I have been using the Backcountry Archery Calc. I am just wondering if I should switch back to a 100 grain head or not. Thought I would put this in here and see what others think. I have a Bear Strike. 310 FPS. My arrows are currently (w/ a 125 grain tip) 401 total grains. My FOC is 16.8%. When I put all my numbers in on the calculator, my ke does not change when I subtract for the difference between a 125 gr head and a 100 gr head. My speed changes from 228.7 to 236.2 fps (100 gr tip). I do gain a little speed and don't lose ke. With a 100 gr tip, my FOC is 14%. I should also mention, the reason I went with a 125 gr head was to gain a little ke. According to Backcountry, I don't gain anything. I am just losing a little speed. What do you all think? Should I just keep what I have or should I switch to a 100 gr head? Thanks.
What head are you going to use? Big opening expandable or smaller framed fixed blade? This also may weigh in your decision to stay at 125 or 100. Personally in all my compounds i use 100 grain because i only shoot 62ish lbs. In all my crossbows i always use 125 due to the faster FPS and can get away with the heavier head.
I am going to stick with the slick trick again this year. I am going to try and up my poundage from 55 to 57 lbs. this year.
I think you are worrying too much about speed. Momentum is more important than KE, but really you should chose a head based on your tuning needs, not numbers from a calculator. You may find you need the heavier head to properly broadhead tune or you may not. You really need to shoot both and then decide. This of course also depends on what spine you are shooting. Heavier heads weaken spine, lighter the opposite.
Coop, I am not really concerned about speed, I just figured that since I was not gaining KE, I might as well switch. Thanks for the info though on momentum. You are right, that is a major factor. I found some more information that might just make up my mind. Staying with the 125 gr head. My arrow spine is .424 @ 7.5 gpi. My KE is 46-47 and my momentum is .407. Not ever looking up momentum, how well does that fair? Is .407 on a much lower scale? I really don't know much about momentum. Guess I will have to research it.
The calculators are simply guides.....not gospel. Back in 2007 I took a 58# custom recurve and 560gr carbon arrow tipped with a very sharp Zwickey Eskimo head to Kenai, AK to hunt moose. The calculator would like say my arrow would bounce off a moose.....but instead it blew through both sides and was found 15 yards beyond in some alders. The moose was down in about 60 yards.....and that is when the work began. You have plenty of HP to kill north American game with your setup, so the real issue is which head is going to provide the most forgiving and accurate setup for YOU.
