Heavy Arrow Build-Did I Mess Up?

[AkRyan]

I shoot 240s same length as you at 65lbs 540ish grains. I had to learn how to re fletch my own arrows. Go shoot it!

 

[Foggy Mountain]

All I can ask is why? What are you trying to kill? Cape buffalo and elephant or deer and bear?
Stop sweating all that stuff. It’s not necessary with compounds especially at your weight. Idk what this heavy arrow craze is. Guys are going unnessarily overboard. Seems there’s no voice of reason. Dr Ashby info is good for large game. Doesn’t pertain to anything most of us will ever hunt. Way over complicating things.

 

[4fletch]

All I can ask is why? What are you trying to kill? Cape buffalo and elephant or deer and bear?
Stop sweating all that stuff. It’s not necessary with compounds especially at your weight. Idk what this heavy arrow craze is. Guys are going unnessarily overboard. Seems there’s no voice of reason. Dr Ashby info is good for large game. Doesn’t pertain to anything most of us will ever hunt. Way over complicating things.

People are single metric focused. For ever they thought KE was a good way to measure arrow lethality because firearms use it. Its obviously not. And i remember everyone trying to make the lightest arrow they could to eek out all the velocity they could get. Even Ashby had FOC third in his order of importance after flight and integrity and only then as a percentage increase in penetration. Even then you have to be at an extreme to see "30%" more. You can get there with shaft friction reduction (Ashby tested and found this with tapered shafts i think) materials and so on. He also used phrases like "the most you can live with" and others that should tell people turning a 300+ fps bow into a 220fps bow so you can fling a broadhead that is heavier than most peoples total arrow weight is silly. You could follow Ashbys guidance and still come out with a reasonable arrow in terms of weight and velocity that will make two holes most of the time on game you are hunting.
That said back in the fast as you can get days people were dropping deer so personally I think people should do what makes them happy. But its fun to debate and discuss.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

People are single metric focused. For ever they thought KE was a good way to measure arrow lethality because firearms use it. Its obviously not. And i remember everyone trying to make the lightest arrow they could to eek out all the velocity they could get. Even Ashby had FOC third in his order of importance after flight and integrity and only then as a percentage increase in penetration. Even then you have to be at an extreme to see "30%" more. You can get there with shaft friction reduction (Ashby tested and found this with tapered shafts i think) materials and so on. He also used phrases like "the most you can live with" and others that should tell people turning a 300+ fps bow into a 220fps bow so you can fling a broadhead that is heavier than most peoples total arrow weight is silly. You could follow Ashbys guidance and still come out with a reasonable arrow in terms of weight and velocity that will make two holes most of the time on game you are hunting.
That said back in the fast as you can get days people were dropping deer so personally I think people should do what makes them happy. But its fun to debate and discuss.

Agreed, here’s to my point. Lots of new folks are concerned about things they don’t need to be. Delving more into anything imo is awesome. It’s just super unnessary surely for someone beginner wise reading. My concern is about them and what they believe reality needs to be. About any compound with about any arrow save extreme lightweights will buzz right through and have for years as you’ve eluded

 

[Pramo]

My take is heaviest arrow to be around 275 fps and a good head like qad exodus, slick trick or extra expensive iron will for anything in North America.

If you want to follow celebrity hunters stick with Randy Ulmer or Nate Simmons. Ranch fairy and the rest of the high foc extra heavy arrow cult are selling snake oil

 

[Holocene]

Build a balanced hunting arrow and go kill stuff.

The specs some folks mentioned above are good.

If you want to spend a lot of money on components and waste a lot of time dialing them in, then chase these extreme points of view about arrow builds.

With modern compounds, shoot an arrow that's in the 270-290 fps range, 10-14% FOC or thereabouts, and a good quality head.

Tune the arrow and your bow. Point weights like Gold Tips FACT system are great for fine tuning your setup if you want to scratch that tinker itch and chase perfection. (I like to!)

Details like shooting form, nock fit, release, bow stabilization, and etc. are far more critical to consistently killing stuff than chasing some high FOC craze based on Ashby's safari antics and Ranch Fairy shooting Texas hogs with trad bows.

Would you put Mack truck tires on a Corvette?.

 

[AkRyan]

Let me put this in perspective a bit for some of you folks that only hunt whitetail. I live in a state where I can hunt 4 species of bears, moose, caribou, deer, predators, goat/sheep and some other small game. I also use my same setup to hint whitetail in Minnesota every season. What I'm getting at is just because a light arrow works on your deer doesn't mean it's going to work for everyone. I would never consider going into the woods with anything short of a 500g+ arrow and a proven mech or solid. I agree 700g is a bit silly but it could be just what some people need to ensure success on there hunts.

Btw if everyone told all the stories of the animals that got away I have a feeling heavy arrows with solid heads would be more appealing to most but people don't want to tell you there light arrow going 285fps didn't go through a deer shoulder or lodged in a hip.

 

[wind gypsy]

When did anything under 500 grains start being classified as light?

 

[4fletch]

Let me put this in perspective a bit for some of you folks that only hunt whitetail. I live in a state where I can hunt 4 species of bears, moose, caribou, deer, predators, goat/sheep and some other small game. I also use my same setup to hint whitetail in Minnesota every season. What I'm getting at is just because a light arrow works on your deer doesn't mean it's going to work for everyone. I would never consider going into the woods with anything short of a 500g+ arrow and a proven mech or solid. I agree 700g is a bit silly but it could be just what some people need to ensure success on there hunts.

Btw if everyone told all the stories of the animals that got away I have a feeling heavy arrows with solid heads would be more appealing to most but people don't want to tell you there light arrow going 285fps didn't go through a deer shoulder or lodged in a hip.

Whitetail, black bear, moose, turkey all with the same arrows. Do what you like, but a 400g arrow in the hands of a good archer who knows his limitations is more than enough. Thats how all those kids and lighter framed females and trad guys have such great success.
(this coming from a guy who likes to be 450-550 for total weight)

 

[Beendare]

Build a balanced hunting arrow and go kill stuff.

Delete

 

[AkRyan]

Agree 100% with you but you said it yourself. In the hands of a good archer who knows his limitations....so 30% of archery hunters can get away with 400g but the other 70% should shoot a bit heavier! @4fletch

 

[AkRyan]

When did anything under 500 grains start being classified as light?

I think it's because you will have a hard time getting above 500 without adding heavy insert weight up front. Bare standard arrows are "light" start putting 75-100g inserts in and they become "heavy" this is just my opinion.

 

[Billy Goat]

I think it's because you will have a hard time getting above 500 without adding heavy insert weight up front. Bare standard arrows are "light" start putting 75-100g inserts in and they become "heavy" this is just my opinion.

My arrows with 60 grain inserts and 125 heads would still be considered light.


I think it's because the balance has been skewed. Since we apparently need 650 grain shafts now.

 

[Blandry]

You can build some 600gr with 125 bh’s @ 14% foc

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AkRyan]

My arrows with 60 grain inserts and 125 heads would still be considered light.


I think it's because the balance has been skewed. Since we apparently need 650 grain shafts now.

Little far if you ask me. Fmj deadly game won't even get you there. Over 600g is ok as long as it fits your needs. I've watched the guys with THP shoot 650+ arrows at long distance and have zero issues. It's all to be taken within reason.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've watched the guys with THP shoot 650+ arrows at long distance and have zero issues.

I have some 632gr arrows that I never use. With them I pretty much lose my 6th and 7th pins in my sight housing because they drop so much. And I shoot high poundage and long draw length. But they were just for testing, not intended to use for hunting......or anything else for that matter. But obviously if I was chasing 2000lb water buffaloes around, I'd be using even heavier arrows than that, but taking much closer shots.

 

[AkRyan]

I have some 632gr arrows that I never use. With them I pretty much lose my 6th and 7th pins in my sight housing because they drop so much. And I shoot high poundage and long draw length. But they were just for testing, not intended to use for hunting......or anything else for that matter. But obviously if I was chasing 2000lb water buffaloes around, I'd be using even heavier arrows than that, but taking much closer shots.

How many pins do you have? I agree they are heavy and drop but do you plan on shooting a animal at 80 or 90 yards? I shoot a happy medium 500-550ish.

 

[5MilesBack]

How many pins do you have? I agree they are heavy and drop but do you plan on shooting a animal at 80 or 90 yards? I shoot a happy medium 500-550ish.

I have 7 pins. You mentioned someone shooting 650gr arrows at long range without any issues. But at some point there's an issue having a pin for those distances, whether using a fixed or slider sight. I don't know a lot of folks using ~650gr arrows for long range shooting.......at animals or targets. In fact, I don't know anyone that shoots that heavy an arrow even up close. I prefer to keep my speed somewhere in the 280-290fps range, and that's always been right around 500gr for me.

 

[AkRyan]

The only issue your addressing is you can't shoot 80+ yards because you don't have a pin for it. I agree with you this is a problem but only if you plan on shooting a animal at 80+ yards and 98% of archery hunters won't do this. If we consider 40yrds as the average long shot a 650g arrow will fly better and hit harder that a 4-500g arrow with a couple more inches of drop and that's just cold hard facts. If your hunting long range then you are a small percentage of the population and a lighter arrow might be just what YOU need. If we were shooting 50yrds max would you choose a 6.5cm or a 338-08?

 

[Billy Goat]

The only issue your addressing is you can't shoot 80+ yards because you don't have a pin for it. I agree with you this is a problem but only if you plan on shooting a animal at 80+ yards and 98% of archery hunters won't do this. If we consider 40yrds as the average long shot a 650g arrow will fly better and hit harder that a 4-500g arrow with a couple more inches of drop and that's just cold hard facts. If your hunting long range then you are a small percentage of the population and a lighter arrow might be just what YOU need. If we were shooting 50yrds max would you choose a 6.5cm or a 338-08?

What if you like to practice at double your maximum effective range?

Pretty standard to practice well beyond your actual hunting range, just makes those closer shots feel that much easier.


There's also the fact that if I already have an arrow in an animal, and get the chance within 100 yards to put another one in it, I'm going to.
Even if it looks like it's about to topple over.