Minimum arrow wt for hunting deer and elk??

[J.Nordwell]

Looking at getting new arrows. Shooting a 56 lb BW recurve shooting 570 gr now Shoots good but would like to get a little flatter flight. thinikng of trying 500 gr ish. Figure 500 gr out of a 56 lb recurve should do the trick should it?  

[rappstar]

the pros recommend 9 to 10 gr per pound of draw.

[numbfinger]

not recommending it, cause i dont have much experience hunting with a recurve yet, but a 436 gr arrow from a 60# bow[ 57# at my draw length] has killed 2 deer for me.

i will say this though, i only got a passthrough on one of the two, penetrated from the ribs to the ham on the other one.

surely 500 gr's would do at least as well

[overbo]

Killed a bull this year w/ a 560gr arro w/ a 2 blade.30yrd shot.Went thru the shoulder centered the rib under the shoulder and buried under the skin on the opposite side.
Lost a big bull a few years back shooting a 3blade w/ a 430gr arro.35yrds,centered the bull w/ little penatration.
IMO, 500grs well tuned w/ a 2 blade will work fine.

[Adirondackman]

I prefer arrows over 600gr for Elk. Feel more confident that I will get good penetration. I don't believe that you will have that much of trajectory difference between 500-600gr arrows at bow hunting ranges. The penetration advantage may be better.

[jrchambers]

i would go with the 600s i did the same thing i shot 500s and swithced of course i could notice a speed decrese but not in accuracy.  all i really notced was the lighter ones hitting high at 20.

[Mike Bolin]

I'm in agreement with Adirondackman and jrchambers. I would think you would want you to be in the 600 grain range for elk. For deer you are fine where you are. I try to shoot 600+ grains all the time, for 3-D and hunting. Some folks switch bows and arrow weight with relative ease, but I like to keep bows/limbs within 3 or 4 pounds and arrows right at 600-625 grains. Good luck-Mike

[Shawn Leonard]

It has been proven an arrow with high FOC will outpenetrate an arrow of the same weight, so you can actually front load an arrow the total weight will be 500 grains or so and it will penetrate just as well as an arrow weighing 70-80 grains more. I shoot 54#s at my draw and a 480 grain arrow, that is jusy shy of 9gpp. and I would hunt any game in North America with that with the slight exception of Moose, but most likely them as well. I know Chad Jones from this site shoots l;ots of big Ohio bucks and he is shooting a tad less than 8gpp. Keep them sharp and put it where ya want it and you will have no problem with 8-9gpp. Shawn