Arrow Weight

[dirtshooter]

Hey so I've been watching some Ranch Fairy youtube videos on arrow weights which got me thinking about my set up and wanting a heavier arrow.

I currently shoot an older Bowtec with new strings/rest/sight 60lb draw weight with Goldtip Hunter XT 340 spline arrows.

I knocked the insert out and found they were only 12 grains!!! My arrows are about 285+- grains without an insert so all in all they barely squeak to 300 grains and topped with my 100gr broadhead that's about 400 grains.

I'd like a 500 grain arrow so my question is can I buy a 100 grain insert for these arrows? Looking for any advice, new arrows, lighter insert, etc, thanks.

Sadly I wish I knew more about arrows before stepping foot into a bow shop looking for a bow years ago.

 

[MattB]

Your biggest issue is watching Ranch Fairy. My best advice is to forget what you saw and happily go on about life with a bunch of extra dollars in your pocket. 400 grs. is plenty for any game in NA.

You may or may not be able to add weight to the front of those arrows (almost guaranteed not 100 grs. though) while still maintaining adequate dynamic spine. Can't say without knowing draw length and arrow cut length.

 

[dirtshooter]

Your biggest issue is watching Ranch Fairy. My best advice is to forget what you saw and happily go on about life with a bunch of extra dollars in your pocket. 400 grs. is plenty for any game in NA.

You may or may not be able to add weight to the front of those arrows (almost guaranteed not 100 grs. though) while still maintaining adequate dynamic spine. Can't say without knowing draw length and arrow cut length.

27 3/4" carbon to carbon
28" draw I'm pretty sure

I'm all for any advice, this is now the second time someone has told me to stop watching RF lol

 

[CodeMonkey]

Super heavy arrows are great if you're hunting 20 yards from a feeder in Texas.

I like an arrow that hits hard, but still gives me a decent trajectory in case I misjudge yardage. For my set up that results in a 450-480 grain arrow.

 

[Jbxl20]

Watch something else.
What are you hunting?
How far are your shots?
400 is fine
I did an arrow overhaul and mine now weigh around ~500gr. I’m pulling 70lbs at 29”. Also with and older Bowtech. You will have a more significant drop at farther distances. Especially at 60lbs. If your shooting well now I wouldn’t worry about it. I have my setup dialed in and shot my ~500gr arrows at TAC last year and did well but I think ~440-450gr would be ideal for me.

 

[dirtshooter]

Watch something else.
What are you hunting?
How far are your shots?
400 is fine
I did an arrow overhaul and mine now weigh around ~500gr. I’m pulling 70lbs at 29”. Also with and older Bowtech. You will have a more significant drop at farther distances. Especially at 60lbs. If your shooting well now I wouldn’t worry about it. I have my setup dialed in and shot my ~500gr arrows at TAC last year and did well but I think ~440-450gr would be ideal for me.

Elk and deer, I missed a bull at 60ish so I've now decided that is too far and I'm thinking 40-50 yards max

Would it be worth it to buy 50gr inserts or just stick these inserts back in and forget about it?

 

[MattB]

When you start making life decisions based on something you viewed on YoutTube, it is time to reconsider things. ;-)

I am 60#/27.5 so pretty close and shoot a .400 spine shaft cut at 27.5" with a 125 gr pt/16 gr. insert/10 gr collar (~425 gr. finished weight). I used to shoot a very similar set-up at 70# with .340 shafts.

With a .340 shaft, you should be able to add a decent bit of weight up front if you want. If I was you and I wanted to add some weight, I would look at either 125 gr. points or adding some weights that screw into the back of the GT inserts. Either way, I wouldn't go crazy. 400 grs. is plenty but I personally like 425-450 better.

 

[Billy Goat]

If you are hunting hogs inside 30 yards, go as heavy as you want.


I have killed exactly one elk with an arrow past 400 gr. It's a lot more that succumbed to an arrow less than that. Penetration has never been a problem. I'm not stating you want an arrow less than 400 at all, just that many would have you believe they will bounce off or something.


What are you hunting and how?

At your specs, I'd only use a 500+ gr arrow for Game that I'm confident I can know the exact yards they are, and that they won't likely be moving from when I draw the bow. Yards will be critical, and if you get drawn back and the animal moves, it's going to be important to know if it's 4 yards different, or 7-8.

 

[dirtshooter]

Lots of good info in here, I'm definitely not shooting hogs at 30 yards up here in Alberta

 

[Mighty Mouse]

There's nothing inherently wrong with a 400 gr arrow...nor is there with a 500 gr arrow. Weight is a tradeoff between the flatter trajectory of a lighter/faster arrow vs. the increased penetration potential of a heavier/slower arrow. Take into account what animal(s) you're hunting and how far of a shot you think you may take, but it's ultimately a matter of personal preference where you choose to land on the arrow weight spectrum.

I would also caution you to take Ranch Fairy's advice with a grain of salt. The RF/Ashby crowd often ignore the benefits of a lighter/faster arrow in compensating for range estimation error.

To answer your specific question, yes, you can get 100 gr inserts for your arrows. GT (among other manufacturers) makes heavy inserts and weight screws. A cheap/easy way to test the trajectory of a heavier arrow before you commit to reconfiguring your existing arrows would be to buy a field point test kit.

 

[dirtshooter]

There's nothing inherently wrong with a 400 gr arrow...nor is there with a 500 gr arrow. Weight is a tradeoff between the flatter trajectory of a lighter/faster arrow vs. the increased penetration potential of a heavier/slower arrow. Take into account what animal(s) you're hunting and how far of a shot you think you may take, but it's ultimately a matter of personal preference where you choose to land on the arrow weight spectrum.

I would also caution you to take Ranch Fairy's advice with a grain of salt. The RF/Ashby crowd often ignore the benefits of a lighter/faster arrow in compensating for range estimation error.

To answer your specific question, yes, you can get 100 gr inserts for your arrows. GT (among other manufacturers) makes heavy inserts and weight screws. A cheap/easy way to test the trajectory of a heavier arrow before you commit to reconfiguring your existing arrows would be to buy a field point test kit.

I'm starting to think a 50gr insert may be something to try or some weight screws.

field point test kit looks like a good idea too on the cheap

 

[ddd-shooter]

When do you plan on buying a new dozen arrows?
If you really start tinkering with heavy weight, you may end up needing more spine, which will take you down a new arrow wormhole.
As most have said, it’s just not needed.
If I had one answer for you, it would be 125gr broadheads. That gets you more weight up front and all you need to do is adjust your sight. Then if you decide to go even heavier in the future, you’ll have heavier broadheads to start with.

 

[dirtshooter]

When do you plan on buying a new dozen arrows?
If you really start tinkering with heavy weight, you may end up needing more spine, which will take you down a new arrow wormhole.
As most have said, it’s just not needed.
If I had one answer for you, it would be 125gr broadheads. That gets you more weight up front and all you need to do is adjust your sight. Then if you decide to go even heavier in the future, you’ll have heavier broadheads to start with.

I don't really wanna buy new arrows, I have a good amount of these goldtips in my basement and they're readily available if I need to buy more.

Perhaps I'll buy heavier broadheads, I did however just grab a bunch of 100gr montecs from a user on here for a good price lol

 

[ElGuapo]

Troy is one of my best friends, and he’s the salt of the earth… Reach out to me or him directly and he can help. I shoot a 500 Gr arrow, like you’re looking for. I had to go to 300 Spine, with 100 Grain Brass inserts, and 125 gr Heads. Shoots awesome, and I’ve given up nothing for range.

Ask around any meat cutter in the west, and ask how many Elk they’ve cut broadheads out of that someone killed with a rifle, or another bow hunter. This is the dirty secret that everyone that says….. Awww whatever arrows you want to shoot are just fine. Either it hasn’t happened yet, or they just don’t talk about those.

 

[ddd-shooter]

I don't really wanna buy new arrows, I have a good amount of these goldtips in my basement and they're readily available if I need to buy more.

Perhaps I'll buy heavier broadheads, I did however just grab a bunch of 100gr montecs from a user on here for a good price lol

A 28” arrow weighing 400-425 out of a 60 on bow is great to me. I mean if you’re really wanting crazy penetration you can always go 70, 80, 90 lb draw.

You know what, if penetration is the be-all-end-all, why doesn’t the rf recommend 90 for everyone? Is it because there’s a happy medium to everything after all?

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I shoot a 500 Gr arrow, like you’re looking for. I had to go to 300 Spine, with 100 Grain Brass inserts, and 125 gr Heads. Shoots awesome, and I’ve given up nothing for range.

You absolutely are giving up range with a heavier arrow. Your pin gaps will be wider and the range you can get out of your sight will be shorter than with a lighter arrow. The question is whether or not the range llimitation is worth it. I prefer arrows in the low-to-mid 500's, but I'm not going to pretend that my heavy arrows can defy physics and fly just as flat as a 400-something grain arrow.

 

[wramos]

I might have missed if you mentioned what brand of arrow or diameter, but you could try an outserts to add a little bit of weight. Another option might be Gold tip inserts, which allow you to screw weights from the nock side.

 

[Rob5589]

I'd use a better insert than the cheap aluminum that come with the shafts. Not necessarily to add weight but durability. After that, perfect tune, perfectly flying arrow, crazy sharp broadhead, go kill stuff.

 

[galamb]

I used to shoot 340 Hunters from my recurve.

Yes, the insert is only 12.1 grains but the Gold Tip .246 screw in insert weights can be added.

I bumped mine up with 2 X 50 grain inserts for total insert weight of 112.1 grains and tipped it with a 125 grain head. Of course I was fletched with feathers but my finished weight was just on 524 grains at full length 31".

BUT - it's my recurve (custom Bow River Archery Summit 51lbs @ 30") and it's only making 179 fps with that arrow and 25 yards is really "stretching it out".

Even shooting that weight it's only making 37 lbs of KE and .42 slug - I need the "mass" because the speed isn't there and unless you are hunting something "really big with heavy bones that you think you might hit" from a faster set-up the value of shooting 500-something grains diminishes rather quickly.

If you really want to horse around the beauty of the Gold Tip system is you can add the weights through the nock end (they have a long tool that lets you screw them into the back of the insert) and they come in 20 and 50 grain weights so you can adjust all you want until you find that balance of "thump with acceptable trajectory for how far you want to shoot".

While heavy arrows and single bevels certainly have their place amongst the traditional crowd they don't always translate over well to the faster bows/crossbows which don't necessarily need the mass for downrange energy.

 

[GatorGar247]

I've been from one extreme to the other on arrow weight.. I watched Troy a few years ago and went down the rabbit hole.. The few things I learned where , arrow trajectory is important to me especially when an animal takes 3 or 4 steps while I'm at full draw. There are no prizes for how deep in the dirt your arrow goes after it passes through an animal.. I don't like looking 40 yards past an animal for my arrows . Components are expensive .

I've shot 1 elk 4 whiteTail and 12 pigs since September 8 th. All pass throughs with a 460 grain arrow.. There's not a hog in Texas I can't kill with my bow.. A sharp broadhead and durable arrow it the most important to me..
I personally shoot as heavy of an arrow as it takes to build the most durable arrow I can. But I still want to be above 280 fps so I can have my top in set at 30 ..