Iv hunter consistently with a 406-430 grain arrow with zero issues for 15 years


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I killed a PILE of critters with a 360gr arrow... Only once did I not get a complete pass through. I've since went a little heavier (440gr) and have been happier.

 

I have shot my arrows at 395-405 for the last 17 years. And that is with only a 50lb. bow at a 28in. draw and have had complete pass throughs on deer all the way out to 52 yards.

 

So I've. Been shooting a 484 grain arrow for a few years now and I want to go to something that shoots flatter because my arrows drop a good amount every ten yards or so .what do you guys think?

I've been shooting deer with 50-60lb bows for a while now, arrow weights from 350-425gr. Lots of deer. My first deer of the season hit the ground in sight of the stand. My 50lb Spyder 34 from way back in 2013, pitching a 370gr shaft with a 1 1/4" cut mechanical at 265fps. The shot went through the shoulder blade, both lungs, and into the dirt. Not much different than several deer in the last 20 years or so. I still use 60lb bows when I have a live buck tag, and sometimes a heavier shaft, but not always. I like a 390gr GTUL 340 at 280+, or one of my Victory RIP XV's, 350gr at 290fps, which will zip through a large buck and on into the bushes, just like my 450gr Beman ICS 340.

The RIP XV's are fine, and you can even load up on tip weight and still have lots of speed. I use the 300's with a 125gr BH for 280fps from my 60lb bows. They will shoot through any deer farther than most would ever take a responsible shot.

 

I've always been told heavy heavy heavy but these new bows are so fast and the arrows have so much energy. I don't think a heavy arrow is worth the sacrifice of speed and trajectory. Lighter arrow will shot more flat and be more forgiven and if it will kill deer just as good as a heavy slow arrow it's going to be my new go to set up.

 

You can discuss this one to death and we have for years, in the end you just need to pick something that you feel good about to commit to and just go hunting. My favorite memories of kill shots were with my bowtech destroyer 350 back when I was a speed freak around 2009, I had twisted the strings to pull 73lbs at 29 inch draw and I was shooting 400 spine carbontech cheetas that weighed 326 grains. It was spitting them out at 352ish fps and I freaking loved the performance from flat shooting and the Thwack when it smoked my deer with 2 blade rage.

I am not a speed freak anymore, I got over that quick and now the old destroyer is only pulling 52lbs with different limbs and I am still shooting a free dozen arrows I got back in 2011 and they are 400 spine gold tip ultralights that weigh a whopping 340 grains. This is my last season with that dozen, I have killed around 20 deer with them and am down to 4 arrows so I ordered from gillingham a new dozen of velocity 340's. Haven't built them yet but I think they will come in around 375 grains so I will have to sight in my bow again to them.

 

56lbs DW, 26.5 inch DL, 350 grain arrow and i am 3/3 on full pass throughs

 

What BH do you use?

 

Shot my 10th bull elk with a 370gr arrow and 58#@29" bow this fall. I think your setup will be fine for whitetails. Fixed blade broadheads.

 

Ive seen a bunch of animals shot with 370-ish grain arrows with mech heads, my take.

Those had a higher rate of failure than medium weight arrows, especially on elk; Poor penetration. Bad shot locations.
I think the reasons for the poor results can be attributed to these factors;
1) Loud bow- lighter arrow =louder bow, more string jumping
2) Poor penetration- Inefficient BH paired with a light arrow is a bad combo.

I don’t see any advantages to going that light- only disadvantages. Sure, it will help your 3D scores…but that doesn’t translate in the real world.

 

Great arrows, I'd want at least 400 grains. Im currently at 520 but gonna drop down to 485 and possibly 465ish

 

Dont over think it. A well placed shot will kill a deer with basically anything you got going.

 

I aim to always stay above 500 grains. I also have a 30"DL and shoot over 70lbs (soon to be 80). So I feel like I get the best of both worlds. Speed and weight.

Knock on wood. I haven't lost a deer since using this combo. Shot placement is always King, but these are live animals that can move. I want to give myself the best possible chance at a fast and clean kill (should I hit a shoulder etc)

I track wounded deer with a K9. I started keeping track of arrow weights this season from my various calls. Obviously this isn't a scientific experiment, I'm doing it for chit and giggles. So far, all calls had arrow weights sub 500

 

375 grs my lightest and 383 grs my heaviest = over 40 deer taken with 15 years of hunting.

 

My thought on arrow weight goes with poundage being used. I feel a bow under 50#s a total arrow weight of 500 grns minimum (recurve or compound) & bows over 50#s anything total weight of 400 grns. I have actually killed Deer with 40#s & 45#s recurves with arrows of 500 grns & 3 blade BH. Yes, pass thrus. My daughter killed a cow buffalo at 25 yds with a 550 gr 3 blade & 48#s. 29" arrow penetrated 25" & into the heart (dropped in 60 yds) Personally, me & now using 60#s compound I use an arrow in the 550 total weight & 3 blade BHs. My 50# Longbow gets the same weight arrows. Granted, those using 65#70# & high speed can get away with lighter weights but personally, I would not go under 400 grns total arrow weight. Pics of a couple recurve 40# (1958)

45# (1972) kills too, pass thrus.

 

One more time. You don't shoot a bow. You don't shoot an arrow. You don't shoot a broadhead. You shoot a system consisting of a bow, an arrow and a broadhead. It is your responsibility to make sure all of those items support each other.
Example 1: 70 lb bow, large expandable and sub 380 gr arrow, expect failures.
Example 2: 70 lb bow, cut on contact 1 1/4 inch cut or less, and 350 gr arrow, probably going to get through just about any deer as long as you do your part and don't hit heavy bone.
Example 3: 70 lb bow 500 gr arrow, large expandable, probably going to get through just about any deer as long as you do your part and don't hit heavy bone.
Example 4: 70 lb bow, cut on contact 1 1/4 inch cut or less, and 700 gr arrow, probably going to get through just about any deer regardless of where you hit.

You should have no problems going with the lighter arrows as long as you are not using a large expandable/mechanical head.

 

350 grain for 14 years and 387 grain this year. No issues with pass throughs, and shoulders.

 

My next arrow build is going to be 550-650 grains for next year. Shooting a MAthews VXR 28 60 lb with 27" DL

 

There is no right or wrong or too heavy or too light. as there are many variables. I used to shoot 378 gr. I now shoot 528 gr and feel much more confident in my set up. Of course your arrows drop. That's the nature of archery gear. This discussion/argument will never end. For me, anything less than 500 gr is too light, yet I killed plenty of deer with the 378 gr.

 

As others have said too light is vague. 31 inch draw? 25 inch draw? 305 IBO bow? 360 IBO bow? Fixed head? COC 2 blade? OP you gave good details but as you see many just default to arrow weight not the whole picture.

At 70 pounds a 340+ IBO and a 28.5 inch draw you have a lot of wiggle room or energy to waste or trade for trajectory if you want but IMHO you also should have plenty of speed now too and another 15 FPS or so really make that much difference?

I can tell you this.....at 27.5 63 pounds I see a BIG drop off in penetration under 400. You can make a lot of that up with the right cutting tool on the end.........so just try what you want but I'll bet you go back to 450+. Good luck

 

I’m 27” @ 60 lbs. I’ve killed deer with 380gr arrows and 425 gr arrows. I can leave my pins set almost the same between the two. I’m planning to go to 550 next season. Just trying new things. But I won’t go back to 380. 425 will be the lightest I will go. But looking forward to the 550’s!

 

Grandson 42lb draw weight, 365 grain arrow, coc broadhead, hit the opposite side rib, dead deer

 

My comment is only for hunting whitetails... i’ll start with that. If only hunting whitetails, they’re extremely easy to poke holes through.

I bought a bow October 2019. I put together a new arrow from it. Came in at 364 grain total with a Rage 2” up front. Killed 5 deer that season with it. Killed 5 deer the next season with that arrow and around December of that season, put together a new arrow that weight 380 total. I killed another with it and have killed 2 more this year with it. That’s 13 deer in a hair over 2 years with a sub 400 arrow and a 2 inch Rage. One of the deer was with a 2.3” rage and the 364 grain arrow.

 

Well I guess that’s hard to say. I’ve shot a 355gr 29” DL / 60 lb. set up for years. Had no issues related to how light it is. At least I don’t think. Deer, hogs, fixed, expandable. Now, I don’t give out much advice just letting you know what I’ve done.

 

I wm right at 400 @305. Its passed thru everything I have shot it at.

 

Give it a try. You should have no issues whatsoever.

 

i went from 292 to 265 fps arrow this year due to changing my bow and also going from 100 to 125 grain heads

the one thing about the slower arrow is that slightly poor form in the heat of the moment has noticeably less planing while using a fixed blade head

with the 292 setup, i could make an extremely minor grip adjustment on purpose and walk the arrow left and right around 4 to 6 inches at 40 yards, at closer ranges it was less....but this was enough to put you out of the kill zone potentially at 40 yards

with the slower setup, the difference is much less pronounced because the effect of planing is not linear/proportional with velocity but rather increases with the square or cube of velocity