What’s your arrow/broadhead setup ?

[BowhunterXC]

I shot a Tom turkey this spring with an old family heirloom, a Stevens 12 ga. with a 30" barrel, that was made between 1920-1940. I decided to use the left wing feathers to make some banana cut style feathers on the arrows for my ILF recurve.
Gold Tip Traditional 500 spine, at 29" with 4" banana cut turkey feathers and a 250 gr. tip weight. TAW is 540 with a 23.3% FOC. I'll be using a Steel Force left bevel broadhead, in hopes of taking a decent buck with this setup.
Hoyt Satori 19" riser with Uukha Gobi short limbs, at 45# and a 60" bow length.

 

[woodsdog2]

I usually start at 40 and check to 100. I also use big fixed blades or heads that are known to be picky. Then I test my hunting heads.

What do you mean “then you test your hunting heads?” Do you intentionally use more finicky broadheads to tune then actually hunt with smaller diameter heads or something ?

 

[Camelcluch]

Yes. I use heads that are harder to tune. This year I used a hades 4 blade (the bigger one) and an Iron Will wide because that what I have in 125 grain. The IW I had in the dot to 80 yards. It can be tough past 60. I like an old muzzy the best but only have 100’s. I then go back with the head I’ll hunt with and fine tune it. Each head flies a little different out of every set up.

 

[Tr33_n1nj@]

Although I’ll never shoot an animal at my practicing distance I practice everything out to 100 yds minus my recurve and crossbow lol never had a problem with my broadheads since I went to these bloodsport gravediggers never tuned or messed with and they fly like field points.

How do you like those gravediggers? I have a pack but haven’t shot an animal with one.

 

[Andrew920]

BT Amplify 65# shooting a 300 spine Vital Impact arrows, 460 gr, with a 125 gr Evolution OutdoorsDangerous Game fixed blade broadhead.

 

[The_Fit_Ness_Monster]

How do you like those gravediggers? I have a pack but haven’t shot an animal with one.

I haven’t even looked at anything else since I got these, so far 14ish deer and idk how many hogs and I’ve gotten nothing but pass throughs most of them under 25yds but a handful at 50-70. I’ve gone through fixed blade and mechanicals and have always eventually found a problem with one or the other, I have 0 complaints about these across the board including flight, penetration, durability, ease of setting, I didn’t have any tuning problems with them but I know some probably would. THEY.OPEN.EVERY.TIME.PERIOD. And for some unknown reason they wouldn’t you still get a 1.25” cut. I haven’t had to track anything yet I’ve watched all things shot with them perish some in less than a step. Granted we’re not killing giant deer body wise here in LA. But where they shine and how I know they’re legit is the hogs, especially big hog shoulders it goes through em no problem. Sorry for the rant but for how amazing these are I’ve never known another person that shot or used them. I was persuaded to try the G5 dead meats and loved them but they just don’t compare. As long as these are around it’s what I’ll run.

 

[Camelcluch]

The OG Gravedigger was awesome. When GSM bought them the quality went down. Dale started Evolution and make the heads again. He also added a huge whitetail head. That is a great design.

 

[jgleas114]

Hoyt Ventum 33 - 70# 29 in
RIP TKO 300 spine, 75 insert, 125g Sevr 1.5 - 485 TAW 17% FOC - 280ish fps

 

[Mossy-Back]

Bowtech SR6 - 60# 29"
Victory VF TKO 300 spine, 23 grain stock inserts. Depending on if I'm shooting 100 grain or 150 grain heads TAW 420-470 grains. Launching around 290 fps at 420 grains. Several different broadheads in the quiver.

Hunting south Georgia whitetails.

 

[Irishman]

Mathews V3X 70# 29"
Victory RIP TKO 300, 50gr insert, 100g SEVR 1.5 broadhead. TAW 465g
Shot first deer with this setup yesterday and was a complete pass through from back rib out front shoulder. Broadhead looks almost new except for a couple tiny knicks in the blades. very impressed

 

[DelaWhere_Arrow]

2011/12 PSE BruteX at 60#, 26” draw I think
Easton 6.5mm Bowhunters, 400 spine cut to 26” carbon-to-carbon, 3-fletch Blazers, nockturnal s nocks, standard inserts with G5 Montec 100gr

2022/23 Barnett Recruit XP crossbow at 330fps
Barnett Headhunter Strobe bolts at 20” w/ Grim Reaper Pro Series 3-blade 1.5” cut 100gr xbow

Just increased the poundage on my bow and I am stoked to see the difference on how those arrows are hitting deer now.
Haven’t shot anything with xbow yet. GR heads come highly recommended and I am interested to see strobe nocks vs standard lighted.

 

[CharlieTN]

Bowtech Guardian at 63lb draw. Easton 6.5mm, 29” length, 50grain inserts, Magnus 100gr 4-bald Stinger broadheads. Total arrow weight is 476 grains. No idea on the FOC.

I know this combo zipped diagonally through the doe I shot on opening day without hesitation, exiting through the center of a rib. Just had to touch up the edge a bit and it’s ready for the next deer.

 

[KHough]

Bow: Bear Divergent EKO set at 60# draw at 29", using a Trophy Ridge Digital React 3-Pin sight (which is awesome BTW).
Arrows: Black Eagle Carnivore 250 spline with 100gr brass insert added replacing original aluminum insert and a 25gr XHYCKJ lighted nock (Amazon 6 for $12.00 nocks), The Rocket Meat Seeker 100gr broadhead. Total Arrow weight right at 532gr.

The Rocket Meat Seeker broadhead is new to me this year and I'm running it on the Divergent bow and two Tenpoint crossbows, (a Vapor RS470 and a Vengeant S440). I was 20ft up a tree in my saddle with the buck 15 yards away and quartering away from me. The arrow blew right through him and went 3+ inches deep into the ground. The buck ran maybe 20 yards and stopped, stood for several seconds and then laid down. When I retrieved the arrow out of the ground and knocked off the dirt stuck to the broadhead, the blades were perfectly fine with no bent blades and no dings in the blades. After washing the dirt off and testing the sharpness of the blades, it is ready for another round of hunting. Another thing I like about this broadhead is that even if the blades fail to open, the blades are still slicing their way through the animal. I've been a fixed blade guy forever but after getting the Tenpoint crossbows and having issues with the arrows planing a lot, I had to look into the mechanical broadhead realm in order to keep the shots accurate on each trigger pull. The Rocket Meat Seekers shoot just like my field points and the piston head flares the blades out upon impact. I'm really enjoying these Meat Seekers!
Image below is the broadhead after pulling it out of the ground and knocking off the dirt.



Below is what it looks like on the arrow before hitting target/animal.

 

[Moltenmetalman]

Hoyt RX4 27” draw 70lb
Victory vap ss, 50gr AL half outs, nockturnals, 100 gr 2” Sevr. Sitting about 440gr arrows

 

[bigcat93]

How are people getting 500-525gr arrows with 15ish% FOC?

I’m looking at going to a 250 spine, and even the lightest (I’ve found) RIP TKO with a 125gr head and 75gr insert I’m at about 520 TAW and 12/13% FOC

 

[jtw0057]

How are people getting 500-525gr arrows with 15ish% FOC?

I’m looking at going to a 250 spine, and even the lightest (I’ve found) RIP TKO with a 125gr head and 75gr insert I’m at about 520 TAW and 12/13% FOC

Short draws. 475 and probably 16-17% for me. 27” 300 spine and 200 total upfront.
Sirius Gemini and rip xv’s are probably the lightest arrows in 250 spine tho


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mossy-Back]

How are people getting 500-525gr arrows with 15ish% FOC?

I’m looking at going to a 250 spine, and even the lightest (I’ve found) RIP TKO with a 125gr head and 75gr insert I’m at about 520 TAW and 12/13% FOC

Most people are shooting a 350 or 300 spine with lighter GPI than a 250, and arrow length makes a big difference.

The lightest 250 spine you can find would be a RIP XV or Gold Tip Air Strike. The XVs in 300 and 250 spine are plenty durable for hunting.

 

[bigcat93]

With RIP TKO (9.0 GPI)

125gr head
75gr insert
4” wrap
4 AAE Max (9.2gr/vane)
Lumenok (24gr)

I’m at 518.8 TAW and 11.8% FOC based on GoldTip’s online calc

If I stay with my 300 BE rampages

If I change from stock 52gr inserts to 75gr I move from 487 TAW, 10.5% FOC to 510 TAW, 12% FOC

 

[Mossy-Back]

I'm at 16% FOC with a 300 spine VF TKO (9.5 gpi) cut to 27" with stock Nock, stock 22 grain insert, 150 grain head, and 3 Max Hunters and a 3.5" wrap. 470 grains total

Just FYI the Gold Tip calculator is often low on FOC compared to actually measuring it out.

 

[brydan]

How are people getting 500-525gr arrows with 15ish% FOC?

With a Grizzly Stik 320 at 29” and a 125 Samurai mine are ~525 and measured them at 18% I think it was. Like mossy said, it’s easy to measure, don’t go by the calculator if you’re wanting an accurate number on your arrows. The calculator is better used for comparison shopping IMO