THE Perfect hunting arrow

[Cng]

For me, with my 32" draw, perfect is the lightest arrow I can tune (without dropping below a 125 grain head) that's still long enough to keep the broadhead off my shelf and away from my hand. Right now that's 12gpp out of a 43lb Widow. I'd prefer 10gpp for the speed bump, but to get there I have to go up in bow weight. Really difficult to find 400 or 500 spine arrows that are 32.5" long. Even more so to get under 10gpi arrow shafts.

I’m relatively new to trad and also have a 32” draw. Tried some different arrows and haven’t found the perfect ones yet. I’m currently fletching up some of the Traditional Only Barebow shafts from 3 Rivers. I think they’re Easton Axis arrows with a coating on them. I got 340 spine, but that’s with a 100 grain point.

I’m just curious what arrows you’ve tried and which ones you prefer. Have you tried different spines and point weights? Thanks!

 

[Billy Goat]

For those that have the way out there point on, have you tried fixed crawl?


I shoot 3 under anymore with a fixed crawl of almost 3/8". I just have a very large served nock on the underside. Moves my point on a fair amount closer. Also I feel better about my tune this way as I'm not string walking which I feel will change my tune.


Need to be careful shooting competitively tho, not touching the nock is frowned upon in some classes. Altho you can do all kinds of other stuff.

 

[Wrench]

I’m relatively new to trad and also have a 32” draw. Tried some different arrows and haven’t found the perfect ones yet. I’m currently fletching up some of the Traditional Only Barebow shafts from 3 Rivers. I think they’re Easton Axis arrows with a coating on them. I got 340 spine, but that’s with a 100 grain point.

I’m just curious what arrows you’ve tried and which ones you prefer. Have you tried different spines and point weights? Thanks!

A 340/100 up front sounds mighty stiff. 60#?

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I’m relatively new to trad and also have a 32” draw. Tried some different arrows and haven’t found the perfect ones yet. I’m currently fletching up some of the Traditional Only Barebow shafts from 3 Rivers. I think they’re Easton Axis arrows with a coating on them. I got 340 spine, but that’s with a 100 grain point.

I’m just curious what arrows you’ve tried and which ones you prefer. Have you tried different spines and point weights? Thanks!

The arrows I know of off the top of my head that are 32.5+" (I should note I prefer .204 shafts if at all possible):

-- Easton Axis Trads (good arrows)
-- Easton Axis 5mm .260 spine (love these in .260) and .300 spine
-- Black Eagle Renegade (my current arrows, cheaper than axis trad, and still .204 diameter)
-- Black Eagle Instinct
-- Black Eagle Vintage
-- Traditional Only Barebow

I've played with lots of spines and point weights over the years as I've shot heavy bows in the past, and now I'm shooting 43@32". As someone mentioned above, a .340 spine with 100 grain tip sounds very stiff unless you're shooting 65-70 lbs.

Current arrow is a full length BE Renegade 400, Axis HIT brass insert(50 grains), 125 grain tips, gold tip bushing, and an Easton G nock (gains me between 1/8" and 3/16" of arrow length over standard nock.

 

[Billy Goat]

The arrows I know of off the top of my head that are 32.5+" (I should note I prefer .204 shafts if at all possible):

-- Easton Axis Trads (good arrows)
-- Easton Axis 5mm .260 spine (love these in .260) and .300 spine
-- Black Eagle Renegade (my current arrows, cheaper than axis trad, and still .204 diameter)
-- Black Eagle Instinct
-- Black Eagle Vintage
-- Traditional Only Barebow

I've played with lots of spines and point weights over the years as I've shot heavy bows in the past, and now I'm shooting 43@32". As someone mentioned above, a .340 spine with 100 grain tip sounds very stiff unless you're shooting 65-70 lbs.

Current arrow is a full length BE Renegade 400, Axis HIT brass insert(50 grains), 125 grain tips, gold tip bushing, and an Easton G nock (gains me between 1/8" and 3/16" of arrow length over standard nock.

Curious why the preference for the .204's?

Help with centershot or are you shooting a riser that isn't cut past center?

I have found I don't care for smaller than .244 but have wondered about the smaller diameter for stick bows that aren't past center.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Curious why the preference for the .204's?

Help with centershot or are you shooting a riser that isn't cut past center?

I have found I don't care for smaller than .244 but have wondered about the smaller diameter for stick bows that aren't past center.

I like how they fly in wind, and it does help with tuning around center shot. I also like to put tiny 4 fletch on my arrows, for wind as well. And I just have more confidence in them. No actual reason for that. I just feel better shooting them.

 

[Cng]

The arrows I know of off the top of my head that are 32.5+" (I should note I prefer .204 shafts if at all possible):

-- Easton Axis Trads (good arrows)
-- Easton Axis 5mm .260 spine (love these in .260) and .300 spine
-- Black Eagle Renegade (my current arrows, cheaper than axis trad, and still .204 diameter)
-- Black Eagle Instinct
-- Black Eagle Vintage
-- Traditional Only Barebow

I've played with lots of spines and point weights over the years as I've shot heavy bows in the past, and now I'm shooting 43@32". As someone mentioned above, a .340 spine with 100 grain tip sounds very stiff unless you're shooting 65-70 lbs.

Current arrow is a full length BE Renegade 400, Axis HIT brass insert(50 grains), 125 grain tips, gold tip bushing, and an Easton G nock (gains me between 1/8" and 3/16" of arrow length over standard nock.

Thanks for the reply. I should have mentioned that the Traditional Only Barebows I’m working on now have the half out inserts, which are 50 grains, I think. (I don’t think I’m going to like them.) So, 150 total up front. Does that sound closer?

I’m shooting 50#@28” (on a 17” riser) long TradTech limbs, but I’ve got them on a 19” Hoyt Dorado riser. I know the rule of thumb is an additional 2# per inch of draw length, but I also lose a little draw weight with the longer riser. I don’t have a scale, but I estimate it at 55# or a little less.

They are bareshafting well from 15 yards, and I ended up with 340s because I had some 400 Gold Tip Traditionals (only 32”) that were a little too weak. I thought about going to the 260s or 300s for the extra length, but like the OP, I didn’t really want to get into the super heavy FOC thing.

 

[Tartan]

I average a 13 gpp arrow over the last couple of years. 650ish grain arrow, ~50lb bow. Probably important to note that I have a 31" draw length and have primarily shot a couple different border and uukha limbs. I have gone as high as a 735 grain arrow. My average point on is 40-45 yards. But I have a low anchor and it starts to drop off noticeably around 30 yards.

I have not killed as many animals as a lot of guys on here with a stickbow, but I've absolutely blown through the several I have with my past set-ups. However, I've also had a couple misses and those were all due to misjudging yardage. perfect lefts and rights, held for 30 and it was 35 etc. Mostly spot and stalk pigs.

1. I need to get better at being more patient at crunch time. I have time to pull out the rangefinder, but panic and don't.
2. Looking to go to a slightly flatter shooting set up. Right now it looks like I will be using a 600 grain arrow at 12gpp. Possibly using a fixed crawl or moving my anchor up some, but still keeping my point on at a fairly far distance. I'm not a fan of holding over the target.
3. I've always shot with more of an instictive-gap. I see the arrow, but setting the gap is more of a "this feels right". I am working on trying to incorporate a bit of a harder aiming system. It's hard to do when your 20 yard gap is 2 feet in the dirt below an animal.

 

[Beendare]

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[Beendare]

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[Beendare]

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[Tartan]

Good commentary Tartan.

My take on the whole arrow weight thing can be summed up by saying: Step away from the Social media sensations trying to reinvent the wheel.

A 2 blade head is a penetrating monster! A faster flatter arrow- within reason (in that 9-10 gpp range) with a 2 blade head penetrates effortlessly and doesn't give up anything penetration wise to the very heavy- and SLOW- arrows.

FWIW I was shooting a 3 D tourney years ago with the Montana state Trad Champ. He said he laughs at the ultra heavy arrow guys- no need. He blows through elk, bears and mule deer with a 45# ILF/ Border limbs and uses a 400-ish gr arrow, 2 blade heads.

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agreed. My evolution was starting with thinking I needed to do everything I could to maximize penetration. But I am figuring out it doesn't matter how far in the dirt the arrow is. If I can remove some error in range estimation I'd have another handful of animals under my belt.

 

[Cng]

It might be a good idea to start a thread with everyone posting what bow we are shooting and the tuned arrow spec To help with Arrow selection.

I love this idea!

 

[GLB]

The bow/arrow tune combination is a good idea for a thread. You should run with it.

There is definitely a trend to run extremely heavy arrows with EFOC. Personally I think it goes too far. Especially when most are hunting deer size game.

I like a 550 to 600 grain arrow. 1. I live in Alaska, 2. I am very familiar with the trajectory that arrow weight gives me, 3. It’s a proven combination with a low to mid fifties well tuned bow arrow combination with sharp 2 blade BH.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Thanks for the reply. I should have mentioned that the Traditional Only Barebows I’m working on now have the half out inserts, which are 50 grains, I think. (I don’t think I’m going to like them.) So, 150 total up front. Does that sound closer?

I’m shooting 50#@28” (on a 17” riser) long TradTech limbs, but I’ve got them on a 19” Hoyt Dorado riser. I know the rule of thumb is an additional 2# per inch of draw length, but I also lose a little draw weight with the longer riser. I don’t have a scale, but I estimate it at 55# or a little less.

They are bareshafting well from 15 yards, and I ended up with 340s because I had some 400 Gold Tip Traditionals (only 32”) that were a little too weak. I thought about going to the 260s or 300s for the extra length, but like the OP, I didn’t really want to get into the super heavy FOC thing.

You always gotta trust your bareshafts, but you need to shoot bareshafts past 15 yards to get an accurate read. If they fly true at 20 with a bareshaft or a fletched arrow with a big 2 blade broadhead, you're good to go.

I always tend to need weaker arrows than my hunting buddies would think is possible. So where they think I need 340's I'm occasionally using 500's. That changed a bit when I went to a past center cut riser though.

 

[Wilderlife]

The different hunting situations is an interesting take on things as well.

Over there you blokes probably have a good idea of what you might come across and what you are targeting, but down here, there is every chance you'll run into a big mountain boar while you're out chasing deer or goats. We do have some very big species of deer here like reds and sambar but they are more predictable in their locations in a way, but a big mountain boar is about the toughest critter I'm likely to encounter at most of my places and that's one of the reasons I like a more powerful setup than the average 450gn @ 45# arrow. A thick fighting pad on a boar can be tough to get through.

Not saying it's impossible or anything either. Just adding to the debate. I only mentioned I am running 650gn arrows in my longbow because that gets me just on 10gpp anyway. I don't feel the need to go into the 12gpp range with my recurve setups that are 65# and below.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

It’s still a work in progress for me. I’ve been shooting the ASL almost exclusively, and I’m still learning what it likes. It’s picky about arrow tuning (not surprising).

I have learned that there is no such thing as too heavy with it. It seems like the heavier arrow I shoot out of it, the better. The limbs just soak the weight right up rather than send it up your arm, and the thing is dead silent with a monster arrow.

 

[Wilderlife]

I hear you mate.

I'd love to shoot something heaps heavier than 10gpp out of my longbow just to see what happens.With a lighter arrow it was unforgiving to shoot in comparison.

It's essentially an ASL but it has a locator grip as opposed to straight.

 

[FLS]

The finished weight, length, and FOC is what it is, to get good arrow flight.
46# @ 28.5” usually takes a 30” 500 spine with 125-150 up front or a 30” 400 spine with 200-225 up front. I shoot 3 x 4” feathers because I always have and I have several hundred. I enjoy listening to the new age trad social media guys confirming what we already knew, a well tuned arrow tipped with a sharp broadhead out of a quiet bow kills more efficiently. What you put together to get there really doesn’t matter.

 

[Cng]

You always gotta trust your bareshafts, but you need to shoot bareshafts past 15 yards to get an accurate read. If they fly true at 20 with a bareshaft or a fletched arrow with a big 2 blade broadhead, you're good to go.

I always tend to need weaker arrows than my hunting buddies would think is possible. So where they think I need 340's I'm occasionally using 500's. That changed a bit when I went to a past center cut riser though.

This was good advice. Thanks! Moving out to 20 yards showed a stiff kick that I wasn’t getting at 15. I have now messed with my center shot and ended up with 175 grain field tips (plus the half-outs, which are actually 25 grains). So I’m at 200 total up front vs. 125. I’m going to keep tweaking until I know it’s perfect, but I’m genuinely surprised I was that far off. I thought I had it really dialed in at 15.

So now I have to ask, should I stop at 20 or should I move out to 25 or 30? How far do you need to bareshaft to make sure you have it right?