Arrow experiment

[Desk Jockey]

I will preface this by saying I am a bit of an archery dunce when it comes to technical stuff. I am thinking about switching up my arrows for next year.

I am shooting a HOYT pro defiant 34. 75#. 29” draw length.
Current arrow is a carbon express Maxima Red 350. 338 gr arrow weight. 100 grain field points. Clocks at 305 FPS.

Groups are good but not great. I used the Maxima Reds because they worked well in my 2015 HOYT turbo. When I bought the new bow in 2017 I never thought about changing.

I was practicing this week and grabbed an arrow from a tube and knocked it. It turned out to be an old Beeman 340 spine that I got with my bow in 2015. I still had a few that I used on squirrels and such where I didn’t want to break $15 maxima. I let it rip and it was right in the x. I shot it again and it flew like a bullet. I grabbed another and it seemed to be flying better than the maximas.

So...I don’t want to change things up mid season but I definitely want to play with some arrow options. In addition to the Beemans I was planning to get 2-3 arrows of 3-4 kinds and see what worked best in the bow next spring. Once I find my favorite, I could load up on them and switch them out for next year.

Any thoughts or guidance? Also interested in suggestions for arrows. Looking at FMJs and a few others.

 

[Trial153]

What length arrow are shooting?

 

[Billy Goat]

Seems to me you are way underspined with that Beman 340. Might fly well with fieldpoints but it will be difficult to get good results with broadheads.

 

[Desk Jockey]

What length arrow are shooting?

I think 30.5 but I would need to measure.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Seems to me you are way underspined with that Beman 340. Might fly well with fieldpoints but it will be difficult to get good results with broadheads.

The beemans were for a 65# turbo spyder. Shoots them at 288 FPS as I recall.

The 350 Maxima reds were what Lancaster archery recommended for the defiant with those specs.

What spine should I be looking at?

 

[doncarpenter]

I have the same bow, same draw length, same draw weight and I run 300 or 260 spine depending on how much weight I run up front.

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[chasewild]

Put a 300 spine on there, load it up on the front, and thank us later.

 

[Marble]

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe even a 250.

300 spine axis with 50 to 75 HIT and 125 head would put you in the 530 to 560 range. You'll be amazed at the lack of vibration and how quiet it will be compared to what you were shooting.

Put a 300 spine on there, load it up on the front, and thank us later.

 

[Trial153]

Arrows 30 inch’s , 300 spine
BEA Rampages, Victory Rip, Easton Axis ......brass hits (50 grains ) flanged footers, 100 grain fixed blade heads

or
30.5 inch Easton Hexx 260, 75 grain brass H inserts, 125 grain heads

 

[Billy Goat]

The beemans were for a 65# turbo spyder. Shoots them at 288 FPS as I recall.

The 350 Maxima reds were what Lancaster archery recommended for the defiant with those specs.

What spine should I be looking at?

Minimum of a 300 spine. Possibly stiffer. Some of the Hoyts really seem to push a spine. I was shooting a cx Maxima 450 (.298 spine) out of a turbo defiant at 72# 29" and it was on the edge of too weak, cut close to the rest and only 100 grains up front.

 

[Ghetto]

I shoot daysix but also like the black eagles.

 

[chasewild]

Arrows 30 inch’s , 300 spine
BEA Rampages, Victory Rip, Easton Axis ......brass hits (50 grains ) flanged footers, 100 grain fixed blade heads

or
30.5 inch Easton Hexx 260, 75 grain brass H inserts, 125 grain heads

This. Although I shoot a shorter arrow, 300 spine, 100 grain head, 50 grain HIT Brass insert, 25 grain Iron Will collar.

 

[Desk Jockey]

This. Although I shoot a shorter arrow, 300 spine, 100 grain head, 50 grain HIT Brass insert, 25 grain Iron Will collar.

Thanks. School me on collars. I have a vague idea that they strengthen and add weight up front but don’t know for sure.

FWIW it’s worth, my bow blows through deer. Only non pass through I have had was one spine shot and that includes one offside femur. Broad heads are almost always busted up (muzzy trocar is my go to) and I would say the arrows are broken Or damaged nearly half the time.

 

[chasewild]

I would defer to BillV on this one, but the collar reinforces the weakest part of any arrow: where the components all come together.

As for the weight of your arrow and the spine, yes, you are shooting extremely fast and that may work for 3D and light animals. However, a heavy arrow well tuned to your weight and draw will push through more material and more dense material than your current set up. Just think of a piece of straw from a barn. If that was flying at 100 MPH and it hit a brick wall, that piece of straw will never even blemish that wall. Same principle with a light arrow.

 

[Marble]

Thanks. School me on collars. I have a vague idea that they strengthen and add weight up front but don’t know for sure.

FWIW it’s worth, my bow blows through deer. Only non pass through I have had was one spine shot and that includes one offside femur. Broad heads are almost always busted up (muzzy trocar is my go to) and I would say the arrows are broken Or damaged nearly half the time.

Like said above, you're kind of shooting something that is super fragile compared to heavier arrows. Just my opinion. I'm always thinking guys are shooting elk so I generally base my opinion on that.

You would probably not break arrows as often or break broadheads as much with a fixed blade and a beefier arrow.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Thanks for all the input. Going to give Easton a whirl. Order up some 5mm axis in 260 & 300 and a 300 fmj. All with brass 50 grain hits insets. I am going to get a set of impact collars from iron will and play with them after season this year.

 

[Marble]

Enjoy!! All great choices!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Took a couple of shots on my 10 yard range at the house. They all seem to fly well. One thing I notice is that the 5mm shafts pull from my block target like butter. Those maxima reds were a pain in the ass to get out of the block.