a buzz, but when compared to truly revolutionary game-changers—the first compound bow, laser rangefinders, parallel-limb design, digital scouting cameras, scent-containment clothing, carbon bow risers—it’s clear that most of them fall short of the hype. While they may be good products, they don’t become coveted bowhunting gear. It takes something truly special to do that. Something like Easton’s new Carbon Injexion arrow.

Since 1922, Easton has been a leader and innovator in arrow design. This company doesn’t just build arrows, it crafts them. For this reason, countless bowhunters gladly fill their quivers with fast, accurate Easton arrows. From the ever-popular XX75 Camo Hunter to the dripping-with-technology N-Fused Carbon ST Axis, Easton is constantly pushing the limits of arrow design. And its latest arrow is nothing short of spectacular. The Carbon Injexion marks yet another significant leap forward in arrow design.

What’s so amazing about this arrow? The Carbon Injexion arrow boasts a remarkably small diameter. Small-diameter shafts have a reduced surface area, allowing for better performance in the wind and increased downrange penetration. Two features that bowhunters should take notice of. Easton’s ST (Slim Technology) was a shining example of how a small-diameter arrow could boost performance. But the people at Easton weren’t satisfied. They wanted to go further. They wanted to go micro.

Deep Six Innovation

World-class target archers have relied on ultra-small-diameter shafts for years to claim tournament titles. But until now, conventional insert systems were too large to allow bowhunters to take advantage of these high-performance micro-diameter arrows.Easton’s Carbon Injexion arrows utilize the revolutionary new Focused Energy Deep Six Component/Arrow System, which makes the arrow’s super-small diameter possible.

The Deep Six HIT (Hidden Insert Technology) Inserts feature an ultra-micro diameter and a stronger, more precise thread pattern. Conventional 8-32 inserts and points offer 32 threads-per-inch. These conventional inserts have a nasty habit of rattling loose and not holding points and broadheads snug to the shaft. This can spell disaster during the moment of truth. When pulling an arrow from your quiver the last thing you want to find is a loose broadhead. With 40 threads-per-inch, the new Deep Six HIT Insert provides 25 percent more thread engagement for a rock-solid hold.

Deep Six inserts are constructed of stainless steel, which is 65 percent stronger than conventional aluminum components. The higher-density steel also moves weight forward. Easton calls this Focused Front-of-Center (F.F.O.C.), and that increase in F.O.C. leads to improved accuracy.

“The combination of the arrow and insert system works in such uniformed cohesion,” Easton’s Marketing Coordinator Nate Pilcher explained to me. “It provides perfect shaft-to-point alignment and decreases the tendency to rattle loose. And since the inserts are steel, they increase kinetic energy. It’s the perfect system.”

And speaking of perfect systems, Deep Six broadheads from industry powerhouse New Archery Products are deadly partners for this innovative new micro-diameter arrow. Deep Six broadheads feature Overbore Technology, which means that the broadheads taper to match the shaft diameter. This perfect broadhead-to-shaft fit ensures significantly reduced friction and drag, which means more pass-throughs on game animals. And as bowhunters know, more pass-throughs mean more blood. The New Archery Products Spitfire Edge, Thunderhead and 2-Blade BloodRunner are available in Deep Six models. In addition, the new-for-2012 Big Nasty broadhead is compatible with the Deep Six system.

The Test

My first glimpse of the Carbon Injexion arrows blew me away. Yes, I expected them to be small, but these shafts were flat-out tiny. Standard diameter shaft size is .294 inches. The new Injexion is a microscopic .236 inches. My 330 Injexion arrows boasted a shaft weight of 10.1 grains per inch. It just didn't seem possible, but my scale told the tale. After cutting the arrows to 28 inches, the bare shafts—without nocks or inserts—had an average weight of 282.8 grains. That's exactly 10.1 grains per inch.

After building my arrows, I attached the NAP Deep Six broadheads and began spin-testing. The tests proved flawless. No matter which of the NAP Deep Six broadheads I tried, there was zero axial runout. Axial runout is how far left or right the broadhead tip runs out from the shaft. If that tip extends too far in one direction, accuracy is compromised. The broadheads fit the Carbon Injexion arrows beautifully. A squaring tool confirmed their ultra-clean shaft alignment.

Shooting the Injexion arrows and Deep Six broadheads was a joy. Most notable was the duo’s unbelievable penetration ability. My arrows blew through ¼-inch plywood with ease. Even at extended quartering angles, the Deep Six broadheads performed well.

As promising as these results were, animals aren’t made of wood. This is where having a taxidermist as a friend really pays off. I used the midsection of an elk, complete with hide and internal organs, and fired Carbon Injexion arrows tipped with Deep Six broadheads from a distance of 50 yards. Each arrow was fired from a 70-pound bow, which I placed in the Hooter Shooter to ensure perfect shot placement. The broadheads passed completely through the carcass, and each was fired at a different spot on the animal’s chest cavity.

Inspection of the wounds showed massive entry and exit cuts. More impressive, though, was the surgical preciseness of these cuts. Because the broadheads produce an enlarged cut, the micro-diameter shafts better track directly behind them, creating a clean, friction-reduced cut. This technology leads to increased pass-throughs on game, meaning more blood can spill from the wound.

I was also impressed by the toughness of the Carbon Injexion arrows. During testing I fired numerous arrows through decrepit bag and 3D targets, allowing the shafts to contact dirt, rock and other debris. One particular arrow passed through a target, did an end-over-end flip and embedded in a young sapling. Despite my rigorous testing, I never broke or splintered a single shaft.

Bowhunters obsessed with shooting groups are going to love the Carbon Injexion arrows. The pioneering combination of the shaft’s ultra-small diameter and micro G Nock all but eliminate the chances of a Robin Hood or a cracked shaft. I ran numerous arrows through the Hooter Shooter, cut plenty of vanes and slapped plenty of shafts, but I didn’t damage a single arrow’s wall.

The Injexion arrows are quiet and consistent. Regardless of what fletching I attached to the shafts—and I used many—the results were the same. The arrows recovered quickly out of the bow and flew quietly. I didn’t detect any vertical nock travel, just a streamlined flight toward the target. I consistently cut fletchings out to 80 yards when using the Hooter Shooter. This pinpoint accuracy is achieved through a combination of shaft straightness and weight and spine consistency. The Carbon Injexion shafts feature a faster recovery time out of the bow, thus delivering better downrange velocity and accuracy.

To fully understand the Easton Carbon Injexion shafts’ wind resistance, you really have to shoot them yourself. I shot Injexion arrows with broadheads in gale-force winds. The reduced surface area of the shaft coupled with the boat-tail design of the broadhead funneled air over the shaft, reducing drift. I can’t wait to use these arrows out west where wind is about as certain as the rising sun. “Wind drift was a focus during the construction process,” said Pilcher. “We know that our Olympic archers love micro-diameter shafts because they have such little surface area for the wind to press against during flight. We wanted to take this technology and give it to bowhunters.”

Manufactured of lightweight carbon fiber, Injexion shafts are fast. Of course, speed is dictated by other factors as well. For testing I used a 431-grain arrow and a 70-pound, 29-inch bow known more for its accuracy than radar-busting speeds. With this meat-and-potatoes rig, the Injexion arrows boasted an average speed rating of 290 feet per second, creating 80.5 pounds of kinetic energy. That’s more than enough KE to take down game of any size.

Other pleasing features were the Injexion’s ease of pull from high-density foam targets. Typically, the mixture of speed and friction cements carbon arrows into these types of targets. This wasn’t the case with Carbon Injexion arrows. The reduced surface area prevented the arrows from fusing to the foam, creating easy arrow removal.

The Carbon Injexion arrow and Deep Six Component/Arrow System are revolutionary. They’re innovative. They deserve a place in your quiver. And most importantly, at least for bowhunters, they’re going to be deadly on game.

For more information about the Easton Carbon Injexion and New Archery Products Deep Six broadheads, visit deepsix.info.