So I'm thinking of passing on buying a new bow and upgrade my arrow entire set up to the tapered Grizzly sticks...the crazy thing is if I kept my heads and inserts I use now I'd be well over 600 total weight, which I want heavier but not needed that heavy IMO. This year I lost a doe due to missing just left and slamming a shoulder...I made it through one but only got about 10 inches of penetration and that one lung doe after 2 days of grid searching could not be found. I know 100% had I had the full arrow build I want I'd have made it to that second lung if not clean through. Those of you shooting over 500 grains, especially if you've done so at different weights where did you find your sweet spot weight wise or what did you target to get to? Little Info for me specifically if recommending things: DL is 28 and I usually like shooting around 65lbs, I never set up for shots over 40 yards so no worry about long range shooting. I'd love to be above 500 next season and tipped with either a single bevel or those Iron Will broadheads (not a broadhead discussion thread though) I'm basically between these setups ATM: Their Grizzlystick Momentum 240s shafts, cut to around 28" or 28.5" with their regular inserts...before head will weight about: 400grain-407grains...tipped with a 125 head for total of around 525 and 19%FOC OR tipped with a 200 head for total of 600 and 23% Boiled down how much of a difference do those with heavy high FOC experience think the difference between the two setups (roughly 75grs) will be? Do you recommend something different entirely? Before anyone comments "overkill" deer are easy to kill. I agree, in 90% of my shots this will be overkill...but I experienced one of those 10% this year and I know if I'd had the build I wanted my odds of experiencing that would have been A LOT less so save the comments. I've desired these shafts from Grizzly for years now...and this year's experience has closed the deal on it needs to happen or upping weight and FOC is a MUST before 2019 season.
I usually just let FOC fall where it is, to be honest I have never worried about it. I shoot 515 gr roughly at 28" draw length 70# 27" arrow (black eagle spartans 75 gr brass weight tipped with 100 gr broadheads). Your pin gaps are going to be wider with the heavier one so shooting in between distances is going to be difficult. Take that for what its worth but either setup is gonna be killer. If it were me, I would shoot the first setup but that purely my opinion. I like the lighter one like my setup for western hunting purposes but I suppose if you're never shooting over 40 at whitetails, the 600 gr setup would give you more shoulder busting power.
I know you say this is not a broadhead thread, but what head were you shooting on that doe? I'm around 600 gr. On my arrow. I need to weight them to find out though. I use 125 gr Iron wills and they are very sharp with not a large cut. Both deer I shot with them this year were complete blow thru, bone and all with about 12" of arrow stuck in the ground. I think your broadhead does come into factor here, you need that extra sharp head and arrow weight to really get the punch you want. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
I shoot Black Eagle Renegades at 28” right at 500 grains. I do not initially shoot through shoulders, but I want to be confident that if I hit shoulder, penetration will not be an issue. I used this arrow an elk hunt in September and decided to stay with it for deer season. I have Slick Trick Magnums on my arrows. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Slick Trick Standards. Never have had issues prior, but this time shoulder hit got me. I have a near 500 grain set up but not as high or as high of FOC as I desire. I will either be going with the Single Bevel Massai or the Iron Will ones next year.
My personal opinion for what's it worth is to stick with your current arrow combination and change the head. I know you didn't want to make this a broadhead discussion but I dont think you are going to benefit much more by upping the weight. Maybe for a slower moving heavier animal but with whitetails and their reflexes I think you want to keep your current speed. Also the concept of don't change too many things at once. I have a high level of confidence that a single beveled head is going to get you the penetration you want.
Sorry, but I think grizzly stick arent money well spent. Just me and I spend money....way better options out there.
There is no magic pill for bad shots. Grizzly sticks are the worst arrows i've ever shot. I like VPA three blade. I would just practice more and wait or that perfect shot, it's just a whitetail not a million dollar lottery ticket. 500 grains is not overkill by any means if you decide to go that way. I used to shoot a 766 grain fmj dangerous game.
I like gold tips with 100 grain brass inserts and 50 grains fact weights. Gold tip Hunter xt 300s with brass inserts and 125 grain broadheads (either magnus black hornets or qad exodus) total weight of 520 grains. Gold tip Hunter xt 250 100 gr brass insert 150 gr fact weights with same 2 broadheads totalling 724 grains are just plain fun to shoot. Don't have any idea on speeds but are fast enough from Bear moment at 73 lbs and 29.5 draw.
I have a buddy who has the grizzly sticks while another buddy and I have VAP TKO's with the 95gr outsert and they have comparable results. This is out of very similar setups too. My arrow comes in at 482 gr and are cut at 27.5.
I currently shoot at 505gr set up with 75gr HITs and a Nocturnal. Little less than that with a standard nock. See the rest of my stats in my signature line. I tried 600gr TAW Pile Drivers first, but I was shooting at 255fps and getting SIGNIFICANTLY less penetration even at 10 yards with field tips in a foam block vs. my current 500gr RIPs. Like 12" less. Not a perfect test medium compared to flesh, but the increased surface area of of PDs (bigger than standard diameter) it created a lot more drag compared to the .204 RIPs. Plus when you factor in the speed and range differences; I went with the RIPs. I haven't actually ran the RIPs through a chrono but I would guess I am right at about 275-280. As far as how the .204s performed; I killed my first buck this season with an A-Tac at about 20 yards. Complete pass through, but only hit one rib (slipped in between the ribs on the other side.) It buried a good 16" into the dirt and was a biotch to pull out. I killed my second (bigger) buck this season with same RIP arrows except tipped with Muzzy HBs and one Rage Hypodermic at about 20 yards. First 2 arrows were near full pass throughs - first hit and broke the spine, second went through/broke ribs on both sides and was only stopped by the fletching. The last arrow was with the Rage which hit the humerus on entry then penetrated all the way into and breaking the humerus on the offside and stopped without actually penetrating the offside skin. Yes, I shot him three times, thestory/pics were in LFTS thread if you are interested. Anyway, he flopped over and snapped the shaft of the one in his spine, but the other 2 shafts I put into him were fine (broadheads not as much- Rage blades were trashed but ferrule is fine; the Muzzys just need new expandable blades, the fixed blades and ferrule were fine.) The 2 A-tacs I flung this season were both damaged pretty bad- first was a clean miss on a doe and I must've hit a buried rock and it bent the entire tip over and wrecked the replaceable blades; that one went into the trash. The one I put into my little buck is salvageable with new bleeders and a whetstone. Lastly, with my 500gr entire set up and a Fast Eddie XL double pin; I can shoot out to 80 yards no problem so I won't have to change my entire set up if I head out west. No way I could say the same if I was shooting another 100gr on top of that.
Yea, front load just about any 250 spine shafts with double brass hits with a good track record and call it a day. 260 axis, 250 BEA Rampages, BEA spartan with added weights ect All these are way better choices then grizzly sticks( over priced and hoenstly not very good ).
Easton started selling "FOC packs" with brass hits included I know for sure in the bloodline series and I think the Axis as well
A 300 spine with your specs and 100gn insert with 150 point will get you where you want to be. I'd recommend a BE or Victory shaft with an ethics with the sleeve and a solid cut on contact head. Use hotmelt so you can change things if you want to experiment. If you think you'll want a longer shaft that 28 or might crank your limb bolts don't then a 250 would be a safer choice but you'll reduce FoC significantly by doing that. Just something to keep in mind. Ultimately it's the total weight that really matters but maximizing FoC is a good idea. With regards to loosing that deer, well there is no way to know the outcome would be any different with another build but at least you can make some changes to help the odds in your favor.
Shooting a FMJ 340 with standard insert and a Iron Will V100. 29” DL at 65#. Arrows weight in at 495 and travel through a WT with no problem. Be careful with a light spine and added weight forward, this is not a great combination. You can find the sweet spot between FOC and weight with a little work.
If I was under 30" or 330 IBO I would not have "had" to bump up spine with the HITs. But you start sticking a lot of weight up front on a long and strong set up without a stout spine and things get squirrelly fast.; Especially with fixed broad heads. With my DL I find the 500 gr TAW in a 300 spine to be the perfect mix. 600 isn't just overkill on WTs it also drastically limits your range and increases need for pins/slider adjustments. You start getting slower than 250fps with 600gr and you're lobbing those bad boys in at anything over 25-30 yards.
I would not use Grizzly Sticks. Lots of issues with them. Do a little research. You can't go wrong with Made in USA Axis or FMJ. Use a 300 spine with the brass 75gr insert and a 125gr (or heavier) BH. My FMJ are 484gr without BH.
I find this sort of comment very interesting. "Issues" how does one go about determining that exactly? I mean, sure if the company makes a statement it's one thing but doesn't every product have "issues" at one point or another? You're talking about a very high end product and throwing a blanket statement basically implying don't buy anything from them yet I know at least a dozen guys with the current TDT made be victory, the previous version and all the way back to ABS and in all three product lines I can say the majority have not had any issues. Axis and particularly fmj has had issues as well. Wouldn't be cautioning someone not to buy them. If the specs aren't right for the build that guys is looking for sure but in this case it sure does fit the bill imo.
