Arrow speed vs weight

[Bob B.]

Well, trying not to thread jump an earlier post on efficiency, but I have a question on arrow speed.  I shoot a Dwyer 66 inch long bow with a 600 grain arrow.  The draw weight is about 47 pounds at my draw.  I get around 165 feet per second with this set up and am happy with it.  However, if I go to an arrow weight around 440 to 470 grains, I am guessing I would shoot flatter.  Relative to deer hunting, is 47 pounds and 440-470 grains getting too light?  Any idea how much my speed I will pick up ( I am guessing not too much).  Deer in Wisconsin go up to 300 pounds, the average buck is around 200 on the hoof where I hunt. I am looking for the most efficient, flattest, best overall huntng combo I can get.

I look forward to your insights.

Bob.

[dan ferguson]

You will get all kinds of answers Bob, I don,t know what kind of terrain you hunt, if its thick and a 20 yard shot is a long one stay with what you got, If the terrain is more open and the distance could be further I would go with the lighter arrow. I still feel you can kill any whitetail on the planet with a 400 something arrow.

[Bjorn]

Both will do the job and I really think this is a personal preference. For me, I'd stick with the heavier set up 'cause it will be quieter and give you a bit extra on those 300 pound mini-elksters!

[SpankyNeal]

If your happy with it don't change it! With deer that size, and in woods cover, I would stick with the penetrating ability of the 600 grain arrow over the slightly flatter trajectory of the lighter arrow. Not to mention, bow noise might become an issue with the lighter setup. If I was going after Mulies or Pronghorn out west then I might drop down to 500 or so to gain a few yards, but in the woods I'd stick with what you have. JMHO....Ken

[James Wrenn]

Should put you up to 180fps or a bit better.470 is not a light arrow for deer hunting.The choice is yours.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Both will work, but you are giving up penetration, noise and efficiency going to the lighter arrow.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by Bob B.:
Relative to deer hunting, is 47 pounds and 440-470 grains getting too light?  

Bob.

Absolutely not. That's more bow weight (and probably more efficiency) than my grandfather used for decades. You shouldn't even remotely have a problem.

[George D. Stout]

With the heavier arrow you can also be robbing the bow of it's potential...600 grains for 47#.
Noisy bows are made a little better by heavy arrows, but the answer for noisy bows is tuning, not adding weight to the arrows.  Heavy arrows aren't the end-all, and they aren't always better for a set-up.

There will be a bow weight/arrow weight ratio that works best for you and that's where you need to be looking.  I prefer 9 to 10 grains per pound, and so far it has worked admirably.

[O.L. Adcock]

George is on the money. As far as how much you'll gain or lose from a purely "physics" standpoint, if you double your arrow weight, you'll lose 25% of your velocity and vice versa....O.L.

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

I'm with George and O.L. on this one.  I stay in the 9-11 gr per pound of draw weight range.  You won't have any problem with things the way they are.