Chronoed some arrows today....

[Shot]

Had the day off and not much to do so I decided to chronograph some arrows with my Black Widow PCHX. I pull 60# at 27".

Here is what I found.

Arrow Weight   FPS    Momentum
500g           181     .4015
530g           176     .4138
554g           172     .42275
603g           167     .4467

Do these numbers seem right for the bow I'm shooting? Can't make up my mind with which arrow to go with. All these arrows are tuned to the bow and fly great, but of course trajectory is noticeable with the extremes.

From what I read, momentum greater than .40 is whats need for larger North American animals. Is .04 difference in momentum between 500g and 600g  a big difference?
 
Given these numbers, which arrow would you guys choose for all around hunting in North American.

Thanks guys for the help.    

[JamesKerr]

All things being equal a heavier arrow will always out penetrate a lighter arrow. I would personally use the 603 grain arrow as it is close to 10 gpp. I can gurantee you that the extra 14 fps off the 500 grain arrow will not help you at all if the animal reacts to the sound of the string. I did a test just the other day where I stood a safe distance to the side of my target and had my budy shoot an arrow into it at 20 yards with a very fast compound. By the time the arrow got there I know I could have moved out of the way. In my mind a little slower but much quieter arrow is better for hunting than one that is faster but louder.

[Bjorn]

Those are good numbers and they will all do the job on just about anything. Choose the one that  flies the best and inspires confidence. Shoot lots of BH's to get over the ''that's a BH'' phenomenon.

[AWPForester]

Maybe James is right in  scientific vacuum, but all things are never equal in the real world.  At longer distances, a lighter arrow outta the same bow may be above the line of diminishing returns that will allow it to have more energy, thus more penetration.  Heavier arrows do noot always equal beter penetration.  Contrary to the poplar claim, almost all penetration tests in equal media will result with the lighter faster arrow usually out penetrating the heavier slow arrow.

This maybe an attribute of what is generally a bigger shaft and it isn't blood and tissue but all test I have conducted show this and the ones I have read pretty much come out the sameway.  So I often wander why this gets touted so much.

Now for real life purposes, I do believe that you can get too light and/or too heavy.  I personally let my bow tell me what it likes but it seems to be in that golden 8-10 gpp of draw weight and it seems to work flawlessly.

So for the numbers you posted, I would recommend the 500-530 grain arrow.  It will easily kill anything in North America, and moost of the world.  Flatter trajectory, plenty of weight to penetrate.  And yes, those speeds are very representative of what to expect with your setup.  God Bless

[gringol]

Forester, I don't know how you come to your conclusion that light arrows penetrate more than heavy arrows, but it appears to violate basic laws of physics.

Shot, I wouldnt sweat that choice much.  People killed animals for millenia before anyone ever weighed an arrow.  It looks like all your arrows will do fine.  Shoot what you like, and keep noise in mind while you're deciding.

[Orion]

Shot:  The arrows you tested are neither very light nor very heavy for your bow.  It's not surprising that they all shoot well.  Any will do the job.  I doubt you'd notice much difference in trajectory out to 20 yards or so.  Granted, at 30 yards or more, the heavier arrow(s) will drop off a little faster.  However, the brain gets used to whatever one is shooting. If you haven't been shooting the lightest arrow(s), it will have to learn to adjust for the flatter trajectory. I agree with Bjorn.  Shoot the one that "feels" the best to you.

[Shot]

Thank you gentlemen. I greatly appreciate all the information.

[arrowlauncherdj]

Id go with the 554gr bc it gives better trajectory and good momentum. 50gr wont mean a bit of difference on penetration but the trajectory will be more forgiving

[arrowlauncherdj]

But I will say that the 530 would be my second choice

[cahaba]

All those arrows would be great for hunting. I would choose according to what your average shot distances are. If you are hunting more open terrain and need the extra yardage go with the lighter setup. I never shoot at anything over 20 yards so I like 10 gpp or so.