Do i really need a heavy arrow?....

[LATradHunter]

hey gang, im wondering about arrow weight.  Im mostly using easton epic 500's...30" with 155grains up front.  at 7.5gpi thats 225gr of shaft, an 8gr nock, and 155gr broadhead for 388gr total weight. im shootin em out of a 45# recurve at my 28" draw.  is this an adequate hunting weight arrow?  everyone else seems to use 500+ grains.  they bareshaft really well and fly true. any advice? Thanks a million   :D

[Richie Nell]

388 is too light, especially when you could just as easily use a heavier around 500-600 grains.  388 gr. is significantly less lethal than 5-600.

[wtpops]

you are at 8.6 gpp. nothing wrong with that. A WELL TUNED 8.6gpp shaft with a sharp broadhead will kill just about anything.

With that said a well tuned 500 grain shaft (11.1)gpp with a sharp broadhead will do the same thing and also get through some bone if need be

JMO

[wihill]

Originally posted by Richie Nell:
388 is too light, especially when you could just as easily use a heavier around 500-600 grains.  388 gr. is significantly less lethal than 5-600.

I disagree.  The weight of an arrow does not determine how lethal it can be - arrow placement, penetration, and trajectory are better methods to determine how lethal a shot can be.

With a lighter arrow your trajectory will be flatter, and your arrow speed will be up.  Your total KE will be down, however due to the arrow weight.  A heavier arrow will increase penetration greatly.

To play around with a heavier arrow, stuff an arrow or two with some weedwacker line (I use three strands of .105HD full length, they add around 100gr to the total arrow), it'll raise the arrow's weight but won't effect the spine and force you to retune.  I guarentee they'll hit your target a lot harder, quiet your bow down some, and possibly inspire some confidence.

Doesn't hurt to try it.

 

[LATradHunter]

ok..i also have some 29" easton 2117 legacy's. theyre 12gpi for a total weight of 508gr.  they also shoot well but SHOULD be overspined for 45#...anybody else using overspined aluminums? according to the chart i oughta be using 1916's or 2016's...

[SteveB]

An overspined arrow will be less effective then a lighter one flying perfect. Put it where it needs to go and drag out your deer.

Steve

[Ray Hammond]

You mean because a chart says you should use something else you will discard what your eyes tell you about them (they shoot well) and shoot something different?

I disagree about the weed whacker line..it DOES affect spine...the DYNAMIC spine.

Arrow weight is relative to the draw weight of your bow...no one thinks someone shooting a 45 lb bow should be shooting a 800 grain arrow....there is a window of weight relative to your draw weight that will work ...

Trust your eyes..not the charts.

[Mechslasher]

i shoot 55-60# bows when i hunt and my arrows wiegh in between 650-750grs.  when it come to arrow weight i like to think of the porche and the train anology.  if both are going the same speed, which one hits the hardest?  200gr. could mean the difference between bouncing off a rib bone or busting through it.

[Bobby Urban]

What are you hunting?  Whitetails I assume?  How deep into the ground do you want to go after you pass through the deer?

All things considered, a heavier bow with heavier arrow will obviously out penetrate a lighter one(da)  With that said, you will be better served using the set up you have, learning to shoot it well and being confident with it.  You have plenty of bow/arrow for whitetails.  

Good luck - Bob Urban

[Steertalker]

everyone else seems to use 500+ grains. they bareshaft really well and fly true.

Shoot'em!!!

Brett

[trashwood]

a Texas whitetail doe (2 yr old), field dress 65#.  5" width chest where the heart is, 9" width at the back ribs.  


they duck at lightspeed.  320gr arrow doing 210fps will shot thru anything she has and get there faster.

would I shoot this rig at a moose. not likely.  ya rig for what you are hunting.

rusty

[Firstarrow]

Remember O.L.'s lesson about center shot and cut past center arrows. Over spine in the chart does not necessarily matter.

I've decided to drive a train versus a porche.

[Shaun]

Carbon arrow at 8.6 gpp is a fine set up for deer, medium hogs, etc. For monster boars I would use a heavier arrow. Good arrow flight comes first before heavy arrow - per Dr A.

[BEN]

Here's an idea about a heavy FOC arrow: I shoot a heavier bow and my arrow weighs 630 gr. with 20% FOC. My first trad deer was killed 2 days ago ata very steep angle. 30' u below me and only 5 yds away. My shot placement was great for a less angle shot but in this case the arrow entered high and tight behind shoulder and went straight down, to the brisket, barely passing her center-line.
She only ran about 70 yds or so, but through such heavy brush I had to crawl the whole way almost. My lower limb had struck my stand reducing power/speed and thus penetration. I  had what looked like 18-20" of arrow sticking up out of her when she ran off and that arrow was beating into everything. However, the arrow didn't come out of her. I found it 3 ft from where she was laying. Heavy front (heavy, period) could have possibly helped hold that arrow in her chest in my opinion. With all her running and "beating  around the bush" the broadhead actually sawed a much larger wound where it had been working up/down and back/forth. Her lungs were in tatters and the entrance hole got enlarged to nearly 3".
I think a lighter arrow might have more easily been bumped out ?      

ben

[George D. Stout]

Well, the train vs porsche theory works if you want to push a moose off the track at low speed.

If you are hunting whitetails or mule deer, the 388 is plenty if it's flying perfectly.   The same theory used to be applied to rifles, but also fell to the wrong side.  A 223 will kill a whitetail as dead, and more quickly, than a 45-70 when hit in the boiler room.  

If you were going for elk or moose, I would tell you to go to a little heavier arrow...say 450 or so.  Believe what you are seeing and disregard the ultra heavy suggestions...there are diminishing returns on both ends.  I have used between 8 and 10 grains per pound for for over forty years and have had no problems with penetration.

Frankly, I don't ever want to be hit with even a 300 grain arrow with a sharp broadhead.  A whitetails ribs are about the size of a carpenter's pencil and are easily penetrated. Work on your accuracy with the rig you have and be confident.

[Friends call me Pac]

My arrows and broadhead weigh in at 438 gr not including what the nock, feathers and insert weigh.  

I have shot two deer this year and had pass throughs on both of them.  One was a complete pass through and the other went all the way through and stuck out about 6" on the other side. One shot was at about 10 yards and the other was about 20 yards.  

I'm shooting a 50 lb bow at 28".  My broadhead is a 125 gr Magnus 2 blade that is extreamly sharp.  

My arrows are not much heavier than yours but I am satisfied with the results.  If you have fine arrow flight and your broadheads are razor sharp I don't see why your set up will not work.

Adding weight to the inside of the shaft:
I tried this by inserting aquarime tubing in one of my arrows.  It was very tight and I could not shake the arrow hard enough to make it rattle.  I went to the back yard and shot the modified arrow along with a regular arrow and filmed the sequence.  I filmed from the target back to me to get an idea of what a deer would hear.  The modified arrow buzzed and the non modified arrow was alot quieter.  The modified arrow was also alot more sluggish and would have caused me to reprogram my brain to compensate.  

Might want to test an arrow the same way to see if there are any changes in sound or flight before hunting with it if you go that route.

I'll be the first to admit I may have done something wrong with the modification as I am a rookie but I know what works for me and I'm sticking with it.

[Bill Turner]

As pointed out, what you are hunting is a very important part of the equation. A sharp broadhead in the correct spot with your combination will be fine on whitetails and other thin skinned animals. Keep'um sharp and good hunting.

Bill Turner

[Bill Carlsen]

If they are shooting accurately I wouldn't change anything. After the season is over  you may want to experiment but now is not the time.

[Adirondackman]

I'am a firm believer in a heavy arrow. I guess my question would be why shoot the lighter arrow? What is the advantage? Remember we are talking bow distances (20 yards or less). The trajectory advantage is minimal - with in a couple of inches or less. The Kinetic energy advantage of a heavy arrow is signifcantly better at bow distance. Kinetic energy always equals penetration capability. Unless you feel confident that you can shoot a deer and miss bone every time I don't understand the argument for light arrows?

[George D. Stout]

No one is arguing for "light" arrows....he is shooting about 9 grains per pound, that has been suggested by most bow manufacturers for decades. If you like heavy, then shoot heavy, but figures on paper don't always present themselves as such in the real world.

I've hunted deer with a bow for over forty years, and have seen what arrows will do...from light to very heavy; mostly it's how far they stick out the other side, or how deep they go into the ground on the other side.  

Scientists have logically figured out that bumble bees can't fly.  It's amazing what happens when the rubber really meets the road.