Pat: I like the Black Max and the MFX (camo finish). I have some of the traditional shafts but the finish is not as smooth and makes a slight noise as I draw the arrow. I may try waxing them or applying some type of polish to the shafts to quiet them down. I noticed the same thing with the ICS shafts...I wish the trad finish was smoother. However, I have taken a number of animals with them, including a moose this year, and several bear over the last few years and they perform as well or better than any hunting shaft i have used since the mid sixties. I like heavy FOC so I use the 100 grain inserts and enough point weight to get me in the 200-225 range on the point end.

Bill I noticed the noise on drawing with the classic or wood grain finished Bemans too... I killed a deer with one this year but I heard the arrow as it was being drawn, the deer didn't.. Even so, I don't like that.. I've used the brass inserts too and or the 100 or 125 grain steel broadhead adapters.. I try to keep it in the 225 grain range on the business end. Mostly been using the Axis shafts but was curious about your choice.. Thanks

I've used the Axis shafts for 2 seasons and love em. I'm getting the best arrow flight of any shaft I used before. 200 grain field tips have been the icing on the cake. I did break one when I hit a rock. But i guess that's understandable!

I have the axis and the beman classic's. I prefere the bemans also. I had two axis break on me. I also shoot better groups with the bemans. I took two whitetails with the beamans and the arrows are all like new.

Well, I ended up with the Beman MFX 400's.  They just look and feel like one heck of a strong shaft and they really dig deep into the target!  I went with the MFX due to the higher grains per inch. These arrows are really tolerant of spine. I now only need this one shaft for all four of my bows which happen to vary from 52 - 57lbs.  In the past I had different arrow combinations for each bow because the other brand shafts bare tuned differently for each bow.
My arrows at 28 1/4" with a 100 grain brass insert and 200 grain head finished out at 615 grains.  I can't wait to hunt with these things.  

BTW, I footed them with a 1/2" piece of 2018. It's a perfect fit for the MFX 400's.  Snug enough you have to work it on and a little super glue makes it indestructable.

I have shot Axis Sts 340s for a few 3 years now. I switched from 2514 XX78s.  But out of my compound, not a recurve so I don't know if this is valid for your purpose.

I have shot 8 or 9 deer, 1 bear, and 2 turkeys with them.
I broke 1 on a doe that I spined and she rolled over and flopped until it snapped.

I broke 1 on the bear. It went through the oppisite shoulder blade and stuck in the ground and sheared off at the shoulder when the bear jumped.

I broke another one on a doe that I shot through both shoulder blades. The fletching caught a large tree when she ran between 2 trees and snapped off at the fletching. The point end sheared off at the opposite shoulder 4" up from the broadhead.

I don't know of any other arrow that would not break under those conditions. Other than maybe a sleeved arrow, but I am sure it would bend beyonde repair.

I am not real concerned about what happens to a shaft after it has complete penetration. Just that it does not fail on impact or during penetration.

I will continue to shoot the Axis. I have found nothing better.

my way of thinking is that any arrow that has good penetration and kills the animal is a good arrow and it does not matter if it snaps or not as long as it does the job it was made for. there ya go hows that good or what.  

I have bEMAN MFX, aXIS , AND American  ARROW Dynamics ... keep americans working easton or American arrrow dynamics for me...the worst arrows to me is GT...there the worst nocks, poorest quality...havent tried the new wood grain , afraid to...I have dozen Axis, great for targets small game...  

Gonna get some of the new axis "nano tue" ones here shortly. Also gonna try new heads this year???? maybe. Like my phantoms, BUT thinking of Woodsmans at 200 grains up front?

Still not sure just thinking on the new heads. But I gotta have a dozen arrows.

J