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Reusable broadheads and arrow grains

Jay_Disarray

Jay_Disarray

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
1,950
Location
MN
I've got a 60# draw bow, and I've been shooting the gold tip xt with a 100grain mechanical broadhead. The arrows say they are 8gpi and 29" long, so 8 x 29 =232 + 100grains for the broadhead puts each arrow at 332grains.

I'm a newb archer and dont really know what that all means(even though it kinda sounds like I have a general idea).

Ok, so I've been looking at the Simmons broadheads because of another post on here, and I dig the simplicity and reusability of them, but they are 165grain, which would put my total weight per arrow up to a ball hair shy of 400grains.

Can anyone point me in the right direction so I know what all this means and if I can make this work?
 
Especially with a 60# bow I would try to get your arrow weight up to around 500. You’ll be much better off in the long run with a fixed blade head and heavy, tough arrows. The gold tips are a good arrow. The most important consideration is your arrow spine. That’s a measure of how stiff the arrow is. With heavier Broadheads and faster bows you’ll need a stiffer spine.
I’m not sure but it sounds like your arrows are probably a 400 spine. They’ll have a big 400 on the side of the arrow if that’s the case. Use this site to get close to finding your correct spine. https://www.victoryarchery.com/arrow-guide/

If it was my setup, If you were shooting a 60lb bow at 29” draw I would use a gold tip hunter Xt in 300 spine (9.3 grains per inch) with a 100 grain gold tip insert and your 165 grain Simmons Broadhead. That would make for a total arrow weight around 550-560 grains.

Just my opinion, some guys don’t believe in the heavy arrows for hunting, but there’s a lot of evidence to suggest it’s a good idea.
 
Draw length is 28 I believe, it's an old bear compound bow, not sure on the model #.

I had gone with a thicker spine arrow because I was breaking/wearing out too many bemans while target shooting this summer. I was shooting the 300grain ones I got when the bow was given to me, but the guy at the pro shop recommended a stiffer spine.
 
So the spine of the arrow is kind of confusing. Most arrows come in between 300-500 spine and the SMALLER number is the STIFFER the spine. The way they measure is by hanging a weight in the middle of the arrow and then how much is bends is the arrow spine. So a 400 spine arrow bends 0.400 inches and a 200 spine arrow would bend 0.200 inches.

If you’re shooting an older bow, which is a little slower, and a 28 inch draw you could probably safely shoot the 165 grain broadheads on your current arrows. I think I would rather do that than shoot mechanicals. I really don’t like mechanical broadheads
 
I'm starting to like them less and less. Just seem gimmicky and too much can fail to function proper.

I should also add the reason I broke so many bemans is partly due to a cheap target which arrows penetrated easily and stuck into my shed backstop.

Right, for some reason I had it in my head that a higher number meant stiffer, but I did know that about the spines, just brain farted it
 
Hunter260 said:
Especially with a 60# bow I would try to get your arrow weight up to around 500. You’ll be much better off in the long run with a fixed blade head and heavy, tough arrows. The gold tips are a good arrow. The most important consideration is your arrow spine. That’s a measure of how stiff the arrow is. With heavier Broadheads and faster bows you’ll need a stiffer spine.
I’m not sure but it sounds like your arrows are probably a 400 spine. They’ll have a big 400 on the side of the arrow if that’s the case. Use this site to get close to finding your correct spine. https://www.victoryarchery.com/arrow-guide/

If it was my setup, If you were shooting a 60lb bow at 29” draw I would use a gold tip hunter Xt in 300 spine (9.3 grains per inch) with a 100 grain gold tip insert and your 165 grain Simmons Broadhead. That would make for a total arrow weight around 550-560 grains.

Just my opinion, some guys don’t believe in the heavy arrows for hunting, but there’s a lot of evidence to suggest it’s a good idea.
Click to expand...

X2. Either 100 or 50 grain brass insert.
 
Another idea is the gold tip fact weight system. I'm sure 400 spine is fine for your bow BUT the shorter the arrow the better in terms of stiffness. That being said, you don't NEED to go out and buy new arrows or broadheads, you can simply buy the fact weight system and add front of center and weight to the tip of your arrow. I shoot around 415 grains and feel confident in that, but with a lower poundage, slower bow a cut on contact fixed blade would probably be best IMO. I was shooting 440 grains in the gold tip 300s last year at the same draw weight and always got passes through.
 
In my opinion, which is worth about any other online lol, you will never be upset by adding FOC. My wife shoots almost 600 grains at 20% foc, she gets pass throughs with 42 pounds. There are lots of options in broadheads as well. I have some tusker concorde 250's that I am planning to test after season, a 3 pack was 19.99.
 
Yea I dont know how much more I'll spend on new gear this season, but I'll prolly pick up some and mess around with the arrow weight in springn almost too late to change anything this year anyhow.

This is good, gives me a jumping off point to play around with my setup. I'm gonna prolly pick up a set of the simmons and the gold tip weights and 300gr arrows and then I'll have all summer to perfect and practice with it.
 
im pretty sure my bow is a Bear Cruzer, not sure on the year, because i cant find one that looks identical to mine, but that one is pretty close.
 
Your o n the right track, but get your arrow weight over 525 if you want to see real results. Watch this guy. He knows what he is talking about.
www.youtube.com

Ranch Fairy

My goal is to help you be more successful when you actually hook something or when arrows hit something! No B.S. NO clickbait, extreme logic, and you'll lear...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
 
Mr Price said:
Your o n the right track, but get your arrow weight over 525 if you want to see real results. Watch this guy. He knows what he is talking about.
www.youtube.com

Ranch Fairy

My goal is to help you be more successful when you actually hook something or when arrows hit something! No B.S. NO clickbait, extreme logic, and you'll lear...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
Click to expand...
watching some of that content rn, your the second or third person to recommend ranch fairy and i just got home from work
 
Last edited:
I shoot full length Carbon Express Pile Drivers and Simmons 135s at 60# thru a 30” Matthews SwitchbackXT. The arrows are 11.6 grains per inch. It’s not fast. Not at all, but deer don’t run off with my arrows either.
 
Jay_Disarray said:
im pretty sure my bow is a Bear Cruzer, not sure on the year, because i cant find one that looks identical to mine, but that one is pretty close.
Click to expand...
I shoot the same bow, same poundage, same draw length, same arrow length. My current arrows are 580gr. 350 spine. 200gr insert and 125gr fixed head. They are awesome
 
Jay_Disarray said:
I've got a 60# draw bow, and I've been shooting the gold tip xt with a 100grain mechanical broadhead. The arrows say they are 8gpi and 29" long, so 8 x 29 =232 + 100grains for the broadhead puts each arrow at 332grains.

I'm a newb archer and dont really know what that all means(even though it kinda sounds like I have a general idea).

Ok, so I've been looking at the Simmons broadheads because of another post on here, and I dig the simplicity and reusability of them, but they are 165grain, which would put my total weight per arrow up to a ball hair shy of 400grains.

Can anyone point me in the right direction so I know what all this means and if I can make this work?
Click to expand...
I shoot the XT they are 28" at 8.9 grains per inch which comes out to 249.9 degrees plus a hunter grain head brings me to 349.9 plus fetching and nock and insert and my arrow weighs 397 grains. I shoot 55 pounds at 28" draw length . My set up has taken many deer with no problems I think you should be ok as long as they fly good and you're not too front heavy. I always liked a heavier arrow.
 
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