New to Trad. bow hunting and need help with an arrow fitting.

[Knix]

My question is if anyone out there has a build that would be a good starting point to get what I am looking for.

I want a carbon arrow that is 650g is the basic idea. 20% + FOC

my bow draws 42# at 28 inches, my draw length is 27.5

anyone have similar metrics and have a good place to start with a spine or care to share a full setup that works for you?

Thanks in advance!

[Pine]

Welcome from Michigan. 
Someone will chime in about what you are looking for.

[Orion]

Wow.  You're looking at about 16 grains of arrow weight per pound of bow weight.  That will be a very slow, extreme parabolic flight arrow.

Regardless, you're going to need about 350 grains up front.  You can get that with a 100 grain insert, 125 grain adaptor and 125 grain head.  There are other combinations, of course.  You might be able to make that work with a 500 spine arrow cut to 28 1/2 inches BOP, but 400 is more likely.

Given your newness to trad archery, my guess is if you build and shoot a 650 grain arrow out of a 40# bows (at your draw length), you'll probably opt for a lighter arrow, say something in the 500 grain range.  Good luck. 

[SC Bowhunter]

Wow, that is heavy.
I am shooting a recurve 42# @ 28" drawing 28".
My arrows are Beman Centershots, 400 spine, 30.5" with 75 grain brass inserts and 125 grain broadheads.
Shoot great but my finished arrow weight is 525 gr.

[Zradix]

I spent some time shooting 47# at 27.5"
Used a 500 spine Beeman bowhunter shaft...didn't have to trim much off if I remember....maybe an inch?
Used 300 grain heads...https://www.vparchery.com/product-page/3-blade-300-grain-non-vented-1-1-8
And 300 grain point from Big Jim...https://bigjimsbowcompany.com/product/standard-field-points-screw-in/

Made for a 560 grain arrow.
Still about 100 grains short of what you said you were looking for.

I'd dare say you'd be good with 500 spine.
Carbons can really take a lot of point weight variance and still shoot well.
Be careful when tuning/trimming them...you might cut off an inch and not see much difference, then cut another 1/2" and you've gone too far.
I can't explain it....but it's true.
Carbons don't seem to tune as linear as wood shafts in my experience.

We all get to march to our own drum here...but I truly don't think you'll need....or possibly even want that extra 100 grains.
There is a reason you don't see many people hunting with that type of setup.
If that's what you're into though..GO FOR IT!

[Alexander Traditional]

I have a few set ups like that. I'm using .600 spine,and pretty heavy heads.

[Krex1010]

You’re new to trad hunting but are you new to trad shooting? The reason I ask is have you ever seen the flight path of an arrow that heavy from a light poundage bow? I will never question the effectiveness of a slow heavy arrow on game...it works no doubt....but being accurate with a setup you describe will be a challenge, at least it is for me. Once that arrow gets past 8-10 yards it will drop like a stone.....to the point where if you estimate a target at 15 yards and you’re off by two yards, you’re not a few inches off....you’re a foot or more off.

I’m not saying what you want won’t work, but its pretty extreme. In my experience the further to the extremes you go, the less margin for error. My advice would be to shoot for a good flying arrow in the low 500 grain range, leaves room to bump weight up or down to get good flight and still be plenty effective on game like deer, black bear etc.

I’m not an arrow building expert...I’m just speaking as a guy who has spent a lot of time and money making mistakes at this game lol. Trying save a brother from doing the same lol...good luck to you!

[Yooper-traveler]

Knix, I have similar weighted bows and draw.  You can get in the area with Gold tip XT classic shafts.  Mine are 400 grains at 29.75” and feathers.  Heads are 200.   So 600 total.  Those shafts were for a heavier bow as my hunting arrows usually range from 450-550 depending on the bow.  Out of a 41# bow they are slow, but tanks. 

[Knix]

Yooper, I have the gold tip carbon test kit shipping in now. from what everyone is saying it seems like it will be between the 400 and 500. Also I see that no one is pushing that much weight so maybe more realistically I should be looking to get more around 550g out of my arrow weight. with the setup I do not have any real intention of shooting over 20 yards, but at 650g I could see what you mean about the drop. Thanks everyone for the replies.

[McDave]

To put it in perspective, generations of traditional bow hunters successfully hunted with arrows in the 9-10 gpp range before the advent of EFOC, including Fred Bear, Howard Hill, and Paul Schafer.  Granted, some of them hunted with extremely heavy weight bows by today’s standards.  Also granted that studies have shown the effectiveness of EFOC in hunting.  However, the most important thing in a hunting shot is to hit the mark you're aiming at, which is not very easy with a slow moving, high trajectory arrow.  Maybe a better compromise to take advantage of some of the advantages of EFOC, while retaining some of the advantages of a faster arrow, would be to move from 9-10 gpp to 10-12 gpp.  One way to keep the FOC up while keeping the overall arrow weight down is to use an ultralight shaft.  For example, when I use a GT ultralight shaft, I save 75 grains over a GT shaft with the wood grain wrap.

[Mike Bolin]

Other variables to consider is the bow that you are shooting...Hill style longbow? ILF recurve? The sight window cut plays a big (in my opinion) factor in finding the correct arrow spine. I shoot a Black Widow 45# longbow and a Black Widow 46# recurve. The recurve bareshafts a 400 spine carbon with a standard insert and a 250 grain head weighing in at 535 grains. The longbow shoots best with a 500 spine carbon,  standard insert and a 250 grain head that weighs in at 500 grains. I'm sure that the recurve out performs the longbow just by limb design alone, but the biggest factor is that the longbow is cut to center and the recurve is cut 3/16" past center.

[Yooper-traveler]

Yooper, I have the gold tip carbon test kit shipping in now. from what everyone is saying it seems like it will be between the 400 and 500. Also I see that no one is pushing that much weight so maybe more realistically I should be looking to get more around 550g out of my arrow weight. with the setup I do not have any real intention of shooting over 20 yards, but at 650g I could see what you mean about the drop. Thanks everyone for the replies.

For me it’s the 500, but again should be for one of my heavier bows (curve).  I think you’ll like a 500 ish arrow.