KE as it seems to keep my setup much quieter because if I switch from 125 grain heads to 100 grain it seems so much louder. Plus I seem to be more accurate also. I'm sure some of you guys have experienced this but i am going to ask anyways have you? T
I hear what you're say Cheif, but it seems to me, in some cases it makes a difference and in others it doesn't. That's why it's called hunting and not exactitude. Again, the only thing gospel about bowhunting is, "it ain't gospel". I do know and feel strongly about this little tidbit; the right bow in the right archer's hand is a pretty powerful instrument. I call this the "Odysseus factor". Whichever way he/she holds it, slices it, disects it, etc, the instrument sings-beautifully! Some artists are given an incredible gift from birth, some are not. However, each and every handicrafter grows/learns via practice, exposure, trial and error, more practice, and a continued love affair with positive performances. I think this is why us whiz kids all feel horrible when we wound something...we didn't get it right! Remember that deer you muffed Steve? I remember all mine. As a consequence, I strive to continue to grow...mind wide open.
Every day Will, every day. Mind you, I did not need to be reminded of that evening. :D What did I do wrong? Was Is It the Indian (me)? Of course It was me but after seeing this buck multiple times after I wounded him and seeing the wound I believe my shot wasn't as bad as I 1st thought but rather a tad too big of a broadhead for my set up when hitting bigger bones such as a shoulder blade. This was a huge lesson learned for me. Don't push It when It comes to broadhead set ups. Did I have a any worries when I went to this big 1 1/2 Inch cutting diameter Snuffer? The thought was there and that right there should've been enough reason to not use these on whitetails!!! From here on out I'll always lean to the for sure side rather then on the not so sure side. It's not worth It!! In the end though If I was a couple Inches behind the shoulder where I was aiming I'd still be batting a 1000 on never wounding a whitetail and the discussion of me using this bigger Snuffer never would've been In question. So the question Is, was this a good thing being I might of learned something out of this? I can't honestly tell ya but probably yes. One other thing too, maybe I hit the big part of the shoulder blade and It wouldn't of mattered what broadhead I had on. One will never know unless I arrow this SOB this fall. So many questions I've asked myself and no for sure answers. Bottom line Is, I messed up.
Nice debate here guys and some very nice answers. I will through my two cents in with my 35 years of shooting many different animals with my bows. It was not the long ago, before 3D shoots, that we wanted the KE to be as high as we could get it. We shot compound bows that maybe and I mean maybe shot 200 to 250 fps. The arrows we shot were aluminum XX75 and we shot hunting heads like zwickey’s, Total projectile weight of around 550 to 650 g. Our goal was to get arrows to go all the way through the deer even on a bad shot. So if we hit the shoulder the arrows would go to the lungs and have a humane kill on the animal. Today we have a huge improvement in bow speed and arrow technology. There is not one reason we should not have the best in both worlds. There are always exceptions to everything so let’s work on the 80% rule. I still believe that KE should be very high on the list with a hunting bow setup. Not for the perfect shot but for the imperfect shot. With today’s open on impact broad heads we know that they use more KE to open them. We still want, if hunting out of a tree stand, to have the arrow go all the way through an animal. You want the arrow to go all the way through an animal so you have a low exit hole, this will gives you on a good hit or poor hit a better blood trail. We all want easy blood trail to follow. If you shoot a heaver broad head with a light arrow your FOC will be better. This in turn makes for a bow that makes less noise and better arrow flight. My advice is to balance speed with KE in your Hunting Bow setup. Every setup is different so there is no rule of thumb to set up our hunting bow. I do know there is a sweet spot for KE, Speed, and a bow that is forgiving to shoot.
With everything said, which setup would most of you rather have? If I were to keep my arrow weight the same, would you rather lose 25grains off of your arrow and shoot a 125gr broadhead instead of a 100gr broadhead and have 25 gr extra on your arrow? I'm shooting the Piledriver arrows so I already am shooting with a good FOC. edit: Thank you everyone for all of your information and help. This has given me a whole lot more to think about. It's good to see that everyone can have a debate over the internet without things getting out of hand.
I would always prefer the heavier tip and more FOC. To answer your question I would go with the 125 grain BH.
The reason I was asking is that my arrows are a little long. I have a Trophy taker drop away rest which sits behind the shelf on my bow and my arrow tips are hanging out past the shelf. I was thinking about cutting my arrows down a little and replacing the lost weight with a heavier broadhead. Mentally I think I am a little scared to have my broadhead sitting behind my fingers on the handle but I can probably get over it.
"The reason I was asking is that my arrows are a little long. I have a Trophy taker drop away rest which sits behind the shelf on my bow and my arrow tips are hanging out past the shelf. I was thinking about cutting my arrows down a little and replacing the lost weight with a heavier broadhead. Mentally I think I am a little scared to have my broadhead sitting behind my fingers on the handle but I can probably get over it." I used that type of set-up for years and never had a problem. Just cutting off 1 inch on your set-up will stiffen your arrow. You can off-set(weaken) that by adding 25-50 grains onto the tip of your arrow. Your arrows will penetrate that much better. Heck, I only just recently added 25 grains to the tips of my arrows and they penetrating much better. I went from around 475 total grains to around 500 grains, with 195 grains or so up front.
I have arrows that are 30" long. The length is what it is and is determined by getting the dynamic spine correct.
Same answer here, but that probably doesn't surprise you. You're just not going to gain that much with 20 fps. One other thing....... the quieter the better, but I didn't tell you that.
LOL... See you guys in two weeks. I have a date with a cape...hope it doesn't step on my toes while we're dancing!
I had a date like that once, but I wasn't hunting and alcohol was involved...... Best of luck to you Will.
I'd up that FOC if I were you and retune... Easy way to do it is to order in some of Muzzy's 50-grain brass inserts, which allow you to have the bigger selection of 100-grain heads at your disposal but have a combined total of 150 up front... it's what both Bruce and I have done for years. Pay attention to what it'll do to your spine and make sure you're still in the ballpark with your current arrows/setup if you look at that option.
How can I check on the spine? People around here seem to just pick a arrow, cut it to length and shoot it. If it helps any I am shooting a 09 Marquis at 70lbs with a 28" draw.
PM me your complete set-up, and I can give you an idea of WHAT specifically would be best as far as arrow flight and spine is for your specific bow..... (See below in BLUE) I shoot 29.5" arrows (I have a 29" DL) because they spine right with my set-ups, and I like to have the blades "out there" away from me not anywhere near me as well. Okay, I see you posted up above.....Here ya go.... If you like the LONGER arrow, then keep it that way, you can put a 29" .340 spine arrow in that bow with a 125gr tip and spine out near perfect!!! I hope that helps a little. Too many guys think they need to cut arrow short so they can gain a little speed, when in reality, they don't. Part of the reason a Crossbow will never be as good as a compound bow in the hands of an accomplished shooter is because that longer arrow coming out of a compound bow has a chance to oscillate and stabilize much better and more quickly than a crossbow bolt!!!
Right now my arrows are the piledriver 350s and are at 27 5/8" long from end of the shaft to end of the shaft. With a 125gr tip will I still be spined right? Thanks a bunch for all the help.
