My experience building arrow/broadhead combinations for hunting (Elk, Deer and Antelope)

[Ice_man]

Out of my own curiosity for this year, what mechanicals are you liking for elk? I was going to have a few in my quiver this fall for an elk hunt. Will probably be shooting QAD Exodus first, but for a backup or if I have a bull come in close in the treestand I may try out a mechanical.

 

[nphunter]

Out of my own curiosity for this year, what mechanicals are you liking for elk? I was going to have a few in my quiver this fall for an elk hunt. Will probably be shooting QAD Exodus first, but for a backup or if I have a bull come in close in the treestand I may try out a mechanical.

G5 dead meat, Evolution Hyde and Rage Trypans.

I think the dead meat will have the most penetration, no reason to only use them up close unless you’re shooting a light setup. I’ve shot all three through mature bulls at over 60 yards. I’ve posted recently some success pics with them you could search if you use the advanced search and select user.

 

[Ice_man]

G5 dead meat, Evolution Hyde and Rage Trypans.

I think the dead meat will have the most penetration, no reason to only use them up close unless you’re shooting a light setup. I’ve shot all three through mature bulls at over 60 yards. I’ve posted recently some success pics with them you could search if you use the advanced search and select user.

Sweet. The Evolution Hyde was one on my shortlist. Current set up is 420 gr arrow going about 285. I lost the last bull I shot due to what I think was a liver hit at last light. Had piles of blood where he was standing but never did recover him. Was shooting a slicktrick viper trick at the time. I've killed bulls with those in the past with great success, but am wanting something this year with a little bit more forgiveness if I'm a little far back ever again.

 

[nphunter]

Sweet. The Evolution Hyde was one on my shortlist. Current set up is 420 gr arrow going about 285. I lost the last bull I shot due to what I think was a liver hit at last light. Had piles of blood where he was standing but never did recover him. Was shooting a slicktrick viper trick at the time. I've killed bulls with those in the past with great success, but am wanting something this year with a little bit more forgiveness if I'm a little far back ever again.

I’m sure they will work great and I’d 100% prefer a big cut mechanical for 99% of the places you hit and animal. If you hit shoulder both a fixed and mechanical have the same odds of going through which are slim to none.

 

[Forestryguy]

Durability isn't something that I have had an issue with when hunting. Every arrow I've ever built has been broken off inside of an elk if I don't get a complete pass though and the ones that do pass fair just fine. I do take it into consideration though which is why I like HIT's and Glue-in's, I've ruined a pile of outserts over the years.

For general shooting durability has been an issue, from what I've seen the RIP TKO and VAP's have been the most durable arrows. I just really like the A/C arrows and how they fly down range so that what I shoot. The least durable arrows I've ever shot were Carbon Tech Cheetahs, followed by black eagle deep impacts, the black eagles carbon cuts weird and seems to be stringy and if you looked at the CT's wrong they would break in half.

Out of all of the elk I've killed durability has been similar with fixed and expandables heads. The majority have been one time use heads with maybe 30% being perfectly fine after passing though.

How would the 5mm FMJ Max work? Are the A/C arrows you are using the target arrows (4mm)?

My current thoughts on my new arrows are with the Axis arrows, 100 gr Cutthroats, Easton HIT insert, and IW collar. Insert and Collar type is dependent on shaft weight, like the up front components to equal 125 gr. Using Cutthroats will not let me go down to 4mm arrows, and the Injections are no longer made. I have built a similar arrow, without a collar, on the Axis arrows. I am going to try and find a different vane to use other than the Blazers.

I have been shooting an older Prime bow. I am thinking of switching back to my Strother Rush XT. If I can not find a newer straight riser bow that I like. I am hampered by having a 28.5" draw.

 

[nphunter]

How would the 5mm FMJ Max work? Are the A/C arrows you are using the target arrows (4mm)?

My current thoughts on my new arrows are with the Axis arrows, 100 gr Cutthroats, Easton HIT insert, and IW collar. Insert and Collar type is dependent on shaft weight, like the up front components to equal 125 gr. Using Cutthroats will not let me go down to 4mm arrows, and the Injections are no longer made. I have built a similar arrow, without a collar, on the Axis arrows. I am going to try and find a different vane to use other than the Blazers.

I have been shooting an older Prime bow. I am thinking of switching back to my Strother Rush XT. If I can not find a newer straight riser bow that I like. I am hampered by having a 28.5" draw.

The new FMJ max arrows are probably great arrows. Some people say FMJ arrows are easy to bend, I haven’t shot them enough to notice. I have had zero issues bending A/C arrows. Yes I’m using target arrows. The FMJ arrows are really nice to pull out of targets.

Strothers made great bows, my wife and both teenage bows still shoot them. There are a few companies that make straighter risers. The thing about most Strothers were that they have forgiving brace heights and longer ATA. I’d probably look at target bows, they will be more similar to that strothers than most newer hunting bows.

 

[Beendare]

Curtis,
As I said on your other thread.....I too have been killing elk for Decades with arrows. I don't like to do expensive and elaborate Arrow builds after seeing simple inexpensive arrows work just fine. I think 4mm is a solution looking for a non existant problem.

I think 5mm is the perfect happy medium. 6mm works fine too. 4mm necessitates using expensive components....and are they really better? I don't think so.

I'm getting great accuracy from $36/doz carbon shafts.....and blowing through just about every critter even with my 46# recurve. How much more would an expensive arrow build get me? Zero....and I can shoot squirrels, rabbits, grouse without worrying about losing an expensive arrow.

I think there are a few key factors to a good hunt arrow;

Shafts with good spine consistency
Perfect arrow assembly- including squaring the ends of the carbon and getting your BH's seated well and perfectly straight
BH tuning your bow
Use shafts of 9 gpi or more
Match your arrow weight to your BH- Mech heads benefit from a little more arrow weight behind them. The very efficient COC fixed heads turn any weight arrow into a penetrating monster.

 

[450]

Curtis,
As I said on your other thread.....I too have been killing elk for Decades with arrows. I don't like to do expensive and elaborate Arrow builds after seeing simple inexpensive arrows work just fine. I think 4mm is a solution looking for a non existant problem.

I think 5mm is the perfect happy medium. 6mm works fine too. 4mm necessitates using expensive components....and are they really better? I don't think so.

I'm getting great accuracy from $36/doz carbon shafts.....and blowing through just about every critter even with my 46# recurve. How much more would an expensive arrow build get me? Zero....and I can shoot squirrels, rabbits, grouse without worrying about losing an expensive arrow.

I think there are a few key factors to a good hunt arrow;

Shafts with good spine consistency
Perfect arrow assembly- including squaring the ends of the carbon and getting your BH's seated well and perfectly straight
BH tuning your bow
Use shafts of 9 gpi or more
Match your arrow weight to your BH- Mech heads benefit from a little more arrow weight behind them. The very efficient COC fixed heads turn any weight arrow into a penetrating monster.

What arrow are you shooting for $36 a dozen and where are you buying them? I didn’t know that existed.

 

[Idaboy]

I've seen so much talk on multiple forums about what arrow or head is best for which bow, weight, speed, head type etc. I've shoot a lot of different arrows over the last several years and have been slowly narrowing down the perfect setup for me.

I like to have a balance, when shooting animals I have things that matter to me, here they are in the order that are the most important to me.

#1- Downrange accuracy
#2- Penetration
#3- Speed
#4- Ease to assemble
#5- Cost

#1
Number one often depends on build quality, spine, fletching and head type. I've landed on shooting a 4mm arrow that is on the light side of the spine chart. With all of the long glue in components, it's very easy to get over spined and from what I've seen from shooting 250-400 spine arrows the weaker spine arrows give me the best results at long 80-130 yard shots. Once I meet my goal on number one I will use that arrow the way it is and see if it makes criteria number two. If I'm shooting as accurately as I can and my arrows are blowing through everything that it touches, I will adjust the weight to find the sweet spot of accuracy, penetration and speed.
Note- Speed does help with accurate arrow placement when in a hunting situation, but IMO it isn't as important as making sure the arrow has enough momentum when it reaches the animal.

#2
To me number two is achieved when the majority of my arrows are hitting the dirt on the far side of an animal. I haven't found this to be an issue with good arrow flight from a 70lb, 27.5" draw weight with today's bows. Back when all I shot was COC fixed heads, I ended up with a pretty light arrow (390gr) but still zipped through everything they touched, mainly elk. I always felt like I was wasting energy in the dirt behind the animal. I knew a mechanical requires more energy so I went with a heavy 500gr arrow to ensure I had the momentum to push it through.

#3
Since making accuracy my number one priority, penetration has been a non-issue for me. That brings us to speed, over the last few years I have been dropping about 30gr each year trying to find that balance. I started with a 500gr arrow going about 270fps with a large mechanical broadhead. The 500gr setup zipped through every animal that it touched. I dropped to around 470gr after that still using a large mechanical, same result, zipped through multiple animals. This last fall I dropped to a 440gr/290fps arrow with another large cut mechanical head, I still zipped right through a mature bull elk with the setup but it is a much more forgiving setup than the 500gr setup. One thing I found was with speed and fixed heads is that you reach a point of diminishing returns for accuracy, much over 285fps they become much less forging and groups typically open up unless you are shooting with near-perfect form every shot. For a couple of seasons, I shot a COC head at 315fps with a 390gr arrow, the setup worked well but I was always stressed out on longer shots because even the slightest imperfection in my form and the arrow would miss it's mark by more than what I felt was acceptable.

#4
I've been all over the board with ease of building. I've always bought high-quality arrows, A/C Injexion, VAP V1's, RIP TKO V1's, Easton Axis Match Grade, BE Deep Impacts and Pro Comps. Same with components, all of my arrows over the past 10 years have been cut to the exact lengths, squared on both ends, components weighted and adjusted and I've mostly used high-end fixed heads with good tolerances and, Solid, IW, Rocky Mountain, Evolution and similar or Mech's. Components have been SS HIT's, D-6 for all the 4mm stuff and IW in the 5mm. Victory arrows definitely take more prep than Easton to get glue to stick well, epoxy or hot melt. The A/C Eastons were always the most forgiving arrows but not as durable as the others. By a large margin the most durable arrow I've ever used is the RIP TKO, I've built these in both 250 and 300 spine with IW components. However I've always like the flight characteristics of the 4mm arrows and how consistent the A/C arrows are so I'm currently shooting Pro Comp's since accuracy is my #1 priority.

Fletching wise I've used a little of everything from quick fletch heat shrinks with quick spins, to six fletch AAE's, I've spent dozens of hours over the years fletching arrows for me and my family. Last year I discovered EZ Vanes from Australia and they're phenomenal, they are slightly lighter than 3 AAE Max Stealths, more durable and group, and fly to the exact same POI at 100 yards other than they are slightly higher due to the weight. I don't foresee going back to traditional fletchings. I also started using glue in field points and broadheads and they are a game changer when it comes to ease of build. With the EZ Fletch and Glue in points I can have an arrow built from a bare shaft and be shooting it in under 10 min including squaring both ends.


#5
Finally cost, this has normally been my lowest priority, I'm sure many can tell based off of the arrows and components I've been using. One thing I consider though is that living in the western US, we only get an opportunity to kill a few animals every year, if I ruin a $30 arrow killing a mature bull IMO its money well spent. However I understand some people can kill dozens or more animals a year and an expensive arrow doesn't make since. One thing I've done to cut costs for me is to buy used in the classifieds, half of the arrows listed above were bought used and I either removed the inserts with a drill bit or cut the arrows to my length. The last dozen pro-comps I bought cost me $130 used, I was able to remove the fletchings and glue in points and I'm in the arrows less that half of what they cost new.


Hopefully, this info is helpful to someone. I did want to add that all the majority of the animals I kill are elk and when I'm talking about arrows zipping through animals I'm speaking of mature bull elk at 20-80 yards.

I'm currently shooting a Mach 34, 74lbs, 27.6" Draw. Arrow is a Procomp 340, 27", 150gr glue-in Evolution Hyde, 10gr collar and 3X .35" EZ fletch vanes.

Good thoughts.. Agree on fps with fixed head, if more than 285 amd shooting beyond 40yds, it's just not a forgiving set up in hunting conditions

 

[Beendare]

What arrow are you shooting for $36 a dozen and where are you buying them? I didn’t know that existed.

Accmos and Linkboy Shafts........on Amazon and Ali Express.