What Do You Fling At Elk?
Elk
What's your arrow set up for elk?
Do you fletch them yourself, or have someone else?
If so inclined, what's your process behind your build? (Paper tune, bareshaft tune, arrow to rock culling...ect.)
If you've had failure's with a certain setup feel free to throw that in too, so we know what to avoid!
I personally have been running a really simple arrow. 29" 250 maxima reds with stock inserts, nocks, and collars. Fletched with blazer vanes 3 r-helical. Topped with slick trick 100gr standards. It comes down to a little over 400gr. I try to bareshaft tune if I have room to shoot wherever I'm fletching at, but haven't been strict about it.
They're not broken and I don't need to fix them, but I've been wanting to geek out on my arrow builds more!
Disclaimer: I know there's a search function and Google. But I couldn't find one with just a list of your builds. Or maybe I didnt look hard enough!
I use the exact same arrow to the letter except with a 125 grain 3-blade unvented VPA.
Insults generally when they do not cooperate:)
My elk arrow is an Easton FMJ 300 at 28.5" tipped with a RAD Rival 100 gr HPV. I fletch them myself with max right helical 3 blazers, two pink one white. Comes in a shade under 500 gr.
Not a fan of light arrows or light points. FMJ 300 @ 28.25", VPA 150 unvented, 3 blazers (2 orange, 1 green) with EZ fletch mini helical, 550 gr. total. Same as I use for everything except turkeys.
Black Eagle Deep Impacts 300 @ 30" with the 40gr outserts and 125gr vented VPA 3 blade.
I’m shooting Maxima Reds with 3 blazer vanes (2 white 1 red) with a helical right twist and a 125gr slick trick mag. Simple yet effective. I’ve been looking at switching it all up to Easton FMJ’s for more weight but haven’t had the time yet and don’t really need to as I’m still fully stocked on my Red’s.
.300 FMJ, 200 grains up front, 572.5 grains total weight, 255fps.
The one bull I’ve shot hit shoulder with very little penetration with a 400ish grain arrow, lost bull and i believe in heavy now
I build all my own arrows now and am slowly acquiring the necessary equipment to do all my own bow work and tuning as well, I’m still a novice archer but I feel it will help me get better...
Carbon Express Terminator Hunters. Haven't been made for a long time but I got enough to last through my last hunt. Heavy arrow which is great for my longbow.
Gold tip kinetics 200 spine. Norway fusion vanes in 3”. VPA 125 3 blade solids. Total weight I believe is somewhere north of 450 grains, it’s been a while since I weighed them.
cabelas hunter arrows when they are on sale. 65/80 I think. they cut them to length and glue in the inserts.l 100g muzzy 3 blade. never weighed them. never blamed a missed shot on arrows
Victory VAPs, .400 spine, 100gr Stainless half in half outsert, 250gr Cutthroat, 2" high back Shield Cut feathers and Wraps rocketing along at about 175fps! My arrows are slow enough to see flight, when bareshaft flight looks good, I fletch a couple and shoot 3d and then I shoot broadheads, usually an oversized one of same weight like a Simmons, if it's hitting the mark still I know I'm tuned.
A\C\C Pro Hunter 300s, Blazer vanes, 100 grain Viper Tricks. Total weight 471 gr.
Since the op mentioned "failures", several years back, after being told I needed to be around 450gr to kill elk after killing several with 390gr GT arrows, I bought some Easton Axis arrows and had at it. I have 3d targets that I shoot at, at the house. I was happy the way they flew. However, after a couple weeks of shooting a hundred or more shots a night, I had 2 of them come apart after clearing the riser. During that time, I was shooting 40 yards and in, and hadn't missed my target. Which meant I hadn't hit any rocks or trees or anything other than my target.
So I went back to my 390gr GT's and haven't looked back. Funny thing is, I've hit rocks, trees, steel posts etc with GT's shooting well over 100 yards, and never had one come apart.
The only thing I can think is I got a bad batch if arrows. But for the price, I wasn't sticking around to find out.....
400 FMJs, 125 grain Magnus Buzzcuts weighing in at 445 grains. I always fletch my own arrows.
What camo pattern you guys running on those elk shafts
@bou'bound pink flamingo stealthington blend #9. Don't confuse it with that #8 crap.
Last thing I want camo on is my arrows! I like being able to find those suckers!
I’ve been shooting Easton Hexx shafts. 7.9 grains/in. Cut to 27”, 2 flow yellow 1 white blazer, 50 gr brass insert, 150 or a 125 gr cutthroat broadhead. 70 lb Hoyt Carbon Element. Blew through a small bull last season after hitting the shoulder blade and he was dead in 20 yds. My total arrow weight is either 425 or 450 depending on which weight of broadhead I shoot.
Real bowhunters fling boogers and shoot arrows !!
Element Archery's Fire and Ice 400 shafts, 75 grain titanium half out outsert tipped with 125 grain Kudu Points, dipped 4" in flo. orange and fletched with three 4" white feathers with a Glory Nock, 460 total grains shot from 56# stickbows.
I shot Gold tip Kinetics in 300 spine for 5 years. Some years I glued blazers on myself. Some years I ordered fletched shafts from South Shore archery. All the shafts were cut to 28”. 3 blazer vanes with a 125 grain VPA head. Half the time I shopping vented and half the time nonvenred. My tuning process is pretty simple. Paper tune and then broad Head tune. Total arrow weight was 445 grains.
Last year I decided to try a diffferent shaft. I went with a 250 spine Black Eagle shaft with a 70 grain insert/outsert and a 125 grain head. I had the arrows built so I didn’t glue any fletchings on myself. Total arrow weight was 510 grains.
28” GoldTip Hunter XTs. 100gr SlickTricks. 4” vanes or feathers fletched myself. Full length trimmer line. 420gr total.
I’m shooting Goldtip pierce arrows. 26” long. 185 grains up front. 4 fletch AAE vanes. Tipped with an iron will broadhead 450 grains. They Fly great
Easton Axis 340's, 150 gr heads, 475grs total. I'm playing with fletch right now but do use 3". Build em all myself and do bare shaft tune.
Gold Tip velocity 300. 100 gr tips, 40 grains added to back of insert with the Gold tip fact system. I really like and have been using Nap quickfletch with 2" quickspin st vanes. I trim the shrink tubing before putting them on to make the wrap shorter. Total arrow weight of 438.5 grains. when hunting they have Slick Trick standards and Rocky Mountain Snyper broadheads. My bow set at 28.25" DL 67.5 lbs
I shoot bare shafts and fletched arrows and adjust accordingly until close. Then I shoot broadheads and field tips with fletched arrows and adjust accordingly until hitting same POA.
I’ve played around a bit pretty new to elk. First two years was a gold tip 300 with 300gr up front and a grizzly broadhead from a TallTines recurve. That setup worked well on my elk Last year I used a 55lb TallTines and GT 400 with 250 grains up front and the same grizzly heads. No elk but was focused on mule deer. Zipped right through a mountain lion at 7 yards with a frontal shot in self defense though
Where was your entrance and exit?
I don't "fling arrows" at anything! ;-) But I shoot ACC -349s with the Brass HP inserts knocked down to 50 grains with Rage 2 blade of variable configurations leading the way. At the other end I use 3 Flex Fletch- SK 300s with full helical. For a finished product of 439 grains and around 16% FOC. Elk hate it...
Bou my preferred camo is a white krylon wrap on my hunting arrows. Here’s my 90 yard group with a wrapped and unwrapped arrow. I always shoot at different targets so I don’t break knocks, lol. ;)
Easton Axis 340’s cut to 26 1/4”, with 50gr brass inserts and 100gr Viper Tricks leading the way. With a 5” arrow wrap and 3 Blazers, they weigh 430gr. Been fletching my own since the 80’s.
Sticks
But I sling, not fling. Big difference to the accomplished archer. Try to keep up people, try to keep up.
GT 400, I grain magnus buzzcut, black hornet serazor and qad Exodus swept blade this last year all very lethal heads,! Watch every bull I've hit expire.
I like to build my own arrows as the shops are more concerned with speed vs being meticulous.
Compound; Axis 300 with either a 150gr 2 bl Buzzcut [no bleeders] or VPA 2/3blade COC head= 500gr
Recurve; Beman MFX 340 same heads as above= 600gr
Old Beman ICS Hunter camo shaft (10 gpi) cut to 28" with 5" wrap and 3 blazer vanes. 125 grain Rocket Steelhead. Total weight around 458 grains.
Started hunting elk with Easton 2315 at 31in with Simmons 125gr. Land Sharks. self-fletched 5in Gateway Feathers. They were 560gr total AW. Got to the point where components were getting impossible to find--so I gave in to the carbon thing.
Next went with Gold tip, they were having problems with their nocks at the time and they didn't truely spine at .300. I did kill elk with them- just was turned off by them.
Currently killing elk with Easton Axis 300 spine cut at 30.25, self fletched 2deg. offset with 2.5in Silent Knights, 125gr Magnus Stinger. Est. 14% weight forward but sitting at 505gr Total AW. (chrono'd at 289fps-- yeah that's 92ftlb KE) My only complaint, the arrow breaks every time but they do pass through like an elk isn't even there! Heck, found the arrow 33yds past the last elk .
Tapered doug fir bois d'arc footed shaft with 4 " x4 fletch and 125 gr zwickey broadheads. Raptor Archery makes the bare shafts and I fletch and install nocks and points. Total arrow weight is about 520 gr.
Maxima Red 250 @ 28''with Blazer vanes white arrow wraps 100 grain Magnus Black Hornet broad head. 50 grain GT weight on incert up front. Gives me 455 grains. If I add some weed wacker line I will get a little over 500.
Easton ACC 3/71....shuttle T or slick trick standard both in 100 grains...dont have a clue what they weigh but they sure mess stuff up ;)
Acc 360 cut at 28 3 right helical flex fletch 3.00. Whackem 4 blade exit . Same arrow for over 15 years . They hit hard!!
What ever I am shooting at the time, I don't build special arrows for elk. 125gr 3 blade VPA launch from my compound. 145gr Woodsman Elite launch from my stickbow.
I agree Bruce. I would NEVER let a shop touch anything on my arrows. Been building my own from start to finish for over 20 years.
Thinking my only.change on my build this year is trying out the AAE vanes. Already have my broadheads for the aeason.
Stoked for the season, boys!
I shoot Beman Centershot 400 at 28 inches. Wild turkey feathers 5 inches. 250 grain cutthroat broadhead. Total arrow weight almost 600 grains.
23/64" Douglas fir shafts last 11" tapered down to 5/16". Wiped in 3 coats helmsman spar urathane gloss from can. Fletched with bow killed eastern wild turkey right wing primary feathers glued on R wing helical with bitzenburger dial o fletch with duco cement and burned to a custom shield 5.5". Grizzly Kodiak 235 grain and/or 225 grain tuffhead broadheads file sharpened then stropped sharp enough easily shave face. Bare shaft tuned perfectly to 20 yards. 680 grain arrow weight
Sometimes an arrow and sometimes a bullet.
Depends on what hunt it is.
Blood Sport One's, flex fletch 360 w/ helical, 125 Viper Trick. Total arrow weight 550 grains. I like the outserts on the blood sports from an FOC standpoint (they weigh around 50 grains each), but it can be a real pain getting them to spin true. Takes some fiddling for sure. Strongly considering switching to the FMJ's for this coming year. I'm a big proponent of heavy arrows with good weight up front, and a good cut on contact broad head for elk. I am a big fan of the Viper Tricks. They fly well out of my setup, and have a great bevel design that lines up with the blade angle. Almost like a true cut on contact but with the sturdiness of a ferrule tip.
GT Kinetic Kaos 300's at 28.5 inches. Up front 100 grn SOLID's, Insert plus 20grn weight.. 3 heat vanes on the back for a total weight of 466 grains.. blew through elk and mule deer last season.
Iron Will 100grain vented heads on the front of a FMJ 400 cut at 28" fletched with 3 Blazer Heat Sitka editions lighted by green Nocturnals.
Easton a/c/c 3-60 cut to 28.5 inches, 100 grain slick trick standards with 3 flex fletch flash vanes.
Have shot a lot of different arrow setups at elk and have seen lots of elk shot with different arrows. Compounds and trad bows.
Some general observations:
If you put a big hole in them, they are easier to find and don’t go as far. 2-blade broadheads will penetrate further, but typically don’t put as much blood on the ground. Big 3 & 4 blade broadheads do a much better job of making a big standing hole that will put more blood on the ground and a shorter blood trail.
Light arrows work fine, if you hit them in the ribs. They don’t break thru shoulder blades as well as heavy arrows, not do they penetrate a a full stomach to get to the vitals on a hard quartering shot as well as a heavier arrow with more FOC balance. The arrow has to be tuned to the bow and flying good or penetration suffers-especially with bigger 3 or 4 blades.
Have seen a lot of bad things happen with mechanical heads and not much good. I am sure they can and do put elk down fast and some are better than others. I just have had too many bad experiences to recommend anyone to shoot an elk with one.
Good shot placement results in short blood trails and fast recovery’s. Bad shot placement results in long days/nights and a lot of lost or wasted elk meat. More cutting surface can help you get lucky on one of those less than optimum shots.
Elk seem to go down fast when shot thru the lungs with a good sharp broad head. Maybe faster than a deer. Definitely faster with a broad head than with a bullet, in my experience.
Good luck to everyone chasing them this fall!
Agree with Treeline. The dumbest statement I see on these types of threads is 'just hit them in the lungs and you'll be fine'. Well duh! But no matter how diligent you are and how good a shot you are, the ONE thing you have NO control over is where/what your arrow actually hits. It's much more appropriate to choose equipment based on results with a poor hit than with a perfect hit.
I’m shooting VAP 300 with stainless outsert’s and am switching to Iron Will Outfitters V 100 or V 125 heads depending on which tunes best. I will be roughly 525 gr with the V 125 heads. I will repost what the results are.
As far as lighter arrows go then, I guess that rules out youth archers and any others shooting low poundage and shorter draw lengths on being able to capitalize on the above mentioned poor hits...
One of the dumbest statements I ever heard is "arrow speed doesn't matter".
HDE, my wife proves that speed doesn't matter. She's only 5 feet tall and 100#. She shoots a 420 g arrow at 45# at just about 200fps. She has killed 6 of the Big 8 Colorado species (only not having killed black bear and cougar), and has 4 P&Y entries including her mountain goat. Arrow speed is absolutely irrelevant out of any modern bow of even modest poundage and short draw. Shooting a balanced setup of about 9 grains of arrow weight per pound of draw weight is about ideal. It doesn't rule out anyone if you understand the physics and know how to hunt. The advantage of "faster" bows is just more leeway in where your arrow hits. Using that 'extra' energy to shoot a heavier arrow with a modest increase in speed is much better than any attempt to maximize arrow speed. That 9 gr./# is just as relevant if you want to maximize your killing potential with whatever you shoot. "Fast" arrows just give the illusion of being able to shoot farther than you should. I shoot just under 240 fps out of a 65# bow with 550 gr arrow (8.5 gr/#), and I've never felt the least bit handicapped by what is now considered a slow arrow.
340 fmj's weighing in around 480gr with the 100gr exodus guiding them
"One of the dumbest statements I ever heard is "arrow speed doesn't matter"."
I couldn't agree more. Speed in and of it's self certainly isn't the end all, be all, but last time I checked, velocity is part of the equation for both KE and momentum. How important speed is can be debated ad nauseam, but to say it doesn't matter just doesn't hold water. Doesn't matter whether you want to talk physics or reality.
If you have the time to range every animal you shoot, then trajectory is a moot point, but that simply isn't reality. If every shot you take is 30yds and in, then again, trajectory is a moot point. Again, for most, not reality.
For those that are blessed with a long DL, then I agree speed is much less a factor. However, for those of us that have T-Rex arms, it certainly helps for those shots we don't have the luxury to range before we take.
My arrows are a little on the light side at 400 grains with 100 grain viper tricks on the end but I have shot pass threw on the last 3 elk that I have dropped the string on. ACC 390
Shooting darts.
Shooting darts.
I shoot eastern 260 spine axis match grade. 75 grains of brass up front with my 150grain Ironwilloutfitters broadhead. 598 total weight. Pushing out at 265fps with my NEW hoyt rx1 at 80 pounds....
I shoot longbows from 55 to 70 pounds for elk. Have killed elk with arrows weighing from 400 grains up to 680 grains. If my setups work off a longbow, those kinds of arrows should definitely work better off a compound.
I have had a number of complete pass-thrus on elk with 420 grain arrows off a 60 pound longbow with a big 'ol Snuffer up front. Very short, certain blood trails...
I shoot a prime centergy hybrid LD 80# 31.5 draw length. Arrow setup is a gold tip kinetic kaus 200 with a 100gr brass insert, a footer tipped with a beautiful 150gr. Solid iron will. Vanes are sk200 and I run them in a 4 fletch. Total arrow weight is 626gr. Going 273fps.
I shoot trad and like Treeline have shot arrows weighing in the 400s to 600s. Aluminums were the thing for years and worked fine, woodies are fun to make and the cedars smell great when they break (which is often) and Carbons are consistent and tough. I usually buy blem carbon shafts from Big Jims archery and dip, crest and fletch myself.
Some of my tests show the extreme importance of perfect arrow flight vs. good arrow flight and it seems to trump arrow wt. Have had pass thru on mule deer going as light as 350 grs. and cut on impact bhs.
Well, perfect arrow flight doesn't exist...I'm referring to something approaching the limit of tuning...
Ha Ha these words are so true!!!
"woodies are fun to make and the cedars smell great when they break (which is often)"
ElkNut/Paul
I still shoot Aluminums, I guess I'm an "old soul" (Instinctive shooter as well).
They are logs, but they are forgiving, when shooting with a tab.
Depends which bow I take on my elk hunt this sept. Either 300 spine BEA Spartans with an extra 90 grains up front, using Ironwills ...total weight 515 Or 390 ACC with Soilds at 459
