Arrow weight for elk?

[Bitter24]

Well looks like I drew a early season archery bull elk tag in AZ!! Just curious what most guys are running for arrow weight for elk? Currently running a 100 grain broadhead, though going to probably switch some things around here soon. So figured see what other guys are running for arrow weight.

 

[teflonhunter]

Well looks like I drew a early season archery bull elk tag in AZ!! Just curious what most guys are running for arrow weight for elk? Currently running a 100 grain broadhead, though going to probably switch some things around here soon. So figured see what other guys are running for arrow weight.

I'm running a 452 gr. arrow with Magnus Stinger.

 

[HuntHarder]

Don't over think it. Run your normal set up unless you have like a 350 gr. set up. I have taken multiple bulls here in Az with a bow. Lung punch them and it doesn't matter. If you hit one in the shoulder, chances are the bull will be lost.

My last bull hunt I used my current set up of Victory VAP with stainless outserts and 100 gr Wac em' broadheads. My total arrow weight is right around 445 grains and my bow flings them at 280ish. This is the same set up I use for Antelope, deer and elk. I see no reason to have multiple set ups.

 

[Bitter24]

I agree huntharder, though just got a new bow anyways so if I am going to change things nows the time. I know shot placement is everything, period. Just mainly curious.

 

[elkguide]

I like Easton FMJ's (or the old ACC's if you can find any) for my big game hunting. I'm torn between 100 and 125 grain heads. I shot a couple of Fallow deer with 100 grain heads last year and they did the job just fine. I am also a very big cut on contact, fixed blade fan too.

What ever you decide, do it sooner than later and shoot the same set up all year long for everything.

 

[sneaky]

I'm shooting 425 gr Radial X Weaves right now with 125 gr Wac'Em Tritons. We killed several elk with those heads last year and the longest trail on any of them was about 60 yards. Going back to VAPs with Firenock outserts and the 125 Tritons this year. Still gonna be in that 425-450 range. Helps I have monkey arms and can get good speed, I was shooting those arrows last year at 296 out of a 61 lb Decree HD. I would say 390-400 gr would be the lightest I would run for elk. Then you don't ever have to change your setup for anything. Go hunt.

 

[Bitter24]

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[justin davis]

My current arrow weighs 456

I would shoot above 400

 

[Beastmode]

Axis 340
100 grain wacem exit
425 grain finished weight
As long as you are above 400 I wouldn't worry too much and just make the shot count.

 

[huntinrod]

Exact same set up as above....mine are 418 grains...killed four elk

 

[Brendan]

It depends on your draw weight, which you didn't mention. My preference is 6 - 6.5 grains per pound of draw weight for finished arrow weight. (420 - 455 at 70 lbs)

 

[Bitter24]

Brendan, Im a shooting 63 lbs out of Matthews No cam.

 

[squeekieslayer]

It depends on your draw weight, which you didn't mention. My preference is 6 - 6.5 grains per pound of draw weight for finished arrow weight. (420 - 455 at 70 lbs)

please explain... I would argue that spine is the most important. Draw length, weight, and tip head effect this factor. Correct spine will give the best flight and accuracy.

All things held equal, the weight of the arrow and the weight of the draw are completely unrelated. Some would argue that lower poundage bows would need a HEAVIER arrow to keep momentum and get penetration. Look at the trad guys shooting 500-600 grain arrows at less weight and no cams.

I would say that if your arrow is around 385 plus you are good to go as long as it shoots well... that said, if you are redoing your set up anyhow, more is better and I would shoot for 430+. I am currently shooting 455 at 80 pounds and 30.5 inch DL... 109 ft lbs of KE should do it haha

Joe

 

[Brendan]

Brendan, Im a shooting 63 lbs out of Matthews No cam.

I'd go no lower than 380, but personally no higher than 440 (6-7 gpp) with a good cut on contact fixed blade, and you're all set. That gives a good mix of momentum, without losing too much velocity.

 

[Brendan]

please explain... I would argue that spine is the most important. Draw length, weight, and tip head effect this factor. Correct spine will give the best flight and accuracy.

All things held equal, the weight of the arrow and the weight of the draw are completely unrelated. Some would argue that lower poundage bows would need a HEAVIER arrow to keep momentum and get penetration. Look at the trad guys shooting 500-600 grain arrows at less weight and no cams.

I would say that if your arrow is around 385 plus you are good to go as long as it shoots well... that said, if you are redoing your set up anyhow, more is better and I would shoot for 430+. I am currently shooting 455 at 80 pounds and 30.5 inch DL... 109 ft lbs of KE should do it haha

Joe

Completely agree with spine being important, but my weight recommendation was for a different reason.

My comments were a general rule of thumb - If you go too heavy, you're slowing the arrow down significantly, and yardage estimation gets a lot more critical. Being off by a small yardage equates to a bigger miss at slower arrow speeds the further out you go. If you run an arrow too fast, it gets more difficult to tune and you're probably better off with a heavier arrow and more momentum.

If you do out grains per pound for different draw weights you get some arrow weights that I'd consider pretty darn practical that are a pretty good compromise. Using 6 - 7 gpp, you get the numbers below

60 lbs: 360 - 420 gr
70 lbs: 420 - 490 gr
80 lbs: 480 - 560 gr

Again, rule of thumb, not absolute. But that's my reasoning. I personally run a 440 gr arrow drawing 72 lbs, and may go up some.

 

[Flatgo]

I would just match the spine to the bow. Between 100-125gr broad heads I would go with whatever shoots the best. Don't get to heavy of an arrow because you want a relatively flat shooting arrow. A lot of times with elk you may not get a super accurate range it nice to have a little wiggle room speed will give you that. Case in point last year when I shot my bull he busted me at 15 yds and I was able stop him at 30yds in lodge pole. Yardage is very deceiving in lodge pole I thought he was 35 to 40yds but since I still had speed I just hit him a little high and he died 50 yds later. It's a balancing act shoot what you're comfortable with

 

[ben h]

A friend of mine lost a nice 6x6 bull a few years back and although we didn't know it at the time, our arrows were extremely light (360 ish if memory serves me correct). I think it was due to poor penetration as the shot looked good to him, a heavier arrow really would have helped, especially considering it was a 20 yd shot. I think I'm in agreement to be over 400gr for sure, I'm now shooting around 480 with 125 gr heads.

 

[three5x5s]

When you build your new arrows you can use the heavy inserts( easton has brass) to add weight without changing your heads you already have.
jerry @ South Shore archery is very good to work with on arrows. Give him a call.

 

[PA 5-0]

A friend of mine lost a nice 6x6 bull a few years back and although we didn't know it at the time, our arrows were extremely light (360 ish if memory serves me correct). I think it was due to poor penetration as the shot looked good to him, a heavier arrow really would have helped, especially considering it was a 20 yd shot. I think I'm in agreement to be over 400gr for sure, I'm now shooting around 480 with 125 gr heads.

I've seen the same Ben. Elk are three times the size of whitetails, plain and simple. Kinetic energy = penetration on big animals. My elk set up is just under 500gr with a 125 head.

 

[ben h]

PA 5-0, I know there have been many debates on KE vs Momentum. I can't wrap my head around why anything involving impact would be more KE driven. In my fiends case being lighter and faster would have more KE (KE= 1/2*mass*velocity^2), so being faster is vastly more important for KE, than mass is because velocity is squared. I'm a believer in that a good balance of both KE and momentum are important. Without enough KE, your trajectory will be crap, but if you're looking for damage on impact momentum wins (M= mass*velocity). I recognize these impacts are not purely inelastic like 2 steel balls hitting each other, so that's why intuitively I think you need both. Maybe someone with a better background in physics than I have can weigh in (I'm only a lowly civil engineer). I'd love to hear someones input on this that does physics for the military.

Good discussion here.