Easton FullBore: The Large-Diameter Indoor Target Arrow Built for Value, Not Budget Compromise

Indoor archery is won on scoring lines as much as it's won on aim. At 18 meters, the difference between a 10 and a 9 on a 40cm face is a matter of millimeters — and a fatter arrow covers more of those millimeters. This is why large-diameter shafts dominate indoor competition at every level, from club leagues to world indoor championships. Easton's FullBore is the accessible end of that strategy, and it's more capable than its price would suggest.

What's notable

The FullBore uses a large-diameter carbon tube with a thicker wall relative to its outer dimension than premium indoor arrows like the Easton X10 or the Easton Full Metal Jacket. This thicker carbon wall keeps the shaft price down — you're not paying for exotic alloys or ultra-thin laminations — while still delivering the outer diameter that indoor competition demands. The tube is available in several sizes; the most common indoor configuration is the 1816 to 2213 outer diameter range, depending on draw weight and draw length. Choosing the right FullBore size requires matching the shaft's spine to the archer's draw length and bow weight, just like any other arrow selection. Going undersized in spine produces a weak-flying arrow that kicks at the shot; going oversized produces a stiff arrow that doesn't recover cleanly from the riser exit.

For indoor target archery at 18 meters, straightness tolerance and weight consistency matter more than they do for hunting arrows but less than they do for outdoor 70-meter competition. The FullBore's specs sit in the middle: Easton publishes ±.006-inch straightness tolerances on the FullBore, compared to ±.001 inch on premium X10 shafts. At 18 meters, the flight accuracy difference between those tolerances is not the primary performance variable — sight picture and release form dominate at that distance. The FullBore's straightness is good enough that it won't be the reason someone misses a 10.

The nock system uses Easton's standard uni-bushing, allowing the use of any standard compound or recurve nock. The FullBore ships without fletching, which is standard for target arrows — archers fletch their own with their preferred vane size, profile, and helical angle. For indoor shooting, most archers use 4-inch vanes with moderate helical to keep the shaft stable without creating excess drag at 18 meters. The FullBore's large diameter is less sensitive to minor fletching asymmetry than narrow-diameter shafts, which makes it forgiving during initial fletching setup and easier to re-fletch in the field when a vane tears.

Who it's for

The FullBore is for compound and recurve target archers shooting indoors who want the scoring advantage of a large-diameter arrow without spending $150 or more per dozen on premium Full Metal Jacket or X10 shafts. Junior archers building their first serious indoor competitive setup, coaches outfitting a team program on a club budget, and recreational competitive archers who shoot winter leagues regularly will all find the FullBore a practical choice. For a coach running a program where archers go through a dozen arrows per training season from breakage and loss, the math strongly favors the FullBore over premium alternatives.

It's not an outdoor arrow. At 60 or 70 meters, the FullBore's thicker wall makes it heavier than ideal for trajectory management, and its straightness tolerance would be a performance limiter at those distances. Keep it indoors, and it does its job well — the large diameter delivers on the scoring line contact that indoor formats reward.

Where it sits in the lineup

Easton positions the FullBore below the Full Metal Jacket in the indoor arrow lineup. The FMJ uses an aluminum core with a carbon outer tube, which keeps the outer diameter large while significantly reducing the shaft weight for a given spine — a genuine performance advantage at indoor distances. The FullBore, being all-carbon with a thicker wall, is heavier per unit length than the FMJ at equivalent diameter, which affects minimum gap and sight tape requirements slightly. The FullBore's advantage is price: you can buy considerably more FullBore arrows for the same money as FMJ, and for club-level training volume, that math makes sense.

Competition includes Victory VAP V1, Carbon Express Maxima RED, and Black Eagle X Impact. All are legitimate indoor target arrows. The FullBore's differentiating factor is the Easton manufacturing reputation and the availability of replacement parts through Easton's wide distribution network — a practical consideration for programs outside major metro areas where specialty archery retailers are thin.

Source

Product specifications sourced from Easton's 2022 product documentation and FullBore technical data.

Tagged: Arrows · Easton · 2022