What's your arrow weight, why?
Wisconsin
I decided I should start a new thread as opposed to hi- jacking the other one;) So like the title says, I'll start. The arrows I've been using for hunting lately are actually light for me. They are Victory VAP's V1 300's cut to 26" with the 92 grain SS outsert and a 100 grain head with Blazers on the back. Total weight around 420 grains, but FOC of 18%. These things fly excellent with any broadhead and penetrate like my old 600 grain arrows.
I like a heavier arrow due to increased penetration, bow quietness. Although I don't consider my VAP's to be heavy. I would love to build a 500 grain plus VAP. That would be the ultimate hunting arrow.
I'm at about 350 grains and 60lb shooting about 325fps. People can talk about efficiency, penetration, etc. but if were hunting whitetails it's pretty much a moot point with today's bows. The arrow is going to pass through the deer and I don't care if it's sticking 12" in the ground on the other side or 20" in the ground.
This is the quitest bow I've ever shot other than 50lb spot bows with 600gr arrows. It also has very little hand shock. With the light arrow and fast speed there is less drop which means my hunting accuracy is better than if I was shooting a heavy arrow
I shoot 58 lbs and use 30 inch (BOP) Super Carbons that weigh in at almost 500 complete. Does well and can easily take down a moose.
390 grain 30 inch arrow shoots@304fps @60 lbs. Cant remember when I did not get a pass thru.
785 grains 65@28. Cuz I like to.
Although I won't shoot a sub 400 grain arrow even out of a lower poundage bow. I don't poo poo those that do, you have to shoot what works for you and you have confidence in. I also like heavy arrows for the inevitable bad shots that will happen if you hunt long enough. A heavy arrow has a lot better chance of getting killing penetration should you make a bad shot and hit bone.
As RC said there is more to it than just throwing together a heavy arrow. But I really don't want to type all the info. There is actually a ton of good info about it on AT.
Rutnut, I shoot the same arrow, same spine, factory inset, blazer vanes, 100 grain head.
Not sure exact weight, but for me, changing to .300 spine was the whole difference. I do not shoot with a peep, but I do use a kisser, and recently switched from using the cock feather in the corner of the mouth to the kisser to shoot at longer distances. I do not shoot deer beyond 30 yards, but can shoot pretty good to 50. Just personal preference to either let deer walk away, or allow them to get closer. By today's standard, I believe I shoot a heavy arrow. I do shoot 69 pounds with my bow, and my arrows fly truer, and hit with a thud. I don't play with charts. I practice a lot, and tune with paper, and then broadhead tune.
The Port Oxford Cedars weigh in around 575 with Bear Greenies glued on. I bought a finished dozen from a vendor at Kalamazoo called Brandywine and they fly nice. I shoot 52 @ 28 Robertson recurve.
29"cedars...405 grains, Zwickey 2 blade deltas...135 grains, for a total 540 grains out of my 54lb recurve...dead on 10 grains per pound.
47 lb out of my recurve Hoyt Buffalo 29 inch Carbon Express 150 3 5 inch feathers, lighted nock, 125 grain fixed head with 20 grain adapter (145), comes out to 9 grains per pound, flies great, right out to 50 yards, and the quiver is attached with 5 arrows.......
Rut nut pretty well said it all....
58 lb Matthews compound 30 inch arrow lighted nock 3 2 inch blazers, 125 grain Ram Cat broadhead, quiver, mounted on bow, tuned to 70 yards.........
Both of these set ups result in good penetration and accurate in flight
8.68 grains per pound 504 grains
CX Maxima Red 350s (8.8 gpi) cut to 29" @ 62# (Mathews Z7) with Blazer veins, Nockturnal nocks, and 100 grain SlickTrick broadheads. I was shooting CX Maxima Hunter 250s but when I bumped my poundage from 60-62 I was getting close to being underspined so I increased the arrow weight. My son will be able to use my 250s cut to size.
RC, what is the process of finding the "sweet spot"?
"29"cedars...405 grains, Zwickey 2 blade deltas...135 grains, for a total 540 grains out of my 54lb recurve...dead on 10 grains per pound."
Same here, exactly, except Doug Fir instead of Cedar.
29 inch CE Max hunters at 9.8 (if I remember correctly) 100gr slick tricks = 384....plus nock, inserts and vanes 400gr? Shooting 68lbs
Nice chart but I do not see any value to it. Not enough is consistent to compare. What are the draw lengths as that is a large factor. Same with let off and a little with bow length.
RC, the thing about the calculators is they don't/can't take into consideration the fact that the bow becomes much more efficient as arrow weight increases. So if someone was looking for that point of diminishing return by using an online calculator. It would falsely show them it at a much lower arrow weight. As you know, the best way to fund this is by real world testing with a chronograph.
I want 300fps so my 7 pins are as tight as possible. Whackin deer from treestands it's not an issue.
I shoot 780/790 gr arrows. They penetrate wonderfully
Rc, i have had a rangefinder since the 1980 model came out lining up the split screen. As i posted earlier i cant remember my last non passthru. My 7 th pin is 90 yards. Works for 3d and western hunts just fine.
Arrow1, that is one of the better calculators, but like I said it doesn't account for the bow becoming more efficient.
