The most used arrows actually in archery are built with carbon, alluminium or carbon-alluminium tubes.
The normal components of quality arrows are the tube, the inserts, the nock, the fletches and the point.
All arrows to be used should be exactly equals, the same weight and dimensions, and, of course, be selected according to the bow weight and draw.
YoU can unload here the document "How to choose the correct arrow".

The tubes have the following basical characteristics:
- Concentricity: The tube's wall musts have the same thickness in all the perimeter.
- Diametral exactness: The external diameter of the tube musts be constant in all its lenght.
- Straighness: A good tube musts be perfectly straight, with a tolerance of less than 0,001".
The size of the tube defines its flexion rigidity. If we support the tube in two points at 28" distance between each others, and it the middle we hang a weight of 880 grams, the tube will deflect something; If we take this deflexion in inches and multiply it by 1000 we'll get the tube size.
For example, one arrow size 500, will have a deflexion of 0,5 inches because of the weight of 880 grams.

The inserts are nailed in the tubes in "hot", heating the perimeter of the tube with a flame to make it to dilate and nailing them until the border. Once the tube is cold, it will "prison" the insert so it will be hard to remove, but trying the same operation viceversa.
There are several types, of metallical precision alloy, and they are used to install the nocks and points.

The nocks use to be of precision molding plastic. The starting arrows, cheaps, use to install the nocks in the outside of the tube, what makes the diameter to be bigger at the end of the arrow.
Nevertheless , medium or higher quality arrows, install the nocks in inserts, so there is no overdiameter in any point.
The installing in the inserts use to be by manual pressure, so if any of them is broken down, it can be changed directly on site.

Vanes (plastic) and Fletches (bird feathers, normally peacock) are used for arrows.
Usually the plastic vanes are used in arrows to shoot on targets, and fletches, for hunting.
Their funtion is to stabilize the arrow. The bigger ones make the arrows to stablize before than the samaller ones, though they are more sensitives when there is side wind.
Lot of archers use small vanes for outside shooting and big ones for room shooting.

The points have different shapes and can be installed directly in the tube or in inserts.
The shape depend basically on the use, if they are going to be used for targets or for hunting.
Different weights can be selected, from 65 grains and in intervals of 5.
The selection of the weight musts be done considering that the displacement of the gravity center respect to the geometrical centre of the arrow(A), related to the total lenght of the arrow(L) should be less that 13%, that is: (A/L)x100<=13
Too much weight in the point "soften" the arrow, and few weight "harden" it. If the arrows go to the right, they are soft, and if they go to the left, they are hard.

The points for hunting have very whinsical and aggresive shapes, dessigned to ease the penetration in the animal body. The end and the blades are perfectly sharps, and there are tools in the market to sharp them at any time. They are produced in different weights too.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, see the following documents:

- Minimum arrow weights
- Bows and arrows mechanical
- Flight of fletched arrows
- Speed of arrows

FIRST QUALITY ARROWS MANUFACTURERS:

Beman, Carbon Express, Gold Tip, Easton, PSE y Blackhawk