Field Tested: Pro-Tracker Archery Bad Boys FOC Arrow Sleeves

Serious bowhunters are seldom satisfied. Rather than resting on past success, they never stop learning or looking for ways to improve themselves and the equipment they carry afield.

One of the most popular ways bowhunters seek improved performance is by increasing the FOC of their hunting arrows. Boosting your FOC, or Front of Center balance point, can help your arrows stabilize more quickly and fly more accurately through the wind while also increasing momentum for deeper penetration on game.

Of course, to increase FOC, you must add weight to the front end of the arrow. Traditionally, that has meant heavyweight inserts, broadheads and fieldpoints. However, thanks to the Bad Boys FOC Arrow Sleeves from Pro-Tracker Archery, bowhunters can instantly customize FOC — without cutting shafts, gluing inserts or replacing your favorite broadheads. Available in seven models ranging in weight from 62-300 grains, the metal sleeves simply slide over the front end of your arrow shafts.

After experimenting with the Bad Boys on my own hunting arrows, I can honestly say I love the concept, because it truly allows archers to do it all with a single set of arrows. For example, if you build your “base arrows” to have a finished weight in the 350-400-grain range without the Bad Boys attached, you’ll have a relatively lightweight, flat-shooting setup perfect for target shooting, small game, turkeys and even antelope. From there, you can simply add the Bad Boys sleeve of your choice and increase arrow weight as desired — giving you the ability to hunt everything from squirrels to moose with the same arrows!

Bad Boys measure 4 inches long and are available in weights of 62, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250 and 300 grains. The front ends of the Bad Boys are held in place by screwing in your broadhead or fieldpoint, and the fit in the back can easily be customized using the included heat-shrink tubing (multiple layers if necessary) to take up any gap between the Bad Boys sleeves and smaller-diameter shafts.

FOC is expressed as a percentage, and although there is robust debate within the bowhunting community about what constitutes the ideal bowhunting FOC, Pro-Tracker defines high FOC as anything from 12-18 percent, with anything 19 percent or higher labeled as extreme FOC. As an example, Pro-Tracker shows on its website how the addition of a 150-grain Bad Boys sleeve more than doubled a particular arrow’s FOC from 9.4 percent to 18.8 percent. Obviously, the impact of a given Bad Boys sleeve depends on the sleeve weight and arrow specs. Pro-Tracker offers an online FOC calculator to help you run different scenarios for your chosen arrow build.

As for accuracy, Pro-Tracker says — and I confirmed on the range — Bad Boys are designed to maintain your current arrow flight, with minimal changes to the vertical point of impact inside 30 yards. Obviously, as shot distance increases to 40 yards and beyond, the impact of the sleeve weight on flight trajectory will become more noticeable, requiring sight pin adjustments based on your bow speed.

In addition to optimizing arrow performance for a specific application, Pro-Tracker's Bad Boys also offer an easy, inexpensive and fun way to experiment with a wide variety of arrow weights and FOC percentages without having to constantly build new arrows. Since the sleeves are interchangeable and can be added and removed in moments, it is easy to take your favorite arrow and tinker with it on the range until you discover the perfect combination that achieves the best, most consistent accuracy for you and your bow.

Bad Boys come in 3-packs and are available in either black (standard) or custom colors based on sleeve weight. Pro-Tracker also offers Bad Boys for crossbows in weights of 200, 250 and 300 grains. — Editor Christian Berg

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