Your experiences with "light" arrows for big game

[J from Denmark]

Please dont start with Dr. Ashby, Momentum and stuff like that.

I am only interested in
YOUR OWN REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE
with
CARBON ARROWS
in the weight range 400 - 530
for big game, especially elk, moose, pigs and the like.
But if you have taken whitetails with both heavy and light carbons I would like to hear about that too.

Not interested in any experiences with wood or alu arrows as you just cant compare them to
carbons.

I have used 600 grains carbons for years with great results but I am starting to think that with a good broadhead arrows around 500 grains will do fine.
I am preparing for a BC trip for goat and must admit that I really like the flatter trajectory of the 500 grain arrows. ( shooting 56# @ 29" )
I dont want to change back and forth so I will only use them if they can handle tougher game as well.

Please tell arrow weight, bow weight and broadhead and if ribs or bone was hit.

Thank you

Jacob

[RySanpei]

Jacob,
Check out the pics I have on the thread "daily hunt pics and stories".  There are no elk or moose but the pigs and deer were shot with arrows weighing 470 grains at the heaviest.  I shoot bows from 50 to 55# at 25 inches.  I draw 25.5 inches.  All the animals were taken with the standard Muzzy four blade with a sharpened trocar tip. All shots except for two pigs were complete passthroughs.  Most shots hit rib, and I shot one sheep though the shoulder blade.  I even penetrated the shield of good sized pigs with the four blade.  The carbon arrows I use are beman mfx and st axis.

[Bonebuster]

I live in Michigan, the state that looks like a mitten. I live to hunt whitetails.

I have always used bows in the sixty to seventy pound range. I have been hunting with carbon arrows four only four years now, but hunting is out my back door, and there are lots of tags available here, so four years has given me time to try different things.

My first carbons were shot from 68 lbs and weighed in at around 520 grains. My previous arrows for that bow were hex-pine wood shafts that weighed 650 total. Even though the wood arrows were heavier by far, I got much better performance on game with the carbon. 95 percent pass thru shots with the carbon. 70 percent with the wood.

Currently, I am shooting a 63lb recurve, gold tips
55-75, that total out to just about 600 grains.
I am confident that my current set-up would be plenty for elk, moose, and even big bears. My local whitetails hardly slow my arrows down.

For me going with a lighter shaft increases bow noise too much. At thirty yards, the difference in trajectory is hardly noticeable. The trade off isn`t worth it.

I`m sure that 500 grains will still give you plenty of punch, and if your trajectory improves
without causing other problems, it may be well worth losing a little weight.

[J from Denmark]

Hello guys
Good information right from the start !    

Rysanpei, thanks for the info, I will check out your pics. I use the axis 400 for my light arrows ( 500 grains ) I would like to put a little piece of alu shaft on the front o,5 " to make the front end stronger, would you happen to know wich alu shaft fits snugly over a 400 ?
Do you use broadheadadapter or alu shaft yourself or do the hit-insert arrows hold up good enough for you without it ?

Bonebuster, interesting observation with heavy wood contra light carbon !!
I do feel trajectory improves and the bow is still very quiet.

Jacob

[J from Denmark]

Ryan, I just cheked out your pics ! Nice parade of game you got there !
And you do use a alu sleeve on your arrows too, I could see.

HMMMM Hawaii just got a new ring to me  

[Tom A]

The first deer I ever killed was a nice sized 7 point buck with 5/16 wood arrow weighing 420gr traveling at about 160fps. Arrow went clean through. I would not hesitate to hunt deer with skinny carbon arrows down the 350's if I am getting 170+ fps.

[Mr.Magoo]

Have had a couple of penetration problems in the past at 450-500gr. but I attribute it to using the wrong broadhead for my setup.  At your specs (assuming your bow has reasonable speed and your arrows are flying well), I think broadhead selection and shot placement are more important that 500 vs. 600 grs on goats.

[bjk]

J -- use 2020 on the front of 400...I use 2"s...bomb proof.

[waterone]

Jacob:

As long as your arrows are tuned and you are using a decent broadhead, a hit will be little problem.

waterone

[rt2bowhunter]

Hi Jacob
You need 2018 shafts to fit the axis 400s.I use a 1" on the point end.Works great i just heat my hot melt an put it on a cold shaft,Then heat the 2018 peace an slide it on you need to put on your tip quickly so you can adjust the depth before it cools.You can then use any tip that fits a 2018.I also bevel the back side makes them easer to pull from the target.
Hope that helps
Joe

[RySanpei]

Jacob,
just be careful if you decide to use 5" of sleeve you may end up stiffening up your spine.  I believe that if the sleeve extends past the hit insert by a couple inches, you will change the spine.  If you want to bump up tip weight you may want to try the 100 grain brass inserts.  I have one arrow that I'm using now.  Axis shaft, 100 grain brass insert, 100 grain broadhead, 1 3/4" 1916 sleeve 17 grains. Weight up front 217, total arrow weight 467 grains.  Plus I'm using a four blade.  If you are concerned, a two blade will work even better for penetration, but I'm not having problems with penetration, so I'm sticking with the four.  I believe the key is a well tuned set up, flawless arrow flight and a well placed shot.
Ryan

[Jeff Strubberg]

On paper or in the real world, the result is the same if you uderstand the question.

Light arrows don't penetrate as well as heavy arrows.  HOWEVER most animals are fairly easy to shoot through.  A 500 grain arrow is plenty for just about any animal that doesn't have some type of "arrow defense", such as the cartilage plate on a large hog or the extreme hair on a musk ox.

[J from Denmark]

Rysanpei, Ryan I wrote HALF an inch of alu, not 5"      

bjk and Joe, thanks for the advice on which alu to use.

Jacob

[Shawn Leonard]

Jeff, not really, as skinny carbons that weigh less than aluminum and woodies will outpenetrate them in many instances when shot from the same set-up. Less drag going in. Chad Jones and myself have hunted both Whitetail and myself coyotes with a little as 7gpp. and get excellent penetration. Jacob 8 to 8.5 gpp. will be fine for the game you want to hunt. My new set-up for whitetail is a 47# @28" Vortex and arrows that weigh 380 grains. I have been shooting the skinny carbons right along with some 60-65# woodies which weigh 120 grains more and the carbons out penetrate the woodies in everything I have shot them at or in to. Shawn

[sswv]

have to agree with Shawn. My set-up is a 46# @ 28" Vortex and the last two years I've used 425 grain (total arrow weight) carbons with great results. 3 and 4 blade heads of course. The carbons just seem too out penetrate the others about any way you test them.  

just my 2 cents

[RySanpei]

Sorry about that Jacob.  I would atleast use a 1" pc
Ryan

[Pinelander]

I used to shoot 50-55 lb. with 500-550 gr. woodies for whitetails. The last 2 years I've used 45-50 lb. bows with 400 gr. carbons and the same broadheads. Overall penetration results have been better, and breaking ribs has not been a problem either. I like the flatter trajectory of 8-9 gpp compared to that of 10-11 gpp, and have not seen a detriment in penetration by going down in weight and up in speed. The only drawback is increased bow noise, and that is something that may or may not be a problem.... all depends on the type of bow and the type of silencing methods used.

[J from Denmark]

Jeff and Shawn, actually I have no doubt that 500 grain carbons will do fine, I am just interested to hear about peoples results with them on tougher game like elk, moose and big hogs.

Ryan, I will keep that in mind

Jacob