Heavy FOC arrow question

[DaveT]

#7599

Hey guys….hope everyone is doing well.

I have a question to run by you all. I have a current set up that I really like and have been using for a year. I am shooting Arrow Dynamics (the regular ones). They are 29″ and I have the brass inserts (100gr) Steel BH inserts (100gr) and shooting the 225 grain Tuffheads. They shoot great and weigh in about 780 grains total. I think based upon an online calculator I am around 22% FOC. I am shooting a 55lb BW longbow. I built these for an Elk hunting trip that is getting kicked out to next year but in the meantime hunt deer, black bear and hogs in GA. While these arrows are heavy they fly like darts. Since I always keep my shots to usually 20 yrds and under the weight has never been an issue really. However from reading some of the FOC posts allot of folks are saying that 650 to 700 grains is real heavy which make my arrows downright obese:). I did shoot 2 deer with this set up last year and worked like a charm as expected. I hope to be testing them on some hogs soon:)!

Anyway just wanted to see what you all thought of this set up and perhaps any improvements that could be made next time I order any arrows. Thx!

[David Petersen]

#63771

Dave — I don’t know anything about your brand of shafts but I have a similar setup with CE250s that delivers about 790 total weight with 27+% FOC. Only difference up front is an extra 25 in the insert for a total front weight of 450. Last year I shot completely through a bull so it’s a proven setup and I’d say you’re set for elk. The question becomes whether or not you “need” that much weight for smaller big game. Last winter I downsized to just under 700 grains with STOS single-bevels and that did a number on a Coues buck, a smallish whitetail subspecies. Certainly, as I and other fans of FOC have often said, “there’s no such thing as overkill” when you want to go the extra mile to assure the most lethal possible arrow for clean humane kills. But you can sure kill deer and normal sized hogs without 800 grains. I personally will always stick with Ashby’s recommended 650 minimal total weight for assured heavy bone penetration. And I’ll henceforth always hunt with single bevels. But for deer and such if I have 650 and at least 20% FOC I am totally confident of pass-throughs no matter the angle of hit or bone impact. I shoot 53#. In sum, IMHO, you are set for elk and could afford to drop a bit of weight, preferably in shaft weight, for deer and such. But if you’re shooting great with the heavier rig, I wouldn’t confuse things with different arrow set-ups for different game. I am becoming a one-bow, one arrow guy as I age and need to simplify things as much as possible.

[DaveT]

#7935

Dave— thanks as always for the input. I shot some more last night and I think I am going to just stick with what I have. Out to 20-25 yards it doesn’t seem to matter much that I can tell anyway. I think I might drop the cap wraps on the rear of the arrow and maybe go down in feather size a bit. Dropping the wrap should knock off a bit of weight and help with FOC anyway. The wild card I have where I hunt is the chance at a big hog and/or big bear. So if it was just deer I would probably have a slightly different set up but I like this set up for bear/hog. Thanks so much and good luck this upcoming season…..you are getting close in CO! Ours starts Sept. 8th.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#8038

DaveT wrote: While these arrows are heavy they fly like darts. Since I always keep my shots to usually 20 yrds and under the weight has never been an issue really. However from reading some of the FOC posts allot of folks are saying that 650 to 700 grains is real heavy which make my arrows downright obese:). I did shoot 2 deer with this set up last year and worked like a charm as expected. I hope to be testing them on some hogs soon:)!

I think that’s all you need to be concerned with, Dave. If they fly like darts, and you’re 100% confident that they’ll do what they need to, I wouldn’t worry about what anyone else might consider “heavy.” After all, your arrow setup will still work on smaller animals, but the opposite isn’t always true with a light setup.

[DaveT]

#8044

Thanks Smithhammer and agreed. Now is not the time to be messing around with my set up anyhow. Now I can concentrate on practicing and fishing until hunting season opens:D

Take care all!

[David Petersen]

#8080

Oops! In my post above I said “henceforth I will always hunt with double bevels.” Of course I meant SINGLE bevels. And I wasn’t even drunk. Thanks to Scout for pointing out this typo, which now has been fixed.

[Ed Ashby]

#8375

Dave, “There’s no such thing as ‘overkill’ in bowhunting”. When it comes to arrow mass (weight) the more the better, so long as it shoots flat enough meets YOUR hunting needs.

Arrow mass wise, your setup sounds like it works for you. If I were to suggest any change, should you be looking at new arrows in the future, it would be to try a lighter GPI shaft and then move more of the weight into the point, giving you even more EFOC.

Ed

[DaveT]

#9025

Thanks Doc! I’m gonna run through this current batch and might go the light shaft GPI and heavier head for the next batch. Anyway thanks all for the responses!

[handirifle]

#9313

Along the same lines as the OP’s question, which would penetrate better from the same weight bow? A lighter GPI arrow with say a 27% FOC weighing around 650gr or a heavier GPI arrow with say 24% FOC and weighing 725gr?

Interesting topic.

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