I shoot a Bob Lee takedown, 55 lbs at 28 (my draw length), and use 2018's cut 30" with 145 gr. point. They fly well and I have no particular complaint with them. Most arrow charts and the 3 Rivers spine calculator show the 2117's to be a better match. Since I like the black gamegetters and this is what the 400's are I ordered a dozen to try. Looking back in the archives it seems that whenever 2117's are mentioned the majority of posts seem to recommend something different for one reason or another. When I bought my first bow in the 80's it seems like the 2117 was the universal arrow. So, why don't people seem to like the 2117?

I still use them in my Recurves and a hybred longbow

with 175 grain points

great arrows

my ASL's like 2016 better

I shoot them out of my compound, my recurves get 1916's.

Trend is toward skinny arrows. Not that 1/64"makes much difference...

2117's are just over .400 spine, 20178's are around .450. Whatever works, works ;-)

Just a sign of the times. In my area in the late 60s pretty much everyone shot 1820s 2018s and 2020s. Early 70s it was mainly 2117s and 2216s with a few women getting into it with 1816s and 1916s. Ohio legalized compounds for hunting around 77 so after that 2219s came into the mix. Our shoots were oba shoots by the 70s and thei r rules was anything legal for hunting. By the time I opened my shop it was 2219 ,2216, 2117, and with more women and kids 2016 19q6 and 1816 became almost all that sold. We sold just over 200 doz of the larger sizes. Anyhow stuff runs in fads. Whatevers your friends shot so did you. Right now guys shoot smaller diameters again. And fok r heavier weight guys 2216 is stiffer and weighs the same. So in the east carbons and 2216s took 2117s nich, and mabe west too. Who knows.

I know what you’re saying, back in the 1970s, 2018s and 2117s were mainstream in our neck of the woods. Nothing wrong at all with them. If they fly well, shoot em.

Their good arrows.Why wouldn't they be?

I shot 2020s instead of them though.Thicker wall and smaller diameter.

I ignore the voices in my head most of the time and go with what bareshaft testing tells me to use.

I swear by them; especially the XX75 Easton Gamegetter II in camo with 4" fletching. They fly like a charm out of most of my bows, and will cast almost yard for yard with skinnier, lighter carbons.

I agree with what GLF said. Kinda runs in cycles. For me out of my 55# bows, I still shoot 2117's but also 2020's if I want a little heavier shaft. As stated above, if they fly well, then just go with them. Course, changing up when you want to is fine as well.

I as well use 2117s. This is my 3D and hunting go-to arrow with an occasional 2020 being used.

I’m still using aluminum even 2117s. Killed a lot of critters with them too.

I still have a doz or so AO laying around. But for me that’s a 60# spine arrow even with 145 grain points. I have enough “left issues” without shooting overspined arrows. Yes, back in the 70’s early 80’s that size was so popular in our club it was the combo to our range gate because it was easy to remember.

Still use them alot, along with 2016 first my lower poundage bows.

For me it was mainly because I could not get new ones in 32". They only came in 31 1/2"

30 years too late not many shooting 60-70# anymore.

As of a year ago, Dicks Sporting Goods sold 2117 arrows with vanes for $5 apiece. I bought them on the way home, refletched them and shot them.

I shot 2117's for at least thirty years! only changing when I dropped draw weight. Loved that shaft, very capable and durable. I still have some.

my favorite shaft for 60# range stickbows

2216 or 2117 for the mid range weight center cut bows. 2016, 2018 for LBs or light weight bows

Nothing wrong with 2117's, I think I have enough of them to last me out/

At one time, 2117's were my go to arrow. Still have some that are in good shape but for some reason I got on the Carbon arrow bus and rarely shoot aluminum anymore.

Plugneck:

2117's are spined 80#@28" and since a great many of you guys are shooting bows in the 40-45# range, you think that might be the reason, even if your shooting arrows 2-3" longer than your draw and the bow is center shot with ff strings, your still over spined.

Bob

Bob, How are you figuring 80 pounds? 2117 are .400 deflection. 28" div by .400 is 70 all day.

I have a S-pile of 2117 and shoot them in my 50-55 pound bows, but I have a 29" draw and leave them a bit long with 160 grain points.

Well you may be aromker but you missed the jig on that one. .407 static spine (2117) isn’t 80#. In my younger years I shot 80/85 #’s and 2117’s were way weak. I have two bows at 53# @29 and a 30 inch 2117 with 150 gr up front, bares hafts perfectly from both. Just sayin.

I likem

I have always preferred smaller diameter, thicker walls. 2018's have proven to me to be a much tougher arrow.

The wood arrow equivalent deflection (which is what many folks use including me) is .336 which is 77.4lbs. That is measured over a 26" span with a 2lb. weight.

Well guy's I didn't miss a thing. The AMO spine standard is 26" centers and a 2# weight. The new spine standard is worthless when spining aluminum or wood shafts. I've made arrows for 60 years and 27 years commercially. If you look at the old Easton spine charts a 2117 XX75 spines 81#@28" and GameGetter spines 83# @28"

Bob

I shot them through my 63# MOAB and 160 grains up front, but 2215 was lighter and faster. Now 66/67# bows and 190 grains up front need 85/90# spine.

Because 2117 ‘s are too stiff unless you are shooting 75#’s at 28”. I cant do that. Im a wimp.

They shoot fine from my recurves. Cut past center with 29 in. draw. Bows are 58 to 61 lbs.

MP

They and the other alloy shafts do not come 34” long anymore. Important when you draw close 32”.

Still love. Tough arrow!>>>>>>>

I've got a bunch of them and they still shoot great out of my 50# bows with 175gr heads. I do draw 30" though, I guess that helps.

Yeah easton put the shaft to us 32" draw guys. Even the larger shaft are only 32" uncut where they used to be 34. The smaller aluminums came a bit shorter tho.

Probably the most used arrow size in history. That’s a lot of love.

29 in. 2117 with 200 gr. point shoots great from a Northern Mist Shelton 59@28.

30" 2117's shoot great out of my 45# black widow.

To summarize the reasons given above and one of my own: First, they are close to the 22/64" diameter of standard wooden arrows, so back in the day when some archers were changing over they looked and tuned right.

In those days most archers thought heavy draw weights were needed for for large game; we know different now.

It was found that 20/64ths shafts penetrated better so we tended to 2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, then 1916 and even 1820 and 1816 for mid sized game.

For my heavy arrows I chose the slightly narrower and tougher 2020 shaft.

There is nothing wrong with 2117s but most of us found slightly better choices for our needs. - lbg

Looks like you got plent of good answers. I personally started using 2018 on my hunting bows. They are nearly the same spine and weight but narrower. I did use other sizes like 2117, and 2216 and they worked fine too. Mostly it comes down just to what you personally liked. So you could also ask why no love for 2213 or 2114, but the fact is many of the sizes are just different diameters of the same spine range. Easton is still making the 2117 so I suspect someone is still loving them. My buddy who goes by hvac tech on here shoots them and has for quite awhile now.

Full length 2117's and 2020's fly great out of my Oneida Strike Eagle. 30.5" length 2020's, 2018's and 2016's for my recurves.

My bows are 53-58# at my 27" draw, my arrows are cut 28.5" and all these years I have shot nothing but 2117's. IMO a universal arrows since the 70's.

Gray goose in the old days bare shafting would have narrow it dow to either 2 or 3 shafts so still needed the voice. Aluminums came in so many sizes you could at least 2 weights of shaft in each spine.

Today easton uses the new way to spine aluminum. But it was designed for the old way. So now if your bows needs a 400 spine so you use s 2117 and guess what. Its too stiff. Of course it is because under the spining way it was designed its a 336 spine which explains why its too stiff for a bow that needs 400. Find a 70's or early 80 chart and it'll be fine.

I received my 2117's (gamegetter 400's) the other day. I found some time today to fletch 3 of them up to try. According to 3 Rivers spine calculator cut to 30" with 145 grain heads was dead on (Bob Lee takedown recurve, 55lb at 28"). The calculator sometimes seems a little stiff so I left them full length at 31 1/2". They shot beautifully. If I get time in the next day or so I may shoot some bareshafts with the fletched shafts to tune but I was shooting them well enough that I'm not sure it's necessary. In fact I have another dozen on order. For the price I don't think you can beat them. The black finish with a chartreuse cap and feathers looks good to me as well.

Plugneck thats what I'm saying. Easton went to the new spine system for their charts but left the arrows the same So your bow called for a 400 spine arrow which is 2117 by the new system. But you weakened it 7.5 lbs by leaving it longer and now its right. The easton aluminums were design and spined using 26" centers which came out 336. Calling it a 400 doesn't make it one. My 2219's at my draw are for around 54 lbs but are too stiff for 54lbs. Because they changed the measurement system but nothing else. I Use my old spine charts from before they changed measurements and they're spot on.

I use to shoot them out of my Predator for years until I got frustrated with them warping after several years or thousands of shots. But other than that I loved them. Took several deer with them and all were complete pass throughs. Just buy durable aluminum. 3D targets and fresh bails seems to bend the inferior quality aluminums quite easily. Or if you are bare shaft shooting, I’ve seen Game Getters get pulled out slightly bent. Don’t know why or how.

I loved them when I was shooting heavy enough bows to fling them. Super tough and heavy.

I just found 3 doz Xx75 autumn orange 2117's.

The nostalgia is strong.

They're like .30-06 of arrows.

Might be boring, but can't go wrong.

Have you read a hunting forum with beginners questions on new bows, and arrows?

The minutiae of modern archery just glazes my eyes over.

I can't keep track of all the marketing nonsense.

I'm nostalgic for the days when 2117's, or 2216's was a decision.

I remember the drops of morning dew on the the chin whiskers of the fork horn muley I pointed my first arrow at. He came up the draw right into my lap,, and was back lit by the rising sun. So were the arrows I sent sailing all around him.

I missed six deer that weekend, and my uncle the so called guide, busted my balls about for the next 15 years.

I'm not sure the 100yd deer shooters even know that deer have chin whiskers.

I have a bunch that are a tad weak for my bow. I am shooting a 50# Covert Hunter and it throws bare shafts a bit tail left. These bows are known for requiring a stiffer shaft due to the performance. Fortunately I also have a bunch of XX7 2216 as well.

2117s were primarily a hunting arrow, I don't like anything in my pack or on my bow that can "ping" and even reverberate.

I did used to hunt with them but when it sleeted I heard a tin sound coming off the arrows when nocked on bowstring. I always worried If I were to bump the quiver against anything it would also make a sound that would scatter deer.

Deer hate a metal sound.

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