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Points, inserts and FOC

The point at the front of an arrow does more than hit the target: its weight sets the arrow's balance and quietly changes the working spine.

Field points, target points and broadheads

A field or target point is a simple tapered or bullet-shaped tip for practice and target shooting, sized in grains and matched to the shaft diameter so it sits flush. A broadhead is a bladed hunting head, either fixed-blade or mechanical, and must fly to the same point of impact as the practice point it was tuned with.

Points thread into an insert glued or pressed into the shaft, or press into an outsert on small-diameter shafts. Getting a point that matches the shaft's bore and thread is part of arrow fitment, not an afterthought.

Front of centre balance

Front of centre, or FOC, is the percentage of the arrow's length by which its balance point sits ahead of the true centre. A heavier point moves the balance forward and raises FOC, which stabilises the arrow in flight at the cost of some speed and a more curved trajectory.

Target archers often run a modest FOC for a flat, forgiving trajectory, while hunters and traditional archers may run higher FOC for penetration and stability. The number is a balance, not a target to maximise.

How point weight changes spine

Adding point weight makes the front of the arrow harder to accelerate, so the shaft flexes more off the string and behaves as if it were weaker. Ten or twenty grains at the point can be enough to shift a setup from tuning one shaft to needing the next stiffer one.

This is why a spine chart asks for point weight, and why a crossbow's minimum total weight is often reached by choosing a heavier point rather than a heavier shaft. Point weight is a tuning tool as much as a terminal choice.

Related

Sources: Wikipedia: Arrow · Gold Tip: FOC and arrow build