Building the perfect "Hog" arrow?

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by flatlander37:
This thread is making me realize that my arrow selection may be a little on the light side.  I have been shooting some Carbon Express Maxima 250's cut to 28", with 245 grain head up front, for a total weight of 495 grains.  This being shot out of a 60" Mojostik, 54@27, and I draw 27".  I am considering getting some Maxima 350's cut to about 29", with 260 grains STOS up front for a total arrow weight of about 555 grains.  For you more experienced hog hunters out there, I would really love to have one arrow that does it all.  Oh yeah, the FOC on both of these is above 22% due to their light GPI.  Any thoughts are appreciated.  Mark

imho, 10gpp is the minimum magic number, so yeah, a 555 grain arra for sure.  

holding at 55#, i'm shooting 645 grain arras - quiet and smooth on the release, and the penetration is much more than a 500+ grain arra.

[Guru]

Flatlander, I believe you'll need a heck of a lot more weight up front than that with the 350's.
Heck, I bet you could bump up your point weight on the 250's and get where you need to be.
That's stiff for a 28" arrow out of a 54# bow...just food for thought.


I think what most guys don't realize it that for "most" hogs, any regular ol' deer hunting arrow will work just fine.

Young boars and most any sow will be pretty easy to shoot thru if hit where they're supposed to be hit.

So in 90% of hog hunting situations, you can get away with "normal" equipment.

BUT....

If you ever get a chance at a big, tough, mature boar hog, you'll appreciate every pound of bow weight, and every grain of arrow you're shooting!

Hog hunting by nature is a very up close and personal hunt. So a good, heavy arrow is always best....just in case a big ol' boar hog shows up.....

[flatlander37]

Curt, I thought that I would need to load the front more also, but my Mojostik is cut past center or at center, and bareshafts good with that setup.  It wouldn't really hurt my feelings if I had to go to 285 grains up front on the 350's either, though.  Thanks for the input from Rob and yourself.

[Biggie Hoffman]

All this time I've been killing em with 125 grain heads. Whoa is me.........

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
All this time I've been killing em with 125 grain heads. Whoa is me.........

you tell 'em, mr big!    

[Guru]

Big buddy,
That's why I said "a good heavy arrow"....I think some are getting way too carried away with "foc"(not saying it doesn't help)...Heavy arrows no matter how they're weighted have been killing critters for a long time!

How much do those long 350's that you shoot weigh anyway?  About 40" ain't they?    

[RC]

Big Redneck...everyone don`t have a 32" draw.RC

[Biggie Hoffman]

They only weigh about 500gr with the head.
I use them like skewers and try to line them up 2 or 3 deep. I never get passthrus that way 8-(

[DesertDude]

Just a Question, Ever held a 50gr or 100gr brass insert or point? Not alot there, I Fully understand all the numbers (100gr is 20% of a 500gr arrow) At times I find it real hard to understand that an extra 50gr will make or brake the outcome. I'm no expert on this, just thinking out loud....I'm off to hunt Hogs at 7th age place in Texas, my set up is 54# Recurve @29, 510gr arrow with 225 up front (21%foc) super sharp 4 bld stinger. This set up flys perfect and the bow is quite. Now my head hurts from all this thinking......

[Guru]

Don't sweat it Mark(I know you've changed bh's at least 3 times in the last few months in anticipation of your trip), you'll be just fine with that arrow...in the end it's all about putting the arrow where it needs to be bud...bottom line  

   

[trashwood]

I like a lighted nock.  they are kinda of a pain to use.  I select smaller pigs so I can handle them by myself and I have a mile or so pack out.  For samller pig I use a rather light bow.  arrow is 10 ggp but because of the draw weight is still light for big pigs.  

For big pigs even with very good shot placement nothing replaces draw and arrow weight.  

for lighter draw bows with lighter weight arrow on smaller pigs, nothing replaces shot placement.  when i was having some neck and shoulder issues I shot two 50#ers with a 28# draw and alloy arrows 12 ggp.  

Only thing more fun than pig hunter is calling in elk.   .  Pigs were made for bow hunting (IMO)

rusty

[cacciatore]

Mark,sometime we make too much Philosophy and few hunting.Do you think woman and boys can't kill them with their equipments?

[highpoint forge]

28" Carbon Express 250, lighted nock, Eclipse 125 double bevel bh. 57# @28 SAX.  I'm at 516gr by my calcs.

How many grains/in is that? Just shy of 10?

Am I too light?

Here's my calculations:

Approximate Arrow Weight Calculator:

CXH 250 Shaft Weight per inch (grains): 11
Arrow Shaft Length (inches):  28
Point Weight (grains): 125
Insert Weight + BH adapter Weight (grains): 43
Lumenok Weight (grains): 19
Number of Fletchings: 3
Fletch Weight per Fletch (grains): 4
9" Wrap Weight (grains): 9

Approx. Arrow Weight Total grains : 516 grains