Minimal amout of arrow weight

[Sticks2117]

Say my bow pulls 53# at my draw weight. How much should that arrow weigh and what is the least amount of arrow weight I can use?     :confused:

[Bird Dog]

I wouldn't go below 9 grains per pound---so an arrow weight of at least 477 grs.

[PEARL DRUMS]

MOST bowyers will tell you 9-12 gpp or more. My bows are all over the board, I shoot what feels and sounds good to me in each bow. If I had your bow, I would try to get my arrows at 500-550 to start with, then listen to the bow from there. They will let you know if they want more or less weight.

[smokin joe]

The old rule of thumb was 8 to 12 GPP. With that the lightest arrow you could get away with would be 424 gr.

Don't go below 8 grains per pound or bow damage could result. And going above 12 grains per pound gets you past the point of being useful.

Fred Bear kept things at about 9 gpp, and I am not one to argue with Fred's success or knowledge. I am shooting 8.7 gpp right now -- that is as close to Fred's specs as I could get with the latest dozen I made up.

Stu Miller's Dynamic Spine Calculator will help you predict the weight of a finished arrow with just about any component choices. You can find the calculator on line wit Google.

Shoot straight.
Joe

[Fischman]

I try to stay  above 9-10 gpp, your bow will tell you if your too light because it will be loud and probably have handshock.

[TDHunter]

A great rule it your going to hunt: start at 500grn no matter what your weight and go up if your bow can handle it.

[Andy Cooper]

If you're hunting with it, I'd lean heavy, 10+ gpp of bow draw weight. If not, then use whatever shoots best.

[Sticks2117]

Thanks for your responses    

[Bowwild]

My arrows are 9.02 GPS.  I'm going to bump that to 10 or a bit higher before next season.  I'm not bumping because of less than stellar results (two complete pass throughs -- no tracking jobs this year).  I'm curious what the heavier arrow will do to the feel and sound of my bows, especially my Blacktail.

[Burnsie]

I like a heavier arrow simply for the sound deadening.  A heavy arrow can really quiet down a bow.

[Carbon Jack]

I've been bow hunting for 40 years. Up until about 15 years ago I went along with convention and shot heavy wooden arrows for hunting. Never liked aluminum because I found them noisy. All my wooden arrows weighed over 500 grains with broadheads attached. This was pretty typical of everyone back then and it worked fine.

Then I discovered carbon shafts. I've not used a hunting arrow over 420 grains in 15 years. For the last 7-8 years my arrows have been of the same 383 grains. (Beman 500 cut to 28.5", 125gr broadhead) This made possible by the newer Beman shafts.

I shoot about 55 pounds and get the flattest arrow trajectory I've ever gotten. Hitting deer has become more positive. Penetration is completed. I shoot all the way through my animals. I never had such penetration when using wooden arrows of heavier weight. Plus I now use less bow weight as I've gotten older. I used to hunt with 75 pounds. Now 55-60 pounds.

Only Gene Wensel will admit in print to using this setup. I happened to read an article he wrote a few years after stumbling upon this light/fast carbon choice myself. Having seen with my own eyes how effective it is, I'll never go back to heavy arrows again.

I shoot about 7 grains per pound. No bow I own has suffered any ill affect. I've been doing this for 15 years now and shoot about 7-800 arrows per week year round. Modern bows are very tough.

Jack

[Robert Honaker]

I've taken all my deer with 450-470gr arrows using three and fourblade heads out of a 53lb bow.

[chanumpa]

Robert is right ,and fine at that weight.I wouldnt want to see any lighter and would like to see 550 total weight as a good sound bench mark ,espaecially for elk ,bear ,etc.500gr.+ is what I would like to see,and your 53# willpush it fine.

[AdamH]

PEARL DRUMS ,, Nailed it !! Let the Bow tell you .... Me, I'll stay on the Heavy Side ...