hey guys, So I have been cruising the forums and doing all the research I can... I started shooting 3 weeks ago, went from a PSE deerhunter to alpine bow, LOVE every second of it. Now my question... Arrow weight. I have 61pnd draw, mainly shooting targets, going to get into hunting and 3d soon. I currently shoot Goldtip Expedition Hunter 5575 350 grain total weight... should I go with a heavier arrow? What are the benefits? and whats teh difference between the narrower and thicker arrows? thanks for all the help and happy hunting!
Tates, I can only tell you what i go by. Others may look at it differently. I shoot a 700 grain total arrow weight. if you are shooting a higher grain arrow, the harder it will hit and do a little bit more damage, and the controversy of it is that with a lighter arrow you get higher FPS so it hits just as hard. I prefer shooting heavier arrows my self with a 150 grain tip and 550 grain arrow. I still manage about 295 fps ( with perfect conditions ) which is still pretty high. Oh, by the way i have a 70lbs draw. I shoot PSE Nova. All in all, if you are shooting 300fps with a heavy arrow compared to 30-40 fps difference with a lighter arrow, I'd suggest going a little bit heavier, try a 400 grain setup or ever 450. Really you just need to practice with the different weights and go with what you are comfortable with, REMEMBER! a heavier arrow will change your sights a little bit, so do go out and buy new heavy or lighter arrows and take them straight from the box to a hunt, being 4-5 inches off can cost you a deer. As far as the thinner and thicker arrow shafts, I'm not to sure on that. I will go do some research on it and see what i find and bring it back here.
Thinner arrows penetrate further than thicker arrows, and a 700 grain arrow sounds pointless and there's no way you can get that speed from a PSE.
It is not enough to just have a heavy completed arrow weight. A higher forward of center loading will improve the arrow’s ability to penetrate more dramatically than weight alone when viewed as percentage increase. There is less energy robbing oscillation at the rear of the shaft upon impact. However, all things being equal, heavier projectiles will “absorb” more energy from the bow and provide more momentum, which leads to greater penetration (a longer time of energy transfer…impulse). A thinner shaft diameter will penetrate better than a fatter shaft if all other things are equal (less surface area to create drag on tissues). A shaft that is equal to the diameter of the broadhead’s ferrule will penetrate better than a shaft larger than the diameter of the ferrule. A shaft thinner than the diameter of the broadhead ferrule will penetrate better than a shaft of equal dimension to the ferrule diameter, all other things being equal. Hitting hard with speed is not enough either. The goal is to completely penetrate hair, hide, muscle, BONE, and vital organs hopefully on through and out the other side. A hole on both sides of the target leaks more efficiently than one hole filled with an arrow. Hunting and 3-D are different pursuits. While they are not mutually exclusive, they should be approached differently. The 3-D target won’t run into the bush and die a painful, lingering death. If you are not confused by now, my job is incomplete!
http://www.eastonarchery.com/products/selection Oh, spine questions are answered easily using Easton Technical's program (no downloading required). Make comparisons using their static spine deflection measurements and grains per inch. My shafts are 450 grains and I get 240 fps with little standard deviation. If I could find a critter dumb enough, to stand still enough, within 50 yards...
