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Arrow / Bolt Weight Variation

M

MorusMalus

New Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2021
Messages
7
What is an acceptable weight variation between a set of arrows / bolts that are in the 425 gr range?

I've got one at 413, several at 423, a couple around 430. I know that minimizing weight variation is ideal but at what point is it good enough and not going to affect arrow drop all that much?

Ballistics calculators aren't much help without an accurate speed reading. So what's a good rule to thumb?
 
You really only need one bolt, am I wrong? I'd mark them 1, 2, 3, etc based on how they shoot and make the highest numbers your go-tos for hunting and the other ones your bolts for practice & discharge. No need to overthink it if you can get them to hit the target within an acceptable tolerance.
 
131north said:
You really only need one bolt, am I wrong? I'd mark them 1, 2, 3, etc based on how they shoot and make the highest numbers your go-tos for hunting and the other ones your bolts for practice & discharge. No need to overthink it if you can get them to hit the target within an acceptable tolerance.
Click to expand...

^^^this

all my arrows are labeled after they are tuned up. Whatever your level of acceptable is, is all that matters.
 
Good points. I need to do a lot more sighting in on my broadheads. What's a good broad head target? I have a plastic film filled target that works great for field points but is a real bear for getting the broadheads back out. Do the DIY carpet stacks work well for broadheads?
 
If you can swing it, matrix or blob targets. I had a yellow jacket and shot it out in two months, my matrix takes a pounding and it still going. I have the M2. I’m in the neighborhood of 500 arrows and the middle is still taking them with penetration.354EBB77-A7C5-4AB8-BF1F-6923EC11FC26.jpeg
 
It’s pricey up front but the replacement cells are only 40 bucks and you can always shoot at the middle. It’ll pay for itself in time.
 
I reworked my bag target using two planks and some ratchet straps to compress the bag until the broad heads just make it to the other side. The compressed bag is about 15" deep so there is just enough room to unscrew the head on the other side and then pull the shaft out. Its working much better than before and was a free, 15 minute upgrade.
 
If you're only shooting out to 20 or 30 yds, you would be hard pressed to see any appreciable point of impact variation between the 413gn and the 430gn arrows. Maybe 1/4" or so at most if you had a machine taking the shots...but with the xbow in the hands of a human, your own shooting variation will likely exceed the error from the weight difference. But if it bothers you, and if you can identify which components are causing the variation, you can either replace those, or move the heavier components to the arrows that need more weight in order to even out the weight distribution across the arrows. Hope that makes sense.
 
Thanks all.
I've been learning a lot about shaft and nock tuning also weight matching to the crossbow- not matching the bolts to each other but finding the weight the weight that the xbow shoots well.

Ranch fairy on youtube has some great tuning content and the single bevel broadheads !
 
Do you have a scale? I build all my own arrows. I weigh my shafts and inserts separately and line them up lightest to heaviest. Than glue the lightest insert into the heaviest arrow and so on. Then weigh heads and do the same. Then as others stated, number them. Shoot them a bunch and record the results. Right now #’s 2,4,and five go into the woods and everyone else are practice arrows with field points. I have 1 broadhead for practice and I always shoot it with a hunting arrow. Don’t forget, you should nock tune your bolts by rotating the cock feather/vane. I had to argue with a coworker about that. He insisted that you have to shoot a bolt with the odd vane down. I just laughed at him cause he misses more deer with a crossbow than anyone should with an arrow lol.
 
I do have a scale and have been learning about building custom arrows, but haven't gotten too far with that.
I've also just started trying to nock tune.... need to build a paper tuning target holder.

Where do you buy your arrow supplies from? On average how much does one of your hunting arrows cost?
 
MorusMalus said:
I do have a scale and have been learning about building custom arrows, but haven't gotten too far with that.
I've also just started trying to nock tune.... need to build a paper tuning target holder.

Where do you buy your arrow supplies from? On average how much does one of your hunting arrows cost?
Click to expand...
I was using serious Apollo arrows and broke a few. Then I got scared to shoot them lol. My latest batch is Easton 6.5 series. I bought 6 .001 straightness and 6 .006 and I can’t tell the difference in accuracy so I’m going to buy the cheaper ones going forward. The stock inserts are nice because they are threaded on the back end for adding back weights which I haven’t done yet but may do in the future. I haven’t settled on a weight yet, still tinkering. My Apollo’s finished at 570 with a 200 grain broadhead but they arch too much out of my 52 pound bow. The 6.5’s with lighted nocks and 125 point finished at 457. I’m going to play with point weights and if I go heavier, I will use back weights with a 125 head.
 
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