Which Would You Choose?

cohunter14

cohunter14

Administrator
Jul 10, 2017
5,275
I'm considering making some changes to my current arrow setup. If it were you, which of these arrows would be your preference? The speed and FOC numbers are guestimates, but should be pretty close. I realize this is quite a wide spread, but just curious what everyone has to say.


Arrow 1: 429 grains, 285 feet per second, 9.83% FOC
Arrow 2: 454 grains, 277 feet per second, 11.48% FOC
Arrow 3: 467 grains, 272 feet per second, 13.18% FOC
Arrow 4: 492 grains, 264 feet per second, 14.75% FOC
Arrow 5: 517 grains, 256 feet per second, 16.95% FOC
Arrow 6: 543 grains, 247 feet per second, 18.20% FOC
 
I?m not a speed person so my preference would be 4-6. A heavier arrow will quiet the bow and I like to have some more KE/momentum since never know what can happen. All will work given proper shot placement and nothing out of the ordinary.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
What's interesting is Kinetic Energy goes down as the arrow gets heavier, but Momentum increases. I added the KE in ft/lbs and Momentum in slugs below:

Arrow 1: 429 grains, 285 feet per second, 9.83% FOC, 77.36 ft/lbs, .543 slugs
Arrow 2: 454 grains, 277 feet per second, 11.48% FOC, 77.34 ft/lbs, .558 slugs
Arrow 3: 467 grains, 272 feet per second, 13.18% FOC, 76.70 ft/lbs, .564 slugs
Arrow 4: 492 grains, 264 feet per second, 14.75% FOC, 76.13 ft/lbs, .577 slugs
Arrow 5: 517 grains, 256 feet per second, 16.95% FOC, 75.22 ft/lbs, .588 slugs
Arrow 6: 543 grains, 247 feet per second, 18.20% FOC, 73.55 ft/lbs, .596 slugs
 
I'd go with what you want, I think people over think things to much. I've been shooting the same arrows for years out of different bows and have killed plenty of animals no matter the speed, KE, momentum. I shoot a 400 grain arrow at 315 fps  with the bow I have now, speed makes up for a missed judgement in yardage. I shoot a single pin slider but leave it set on 40 yards. At 20 yards I'm about 4" high and at 50 yards I'm about 2" low anything over that distance I have always had time to slide my pin.

 
LongRanger said:
I'd go with what you want, I think people over think things to much.
Click to expand...


Very true, it's easy to complicate things! I just figured I'd get other thoughts on it as well. I know where I'm leaning, but it's nice to hear opinions.
 
I've shot three set ups so far at elk and this year will be a little different


When I first started I was underweight at 396 grains. It killed two elk, but never gave me that warm fuzzy. It was great for deer, but not where I wanted it for elk.
Then I went up to 500 grains. That was very nice and zipped through the elk that I shot that year like butter. I liked the set ups, but the arrows were wrapped for the extra weight. I didn't like that so I went back down.
The following set up was around 430 grains. Again... effective on the elk I shot, but I wanted just a little more.
So this year Ill be similar to something between 2-3. I'll probably be around 460gr.  No idea on the FOC of any of these because I don't honestly pay attention to that.



 
I was shooting 430 gr and like Dan went up to a 502 last year. I liked the way it blew through an animal. I even related a couple marginal hits to having a better outcome do to the added weight. My bow was shooting about 265. my FOC was 13ish.

This year I have a new bow and do to much more speed have backed down the weight to 340 again. I am pushing 295 fps and my FOC should be at 13 ish still.

One thing I didn't like about the heavy arrow was more of an arch in the arrow flight. Threading the needle last year I hit a limb on a tree that deflected my arrow just under the brisket of a 330 bull. The faster arrow probably would have hit its mark.

I like choice 1 as the weight and speed are close to mine but the FOC is a little low for my liking. If I had to choose one I would pick number 2.

Any of them would do the job if they hit the sweet spot.
 
An additional note.....  I shot the 502 and 430 grain arrows with the new bow and have noticed very little difference in penetration in the target. However last year with the slower bow the 502 penetrated 3 inches deeper.  :think:
 
My set up is very close to #2 , 446 gr about 11% FOC.  I think this is a good compromise of speed vs penetration.  This year I am shooting a new bow which more efficient at my draw length and draw weight. So we will see how it works out.


Todd
 
Being limited in draw length, I'm not a speed guy.  My current setup is within a few grains and FPS of your #2 arrow.  For me its an excellent balance of speed and momentum.  Killed all three elk I've shot at with this setup.  No recovery has been longer than 50yds.
 
WatzAmatta! Can't hit what you're aiming at with your present setup? If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tinkering can get you in trouble!
 
I'm shooting 454 at 317fps so this is a little different than my set up. However I thing any of those options will kill so pick one and go hunting.


Not that you wasn't going to anyway.  :upthumb:
 
WW said:
WatzAmatta! Can't hit what you're aiming at with your present setup? If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tinkering can get you in trouble!
Click to expand...


Hahaha, very true Bill. I guess I just want to go a tad bit heavier?


publichunter1 said:
I'm shooting 454 at 317fps so this is a little different than my set up. However I thing any of those options will kill so pick one and go hunting.


Not that you wasn't going to anyway.  :upthumb:
Click to expand...


Wow, that's a crazy fast setup right there. I'm pulling 64lbs on a 30.5" draw length and a 330 IBO bow. No idea how you can get to those speeds at that weight, but that's awesome.
 
cohunter14 said:
Wow, that's a crazy fast setup right there. I'm pulling 64lbs on a 30.5" draw length and a 330 IBO bow. No idea how you can get to those speeds at that weight, but that's awesome.
Click to expand...


Shooting an Elite Impulse 34. I'm pulling 71lbs on a 31" draw and an 340 IBO bow. Unless my local stores chrono is off it averaged around 317fps. It worked well last year on an elk and has done plenty of work on deer and hogs here in MS.
 
publichunter1 said:
Shooting an Elite Impulse 34. I'm pulling 71lbs on a 31" draw and an 340 IBO bow. Unless my local stores chrono is off it averaged around 317fps. It worked well last year on an elk and has done plenty of work on deer and hogs here in MS.
Click to expand...



Awesome, that is one fast shooting bow! That's what an arrow calculator shows you would be at before adding any weight on the string, so that's awesome you were able to get it to shoot that quick. If mine did the same and shot what a calculator says it would without the weight on the string I'd pick up 13 feet per second.
​
 
cohunter14 said:
Awesome, that is one fast shooting bow! That's what an arrow calculator shows you would be at before adding any weight on the string, so that's awesome you were able to get it to shoot that quick. If mine did the same and shot what a calculator says it would without the weight on the string I'd pick up 13 feet per second.
Click to expand...


It's by far the fastest thing I've shot. I took it to the local archery shop and they set up the chrono so I'm assuming it was right. Either way it is plenty fast enough to kill anything I'm after.
 
cohunter14 said:
No kidding! Some awesome trophies there  :upthumb:
Click to expand...


Last year was definitely a fun one. Now you have me dreaming about this year and not getting any work done now. Haha


Good luck this fall.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 7 (members: 0, guests: 7)

Latest posts

Share this page

Back
Top