two arrow alternatives - what would you choose?

[saumensch]

Hello again,

i have found two arrow set ups with the same shaft that fly great out of both my all-day bows:
A Bear TD HunterI 58# @my 30"
A Bob Lee Signature LB TD 59# @my 30"

     

As you can see the main differnce being length and the use of the regular insert with screw in weights or an 60 grain insert. My question is, what would you choose, given they fly and bareshaft both equally good.
Is the extra $ and the more fumbling with srew ins worth the higher FOC and the more grain?

Thanks for any suggestion
Regards

[recurve_shooter]

Even though the 2 arrows are close, I would personally spend the extra $1.59 and go with the heavier, higher FOC setup.

[pcappy08]

i also would go with opt B im a fan of heavier arrows and a bit more FOC is always a plus.  Worth the extra cost to me

[Ragnarok Forge]

The difference in penetration between 12% and 17% is totally worth the cost.

[BWD]

Depends on what you intend to hunt. If it's foam or whitetail deer, don't really matter.

[saumensch]

well, you just confirmed my intend to use opt.B.
Hopefully there´ll be some pigs on the menu soon, doesnt hurt to get a bit more penetration on those, i think.

Thanks

[JimB]

I didn't see 12% but 14.8-almost 15% vs 17%.That little bit of FOC and weight difference will help a little but it won't be a huge amount.

I am sold on the screw in point system.I can interchange field points,judos an broadheads on the same set of arrows.If I break a hunting arrow,I can take the broadhead off and install it on one of my other arrows to fill my quiver back up.

When tuning,I like to play around with different point weights and it makes me nervous to heat around the front end of carbon arrows.I know with hot melt,many do it but how many times can it be done before minute damage occurs and reaches a critical point? I don't know but I don't want to find out the hard way.

[saumensch]

You´re right, screw in system for points is great, but what i meant / am using is the screw in weights system of gold tip. Screw-in weights that get srewed in behind the insert inside the shaft to make the insert heavier. that is because there are no 100grain brass inserts available in germany and ordering them from the US plus customs makes em unpayable.

[Bill Carlsen]

My experience with heavier FOC has been very positive so I would go with the heavier head.

[James Wrenn]

Both arrows are plenty heavy so a little foc difference will amount to nothing in the real world.I would go with the one that has less parts myself.

[SS Snuffer]

B

[Cherokee Scout]

Just my opinion from tuning dozens and dozens of bows and shafts. I think you may find the 350 to be too stiff spine.

[Quinn]

I agree. The 250 is the one for that bow.

[saumensch]

Cherokee scout and Quinn,

some people told me that, but Stu Millers Calculator told me 350s so i tried both. And with the heavy insert weight i wanna use the 350s definately group better while barefletching. Perhaps the Fast Flight string makes a difference? Dont know but know the groups, i thought id rely on them.

[Rob DiStefano]

heavy arrows are good for you, bad for game.  

heavy front ends make for better flying arrows, and as the testing shows that appears to be better for penetration.

i spent a lotta time testing out arrow specs with my main bow, from 10 to 12 gpp and 25% to 30% efoc.  there is no substitute for you doing your own testing.  great to listen to opinions of others, but they don't have your gear and they ain't you.

the goal was to find the right combination of weight and efoc that allowed for great flight and penetration, AND arrow trajectory at up to 25 yards that worked well with my 'gray matter bow sight'.

do some testing, see what combinations and compromises work best for you.  when you've got a winner, make up a few dozen arrows and only shoot them, nothing else.

i have arrows that weigh, balance and fly exactly the same whether tipped with field points, judos or woodsman broadheads.  those are all i bother shooting, so no matter what kinda shooting i do it's all practice for hunting.  hunting is where it's at!

[Guru]

I would go with option "B", with a change...

Instead of the regular insert and 90grs of screw-in weight...

Just use a 100gr brass insert....you won't miss the miss the 3-5grs you'll lose, it's a simpler/tougher system...

[Mudd]

May I ask someone a question please? Given I don't build arrows and my past history with arrow selection being relatively poor I need to figure out how I'm going to improve my selection process.

I have no doubts that I will not be building any arrows so what would you suggest for someone like me to be able to gather the necessary data to make the best possible selection.

The way I see it I have limited options. I'm guessing that my best one is to go to an arrowsmith and plan on spending about a week with him and bunch of money.

I'm sorry if what I'm trying to ask isn't any clearer. If I happen to think of a better way of painting the word picture I need/want to convey, I'll give another shot. Unfortunately this is the best I can do today and this attempt may have fallen short of the mark.

Thank you for your time and consideration.
God bless,Mudd

[saumensch]

Originally posted by Guru:
I would go with option "B", with a change...

Instead of the regular insert and 90grs of screw-in weight...

Just use a 100gr brass insert....you won't miss the miss the 3-5grs you'll lose, it's a simpler/tougher system...

Guru, would want to do so, but 100gr. brass inserts arent available in Germany and when i order them from say 3Rivers it costs me more (due to customs etc.) than taking those available screw in weights, thats the whole point for using them. Oh, and of course i have to wait not so long till they are delievered.

[saumensch]

Mudd,

before i started building my own arrows i also made a decision based on Stu Millers Calculator. You can come so close to what you need with it that changing front (tip) weight will most of the time give you a good outcome. At least thats what was my experience with it.

Heres the link:
 http://heilakka.com/stumiller/

You nedd Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice scalc (freeware) to run it.

[Mudd]

Thank you Axel! My computer won't even open PPS files, doesn't have either program and doesn't have enough memory left on it to do much of anything.

I know...get a different computer. Unfortunately that's not an option at this time and saving up for one hasn't been my best ever plan either because every time I get a little bit built up it seems that the wife, the house or the daughter have a better use for it...lol Confession time! I also get into it too because I see some little or not so archery related item that I can't pass up because I might miss out if I had the will power to be smart...lol
God bless,Mudd