I've seen and heard many different discussions about what the optimal arrow weight is for hunting and it's ranged from 300-700 grains.!! Some prefer a much heavier slower arrow while others wants the fastest thing they can get. I personally prefer as heavy an arrow as I can get in the 270-280 for range. From what I've found is that about 6.5g per pound of draw weight seems to work out well. Even though I shoot large expandables I find that the 280fps range is easier to tune and more forgiving than over 300 fps BUT This is with an older bow (Bowtech Extreme VFT Samson) , not to familiar with the new speed bows which seem way more forgiving.!! The new bow is much smoother , faster , quieter and forgiving so I'm considering keeping the speed up with a little lighter arrow. I'm so used to shooting a cannon of a bow penetration is never an issue even with 3 blade 2"wide heads.
I’m with you on the 280ish fps. I’m shooting a Halon 32, 29” draw, 68lbs @275fps with a 475g arrow. Even at ~413g and a rage two blade, it was fine for whitetail. More power to the long draw, 80lb draw guys that can have a 550g arrow going 300fps or whatever. I’m jealous, I really am. But at the end of the day, people still slay with fixed blades on their long bows and recurves. I choose to be at 275fps with a medium weight arrow bc I haven’t been in a position where it didn’t work for what I hunt.
If you are shooting a mechanical I have found that shooting an arrow over 450 grains spares you from the pity party of not getting penetration. That being said I have my destroyer turned up to 11 72 pound draw weight with a 490 grain arrow seems like over kill but there is no such thing if you happen to hit bone.
My Reign 6 turned all the way up is 72lbs at 30 3/8" draw. I'm getting 341 with a 350g arrow so I'm guessing that a 500g arrow should get me in the 280fps which will have me in the 85+lbs KE range. My current rig generates 115+ pounds with a 650g arrow. Which is way more than needed for anything in North America. I have half a dozen 200 series Gold Tip kenetic kaos shaft. By the time they are built up I'm estimating 500-525g.
500 grains at appx 280 fps seem pretty good to me. Just right mix of deadliness without too much loss of total range.
lancaster archery sells individual arrows. For a starting point. I like buying 3 or 4 of each arrow I'm thinking about trying. then I'll Fletch them up and get them ready to shoot. generally I'm in the 440-525 weight range on my set-ups. 290 FPS to 265FPs. This year I'm trying Easton Hexx. Eeaston Carbon Injections and Black Eagle Rampages. I like to leave one arrow unlfetched so I can paper tune my bow to that arrow before I go out and shoot my groups. But Ultimately I let the groups tell me which arrow I like the best. It's all about confidence. If you happen to shoot better groups with a certain set up- that's the arrow I would go with, because it all boils down to accuracy in the end. speed/weight don't hit the kill zone for you.
