Light or heavy arrows for long distance?

[Pheonixarcher]

So what is the standard for flight shooting type arrows? I'm going to be shooting the Prime Total Archery Challenge at Boyne Mountain again this year, and the targets will be ranging from about 20-120 yards, with most shots being 40-90 yards. In this situation, would a lighter 8-9 gpp arrow have better cast, or would the momentum of a heavier 11-12 gpp arrow resist the forces of drag better? All else being equal of course.

[Roadkill]

If you have physically lighter arrows that spine and shoot well, they would likely leave the bow faster thus increasing your cast

[Pheonixarcher]

That would seem to be the logical choice, but I have heard arguments going both ways. A heavier arrow will resist a cross wind better, why not a head wind? Also, the faster a projectile is, the greater the force of drag meaning the faster it is, the faster it slows down. At what speed that effect is no longer relevant, I have no idea.

Does anyone know of any real world testing that has been performed?

[M60gunner]

Lighter arrows are what are used for flight shooting out West in the dry lake bed. But it’s for distance not accuracy. Just saw a post on FB guys in England shooting clout. Heavy bows with heavier arrows but shooting at a spot. One way to help with cross wind is reduce length of feathers but go 4 fletchs.

[McDave]

I think it’s a combination of the bow and the arrow.  In the Middle Ages, the English bowmen would engage the French at 200 yards, with arrows much heavier than anything we use today.  Most of the everyday bows we use today will not shoot 200 yards with any kind of arrow.  But with the heavy yew self bows they used at the time, they were able to cast heavy arrows 200 yards.  I doubt they could have cast ligher arrows that far, because the limbs on the yew bows were not that responsive.

From what I have read, with today’s more efficient limbs, flight archers look to the lightest arrows with the least amount of fletching they can shoot without damaging the bow.  Flight records for traditional bows exceed 500 yards.

[Roy from Pa]

We have what is called golf shoots here in Pa.

The flag, " target " is anywhere from 300 to 600 yards out.

First shot, the bow has to be held at a 45 degree angle.

After that it's up to you how you want to aim.

My 42# Bear Victor Viking from 1972 will send a very light 5/16th wood arrow with two 1" long feathers mounted at a slight angle, and a 50 grain target tip, a good 250 to 300 yards.

For distance shooting, a light arrow and 2 very short fletchings is the key.

It's the fletching that slows down the arrow.

Don't use a helical fletch, a straight clamp with a very slight angle is best.

Use feathers about 1/2 inch high.

And plastic vanes give even less drag on the arrow.

As far as the wind goes, just calculate the cross wind into your shot. 

But most of all.

Just have fun................

[Trenton G.]

Hey Phoenix, maybe I'll see you there. It's just down the road. Had a blast there the past two years.

The past few years I've shot 510 grain arrows out of my 60 pound longbow and that has worked well for me on the course. My point on distance is 65 yards which is about the farthest shots on some of the easier courses. I like the heavier point weight because at those distances I missed a lot and they seem to stick in the ground as opposed to hit and skip like my lighter arrows do.

[Pheonixarcher]

Thanks for the info gents! That's kinda the way I was leaning, but just wanted to know if anyone has done any recent testing. Please keep the experience and info coming!

Trenton, I have been to the shoot the past two years. It's a lot of fun! My buddies all shoot compound, so they're missing out, lol. I've done pretty well all things considered. Last year I built a brand new recurve and finished it the week of the shoot. I was still tuning arrows the day before the shoot, so it took some getting used to. After the shoot, I switched back to 650+ grain arrows for hunting and am wondering if I should switch back to the lighter set up.
My family owns some property about a half hour or so away that we camp at. We'll be shooting Friday and Saturday this year. If you want to meet up, or stop by our camp for a beer, shoot me a pm.

[Trenton G.]

Sounds fun. The past two years it's fallen on Father's Day weekend so I shoot it with my dad and brother. I don't know if it's on Father's Day weekend again or not this year, haven't checked. I can only think of four trad guys that I've seen at the shoot, and I knew two of them so maybe you were one of the others. Maybe I'll bump into you at the shoot somewhere.

[Friend]

O. L. Adcock was setting some new records when incorporating more FOC.

I don't recall that is was very high but considerably higher than what had been traditionally used in the flight shoots.

[Ari_Bonn]

Heavy arrow will resist any wind better than a light arrow.   Don't forget that a heavy arrow will also retains its energy over a long distance  more than a light arrow
(I was thinking of tank shell penetration charts APCR has a higher velocity than a standard AP  but over a certain distance due to the weight the regular AP has more penetration due to it retaining its energy more).    Same would apply to arrows but you would been to do some indepth testing.    I have seen a arrow firing calculator somewhere before... you enter the weight and the speed and other variables like feather ect.  It calculates the amount of drop you should expect and deceleration,   ke and momentum over set distances.

[JimB]

I shoot heavy arrows with very high FOC for hunting and can tell you,you are going to need the lighter arrows for what you want to do.

[Terry Green]

 I don't want to be a party pooper but we must stick to our rules. This is a traditional bowhunting forum not a target archery forum and once we start down the Target road, which we haven't it in 15 years, of clout shoots field archery Five Spot target archery Olympic archery or fita  fita foe it will open the floodgates to invite everyone and their brother on the internet that shoots a bow to come in here and take away from the theme and the prime goal of Tradgang.... we do however have one exception and that's 3D archery is designed to help improve shooting game in the woods.... thanks for understanding and I hope you continue to enjoy the site.