Arrow weight rabbit hole

[JonS]

I’m shooting 60 lbs
Hoyt Defiant at the max setting
267 fps
426 grains or so, some arrows are 422, some are 430.
I’ve been reading about heavy foc arrows for elk penetration and wondering if I should make some changes.
This is quite the rabbit hole I’m diving into, and it’s a bit overwhelming with lots of choices.
Dr. Ashby has got me thinking on skinnier arrows as well as single bevel broadheads, I like the looks of the ones from Rocky Mtn Specialty Sports, they come in a few different weights.
What would you do differently if your plan was elk and smaller for hunting. My current set up down at 50 lbs and shooting 243 fps or so was fine on a Turkey and done nice on pigs.
Thanks and happy Friday Eve!

 

[butcherboy]

No need to change a thing. Heavy foc is way overrated. I don’t think single bevel broadheads are necessary with a compound. I killed a bull a few years ago with a cutthroat broadhead from RMSG and I wasn’t really all that impressed. I much prefer a really sharp 3 blade broadhead. So far, I have been impressed with QAD Exodus and Tooth of the arrow broadheads. Some other good 3 blades are VPA, Annihilator, Grim Reaper fixed blade, Muzzy, etc.

 

[wildwilderness]

Same same ^.

Ashby is more relevant for trad hunters.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Turn around before you fall through the looking glass and end up having tea with the Ranch Fairy!

A standard diameter (6.5mm/.245" ID) arrow of moderate gpi weighted up to around 7 gpp (grains of total arrow weight per pound of draw weight) paired with a fixed 2-blade broadhead is a simple, tried-and-true recipe for a strong, all-purpose hunting arrow with a good balance of weight and speed.

Let FOC fall where it may. The supposed correlation between FOC and penetration is dubious at best. Ashby is a mixed bag; his obsession with 19+% FOC is from the bad side of the bag.

Single bevel broadheads are fine, but not appreciably better than double bevel IMO.

As you go smaller on shaft diameter, component choices become more complicated, and the insert can become a significant weak point in the arrow. My advice is to stick with a standard (6.5mm) or medium (6mm) diameter arrow with a simple flanged insert that fully seats inside the shaft. A 5mm shaft with a hidden insert (HIT) is a good compromise if you do insist on a skinnier arrow.

 

[homebru.trout]

Lots of rabbit holes to go down Just wait until you decide you might want different fletching! While I happen to shoot a heavier shaft with a lot of weight up front at higher poundage, there is no need to go crazy with high FOC arrows when 426 will get it done. It just happens to be what works for me in my setup and what I have confidence in.

426 will get it done. And based on your post, honestly the first thing I would focus on is the weight variance in your arrows. Are those hand built or retail box arrows? You will see more consistency at longer distances with more precisely built and fletched arrows. Effective shot placement and absolute confidence in your POI will do far more for you than high FOC.

 

[RocketRob16]

Perfect arrow flight is very important. I was shooting sub 400 fps, did not have perfect arrow flight, and was overconfident in my original setup. After losing a bull I went down the rabbit hole and ended up on the heavier side. Having a balanced setup is great, but make sure above all else that you know your arrows are flying true with a broadhead and practice tons of course. Tinkering with components and testing out various things has given me more confidence in what I am shooting now. If you do make some changes, I would recommend not diving off the deep end from the start. Begin with adding 25-50 grains and a good 3 blade head and going from there.

 

[DiabeticKripple]

your weight is fine, especially at your poundage.

I shoot 70lbs so I went with a 520gr setup. Its a bit slower at 263fps but my bow is dead quiet and the penetration even on foam targets its pretty sweet.

 

[JonS]

I have two different brands of arrows, 3 beman ics hunters and 7 Cabelas stalker extreme, think they were just re branded beman’s. All are factory built.
When I weighed them last night, I began to wonder more
421.2
422.2
421.8
422.8
429.5
430.1
431.2
431.7
431.8
433.5 and thought this might cause some inconsistency as I know >10 grains isn’t much, but reloading bullets, I’d check things out if a bullet weighed that much off. Not sure I can shoot better than the difference of those weights.
I shot through paper before I turned up the poundage and rms guys adjusted a tiny bit to make a hole with three fletchings.
My broadheads currently are muzzy mx-3 trocar head (not cut on contact) replaceable blades.

I’d like to increase my chances of harvest if I can get close enough and plan to shoot a bunch with this bow this summer as things take off quickly it seems. Consistency is key, and I’m working on me as well, just want to give the elk or deer the best chance of a quick expiration and recovery.

 

[Dennis]

I suggest reading the Ashby Study 12 factors for yourself and the 2021 and 2022 supplementary reports. The study is about broadheads and hunting arrows not the type of bow you shoot. I made the switch a few years ago to increase my harvest rate. Good luck.

You might check out Lucas Palmer’s video series from an scientific point of view along with the Hunting Public’s journey to heavier arrows and broadheads. Shoot what you want and enjoy the journey.

 

[Jon_G]

I posted this like 2 weeks ago. Look at all of the replies I got. At the end of the day, I ended up keeping my arrows lol. The only reason I still want to sell them actually is to make some that are a tad bit longer so I can use hit inserts instead of the aluminum half outs. Since the half outs add an inch to your arrow I cut mine shorter than I'd like if I do put hit inserts instead of half outs. I hope that makes sense. But yeah, I'm keeping the weight arrow weight I'm at so instead of losing money buying new components. My arrows are 425 grains

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I have two different brands of arrows, 3 beman ics hunters and 7 Cabelas stalker extreme, think they were just re branded beman’s. All are factory built.
When I weighed them last night, I began to wonder more
421.2
422.2
421.8
422.8
429.5
430.1
431.2
431.7
431.8
433.5

A 12.3 gr spread isn't really that much and likely won't cause a noticeable difference in point of impact. You may be able to reduce the spread a bit by weighing your shafts and points/heads separately then pairing the lighter shafts with the heavier points/heads and vice versa. You could also put a washer behind the point/head to add a little weight to the lighter arrows.

 

[tdoublev]

I’d like to increase my chances of harvest if I can get close enough and plan to shoot a bunch with this bow this summer as things take off quickly it seems. Consistency is key, and I’m working on me as well, just want to give the elk or deer the best chance of a quick expiration and recovery.

You will be best served to focus on improving your shooting than improving your equipment (which doesn’t need changes as others have said). Better accuracy from your form will be far more deadly than the minuscule improvements from your set up at this point.

 

[Zac]

Perfect arrow flight is very important. I was shooting sub 400 fps, did not have perfect arrow flight, and was overconfident in my original setup. After losing a bull I went down the rabbit hole and ended up on the heavier side. Having a balanced setup is great, but make sure above all else that you know your arrows are flying true with a broadhead and practice tons of course. Tinkering with components and testing out various things has given me more confidence in what I am shooting now. If you do make some changes, I would recommend not diving off the deep end from the start. Begin with adding 25-50 grains and a good 3 blade head and going from there.

sub 400!?

 

[Jon_G]

sub 400!?

Yup, 150lb draw weight

 

[RocketRob16]

sub 400!?

I meant to say grains

 

[Zac]

I meant to say grains

LOL

 

[camelcluch]

FOC is a large spectrum to me. My first priority is flight. Does my arrow fly straight? If so I really don’t think much about FOC. I know my builds are anywhere from 12% to 15%. One of my best arrows was an Injexion at 9%.
You may want to get your arrow weights more consistent before FOC. Either way, build an arrow and shoot it. If it flies, you’re done.

 

[sndmn11]

I meant to say grains

You are the self proclaimed RocketROb

@JonS if you frequent RMSgear you have access to some great minds AND people who experiment with all sorts of ways to skin the cat. I think the best arrow flight you can achieve should be the goal, and being stuck on a certain overall weight, a certain point weight, or a certain FOC will screw with that result. 350gr to 550gr will be fine with something sharp on the front that flies great and goes where you want.

I also wouldn't give a hoot about the grain weight disparity in your arrows at this point in the summer. Go shoot, go tune that setup; archery is one of those things that is farthest away from buying success.

 

[RocketRob16]

You are the self proclaimed RocketROb

@JonS if you frequent RMSgear you have access to some great minds AND people who experiment with all sorts of ways to skin the cat. I think the best arrow flight you can achieve should be the goal, and being stuck on a certain overall weight, a certain point weight, or a certain FOC will screw with that result. 350gr to 550gr will be fine with something sharp on the front that flies great and goes where you want.

I also wouldn't give a hoot about the grain weight disparity in your arrows at this point in the summer. Go shoot, go tune that setup; archery is one of those things that is farthest away from buying success.

I got that nickname running track in school because of how slow I was as a sprinter…

 

[Jon_G]

I got that nickname running track in school because of how slow I was as a sprinter…

Reminds me of a coworker's friend. He was making home made fireworks and blew up his left hand and everyone nicknamed him lefty