Newbie to trad setup so please forgive my ignorance. When configuring arrows for your setup, do you consider FOC%, overall weight, etc? I've read over some threads with archers mentioning having full length arrows for hunting setups and other arrows cut to their draw length. Curious of personal experience before I make any decisions on arrows and have them cut. Thanks in advance!
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Arrow Setup
- Thread starter MtnCodger
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2017
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- 589
I prefer a full length arrow of 32” for point on/gap shooting. I like an arrow between 500-600 grains TAW and an FOC% between 16-20%. I practice both point on/gap and instinctual just to stay sharp throughout the year. I use a riser cut past center and a plunger/accutune to tune the bow to my arrow setup. Look up The Push Archery on YouTube for great info on trad setups etc. if you haven’t and Joel Turner for shot execution. Hope this helps.
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Perfect, just the specs I was looking for. Thank you for the info! I haven’t looked them up yet but I certainly will. Thank you again!
I'm around 650 21% foc and IMO it's to much for how I shoot. It's like I'm lobbing a 45-70 @ 200 yards.
I'm going to start over soon and shoot for around 550 grains and as much FOC as I can squeeze out of it.
I'm going to start over soon and shoot for around 550 grains and as much FOC as I can squeeze out of it.
BLR1970
Member
I shoot off the shelf with a Bear hair rest and leather strike pad. My bow specs are 60” hybrid longbow 45 lb @ 28” with my draw length of 26.5”. Arrow setup is 500 spine Big Jim Dark Timbers 8.5 GPI cut to 28.5” with 100 grain brass insert and 175 grain heads. Total arrow weight 550 grains and 22% FOC. Take a look at Clay Hayes YouTube channel. He has a play list called Shoot and tuning traditional archery it contains a good video on arrow selection.
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Putting things in terms I understand with the 45-70 reference!
I’ll check that out for sure, thank you! Also, thank you for the specs you’re using!
Oh nice. Good rule of thumb. Thanks!
I have seldom ever calculated foc and never with a trad setup. I prefer an arrow in the 10-12 gpp range. Current setup is 592 grain douglas fir arrow from a #51 bow. I have shot some setup at 9-9.5 gpp and they worked fine but I just like a touch more weight.
I shoot 49lb. w/ a 29" draw DAS recurve off the shelf with a plunger, a 32" 610 gr TAW, 25.4% FOC, GoldTip 500 spine arrow,
100 grain insert 250 gr field point/broad head.
This setup helps to keep the bow quiet and the plunger helps to tune the arrow to the bow, and it goes thru deer quite well.
100 grain insert 250 gr field point/broad head.
This setup helps to keep the bow quiet and the plunger helps to tune the arrow to the bow, and it goes thru deer quite well.
BLR1970
Member
Forgot to include the reason behind my setup. I only hunt Southern Illinois public land mostly thick creek bottoms and transition lines of thickets/hardwoods. All my shot opportunities are usually 15 yards and in. At those short ranges I am not as concerned about trajectory but more about penetration and a quieter bow shot.
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- Nov 1, 2018
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I thought the converse thing when I read your reply earlier, that is, on the lighter side. Do you do that for trajectory or what? Is 29” your dl or arrow length or both?
I’m currently shooting around 700-750 grain through a 55# @28” bow with 29/30” draw length, ~31” arrow, 300 spine, 140 gr insert 250 grain tip.
I am going to be putting together new arrows soon and am considering the Easton xx75s 2219s and dropping the 100 gr insert and keeping the 250 head. Would bring down into the low 600s. I would only be dropping weight to use the aluminum arrows without bumping my rest out. I’ve been content with the trajectory of the 700+ arrows out to 25 yards. I don’t shoot past that anyhow.
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If memory serves correctly my setup with carbon for my 56# @ 28 Northern Mist Classis longbow is a 28" 500 spine Easton 6.5 with about 340 grains up front for about 650 to 660 TAW and just over 30% FOC. I can use 500 spine because my bow is nowhere near center shot and uses Archer's paradox so my arrow's GPI is very low allowing me to get high FOC. These things are dead quiet out of that bow. I also have a roughly 700 grain Douglas Fir arrow with a 190 grain Grizzly single bevel up front as my trad arrow. FOC for wood arrows is nowhere near as high.
That makes sense. I'm hunting the mountains of north GA. Lots of laurel thickets and hardwoods. Most of my shots won't be outside of 20yd
Thank you for the explanation on your various setups. I also learned I need to watch more basics videos and learn some terminology before going much further
29" , 400 spine arrow. 100 grain brass, 175-200 broadhead. I can shoot them out of every bow I own.
I have 2219's as well. I only shoot them out of a 60# plus bow, no heavy insert and 250 up front. The only reason you'd be moving the rest with a 2219 is cause they are a different diameter.
I know what 700 grains looks like at 25 yards. I'm not shooting that. 600 seems to be the sweet spot for me.
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2022
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- 306
I haven’t shot any animals yet with my setups, so no idea on the penetration yet. But with a draw length of 29.5”, I shoot around a 31.5” arrow because when I buy wood shafting (usually comes at 32”), taper it, and put a nock on it that’s about what it works out to be. When I was shooting carbon a high FOC helped with flight and a heavy weight helped with noise so when I started making wood arrows I stayed did my best to keep those traits.
When I switched to making wooden arrows I picked a heavy common weight for broadheads and points at 190 grains, and a single length go aid in consistent sight picture for instinctive shooting. So I alter the spine for a new bow and brace height while using the same length of arrow and point weight.
So last year I carried a 720 grain 31.5” arrow with 190 grain single bevel glue on point with 23/64 POF shafting. About 11 grains per pound for my old Herters longbow.
I think this year I’m going to try one of the two Bear Kodiak Magnums, I’m deciding if I use the 55lb bow with 720 grain cedar arrows, or the 60 lb bow with some monster 850 grain Western Larch arrows I have made up for it.
When I switched to making wooden arrows I picked a heavy common weight for broadheads and points at 190 grains, and a single length go aid in consistent sight picture for instinctive shooting. So I alter the spine for a new bow and brace height while using the same length of arrow and point weight.
So last year I carried a 720 grain 31.5” arrow with 190 grain single bevel glue on point with 23/64 POF shafting. About 11 grains per pound for my old Herters longbow.
I think this year I’m going to try one of the two Bear Kodiak Magnums, I’m deciding if I use the 55lb bow with 720 grain cedar arrows, or the 60 lb bow with some monster 850 grain Western Larch arrows I have made up for it.