Recommended build for Carbon Hunting Arrow

[Meflyfisherman]

Hello all,

New to this site and to "hunting" with a traditional bow. I have been hunting with compounds for 30+ years but shooting recurves off and on since I was six. I picked up a 69" Bear Tamerlane and had so much fun shooting it that I decided this year to forsake the compound and get into using traditional gear.

I just bought a Bear Grizzly a couple weeks ago and im shooting really well with it. 50# but Im only pulling 27" so im around 48#. I checked a spine chart and tried my Beman ICS hunters (400) with a 125gr tip and it seems to be shooting well (quiet too) with such a light arrow. My question is, what would you all recommend for a good build for a hunting arrow (and same for practice).

My thoughts are GT traditional classic (cut to 28") with 5" shield cut feathers and a 150gr Magnus Stinger broadhead. This alone will put me at ~ 10gr per lb of pull. Would you recommend brass inserts for the broadhead end of the arrow and in what weight? I have had good results with a myriad of wheel bow arrows in the FOC area but not sure how important it is in traditional hunting arrows. Also, many blogs recommend a 500 spine arrow for this weight but with a heavier tip and the generous center cut on the grizzly, im thinking a can keep with a 400 spine, heavier arrow. Do you all agree.

Thanks for any suggestions, Im wicked stoked about this years season and want the best penetrating arrow I can deliver!

[RGKulas]

Sounds like you already have it figured out. You will do well with that setup.

[crazynate]

Sounds like a good starting point. A lot of my hunting bows are around 46-52# and I will say that none of them would tune well with a 400 spine with 125 up front. But I do shoot 400 bemans and gold tips out of those bows but I leave them close to full length and I use a minimum of 175-250 grains up front. My 500 spine  carbons  with those bows @ 29.5" require about 175 grain to bare shaft perfectly.  There are no set rules on what a bow all like. For instance I have a bear grizzly that shoots a 2216 aluminum ( about 380 spine) the best. And I have a bob lee 50# bow that shoots a 2016 the best (about 530) spine.  So to answer your question you might get  decent flight with those but not perfect flight. It all depends on how it bare shaft tunes. Imy guess is your  a little stiff and you'll need to go heavier with tips. If you need a couple for tuning purposes PM me and I'll send you a few heavier sizes. I have plenty of extra.  And just remember When you have feathers on the arrows and can hide a lot of imperfections.  That's why we  put them on in the first place to help stear the arrow. Good luck

[NY Yankee]

If you can put together 10 GPP then you are doing well. Dont change it.

[elkhunter45]

My 50# Kodiak Hunter that I shoot and draw 28" requires 500 GT Trads cut to 29" with 200 up front. 400's were way too stiff when I bareshafted them unless I put 300 grains up front. I also wouldn't cut yours so short yet as I suspect that since you are just now going trad only that your draw length will increase as you go. That has happened to a lot of us. I do have 11 brand new GT Trad 400's cut to 29" that I could be traded out of. IMHO I think a good starting point would be 500's with 200 up front for around 10 gpp.

[drewsbow]

that arrow should be way stiff

[creekwood]

I would recommend the brass inserts up front and using 150 grain field tips/broad heads on a 500 shaft out of a bow pulling 48# @ 27".  That should put you in the ballpark, results may vary.

[KyRidgeRunner]

Originally posted by creekwood:
I would recommend the brass inserts up front and using 150 grain field tips/broad heads on a 500 shaft out of a bow pulling 48# @ 27".  That should put you in the ballpark, results may vary.

X2.  I have a 27" DL as well and all my 50@28 bows liked something similar to this.  Unless you gonna dabble in efoc, I'd start with the 500 spines.

[58WINTERS]

500 spine std insert 29 bop 250 fp/bh 5" 3 fletch perfect out of 68" HH Wesley Special 55@ 28 drawn to 26-1/2 which is about where you are at poundage wise and it will get you 535 grains. Almost forgot 1" 2115 footing. these are the camp GT's plain black may come in a little lighter
58

[Meflyfisherman]

All, this is really good stuff and I appreciate it a lot.  Ive been fletching for a number of years and going to buy the stuff to cut and build my own arrows so I have plenty of time to tinker with lengths etc.  At least now I can start with the 500's!  Thanks again.  dave

[sbschindler]

OK here is what I'd recommend, goldtip hunter shaft 500 spine, cut to 30 inches, 100 grain brass insert, 150 grain magnus stinger BH this arrow will weigh in at 495 grains and have a FOC of about 19% 3fletch 5 inch feathers helical parabolic cut

[Meflyfisherman]

That sounds like strong medicine and worth a try, should shoot plenty quiet too.  Ill let you guys know how I'm coming along.

[Michael Arnette]

Sounds like you have a good combination going, be sure to shoot your broadheads of choice before you hunt to make sure they fly well. Stingers always fly really well though and are very forgiving.

The .400 will likely be too stiff, esp if you cut the length down any. Like said above, you will probably need at least 200-250gr up front to make them tune, so brass inserts would help in achieving that. Only personal tuning will tell you for sure what is right though.

Good luck, and Welcome to the Gang!

Bisch

[bhylton]

dont forget, the GT trad CLASSICS come with steel half outserts as standard. its a 78gr half-outsert for the .400. add a 150gr BH your at 230gr up front. maybe a 400 spine is not too far off...?

shooting a 55lb sage with 200gr BH, .400 trad classics were too weak cut as short as i could go.. about 27in

[Meflyfisherman]

I saw that they came with outserts and was not sure what those were?

[bhylton]

it glues in like a normal insert but about 1/4 - 3/8 of an inch sticks out and it flush with the diameter of the shaft