Arrow weight for elk?
Elk
Generally speaking, what would you say a good arrow weight with broad head be for elk?
I think with a 70 lb bow and a 29 inch arrow, 450 grains gives the best combo of flat enough shooting and hard enough hitting. 400 is too little, 500 is overkill. Just my 2 cents.
425 - 600. Great flight trumps a certain arrow weight.
400 to 500 out af a bow with descent speed is plenty.
My two cents, 470-500 grains. I’m shooting 63 pounds, 31”, 470 grains, 255 FPS, iron Will 125. Have shot through one elk with it. And shot through several others with similar set up.
FYI, I shoot 60 lbs at 27.5” draw.
This year. 47# longbow 452 grain arrow with 150 grain IW BH 27” Draw. 30” arrow mid 160s FPS
Set it up tuned and go with it. It’ll work.
I like anything around 500 is perfect
For a compound bows 7-9 grains of arrow per pound of bow weight.(420+) Or for a trad bow 9-11 grains of arrow per pound of bow weight. (540+) Plus a weight forward arrow helps penetration. I prefer a heavier arrow.
I like 450-550 grains for maximizing penetration and still shooting flat enough for longer range.
Mine have been 475 to 485gr, I like them moving 270-280fps,
I would actually prefer to shoot a heavier arrow set up then I have settled on this year.
but the FMJ 452 grain with 150 BH upfront are flying and impacting straight. And will deliver all the limited energy directly behind the broadhead. Very little waste
Have killed a lot of elk with 425 grain aluminum and carbon arrows off of longbows from #55 to #60. Most with big old 1 7/8" diameter Snuffers. Have even had several complete pass-throughs of elk ribcages with that setup.
If that setup is adequate and effective, would expect most anything off a compound with a good broadhead would be adequate.
My current elk elk arrow setup that has also worked quit well comes in at 500 grains with a 200 grain three-blade or two-blade single bevel.
Heavier arrows with solid cut-on-contact broadheads certainly will provide better penetration and more margin of error if you happen to hit at a bad angle. Shots on elk are generally closer than for stalking deer in my experience. Although there is a chance at shooting an elk at 50 or 60 yards or further, that is not the norm. My average shot on the last 12 elk I have shot has been around 20 yards.
All great advice, Noah got drawn for his first elk hunt and he will be going with 450 gr. arrow, 60lbs and 28" draw.
Draw weight and draw length should be taken into consideration when determining the “best” arrow weight IMO. For me, 440 gr is a good compromise between arrow weight and trajectory. If I had a longer draw length and/or was still able to draw a higher poundage I’d probably be around 465-475 gr. For compounds, I personally wouldn’t use anything lighter than around 425 gr, nor do I think anything over 500 gr or so offers any advantage for most people.
My Son & I have elk hunted with arrows from 400 grains to 565 grains. We've put dozens of elk down with them. He prefers 400 grain arrows with 70# draw wt. I prefer 425ish grain arrows with 65# draw wt. I draw 27-1/2" & he draws 28".
The most important factor we focus on is the insert/broadhead weight. Upfront is where we maximize penetration yet not sacrifice speed, it's a good balance that works for us. His insert is 60 grains with a 100 grain head, mine is 100 grain head & 95 grain steel insert. Both setups have no issues with elk!
ElkNut
