Home › Forums › Bows and Equipment › Interesting arrow info
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I came across this, I’ve read it before but I just re-discovered it.
It’s from “The Bowyer’s Edge:” by Dean Torges
The importance of arrow weight and its impact upon penetration stemmed from his observation that complete pass-through penetration of mortal arrows usually killed humanely and quickly, often near the archer, whereas mortal arrows that stayed within game often caused frightened flight, poor blood trails and, occasionally, even lost game, even when the broadhead exited the opposite side.
Using both a shooting machine and an impact measuring device (a bob, suspended pendulum fashion, that recorded the impact of each arrow with a stylus), Mr. Bear found that on the average “the 400 grain arrow struck 20 per cent harder than the 300 grain, the 500 45 percent, the 600 66 per cent, the 700 82 percent, the 800 100 percent.”
He noted also that a 500 grain arrow shot from a 61 pound bow struck with a force within 1 per cent of a 600 grain arrow shot from a 45 pound bow. From the other direction, a 68 pound bow with a 500 grain arrow struck less than 3 percent harder than a 52 pound bow with a 600 grain arrow.
Just as some bows are more stable and forgiving than others, and therefore preferable as hunting weapons, Mr. Bear observed that heavy arrows provide the hunter a margin for error by minimizing mistakes of form likely experienced in less than ideal hunting situations. He observed that heavy arrows, averaging ten grains per pound of draw weight, were “less sensitive to correct loose and form” than lighter arrows, which he labeled comparatively “inaccurate” and “unstable” under hunting conditions.
The implications of all this to the hunting archer? In Hunting the Hard Way, Howard Hill maintained that “all else being equal, penetration is the name of the game.” To my mind and preference, this translates to sturdy two blade broadheads at the end of heavy arrows that don’t deflect easily from course, shot from quiet, sympathetic bows with the objective being complete pass-through penetration of vital areas on big game animals. If we don’t always achieve this objective, it should still shape our equipment choices, as well as determine our shot selection, because our quarry’s death is not our only goal.
This is some interesting info as I shoot mostly in the 46-50 lb. bows and mostly wood arrows so EFOC is not practical and very hard to obtain with wood. This information expresses the value of weight and arrows. I like the comparison basically of big bow, little bow and the arrow weight comparison.
The shot: “The beginning oughta be natural, the end determined” R2
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Ha! I never read of that data before, Ralph! Thanks for sharing!
What physics I can wrap my brain around, just seemed to dictate as I dropped draw weight with age, that a heavier arrow would retain energy better. Very cool to read that Pappa Bear actually had some #’s to back that up…
When RRA was run by the older couple, I got some heavy cedar from them… big shafts in front, tapered to 5/16 rear… burnished, etc. The raw shafts they pulled out for me weighed up to 550 gr RAW!!! With the Nock taper, they likely had decent FOC, but I wasn’t into that then…
Once they retired, I got encouraged into trying carbon and haven’t looked back… Those heavy cedar, I will admit, perhaps due to the dense growth rings they were shafted from, or their larger front diameter, but they were “hell for stout”… holding their own against ash I used at that time.
They bounced off more than a few trees and such and never gave up the ghost!
I still shoot close to 600 gr., but now more front loaded… Thanks again for sharing! Cool stuff!
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That’s great info. Really helps reinforce the idea of penetration over speed.
Woods aren’t the only issue, it’s tough to achieve an 800 grain arrow no matter what material you’re using 😆
Mix that with a sharp broad head, and you’ve got a winning combo.
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That is very interesting Ralph. Thanks for sharing it.
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Shreffler, If you read any of Monty Browning’s articles in T.B. you will find he has no trouble surpassing 800 grains. He uses solid fiberglass fish arrow shafts for everything. If I remember right his arrows are around 1100-1200 grains. 😯
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