If you had to pick the most popular micro diameter arrow, the Gold Tip Pierce Platinum is probably it. It’s a standby at shops across the nation and, admit it, those gold components look pretty sweet. Does it deserve its popularity? Read the full Gold Tip Pierce Platinum Arrow review to find out!
Like many shooters, the first brand of arrows I shot was Gold Tip. I shot my first bull with the legendary Gold Tip Hunters but after some limited penetration (likely more the broadhead than the arrow) I was searching for a micro diameter shaft. With Gold Tip’s reputation for durability I figured I’d try out the Pierce Platinum.
So here we are: 3 dozen arrows, 3+ years, thousands of shots, and one elk down, it’s time for the full Golf Tip Pierce Platinum Arrow Review.
Background & Specs
The Pierce Platinum arrow series is Gold Tip’s first (and only) micro diameter hunting shaft. When they say micro, they mean it: of course it’s a .166 internal diameter (“4mm”), but the outer diameter is a tiny .240”, making for one skinny arrow. That lack of material is also reflected in the weight:
| Spine | Grains Per Inch | Diameter |
| 250 | 9.8 | 0.245 |
| 300 | 9.1 | 0.240 |
| 340 | 8.3 | 0.234 |
| 400 | 7.6 | 0.229 |
| 500 | 6.6 | 0.222 |
Compared to a heavy arrow like the Day Six HD that’s almost 2 GPI lighter per inch! That means these are likely a high modulus carbon which explains some of the other specs like cost:
- MSRP (1 dozen shafts): $189.99
- Street price from $150-170
- Straightness: +/- 0.0025
- Weight tolerance: +/- 0.5 grams
- Includes:
- Nocks
- Nock collars
- Ballistic Collars
- Aluminum inserts
Given that Gold Tip arrows are widely distributed at shops (and online stores) across the country, it’s fairly easy to save on MSRP. Still, they’re not cheap! Gold Tip also has a plain Pierce arrow but the tolerances go to +/- 0.006 and +/- 2 grams, so it’s not worth it in my opinion. There is also a Pierce Tour arrow that goes +/- 0.001, but it’s aimed at the target crowd and doesn’t come with all the hunting components.
My thoughts: Pierce Platinum Arrow Review
I’ve shot the 300s and my wife used the 400s, so I’ve seen the full spectrum of weights and uses for the Pierce shafts. Here are my thoughts:
Pro: True micro diameter
As I mentioned above, the Pierce Platinums are truly skinny arrows. That diameter delivers on the hype of minimal wind resistance and increased penetration which is why people get micro diameter arrows in the first place. When I shot my elk with these the arrow zipped through so fast it knocked a branch off the tree behind it! Now that’s penetration. While those benefits apply to all micros, these are skinnier than many on the market.
Pro: Great weight tolerances
All three dozen of these shafts were within the claimed 1 gram of weight tolerance. That’s a great result and it makes building consistent arrows much easier. Gold Tip does sort it’s shafts by weight, so make sure to ask your vendor to select two packages with the same stats! For example, you might get great tolerances but one batch weighs 232 grams and the other weighs 228.
Pro: Factory four fletch
I build my own arrows but for those of you that don’t Gold Tip offers a factory four fletch. That’s a lot of increased surface area so you’ll likely see better results if you aren’t a pro tuner.
Pro: Adjustable weight system
Gold Tip offers a FACT weight system which is a fancy name for weights that screw into the back of the inserts. In theory that’s awesome since you’re able to adjust your point weight without buying new points or broadheads.
In practice, the extra $25 for 12 weights and the wrench was a lot of money to add 20gr of weight to the front of the arrow. I fell for the FOC hype but I’d say avoid it unless you have an arrow that’s too stiff and need to break down the spine.
Pro: Durable shafts
Gold Tip markets the heck out of their shaft durability and lack of memory (retaining a bend). They aren’t lying… the shafts on these are pretty darn tough since the walls are so thick. That said, read on, because it doesn’t matter if the shaft is strong if the components aren’t…
Pro: Nocks
The nocks that come with these are great: they’re light, small, difficult to “pinch”, and have good tolerances. They also have a great habit of fitting well on most factory bow string servings. I actually use them on all my other micro diameter arrows.
Neutral: Nock collars
It’s pretty cool these come with nock collars but it’s more about the appearance. While they add some marginal protection from small hits, they certainly won’t stop a robin hood or hard hit from breaking the arrow. I’d rather if Gold Tip invested more in the quality of the arrow instead.
Con: Weak inserts
This is where my experience with the Pierce Platinums began to break down. No matter what I used (epoxy, bond, superglue) the inserts on the Pierce’s started to pull out. That’s extremely annoying when new inserts, collars, and a weight cost $40 for a dozen. Not to mention a pain to replace and reglue.
I tried everything I could and even saw this happen on my wife’s 42lb draw weight bow! It really came down to hard impacts: tight hay bales, animal bones, or shots to the dirt always resulted in lost points. That’s a giant pain.
Con: Slightly lightweight for elk
My magical zone for an elk arrow is 7-10 grains per pound of bow weight. The Pierce Platinums are relatively light so it’s hard to get a finished arrow into that range, especially at the 250-340 spine range. That’s not a bad thing if you want an all around arrow but they might not be my first choice for a dedicated elk rig, especially if you have 100 gr heads.
For reference, these came in around 470 grains with a 300 spine including a 20gr weight. That said, these arrows are also built for 3D/target archery and deer hunting where flat trajectories are more important. If you’re using them for that they’d do great.
Con: Okayish straightness and spine tolerances (aka value)
+/- 0.025 tolerances are fine if you build your own arrows and can cut from both ends. That said, it’s a bit less fine when other good alternatives that are the same price or cheaper come with +/- 0.01 tolerances.
As I’ve said before, the most important tolerance is an arrow is spine consistency. I noticed the spine on these was good but not great. I’d always have to rotate an arrow or two per dozen (and sometimes have to refletch) to get it in the group. That’s extra effort and something most people won’t take the time to do.
Con: Initial teething issues
This is ancient history by now, but Gold Tip had some issues with straightness on the first runs of these arrows. The reviews linger on in places but Gold Tip has corrected those problems (and replaced some of my early shafts, thanks!). Make sure to buy from a source that goes through a lot of these arrows so you know you’re getting a fresh batch.
Tips & Tricks
This is a Pierce Platinum arrow review, but like all micro diameter arrows, make sure to spin and align the nock collars on these! I highly suggest you also glue both the inserts and the collars on with epoxy… that way they’re stronger and you don’t have to re-align them every time you swap a point.
Although these are +/- 0.0025, the Pierce Platinums tend to have the majority of the “bend” on the end of the shaft for some reason. Make sure to spin and then cut them from the end that has the wobble and you can get closer to +/- 0.001 tolerances.
Outserts/inserts from firenock, ethics archery, and others are great options on these shafts. They fix the major achilles heel of the components which is really my main gripe. However, that’s a lot of money when you throw $30-40 more on top of $150+.
Alternatives
There are a few alternatives on the market for lightweight GPI, micro diameter arrows: Black Eagle X-impacts, Victory VAPs, and the (slightly heavier) Easton Carbon Injexions. Several have +/- 0.0025 options that have a street price of $130-140, which means you have plenty left over for some quality inserts if you want an ultra tough arrow.
If you’re specifically going for elk the real alternative is a heavy GPI arrow: my go-to rec is the Day Six HDs (see my review) with their bombproof inserts, higher GPI, and tighter tolerances, all for the same price. Black eagle deep impacts are a great heavy GPI alternative as well.
Summary: Gold Tip Pierce Platinum Arrow Review
The Pierce Platinum’s have a lot going for them: a true micro diameter, great weight tolerances, durable shafts, and some quality nocks. However, they’re fundamentally limited by weak inserts and o.k. tolerances for the price. Overall they’re not a bad choice but I think there are few slightly better options on the market these days.
Would I buy them again? Probably not. They worked well for me in the past but I don’t want to deal with losing more inserts. So who are they for? If you’re light on arrows (read: low poundage) or shoot target (glue in points) these aren’t a bad option. They simply aren’t my first choice for “the best” elk arrow. Gold Tip has a solid reputation as a company so I’m sure they’ll come out with an updated version in the future.