too heavy an arrow for deer?

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Please don't take this wrong, but what is often forgotten in these discussions is that all the arrow weight in the world means nothing if you can't put it where it belongs. I've shot 3D for a long, long time and can't remember anyone good shooting a super slow setup. So no, I personally wouldn't hunt with a 700-grain arrow out of a 45# bow. A bad hit is a bad hit, and if someone is hoping a heavy arrow will bail him out, it probably won't be long before he tests that hypothesis. To paraphrase an old cliche: heavy is fine, but accuracy is final.

[wingnut]

Jason,

I shoot a 700 gr arrow out of my 52 @ 30.5 recurve for moose and have no trouble with shots out to 40 yds.  

700 at 45 might be a bit much but for whitetail out of a tree stand at 15-20 yds it will be deadly.  Accuracy can be achieved with about any arrow weight.

Mike

[Michigan Mark]

You state you were hitting where you wanted.
Drop a Bowling Ball and a softball from the same height at the same time. Both will hit the ground at the same time. Which one penetrates further (Puts a deeper hole in the ground)? It is just science.I love heavy arrows.

[Shane C]

Did you tune those arrows to your bow? How you're shooting and your accuracy could change once you put a broadhead on that arrow

[Zradix]

350 GRAIN X 300 FT/SEC = 105,000 GRAIN FT/SEC
700 GRAIN X 150 FT/SEC = 105,000 GRAIN FT/SEC

GRAIN FT/SEC = USABLE ENERGY

..oops sorry about the caps

I'd say you're good to go.          

You could go lighter but then you might want to think about "not BIG" broadheads.

Right now you have a deer thumpin missile you could put any head on you want.

...OH and guess what..arrows loose speed going through the air ( or animals ) NOT weight....
Think about the above formula results when yardage increases and speeds start dropping..

[smoke1953]

I shoot 770 gr and love the momentum. Don't need it but just like it.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Mike,

As you know, there's a huge difference between 45# @ 26" and 52# @ 30.5". And your bows are anything but pokey.  

[Rob W.]

I try to stay around 10-11 gpp total. Always seemed like a good blend of speed and penetration.

[collofthewild]

X2 on what most have said here.

What ever your most comfortable with, it has been said.. trad goes heavy, you need the momentum and penetration.. with your setup you are going to out penetrate them everytime.

Speed is not everything. most compound shooters have a setup meant for 3d, but are not always aware of that . there are alot of marketing ploys on television about how fast the most recent and newest wheelie is, and at what velocity the arrow is traveling at, but dont realize that for testing, most arrows are 300 grns on a 30" draw!.... which for hunting is unrealistic and unethical IMHO

No such thing as overkill with a bow and arrow.

Shoot with what your comfortable and accurate with, MORE IMPORTANTLY.... HAVE FUN!!!!  

[BrushWolf]

I shot 3 deer last season with 54# and 680gr arrows.Two of them were hard quartered away I had no issues with getting comeplete passthrus.I used 4-blade zwickey deltas on the buisness end.

[Terry Green]

Make sure you consider ALL the options....

Most of the time you would be fine...although you don't 'need' that much weight to blow through a deer if your head is sharp and you arrow is flying true.  

However, on alert deer, or hunting over feeders in TX then I'd say yes, TOO HEAVY.  Believe it or not, sometimes more speed is better.

Even though I tried to convey this every year to the attendees that have never been to our annual TX hunt....one guy showed up a few years ago with 720 grain arrows out of a bow about your weight....he missed 20 animals (hogs and deer) before he finally hit one....in the butt.

By the time his arrows got to their mark, the critters had been in Oklahoma for 2 weeks.  So, at times, it IS possible to have an arrow too heavy for deer.

Heavier is good, but not ALWAYS better.....sometimes speed IS your friend.

When I go to TX...I use a lighter arrow than I do elsewhere.