So I’m completely new to archery. My goal is to hunt for Whitetail when this fall season arrives. I broken a number of bows in the backyard as they missed the target and go off into the backwoods. The archery shop that, to me, sells some expensive arrows, told me that the cheapo arrows that I got off of Amazon should be thrown away because they might result in hurting the bow. Can you guys give me some advice on some good practice arrows that won’t break the bank, but are also out of decent quality so that I have to worry about them breaking during normal use or otherwise harming the bow?
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...&share_fid=26204&share_type=t&link_source=app Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
This is a good thread. Also once you decide on brand ( which is all preference) you just need to buy the appropriate Spined arrow for your rig. If you can afford it I advise shooting what you will shoot during season. It's not cheap breaking arrows and losing them but I don't advise skimping and shafts. Arrows are a HUGE rabbit Hole . You get into KE, FOC, and BH debates as soon as you get serious about making your own. So I recommend gets a shaft from a bow shop they should only carry decent ones and get started. It's great that you have lots of time to get this figured out and I'm personally here if you need advise, just hit me up off thread. Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
Thank you for the replies. My boat is a diamond prism. Draw length is 30 inches. It’s currently at a little over 40 pounds.
At a quick glance I would say get a 500 spine gold tip arrow. https://www.3riversarchery.com/gold...lBXDUQvlrM91A0dgNcySyDwwv6J7U_R0aArnREALw_wcB these are cheap and should get you started. Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
Nice. Thanks for the tip. I just checked out the website for those arrows. Do you think I should be picking any of the specifications that they ask about like added grain weight or fletching type or just kept them as they come standard?
Just go basic and start shooting. Once you become proficient then you can make adjustments in any and every aspect you choose to get the desired results. Stay on the forum and read threads that talk about arrows... We are about to enter our talkative phase since it's going to be months since we can't kill stuff. You might want to get the shafts fletched unless you have a shop closer that can do it. Also start a regiment to increase your DW. As long as you're legal you can use 40 but the stronger you get the steadier you hold one drawn. Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
Thanks again for the advice! I appreciate your mentioning the fletching, because I honestly didn’t know what that was. I’m sure they’ll be a big learning curve. The archery shop set the DW at 41. Legally I need 40 for deer. I will work towards increasing that though. My bow goes up to 55 I believe.
Just a reminder. Arrows are made with a certain strength to the spine. Were 500 spine arrow will work with your current setup. It may not work when you add draw weight to your bow. So if you work up to max draw weight (55 lbs) it might require a arrow with a stiffer spine. You can buy the same Arrows, but with a stiffer spine as you go up in draw weight. Just something to think about as you grow with your bow. Also some bows will shoot a arrow with light spine or some can get damaged. Usually has to do with limbs cracking or splintering. Also some bows handle a arrow that stiffer, so when you go up in weight, the Arrows stay in spec. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
Some general rules for arrow weight vs. what your bow specs are. Arrows should be at least 5 grains per pound of draw weight or else it is like dry firing the bow and damage can result. At your 41 lbs of draw weight you need an arrow that is a minimum of 205 grains. I'm guessing your Amazon arrows may have been under that weight since your shop mentioned they could damage the bow. Most bowhunters would advise using an arrow weight between 400 to 500 grains. You're at a lower draw weight but your 30" draw length really helps a lot to still get some decent speed. Most whitetail deer hunting is done by ambush hunting, sitting in a blind or tree. This means we can check the yardage all around the ambush site and take "known yardage" shots. Speed isn't real important, to a point of course, for known yardage shots so a heavier arrow can be used to ensure good penetration when the animal is hit, verses someone that hunts with a method where they plan to judge the yardage quickly and take an "unknown yardage" shot. What broad head you plan to use is also relevant, a fixed blade broad head is generally a "cut on contact" head and will penetrate better than a mechanical head. A mechanical head uses some of the arrow's energy to open, so bumping arrow weight up a bit for them in general is a good idea. The arrow spine needs to be of a stiffness that works for your bow specs. An arrow spine chart helps determine what spine arrow to get. If unsure, it is best to ask at an archery shop or a forum like this one. What determines what spine you need is: the length of the arrow, the poundage of the bow shooting it, the speed of the bow (IBO rating), and how much tip weight you'll use. The last one can be a bit tricky to determine, as most charts only look at a tip weight range of 100 grains to about 150 grains. Arrow spine, for most arrow manufacturers anyway, is stiffer the lower the number. For example, a 500 spine arrow has a weaker spine than a 400 spine arrow. With your 30" draw length, an arrow cut to 30" carbon to carbon or so will put you on the cusp of a 500 spine or a stiffer 400 spine. The Gold tip (GT) chart shows that with a 100 grain tip you'd be fine with a 500 spine, but with a 125 grain tip you'd bump to a 400 spine. Since you plan to hunt with these arrows, I'd highly recommend going to a 400 spine, especially if you plan to increase your bow's poundage in the future. I'd recommend GT Hunter XT arrows. Get them fletched with the 2" Rapt-X vanes, they steer a fixed blade broad head just fine. These arrows cut to 30" long, with the 12.1 grain insert, a 125 grain head, 3 Rapt-X vanes, and a 12 grain nock will give you a finished arrow that is around 420 grains. If you use a 125 grain fixed blade broad head these should work fine for broad side or quartering away shots. If you are unfamiliar with putting together arrows, it may be best to have a shop put them together for you. It is a good idea to square the ends after cutting them, and gluing the insert in nice and straight is very important for the arrow to fly well, especially with a fixed broad head on it. If your local shop doesn't have GT arrows, then just tell them you want whatever arrow they carry that is a model similiar to a GT Hunter XT. They'll know what that is.
Thank you everyone for all the responses. I’m gonna keep referring back to them as I’m learning how to do this stuff. I wanted to see what you all thought about the particular arrow that I have in the picture I attach. These are the original arrows I bought from the archery place. I bought the bow from. Do you think that they would be a reasonably good fit for my set up? I also took note of the arrow brand mentioned a couple of posts ago, and I appreciate that information as well.
Those should be fine. No point in going nuts until you truly dive down the rabbit hole. Grab a 6's and some 100gr field points and start shooting at 10 yards until you are hitting dimes then move back to 20. Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
I have another question. I just got some bow wax and will put the first wax on bow string soon. I’ve seen in videos that you remove the old wax first. Do new bows come with wax already applied or no? I assume not but figured I’d ask.
You don’t need to remove wax. Just work some wax all over the strings and cables and then shoot a few arrows. After shooting, rub some more wax on them again. The wax helps with each individual string while rubbing against each other and slowing down the friction tear of the fibers. So the more wax the better.
After applying the wax just your fingers to produce heat by running ( pinching) the string to work the wax in deep. Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
Thank for the info on the wax. I have a question about arrow inserts. The victory v3 arrows just came in and they do not have inserts for a field tip to go. Could anyone let me know what the process is to add inserts into these arrows? My aim has been getting better and have been making adjustments to my pins/sight and have been improving, so hopefully less broken arrows.
Did you order them cut to the exact length you need? Not familiar with Victory arrows but there should be a chart out there that indicates the specific insert size you need for your arrow. (I did not see a v3 on the website for victory so I can’t steer you right) If you can find the right inserts, then there are many videos out there on the tube that would show you how to epoxy them in correctly(after cutting and cleaning the inside of the shaft). A bow shop May be your best friend for the early stages of learning and arrow building.
