Which Arrow will Go Further?

[Toxophilite]

If you are gonna shoot feather-fletched arrows with everything the same weight except the shaft, shooting at approximately 45 degrees toward the sky, which would go further--the arrow with the heavier shaft or the arrow with the lighter shaft?

[Mike Byrge@home]

Lot of variables involved Phil but my bet is on the lighter arrow.

[Terry Green]

Depends on the weight of each shaft.

[HATCHCHASER]

If they have the same spine.  All else being equal except shaft weight then I would put my money on the lighter one.

[ArrowAtomik]

The slower one will be acted on by the force of gravity longer at any specific distance.  Therefore the slower one will accelerate to the ground at an earlier distance than the faster one.  There can be other variables at play with extremes, but realistic arrows will behave this way.

[Robert Honaker]

[Toxophilite]

O.K. Thanks!
There's an archery/golf shoot in the morning. Long shots down the fairways. A flu-flu arrow w/blunt tip will be my "putter" (aka short shots).

The arrows being considered for the long shots are similar in spine. the only major difference between them is their shaft weight. I'm looking at 31" CX Heritage 250's vs 29 1/2" GT 55/75's. 125 gr blunts, 4" parabolic 3-fletched.
Based on the responses, looks like I'm gonna go with the 55/75's.
I really appreciate the opinions, guy...I can always count on good stuff from The Trad Gang.

[Firstarrow]

Depending on your target, I always pack Judos as well.

best of luck!

[longbawl]

I did a test several years ago. with a wheel bow. long story short. 300gr arrow was 26fps faster than a 400gr arrow at 3ft. at 40yds they were the same speed. I will put my money on the heaver arrow.as long as its not to heavy.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I would go with the arrow that has the most FOC %. The reason why is: Heavy front shot at the right angle will use all the bows force to send it as far as it will go before falling back down to earth. If that distance is 100 yards the arrow will hit about 200 yards away. The lower FOC % the less of pulling power on the arrow... This is just like having a arrow with hight FOC % for more KE, just no resistance before end of flight.

[Dan Worden]

Heavy arrow should carry its momentum farther.

For your putter. Use aluminum broadhead inserts for your tips, or the lightest tips you can find. That REALLY makes a flu-flu's ashort game arrow.

[WESTBROOK]

Flu Flu's will slow down a light arrow more than a heavy arrow.

How much weight difference is there? 2 similar carbons with the same hardware-negligable.

Eric

[mike g]

I read once that a Hvyer arrow will absobe more power from the bow than a lighter one and so it should go farther....
    Of course ya can go to hvy and ruin that theory....
    OL should chim in and exsplain it....

[Quill Flinger]

I'll wager on the heavier arrow. The more speed involved, the more I'll wager. A lighter fast arrow will shed velocity much faster than the heavier arrow due to "drag coefficient". Assuming both arrows have the same diameter etc.

But I could be.....wrong!...laffs

[ishiwannabe]

Ouch....brain cramp.

[BigRonHuntAlot]

As long as my arrow goes through my game animal, I am HAPPY. How far it goes afterwards is not important.      

[BrianP]

The lighter arrow will have a slightly higher initial velocity and fly farther...as long as the shape/build of each arrow is exactly the same.  This is a simple "projectile motion" problem if we can remember back to our first course in Physics.  Keeping it simple, the arrow does not accelerate or decelerate horizontally once it leaves the string.  Vertically, it accelerates in the negative direction at a rate of 32.2 ft/sec^2(gravitational force).  This will determine how long the arrows stay in flight, regardless of weight.  If both arrows left the string at the same velocity, they would stay in flight for the exact same length of time.  This isn't the case here though, as the arrows vary in weight...different velocities leaving the string.  Thus, the arrow with the higher initial velocity (the lighter arrow) will fly farther than the heavier one of equal shape/build.

Brian

[Daddy Bear]

Excellent lesson Brian, but, since the original post does not speak of the bow at all and only speaks in term of arrow w/ the only difference being shaft weight; do we assume that these arrows are traveling at different speeds? If everything was the same being launched at the same speed; would not the heavier shaft maintain its momentum and velocity longer than the lighter shaft? Would not then the heavier shaft fly farther?

Daddy Bear

[BrianP]

I assumed the arrows were being shot from the same bow...same draw weight and length...basically all other things being equal.  And assuming the bow will shoot a lighter arrow at a faster velocity than the heavier arrow, then no, the lighter arrow will fly further.

[Toxophilite]

Thanks again for everybody's insights into my question.
The archery golf event was a big success. My question and your answers got a field test.
The lighter arrow flew a little further. From yesterday's experience and observations, there's not a lot of difference between the lighter or heavier arrow. Just a few yards.
However, introduce a cross wind or head wind (which wasn't part of the question) and all bets go to the heavier arrow.