If you're going to name an arrow the Cheetah, it better be fast. Carbon Tech's Cheetah is a lightweight carbon shaft designed for maximum speed. A faster arrow offers a number of benefits, such as reducing the reaction time skittish critters have to "jump the string." Increased speed also results in flatter trajectory, which minimizes small errors in range estimation and keeps shots in the kill zone.

Cheetah shafts feature front-of-center (FOC) weighting for added stability in flight and Carbon Tech's Precision Multi-Directional Carbon Layered Design for strength and consistency. I tested the Cheetah 3-Ds, which have a straightness of +/-.0015 inch, in the 400 model (.400-inch spine), which weigh 6.4 grains per inch. After cutting the shafts to 29.5 inches, fletching them and adding 100-grain field points, I had finished arrows weighing 352 grains.

The Cheetahs clocked in at an impressive 296 fps out of my PSE X Force Dream Season, set at 60 pounds with a 29-inch draw. That easily bested my aluminum/carbon composite hunting arrows, which weigh 420 grains and flew at 274 fps. In terms of kinetic energy -- a good barometer of penetration power -- Cheetahs packed 68.47 foot-pounds, compared to 70.00 foot-pounds for the aluminum/carbon composites.

Though lighter arrows soak up less energy than heavier ones (creating added noise and vibration), Cheetah shafts were a pleasure to shoot. Considering the added speed, a small sacrifice in kinetic energy seems a reasonable trade-off when hunting deer-sized game and smaller.

Contact: Carbon Tech Arrows, PO Box 2776, Muncie, IN 47309; 765-287-8670; www.carbontecharrows.com