Easton FMJ Review
The Easton Full Metal Jacket is a carbon core wrapped in a 7075-T6 aluminum jacket. It hits heavier than any straight carbon shaft of the same spine and takes rib bone impacts better than any carbon-only competitor. If you are chasing elk or moose, this is a reference arrow.
Real specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Spine options | 250, 300, 340, 400, 500 |
| GPI by spine | 250: 11.5 / 300: 12.0 / 340: 11.3 / 400: 10.2 / 500: 9.1 |
| Diameter | .204 inner, aluminum jacket over carbon |
| Straightness | +/- .002 (Match Grade +/- .001) |
| Weight tolerance | +/- 1 grain |
| Stock components | 5mm HIT insert 16 gr, X Nock 9 gr |
| MSRP per dozen | $220 to $380 |
Field performance
Elk hunters build FMJ 340 with 100 grain brass HIT plus a 125 grain fixed blade for a 500 to 520 grain finished weight and 15 to 17 percent FOC. Whitetail hunters usually drop back to Axis 5mm at that draw weight because FMJ is over-arrowed for a treestand shot.
What bowhunters actually say
If you are smashing through bone or into the cambium of an oak tree, you will stand a better chance that your arrow will survive.
Scott Einsmann, Outdoor Life, on the Axis/FMJ family shaft wall thickness
Honest weaknesses
Cost per dozen is the loudest complaint on Rokslide and Archery Talk. The aluminum jacket also dents on hard target hits; a bent jacket does not always show up on a spinner but will still shed FOC.