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Heavy arrow build thread

DanielB89

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
1,381
Location
Monroe, LA
I am curious as to how many are changing their arrow set ups for this coming year. I thought this might be a cool place to discuss the x's and o's of the arrow build. I just received my next arrows for the coming year.

Black Eagle Spartan .250's.
10 GPI
26 grain SS insert
19 grains nock and collar.


I am thinking i'll have to keep my arrows 30" to have adequate broad head clearance(one head I really want to shoot has just over 2" fixed cutting diameter).

If my calculations are correct, i'll have around 365 grains in arrow shaft, fletchings, insert, and nock. I plan on using anything from 100 grain Makos(been using for 2 years), all the way up to the 190 grain tree sharks. Really hoping the same arrow will accommodate both!

Anyone else have anything in the works?
 
Currently working on a setup for hog hunting this summer. This is what I’ve settled on so far
Gold tip 300 spine shafts- 9.3 gpi @ 30 inches
100 grain brass insert
20 grain lighted nock
3 blazer vanes with helical-18 grains
Currently undecided on broadheads, trying to choose between 165 grain Zwickeys or 175 grain VPA 2 blades
Overall weight should be between 580-590 grains with 17-18% FOC
 
I’m going to be doing a build as soon as this month is over (season ending). Planning to start from scratch with bare shafts and paper tune. Currently shooting 55lbs but may bump I up to 60ish before testing.
 
I just finished building some and going through resighting process.
DCA Small Diameter 350 cut to 26 in
Stainless steel outserts 100 gr
100 gr heads
Blazer vanes with right helical

All came out to 513 gr. FOC 18-20% if I recall correctly. Bow is 60 lbs so I’m happy with end result of arrows.
 
You Tube the Dr. Ashby stuff from the 2013 P&Y Club Annual Meeting. Great stuff and very informative. Most, if not all of the links can be found on the Tuffhead.com website. Take the time to watch it and listen. The information about the Papua New Guinea indigenous people and how they have modified their set ups; successfully mind you, to accommodate very large steel UEFOC arrows is awesome.
 
You Tube the Dr. Ashby stuff from the 2013 P&Y Club Annual Meeting. Great stuff and very informative. Most, if not all of the links can be found on the Tuffhead.com website. Take the time to watch it and listen. The information about the Papua New Guinea indigenous people and how they have modified their set ups; successfully mind you, to accommodate very large steel UEFOC arrows is awesome.
Yep. Great stuff in that P&Y talk along with some great podcasts out there.
 
I just finished building some and going through resighting process.
DCA Small Diameter 350 cut to 26 in
Stainless steel outserts 100 gr
100 gr heads
Blazer vanes with right helical

All came out to 513 gr. FOC 18-20% if I recall correctly. Bow is 60 lbs so I’m happy with end result of arrows.
What is your actual DL? are the arrows cut down to 26" to handle the increased FOC?
 
My actual draw length is 30” on this particular bow. I need my broadhead to be ahead of my riser for the big boys


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I've been working on getting all my "stuff" together. Got Victory VAP 250s @ 9.8 Per inch. Cut one shaft to my length of 28 inches,the full set up is 697 gr with 22% FoC and left one full length at 30 inches, which is 721gr and 22.8% FoC. Glued in 180 gr Ethics SS outserts with the footer. Hoping to use the 200gr masai single bevel. Using vanes and a lighted nock. I may try feathers?
 
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Here's what the front end looks like. As soon as I bare shaft I'll decide on the vanes vs feathers.
8134c060aecf9eb4ba372ef7afe1a914.jpg


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I built my arrows I want to using last year but didn't hunt with them this season due to not having enough shooting time with them and not buying new heads.
Arrows I used this year: 29'' cheapo victory 350, 100gr brass, 3fletch with blazer, nocturnal and 125 broadheads....580gr

New arrow: 29'' cheapo victory 350, 200gr insert, 3fletch rayzor feathers, noctural, and 200gr broadheads.....death sticks

IMG_20200128_165802_9.jpg
 
This may be a stupid question, but for those guys paper tuning, does it make a difference if you paper tune with a 300gr gold tip (or cheaper for example) but then switch to a 300gr black eagle, does that make a big difference?

Edit: talking bare shaft tuning...
 
Here's what the front end looks like. As soon as I bare shaft I'll decide on the vanes vs feathers.
8134c060aecf9eb4ba372ef7afe1a914.jpg


Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk
I practice shooting through palmettos pretty regular and I've noticed that feathers are much more forgiving vs vanes when the arrow contacts something on its way to the target. They are a little louder but I'm using feathers from here on out. I know you've watched/listened to Ashby.....tail weight acts as long lever arm ... You want all weight up front if possible.....except for lighted nock....they are to useful to not use them IMO
 
This may be a stupid question, but for those guys paper tuning, does it make a difference if you paper tune with a 300gr gold tip (or cheaper for example) but then switch to a 300gr black eagle, does that make a big difference?

Edit: talking bare shaft tuning...
Each arrow tunes different even with all the same components.... You're building/tuning each arrow individually
 
Here's what the front end looks like. As soon as I bare shaft I'll decide on the vanes vs feathers.
8134c060aecf9eb4ba372ef7afe1a914.jpg


Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk
I like those outserts for screw in tips, would those be necessary if you went to a complete glue in system? I would like to use hotmelt to enable me to orient my broadheads with fletches. Although Ashby said go straight fletch with the smallest feathers and he did not speak of orientation of the blade to the fletching from what I've found so perhaps it doesn't matter? Nice looking EFOC hunting arrows!!!
 
Although Ashby said go straight fletch with the smallest feathers and he did not speak of orientation of the blade to the fletching from what I've found so perhaps it doesn't matter?

Ashby recommends single bevel broadheads, which can't be aligned with the vanes. There's another post from within the past few days that had a link to one of his videos which he says what length feathers to use and recommends cutting them at a 90 degree angle at the rear. Search for Ashby on this site, it was in the name of the post title.

Sent from up in a tree
 
Ashby recommends single bevel broadheads, which can't be aligned with the vanes. There's another post from within the past few days that had a link to one of his videos which he says what length feathers to use and recommends cutting them at a 90 degree angle at the rear. Search for Ashby on this site, it was in the name of the post title.

Sent from up in a tree
 
I like those outserts for screw in tips, would those be necessary if you went to a complete glue in system? I would like to use hotmelt to enable me to orient my broadheads with fletches. Although Ashby said go straight fletch with the smallest feathers and he did not speak of orientation of the blade to the fletching from what I've found so perhaps it doesn't matter? Nice looking EFOC hunting arrows!!!
I'm pretty sure you can. You'd just buy the footers. I used hot melt in case I needed to change something up front. Ethics says you can glue the footers or not. At this point I'm not going to glue them.
 
Currently working on a setup for hog hunting this summer. This is what I’ve settled on so far
Gold tip 300 spine shafts- 9.3 gpi @ 30 inches
100 grain brass insert
20 grain lighted nock
3 blazer vanes with helical-18 grains
Currently undecided on broadheads, trying to choose between 165 grain Zwickeys or 175 grain VPA 2 blades
Overall weight should be between 580-590 grains with 17-18% FOC

Check out simmons sharks!
 
I have two seasons with my 532 grain Easton Axis arrows. I really love the heavy arrows, no downside IMO.

My setup:
Axis .260 spine, 28 inches
75 grain brass insert
100 grain broadhead

No issues with penetration at all. I'm shooting a 70 pound Mathews Halon 32 @ 29"

This setup tunes amazing. Pictured is a broadhead (slick trick 100grain standard) and field point in the same hole at 60 yards.

667537a8d10eb2c4b17ff0c7754c2eaf.jpg


This year I'll be building a similar set up but using Iron Will components (inserts and footers) as well as their broadheads.

Heavy arrows are awesome!

9799498c9e7cb51263f62c2d832b4ae7.jpg
 
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