Advice heavy arrow set up 38-42#

[kconner]

#133948

Drawing @ 24″.

Ok to use full length arrows? Otherwise, will experiment to find desired length. Want to set up for as heavy an arrow as possible. Suggestions for wood arrow and broadhead combination for 48″ bow. Would take info for carbon arrows as well. Thanks

[rgrist]

#133951

I shoot a 50 Lb R/D longbow, 29″ Surewood shafts with a 190 gr BH for a total weight of 660 gr. With a 1″ fixed crawl there is almost no vertical change from 10 to 25 yards. This works out to 13.2 gr/lb which ideal for elk in my opinion. 3 under hold with middle finger anchor at corner of mouth. So for say a 40 lb bow the total arrow weight would be around 525 gr. For deer size critters most people recommend somewhere around 9-10 gr/lb however. I would always favor momentum over velocity in any case.

[Raymond Coffman]

#133989

Hi kconner

Its Okay to shoot a longer arrow as long as it tunes well to your bow. My lightest bow currently is 51 lbs so can’t give you first hand experience in your requested weight range. My current wood arrows are for a 54lb bow at 26. They are 31″ long and weigh  630 .

If you shoot broadheads the shaft needs to be long enuff at your draw, so the broadhead doesn’t hit your bow hand ( or the back of the bow when you draw it)

Scout

[David Coulter]

#134069

KC,

it’s all in the tune. I started with full length and chopped off an 1/8 inch at a time til they flew right. My draw is a little over 27 and I’m only cutting 1 1/2 inch off my 32 inch shafts. Look at some photos of different tribes and you’ll find some crazy long arrows. Have fun! Dwc

[SUSAN]

#135394

Correct that you have to experiment with arrow length (correct spine) for best flight. I am shooting bows in your weight range but my draw is 28+. I am shooting GT 3555s cut to 29.5″, with an FOC of 26% and a finished arrow weight of about 550g. This is accomplished with 250g broadheads and a 50g insert.  I don’t think there is a shortcut around the tuning process, or a formula that will make it go any faster . Those of us who shoot light bows need to make sure we are getting optimal penetration for hunting, so take the time and make the effort to get the most you can out of your bow.

[David Coulter]

#135485

I’ve become a big fan of a high foc arrow and with all respects to hunters who don’t look to the extremes, for a variety of reasons, the most important aspects are sharpest possible edges and straightest possible flight hitched to shot placement.  It’s always worth bringing these ingredients to the forefront.

[Stephen Graf]

#135747

Something that hasn’t been mentioned yet is arrow speed.  In my experience, if you want to kill a white tail deer, you need to cover the distance between you and it in a timely manner.  Our southern white tails are pretty spooky critters, and I have found that arrow speeds of less than 160 fps (not really all that fast) for 20 yard (and under) shots yields a higher probability of success.

Shooting arrow weights on the order of 11, 12, 13, or more GPP can result in arrow speeds of less than 150 fps.

The next time you kill a deer (or find one on the side of the road), hold one of your broadhead arrows in your hand and press it slowly through the chest of a deer.  You will be surprised at how very little effort it takes.

Some of us, myself included, have little energy to spare (literally and figuratively).  I stand 6 foot 2 inches, but my draw length is just 26.5 inches as I shoot a swing draw style.  My straight limbed american semi-longbow pulling 52 pounds at my draw length can’t shoot a 13 gpp arrow all that fast.  But it zips the 9.5 gpp arrows I shoot at about 165 fps.  Plenty to stick my bloody wood arrows 4 or 5 inches in the dirt on the other side of the deer.

What about a bone hit? you ask…  My wood arrows and single bevel heads have no problem with our little southern deer bones.  If we plan for the worst, and design our system around the worst, sometimes it no longer works well for the every day.

Here’s a good test for your deer arrows: Go squirrel hunting with them.  If the squirrels constantly beat y0ur arrows by being somewhere else when your arrow gets there, then the deer will to.  Can’t kill ’em if you can’t hit ’em.

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