Hunting arrow weight for compound bow shooters

[Mr Price]

Anything under 500 grains is just useless imo. I like 580-680

 

[Mr Price]

And for those who just think a heavier arrow is the ticket. IT ISN'T! Get some extreme foc going. That's were you will see your arrows fly really good especially with fixed broadheads. For instance I got 125 of brass insert inside of a 28.5" victory 350 arrow with a 200 grain vandemon single bevel broadhead. Flight is unbelievable. But if I remove the 125 insert things get wonky. Flight gets a little erratic. Get as much weight up front as you can. Try it before any negative comments on this. Because if you actually try this, you'll see it's true.

 

[kyler1945]

And for those who just think a heavier arrow is the ticket. IT ISN'T! Get some extreme foc going. That's were you will see your arrows fly really good especially with fixed broadheads. For instance I got 125 of brass insert inside of a 28.5" victory 350 arrow with a 200 grain vandemon single bevel broadhead. Flight is unbelievable. But if I remove the 125 insert things get wonky. Flight gets a little erratic. Get as much weight up front as you can. Try it before any negative comments on this. Because if you actually try this, you'll see it's true.

I have 225-300 up front on my setups. I got away from lighted nocks for same reason. Any weight at back of the arrow creates side loading if the arrow is redirected on impact. This saps penetration.

All of these things are not necessary to kill deer. They just decrease the odds something will go wrong. That’s typically where the argument comes in - folks yell that you have to do it, other side yells I’ve kilt ten deer without doing it. Like everything else, it’s not black and white.

 

[Weldabeast]

I kept the lighted nock but ditched the vanes for feathers. 200gr insert with 125 broadhead for this season. My 200gr field points fly the best but I'm not going to buy new broadheads till after this hunting season

 

[Mr Price]

I kept the lighted nock but ditched the vanes for feathers. 200gr insert with 125 broadhead for this season. My 200gr field points fly the best but I'm not going to buy new broadheads till after this hunting season

Were did u get the 200 grain inserts? Im interested

 

[kyler1945]

Ethics archery has some great stuff check em out. If you're using standard size shafts, he's got the 200's for ya.

 

[Swampman]

My arrows are 530 grains. I think I will up them to 555 by going up to 150 grain points and broad heads this year.

 

[10essee]

I use heavy arrows from my trad stuff and mid weight 400/425 from my compounds. All the front loading and heavy arrow building is somewhat negligible if the arrow isn’t impacting the target straight. Arrow flight is the key to putting all that momentum and kinetic energy to use. Using Mech heads to fix an under lying problem is just putting a bandaid on a bullet hole. A properly tuned 400 grain arrow is better than 550 that you read the label on in flight.

 

[Deast1988]

470gr Easton fmj injexions
600gr GT velocity XT 340s

 

[LilBit]

I've been geeking out on reading about arrow set ups so I'm glad I found this thread. I went inexpensive and currently shooting a Beman Bowhunter, 340 spine. It's currently at 400 gr total, cut at 27", with a 100 gr tip and 3" feathers. FOC is roughly 10%, if you're into that. Not sure what my kind of FPS my bow is shooting but am getting that chrono'd tonight. I'm a little dude so my bow is at 60 lbs with a 25.5" draw length. I think my arrow is underweight to be shooting a mechanical so I've been looking at Stingers and thinking about uping the tip weight and adding a lighted nock. Any thoughts or recommendations are welcome.

 

[ironeyes969]

I've been geeking out on reading about arrow set ups so I'm glad I found this thread. I went inexpensive and currently shooting a Beman Bowhunter, 340 spine. It's currently at 400 gr total, cut at 27", with a 100 gr tip and 3" feathers. FOC is roughly 10%, if you're into that. Not sure what my kind of FPS my bow is shooting but am getting that chrono'd tonight. I'm a little dude so my bow is at 60 lbs with a 25.5" draw length. I think my arrow is underweight to be shooting a mechanical so I've been looking at Stingers and thinking about uping the tip weight and adding a lighted nock. Any thoughts or recommendations are welcome.

Im about a big dinner bigger than you, shooting 26/70. Im shooting GT hunter XT cut at 26 carbon to carbon with 50gr inserts, 100gr BH's, a reflective wrap, blazer vanes and lighted nocks. Runs me 420gr and have performed great. I am testing now with an extra 50gr in fact weights and 125gr heads and really like it so far.

 

[Mr Price]

I've been geeking out on reading about arrow set ups so I'm glad I found this thread. I went inexpensive and currently shooting a Beman Bowhunter, 340 spine. It's currently at 400 gr total, cut at 27", with a 100 gr tip and 3" feathers. FOC is roughly 10%, if you're into that. Not sure what my kind of FPS my bow is shooting but am getting that chrono'd tonight. I'm a little dude so my bow is at 60 lbs with a 25.5" draw length. I think my arrow is underweight to be shooting a mechanical so I've been looking at Stingers and thinking about uping the tip weight and adding a lighted nock. Any thoughts or recommendations are welcome.

Better get that foc and total weight on up there. Add some 100 grain brass inserts and that should take you to the promise land. As a wise man once said "better have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it"

 

[Mr Price]

This is for all of the "I'm shooting bullet holes at 100 yards with my set up, shooting 400 grain arrows".
You and a friend get into a truck, take a marble and get up to 100 mph and throw the marble at a steel plate or something. Note the damage. Then go again driving 50 mph and throw a bowling ball out. See which one had more energy.
Guys and gals. Deer or whatever your shooting is animals. There isn't a guarantee on a perfect shot. So take initiatives to get the most bang for your bow. Yea, we've all killed deer with the mechanicals and arrows at 400 grain. But the high percentage of deer animals lost are with those shooting those. Swallow some pride and try it. Heck, if you don't like it, go back to you're kiddy arrows. Best luck to all

 

[kbetts]

Everytime you go up in point weight, your arrow spine gets weaker......well, unless you go to a heavy insert that's maybe 1/2" longer than the previous lighter one.....then it may be a wash. Same with broadhead or point length.....how far forward the point weight is changes the spine even more.

Frontloading only works up to a point. To increase overall arrow weight you may need to stuff the arrow with something such as poly rope, string trimmer string, etc.

Lighted nocks change dynamic spine but it shouldn't be enough to affect arrow integrity, penetration or accuracy.....if it does, you are really close to the limits of the arrow spine to control flight.. You can always foot the nock and insert end of a carbon with a small piece of aluminum shaft. Definitely worth it with heavy, hard hitting setups.

 

[LilBit]

Everytime you go up in point weight, your arrow spine gets weaker......well, unless you go to a heavy insert that's maybe 1/2" longer than the previous lighter one.....then it may be a wash. Same with broadhead or point length.....how far forward the point weight is changes the spine even more.

Frontloading only works up to a point. To increase overall arrow weight you may need to stuff the arrow with something such as poly rope, string trimmer string, etc.

Lighted nocks change dynamic spine but it shouldn't be enough to affect arrow integrity, penetration or accuracy.....if it does, you are really close to the limits of the arrow spine to control flight.. You can always foot the nock and insert end of a carbon with a small piece of aluminum shaft. Definitely worth it with heavy, hard hitting setups.

Good point to bring up the broadhead length, that is something I forget to consider. Thanks.

I'm curious about stuffing the arrow to add weight. I've seen/read someone mention this before but never went into detail. Do you have anything I can read on this by any chance?

I'm not overly concerned with FOC. I've read a lot and listened to podcasts on it and it seems to be a trendy thing right now. I understand there are benefits and draw backs, as with anything else. I still plan on buying some heavier practice tips to play with it though.

 

[Gamover06]

This is for all of the "I'm shooting bullet holes at 100 yards with my set up, shooting 400 grain arrows".
You and a friend get into a truck, take a marble and get up to 100 mph and throw the marble at a steel plate or something. Note the damage. Then go again driving 50 mph and throw a bowling ball out. See which one had more energy.
Guys and gals. Deer or whatever your shooting is animals. There isn't a guarantee on a perfect shot. So take initiatives to get the most bang for your bow. Yea, we've all killed deer with the mechanicals and arrows at 400 grain. But the high percentage of deer animals lost are with those shooting those. Swallow some pride and try it. Heck, if you don't like it, go back to you're kiddy arrows. Best luck to all

What I tell people is through a 8 pound bowling ball then throw a 16 pound bowling ball. Watch the 8 pound get bounced around by the pins and the 16 drive right through. The reason I like to use bowling balls with different weigh is because they are still the same size. Everyone can through the 8 pound faster then the 16 but the destruction of the pins is night and day.

I am stilling contemplating 125 grain head or 150 so depending on what I use my arrows will either be 554 or 579 with 16 or 17 FOC. I am using 4 vanes that weigh 8.8 grains each with a 5 inch wrap. I have room to switch out my vanes and go heavier if needed. I am shooting a 250 Black Eagle Carnivore.

I don't just shoot heavy to be able to blow through should on a bad shot. I also LOVE how quiet my bow it. I shoot a 2015 Bear Arena 34 and have people at the range tell me all the time that they cant believe how quiet my bow is......Heavy Arrows plus Bears double string stop takes out a lot of twang and keeps the bow naturally quiet.

 

[Mr Price]

Good point to bring up the broadhead length, that is something I forget to consider. Thanks.

I'm curious about stuffing the arrow to add weight. I've seen/read someone mention this before but never went into detail. Do you have anything I can read on this by any chance?

I'm not overly concerned with FOC. I've read a lot and listened to podcasts on it and it seems to be a trendy thing right now. I understand there are benefits and draw backs, as with anything else. I still plan on buying some heavier practice tips to play with it though.

You need to do your own testing with stuff. But overall this is the most accurate and dependable way to go. Keep the arrow light in the back and a light arrow if possible. Load the front up as high as you can. Here is why. Im a engineer and develope stuff all the time, but this is tried and true by physics. A heavy arrow with modest broadhead will not have the front momentum needed to "pull"the arrow down the range. Your vanes or whatever you use in the back help steer the back straight, but if the rear of the arrow is heavy it has to work harder to get it back in line. Were a light arrow, the vanes doesn't have to work as hard. Now ,YES! Arrows spine is important, but let me say one thing first. No matter who says what, YOU CAN'T OVER SPINE A ARROW (in a compound) ! It's physically impossible. If the bow is tuned properly, the arrow goes straight off the launcher(rest), the least flex you have the more energy stored and accuracy. Now with a recurve, it's different because the arrow must flex around the riser. Now back to the heavy foc! Get the weight up front as high as you can go without "falling off the table". The more weight up front, the easier it is for the arrow to stay on course because the forward momentum created by the drag of the heavier broadhead will help drag the arrow behind. Maybe this helped, I know a lot will argue, but I don't give a rip. I can take the horse to the watering hole, but i can't make it drink.

 

[LilBit]

You need to do your own testing with stuff. But overall this is the most accurate and dependable way to go. Keep the arrow light in the back and a light arrow if possible. Load the front up as high as you can. Here is why. Im a engineer and develope stuff all the time, but this is tried and true by physics. A heavy arrow with modest broadhead will not have the front momentum needed to "pull"the arrow down the range. Your vanes or whatever you use in the back help steer the back straight, but if the rear of the arrow is heavy it has to work harder to get it back in line. Were a light arrow, the vanes doesn't have to work as hard. Now ,YES! Arrows spine is important, but let me say one thing first. No matter who says what, YOU CAN'T OVER SPINE A ARROW (in a compound) ! It's physically impossible. If the bow is tuned properly, the arrow goes straight off the launcher(rest), the least flex you have the more energy stored and accuracy. Now with a recurve, it's different because the arrow must flex around the riser. Now back to the heavy foc! Get the weight up front as high as you can go without "falling off the table". The more weight up front, the easier it is for the arrow to stay on course because the forward momentum created by the drag of the heavier broadhead will help drag the arrow behind. Maybe this helped, I know a lot will argue, but I don't give a rip. I can take the horse to the watering hole, but i can't make it drink.

What's your experience with windy conditions and a heavy FOC?

 

[Mr Price]

What's your experience with windy conditions and a heavy FOC?

It makes a world of difference! Great on windy days

 

[FletchDeep]

With any decent fixed blade broadhead shoot it as fast as you can get it to tune. There's a reason trad bow/ light poundage short draw people can still get a pass through. My wife with a 24" draw length and and #45 gets consistent pass through shots with thunderheads and an arrow less than 400 grains. If you want to shoot mechanicals, particularly the big slap cut 2+" ones, you need to start upping the arrow weight to 450 and up. Deadmeat broadheads seem to be the exception, with an awesome blade angle and only 1.5" deer don't seem to react when hit, this is coming from multiple people and same results. My current setup is 480 grains, 31" draw, and #78, I can shoot whatever head I like at any animal in North America.

I don't feel like it's a good idea to hamstring my setup with tiny 2 blade single bevels for that 5% chance I hit a shoulder knuckle when other broadheads cut more and create more trauma leading to faster kills for 95% of shots.