*update with results* 580 grains of goodness

[weekender21]

I’ve been wanting to increase my arrow weight a little and try out the Iron Will BH’s. These things shoot amazing! Can’t wait to test one on a hog, deer or whatever else volunteers first.

28” Easton Axis .260
225 grains up front (BH, insert, footer)
FOC ~17%

Pictured is a new 2020 Iron Will wide cut, also have some standard solids.

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[Flint]

How is the sound on those heads? I've been looking to change to something that doesn't sound like a whistle.

 

[Kurt]

That's nice. Those Iron wills are a nasty little surprise. Way to build it stout!!!

 

[Bigterp]

Would love to hear from everyone what their experience is with adult arrows..... btw what’s your unit cost per projectile??

 

[JSEXTON23]

I'm shooting a 250 grain Cutthroat on a Gold Tip Velocity XT, standard aluminum insert, 29" arrow. I'm around 630 grains and 30% foc. Have yet to shoot anything with it, but I love the setup.

@weekender21 shoot a lighter shaft and that will bump up your foc to above 20% pretty easily.

 

[Andrew]

What are the details on the insert and footer you are using with this arrow build?

 

[weekender21]

How is the sound on those heads? I've been looking to change to something that doesn't sound like a whistle.

As the shooter I couldn’t here them at all. But, I’ve also shot 4-blade Slick Tricks with excellent results for years, never thought they were loud but some claim they are. Maybe the heavier set up helps.

I did buy the Iron Will standard with solids for longer shots, I’m sure they would be field point quiet. With as good as the wide cuts shoot, I’m not sure the solids will get any use.


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[weekender21]

Would love to hear from everyone what their experience is with adult arrows..... btw what’s your unit cost per projectile??

Easton Axis arrows aren’t that expensive but the route I went with Iron Will definitely adds a good bit. However, they come with a lifetime warranty and the blades can easily be touched up.

Iron Will BH’s $99/3 pack
Iron Will footers $36/6 pack
Easton 75 grain inserts $?

Iron will makes hardened steel HIT inserts 25-100 grain options , $19/6 pack. I plan to use those in the future.


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[weekender21]

I'm shooting a 250 grain Cutthroat on a Gold Tip Velocity XT, standard aluminum insert, 29" arrow. I'm around 630 grains and 30% foc. Have yet to shoot anything with it, but I love the setup.

@weekender21 shoot a lighter shaft and that will bump up your foc to above 20% pretty easily.

I might toy with a lighter arrow at some point but....20% comes with a trade off. Thicker carbon wall arrows like Axis are much tougher than thin wall carbon. That has been my experience anyway. In either case I like to tinker and may mess around with different builds. 15 years of bow hunting experience keeps leading me back to Axis each time I’ve tried something else.

Edit: with my 28” .260 spine Easton Axis I can add enough weight to get over 20%. That’s what I meant by testing in the future. So not necessarily a trade off like I said above. I recommend the best of both worlds if you can get away with it.


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[weekender21]

What are the details on the insert and footer you are using with this arrow build?

Easton 75 grain insert
Iron Will steel Footer (they also make steel HIT inserts)

Iron Will HIT Inserts

For strong, true flying arrows, Iron Will HIT Inserts are engineered to align directly to your arrow's inner diameter. This takes outsert component tolerances out of the equation and ensures that broadheads spin true to the arrow. And with 10 different weight and size combinations that fit .204...

www.ironwilloutfitters.com

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[like.2.fly]

I'm shooting a 250 grain Cutthroat on a Gold Tip Velocity XT, standard aluminum insert, 29" arrow. I'm around 630 grains and 30% foc. Have yet to shoot anything with it, but I love the setup.

@weekender21 shoot a lighter shaft and that will bump up your foc to above 20% pretty easily.

What spine are your Velocity XT's? I'm assuming 300.

Using the Gold Tip FOC calculator (HERE) I don't understand how you are getting to 30%.

Assuming your configuration with 250gr broadhead, standard insert (12gr), 29" velocity shaft at 8.8gr per inch, 3 vanes (I assumed 2" blazers at 6gr each), and standard acculite GT nock (12gr). This adds up to a total weight of about 547gr. In order to get up to 630gr you must be adding about 83gr of additional tip weight, and the calculator says this configuration would have 23.2% FOC. What am I missing?

I'm just curious because I'm playing with an arrow build very similar to this right now, although my target weight is 550gr. Components are a 28.5" 300 spine GT Hunter shaft at 9.3gpi, standard 12gr insert with 50gr screw-in weight, 200gr broadhead, 2" feathers (1.2gr each), and a lighted nock (20gr). FOC is calculating at 19.8%.

 

[weekender21]

Shooting results at 40 yards. I was a little concerned how the Iron Will wide cut (1 3/8”) would fly at mid range. Pictured are my first three shots at 40 (fingers pointing to previous impacts). I haven’t adjusted my pin to account for the additional 50 grains (no change at 20 or 30) and they hit a little low but wow, they fly like darts.

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[weekender21]

For anyone interested in the trajectory details...

I was shooting 530 grain arrows, now shooting 580 grains. Below is the difference in trajectory. I'm shooting a very stiff arrow, 28 inches with a .260 spine @ 66 pounds with a 29" draw length. I'm on the stiff side at 530 and 580. Realistically I could shoot well over 600 grains and not be under spined. I only mention this because it's important to know before you start adding weight up front. Archers advantage online software is available for a modest annual fee. I highly recommend you use some sort of reliable software if building your own arrows.

20 yards-no difference
30 yards-no difference
40 yards-3 inches lower
50 yards-5 inches lower
60 yards-12 inches lower

 

[Andrew]

For anyone interested in the trajectory details...

I was shooting 530 grain arrows, now shooting 580 grains. Below is the difference in trajectory. I'm shooting a very stiff arrow, 28 inches with a .260 spine @ 66 pounds with a 29" draw length. I'm on the stiff side at 530 and 580. Realistically I could shoot well over 600 grains and not be under spined. I only mention this because it's important to know before you start adding weight up front. Archers advantage online software is available for a modest annual fee. I highly recommend you use some sort of reliable software if building your own arrows.

20 yards-no difference
30 yards-no difference
40 yards-3 inches lower
50 yards-5 inches lower
60 yards-12 inches lower

Thanks for sharing. I'm wanting to build up some arrows similar to what you have here. My one concern has been being under spined. I currently have a dozen 28" axis 300 with 75 grain inserts that I was wanting to add 100gr head and 25gr foots to, for a total of 200 grains up front. When I run these numbers with TAP it tells me the ideal spine is 0.231. Granted I just got the program so I could be inputting something wrong, but I don't think that's the case. Any advice or thought would be appreciated. Gonna be shooting a Mathews VXR 70lbs @29".

 

[like.2.fly]

I don't know who or what to believe anymore. Different software seems to give different answers, and of course we get wildly different answers from different people.

I've heard that the spine charts are just a rough guideline, and can't be trusted. Mathematical calculators should be more accurate, but they still give different recommendations. And still just "recommendations". Real life results may differ. You might be able to shoot arrows that don't fit any spine chart or program, and they will fly & tune just fine. There are so many uncalculated variables that play into the equation (different bows & cams, inaccurate published IBO specs, fletching materials & sizes, bow setup & tuning, arrow straightness, component installation accuracy, etc.). My opinion is the only real answer is to experiment with different arrow setups and see how they tune & fly. It might be surprising what's workable for you and your bow. A combination that calculates to be way under/over spined might fly great for you, while a dead nuts chart/software match won't fly at all. Or vice versa. It's a HUNT to find a harmonious setup with our own personal variables. No person/program can tell you what will work for you. Just my opinion, of course...

I ordered the Ethics Archery field point test kit (85 - 300 grains) and plan to shoot them all with various configurations and let my arrows tell me what they want. Then establish a setup that works for me, and then build from that template.

Then I won't change ANYTHING, because that ripples and changes EVERYTHING and you have to start over from scratch...

 

[weekender21]

Thanks for sharing. I'm wanting to build up some arrows similar to what you have here. My one concern has been being under spined. I currently have a dozen 28" axis 300 with 75 grain inserts that I was wanting to add 100gr head and 25gr foots to, for a total of 200 grains up front. When I run these numbers with TAP it tells me the ideal spine is 0.231. Granted I just got the program so I could be inputting something wrong, but I don't think that's the case. Any advice or thought would be appreciated. Gonna be shooting a Mathews VXR 70lbs @29".

I’ll run those numbers for you tonight. Your system is so close to mine I’m almost positive you’ll be fine with the .300 spine Axis. I was actually looking at moving from .260 to .300 with my next dozen. But, I’m shooting 66 pounds. Your 70 pound VXR could very easily be 72 or 73 pounds. If you’ve checked it let me know, that will allow the software to be more precise. I like arrows on the stiff side, easier to tune in most cases.


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[Andrew]

I don't know who or what to believe anymore. Different software seems to give different answers, and of course we get wildly different answers from different people.

I've heard that the spine charts are just a rough guideline, and can't be trusted. Mathematical calculators should be more accurate, but they still give different recommendations. And still just "recommendations". Real life results may differ. You might be able to shoot arrows that don't fit any spine chart or program, and they will fly & tune just fine. There are so many uncalculated variables that play into the equation (different bows & cams, inaccurate published IBO specs, fletching materials & sizes, bow setup & tuning, arrow straightness, component installation accuracy, etc.). My opinion is the only real answer is to experiment with different arrow setups and see how they tune & fly. It might be surprising what's workable for you and your bow. A combination that calculates to be way under/over spined might fly great for you, while a dead nuts chart/software match won't fly at all. Or vice versa. It's a HUNT to find a harmonious setup with our own personal variables. No person/program can tell you what will work for you. Just my opinion, of course...

I ordered the Ethics Archery field point test kit (85 - 300 grains) and plan to shoot them all with various configurations and let my arrows tell me what they want. Then establish a setup that works for me, and then build from that template.

Then I won't change ANYTHING, because that ripples and changes EVERYTHING and you have to start over from scratch...

Thanks for the reply. That was just about the conclusion that I had come to, although not the one I wanted to hear as it takes the most time and money haha. Anything worth doing is worth doing correctly though I suppose. But I agree, it’s been my experience that all the charts and calculators all give different outputs.

 

[Andrew]

I’ll run those numbers for you tonight. Your system is so close to mine I’m almost positive you’ll be fine with the .300 spine Axis. I was actually looking at moving from .260 to .300 with my next dozen. But, I’m shooting 66 pounds. Your 70 pound VXR could very easily be 72 or 73 pounds. If you’ve checked it let me know, that will allow the software to be more precise. I like arrows on the stiff side, easier to tune in most cases.


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I’d really appreciate that. I’ll PM you the details of the arrow components when I get home. I haven’t gotten the VXR in just yet, so not absolute on the exact peak draw weight.

 

[weekender21]

I’d really appreciate that. I’ll PM you the details of the arrow components when I get home. I haven’t gotten the VXR in just yet, so not absolute on the exact peak draw weight.

Sounds good. I’ve been shooting Mathews for 15 years, they’re typically a little hot.


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[weekender21]

I’d really appreciate that. I’ll PM you the details of the arrow components when I get home. I haven’t gotten the VXR in just yet, so not absolute on the exact peak draw weight.

Assuming 70 pounds exactly, you’re “slightly weak” with an Axis .300 with 200 grains up front. Marginal stiff with the .260 but that’s not gonna be an issue. If the .300’s give you any trouble try backing your bow off a turn or two. At 67 pounds it puts you square in the optimum spine range.


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