I am not going to dedicate that kind of time myself. I find an arrow that meets my weight requirements and spine and pray it shoots bullet holes and I don't mess with it after that. If I can shoot a field point, a rage and a fixed head at that same point of impact at 25-30 yds I am done.
2x300 & 2x250 at each point weight = 20 shots minimum. I even stripped the fletching off of one of my lighter arrows to see how that flew bareshaft. Learned there I was torquing my grip pretty bad. so I actually shot this twice, after figuring out the grip issue and getting it fixed. (BTW, fletched lighter arrow seems to be flying perfect with the grip issue). I re-shot when I knew I pulled the shot or torqued the grip. I could tell while the arrow was in flight if it worked or not, lots of sideways flight on a combo your bow doesn't like. It doesn't really take long, I was only shooting at 10 yards, so even the walk down was quick. I think it boils down to this, if you want to try it based on Ashby's work, etc. then it isn't a big deal. If you are happy with what you have and aren't interested in trying the heavies, just don't.
I avoid the Farm Pixie and whatever he pushes .... I'll stay with my 430 gr Goldtip Velocity XT's and Hunter XT's and continue killing deer and some damn big ones at that, like I have for over 20 yrs using my arrow set up ... I like my 285-300 fps and .54+mo/77lb+ KE and at just 61-64lbslbs/30"draw .. I find the Farm Pixie nauseating, to each their own, as long as it works for you
I enjoy tinkering. I do not however do it during season. I found that increasing weight does have benefit's, even if it's topical and trendy.
I just have concerns about damage to my bow. I plan to shoot this bow for several years. I am currently shooting bullet holes and good good groups. but my arrow is only 385-390 gr at 70.4 lbs. too light??
I would like to gravitate towards a heavier arrow it seems I just never have the time to tinker. Good to know it doesn’t take as long as I was thinking. I’m actually wanting a whole new bow/arrow setup anyway. I’m shooting a #60 elite e32 maxed out that I can’t find 70# limbs for anywhere. My current arrow is a touch over 400 grains. While I shoot a slick trick and have never had a problem with a pass through, I also don’t take a lot of shots that I probably could with something heavier. My friend has proven this to me after I’ve witnessed him take crazy quartering-to shots and blow through the whole deer with almost a 700 grain arrow. As the years go by and the passes I give deer because of the shot angle add up, I’m realizing I’d have a lot more nice deer on my wall if I was shooting something heavy. I just let a real nice 8 pointer go because I was at full draw at 20yds and he just wouldn’t turn another step. Anyway what is this Sirius kit you speak of?
https://www.siriusarchery.com/collections/all-things-ranch-fairy/products/ranch-fairy-test-pack you can pick spines and point weights
This is what I dislike about the heavy arrow movement. The idea that shots that were once taboo due to lower percentages for success are now thought to be okay. That idea that the amount of shots we can take, and animals we can kill, is only limited by the equipment in our hands. I've seen roughly 1/2 dozen quartering-to or straight-on shots promoted in hunting videos and social media posts this fall. All of them were perfect executions, with the arrow never encountering heavy bone along its journey. All shots entered in front of the shoulder and exited near the back of the ribcage or behind it. In every instance, the shooter has touted their heavy arrow and broadhead setup as the reason for their success. Often claiming that no "flimsy mechanical" would achieve the same results. When, in reality, the success was in the shot placement. Nearly any mid-weight arrow and broadhead combo would achieve the exact same results. If you put an arrow in the right spot, you can kill a deer at any angle you're given. Some simply present a higher opportunity for success than others. The problem with this mentality, and with basing actions from social media posts and YouTube videos, is that nobody is showing you the poor outcomes. The ones where the heavy arrow didn't bust through the toughest part of the lower shoulder, where it slid between the shoulder and the outside of the ribcage, or even the outside of the shoulder itself. Nobody is rushing to the front of the line to talk about how their heavy arrow setup didn't perform as they thought it would and they didn't recover their animal. So we're left with nothing but the good outcomes that reinforce our belief that taking shots at lower percentage angles can now be overcome by your bow and arrow setup. As Anthony Hopkins famously said in The Edge, "What one man can do, another can do." And what my 8-year-old now famously says "I saw this on YouTube". Many argue that the heavy arrow movement is nothing more than an insurance policy. A "just in case something goes wrong" setup. Yet, again and again, I hear people talking about the shots they are taking or would be taking, with their heavy arrow setups because they can now overcome obstacles that previously stood in our way. So again, I'll go on record by saying I'm glad people are shooting heavier arrow setups. This is a good thing for bowhunters and bowhunting in general. However, I do not like the side effects that come along with it. Much how I like crossbows, but I don't like the people who use them to take 80 and 100 yards shots on whitetails. And yes, I am a crotchety old man that was raised by another crotchety old man, and I don't like change. Damn kids and their new-fangled gadgets and gizmos.
last years buck.... 121" and 205lbs ... went down in a marsh, took me by myself 6 hrs to get him to the SUV ... he broke my old cart going thru the woods .. I now have a Hawk Crawler and a good sled ...
a few others ... and there are more .. never lost a deer to lack of penetration with arrows 390-430 grs
ok, let's try this again. If you aren't interested in shooting heavy arrows, I am in no way trying to change your mind. If you aren't a fan of the Ranch Fairy, I am in no way trying to change your mind. I have no interest in taking low percentage shots, bow or otherwise. Justin, you are right we don't see folks posting up pics or videos of bad shots with heavy arrows. But then we don't see a lot of those for bad shots with light arrows either. I don't go on threads about fast light arrows with mechanicals and put down the setup. I simply want to try out the heavy arrow setup for myself, and so far I'm much happier with the way I shoot them, from my bow. I like the reduction in noise and vibration, and I seem to be more accurate shooting them. Given the same shot placement, good or bad, I don't see any disadvantage to shooting a heavier, higher FOC arrow. Again, I'm new here. I've been very surprised at how this topic sets people off, but I guess it does go against all the industry marketing and what the folks with TV shows are saying. I also shoot a traditional bow, so I've spent a good deal of time reading Dr. Ashby's research regarding arrows and broadheads. From my 49# recurve, I have to make sure my arrow and broadhead combination is going to give me the maximum penetration I can get.
I can respect this POV. Please don’t misinterpret what my intentions are because my comment is misleading. When I use my friend as an example, he has a 32” draw and pulls 80#. There is A lot of difference between that and my setup. I certainly do not want to advocate or condone aiming straight for the shoulder bone. You are correct that a perfectly placed arrow will kill deer 100% of the time, and that IS my intention. I, however, am not the best archer. I’m an OK shot and I think I do my part by letting ALOT of deer walk out of respect for the animal. When I got into archery I was taught to just wait for pretty much a broadside shot. So I guess my question is this. If I’m going to start taking lower percentage shots that you say can be executed with perfect or near perfect shot placement, is it wiser to go with my 400 grain arrow at 60# and 28.5” draw or step up to something heavier? Idk I guess thinking of it as an insurance policy doesn’t sound all that bad to me if it means it would outperform a lighter arrow if I make an error. For the animals sake of course. I’m also one who likes to live by the phrase “Dont knock it till you try it”.
