Greenland heavy arrow and equipment tips
Equipment
I am headed to Greenland July 8 and need to get some help with the arrows. I am an 26" DL and currently shoot FMJ 400's that are 28 1/4" long with 125 grain German Kinetic Silverflames. That leaves me with about 160ish grains short of the required 575gr.
I have 60# Defiant that I got last year and a 70# Bowtech Experience. I was planning on taking the BT but my shooting has been cut back due to a broken finger and lingering elbow/shoulder issues so I need to work my way back up on weight.
Thoughts on increasing the arrow weight? I was thinking of using some brass inserts, but need to order them. I have read about adding whipper snipper cord though that seems strange and uneven. I am not committed to the Silver Flames, but I do have a bunch of them from an elk and moose hunt that they never got used for. I have a half dozen 5.5 mm FMJ arrows that are 10.2 gpi that are unopenned. Thoughts on spine of these arrows as well? Comments on the best bow case? I have a SKB case for each of them. One survived a trip to Quebec but was missing a latch when it arrived. Advice on recommended draw weight and broad heads? Thanks.
Switch to a 200 or 250 and put some weedeater line down the shaft. I used a 340 Gold Tip last spring with 5 strands of weedeater line in the arrow. It weighed around 760 grains or so, flew great in all practice sessions and penetrated plenty even with a mechanical on a musk ox.
My friend who went elephant hunting put an FMJ inside of another carbon and got a very heavy arrow. He also used a 200 gr. broadhead.
TMBB
I'd take both bows if you can. Hope to shoot the 70lb but be prepared to shoot 60lb, about all you can do.
A 300 FMJ w/ a 100gr insert should get you there, or look into some heavy bh's. I've never researched the heavy bh's to help you. I don't know how you would calculate needed spine other than poke and hope.
My buddy and I will be there the same time and I believe from the flight email that had addresses listed that we will be hunting together. Will be great to share camp with another Bowsiter. We are hunting with Bowhunting Greenland. The information that Frank sent out stated a minimum legal arrow weight of 525. We have both just gone through the process of choosing arrows for the hunt, and just ordered the shafts today.
I'll be using Full Metal Jacket arrows with brass inserts and 125 Viper Tricks, but my arrows are 30.5" and are 10.6 gr/in. They should end up around 550 when put together. I'm shooting a 65# Elite Synergy.
My buddy has a 28" draw and is taking Piledrivers, also with brass inserts and 125 Magnus Stingers out of a 60# Halon. They should end up right around the 525 mark. He is battling a shoulder issue too and is currently shooting 55# with hopes of working up to peak draw weight.
From all that we have read, I don't think its worth risking injury by pushing it with the heavier bow. Shots should be close so trajectory shouldn't be an issue. You could go with a heavier, stiffer shaft than what you have now and put a brass insert and your Silver Flame up front and would be good to go. Carbon Express Hunter will put you around the minimum legal weight at your arrow length or you could go with the Full Metal Jacket Dangerous Games to really bump it up. 4mm FMJ Injections would get you there too but you would have to switch to deep six compatible broadheads.
My buddy's bow will be packed in a Badlands TerraGlide and mine will be in a Sitka Nomad. Both bags and the bows inside them have survived a bunch of trips. We have both also had good success with the SKB cases. We only switched to the duffels to make travel easier.
Look forward to hunting with you. Hopefully we will all get to see how each of our set-ups perform!
When I hunted in 20q5 the weight was 525 grains. Are you sure your correct?
Thanks for the info guys. I was going off memory, but 525 is probably right. I have a terra glide as well, but the Experience is too snug for my comfort. Great to hear Steve, look forward to hunting with you.
Look at the GoldTip Heritage shafts. The .500 spine is over ten grains per inch, comes with a 100 grain steel insert, and builds a heavy 525 grain arrow fast with 100 grain tips. The .400 spine would push you there faster as they weigh more then 10 grains per inch.
Gold Tip Kinetic Kaos 200's at 29" with accu-bushing, GTO nock, standard insert and ballistic collar, fletched with three 2" Blazer Vanes, in total weighs just over 400 grains. Add a 125 grain broadhead and you're over the 525 gr minimum. That's my Ox arrow when I go next year. If you wanted shorter shafts, you could add the weight screws that thread into back of the inserts.
I'll take an extra pre-set sight assembly to allow me the option to switch back to my standard arrows for Caribou after the Ox is down.
I used FMJ, Dangerous Game 300's, 75 grain brass inserts & G5 Montecs, 100 Gr. 3 blade CS broadheads. Total arrow weight was 640 grains. 4 out of 5 arrows were pass through's at approx. 25 yards each shot. I kept shooting too low. I was shooting a Mathews Monster set at 70 lbs.
If I was going back, I wouldn't change a thing, except to aim higher!
I used 27.5 inch 350 Piledrivers. 50 grain brass insert. 125 grain 3 blade VPA. 4 fletch 3 inch fusion vanes. Arrow came in right at 526 grains. 28 inch draw. 70lb elite energy 35. First at 18 yards shot blew right through(too far back). Second shoot at 30, quartering away, pushed clear through and was sticking about 15 inches out the other side.
I also did what sticksender did. Took another sight and a set of lighter arrows for the caribou. It's a great trip. Enjoy!
call SKB and they will send you a free replacement latch that you can put on. May need to use small bolts vs rivets, but it will be fixed
Is the ailment in the shoulder or the elbow? If it's in the elbow you might get away with using a Ripshot to get around it.
See link for bowhunting equipment requirements for Greenland.
Is a Bowhunter Education Certification required in Greenland?
They are not that difficult to kill. If you are hunting with Frank, your shots will be 25 yards or less.
I am embarrassed to say but I didn't read the regulations. I simply shot my deer hunting set up. 60#'s and a 430 grain arrow. I shot one in Greenland and one in Cambridge Bay. Both shots were pass throughs.
I used slick trick magnums.
Good luck.
Thanks for the all the responses guys, lots of great information. It says 535gr in that link but 525 on Frank's website so I will go with that. Will play around with a few set ups but may just get some brass inserts and that should be pretty close. SKB was actually really good. They were unable to fix the latch so they sent me a new case for the price of shipping. Impressive customer service. I just don't fully trust it now, but I may get a baggage strap to wrap around it and take some zip ties to ensure it can not come open if the latches fail. Great idea on having a different sight and arrows for caribou. I don't plan on going after caribou but wondered how a person would switch arrow weights for them.
I would think that would be pretty easy to switch arrow weights for a compound - set up two different arrows that are both tuned for your bow. I know I have lots of different arrow setups for my traditional bows - my heavy arrows are more than twice as heavy as my light arrows and all the different ones tuned to my bow. Would think it would be easier with a compound than a longbow - just need two sights or know how to adjust the sight for the compound - for the longbow, it takes about 40 or more shots to get my head dialed in for the different arrow and additional stump shooting through the day.
Kind of wish they would open Greenland for traditional bows. Doesn't make sense to me that compounds are allowed, but not traditional. Travelling to hunt with a takedown longbow is significantly easier than with a compound.
I doubt there is a person in Greenland with a scale that could weigh the arrows....so get something that shoots well and you will be fine. I just got back from there and the luggage limits are somewhat a pain. So the TerraGlide worked well for me.
That was until the Greenland TSA called me back and asked if I can prove that my bow wasnt loaded??
Also....travel with your arrows in a tube with NO broadheads on the arrows. Keep them in their original packaging or some safe container.
