Is a 500 grain arrow too heavy?

For reference, light arrows weigh about 350 grains, a typical arrow weighs 420 to 500 grains, and a heavy arrow weighs over 600 grains. Bentcik said few Americans use arrows weighing 700 grains or more unless they're shooting traditional equipment.

What is considered a heavy arrow?

A light arrow has a finished GPP of 5 to 6.5 grains for each pound of draw weight. A midweight arrow weighs between 6.5 and 8 grains. Heavy arrows weigh over 8 grains. This information can be important when shooting a recurve, barebow or compound.

What is a 500 spine arrow good for?

500 spine arrows appropriate for all the bows I would hunt with, from 45-51#, with arrows cut to 29”, and point weight varying from 150-200 grains, depending on what tunes best. I normally use . 500 ultralights, so I can keep the point weight up and the overall weight down.

Can an arrow be too heavy?

With a bow design that's inefficient to begin with, I've found that a heavier arrow, even though it's slow, will do a better job on game. It's always better to error on the side of heavier though.

What is a good weight for a hunting arrow?

Overall Arrow Weights

I think a good average hunting arrow should fall in the 6 to 8 grains per pound of bow weight, with lighter bows maybe even closer to 9 to 10 grains per pound. A typical 60-lb. bow should be in the 360- to 480-grain range, a 70-lb. bow in the 420- to 560-grain range.

HEAVY or LIGHT ARROWS // T E S T I N G

How heavy should my arrow be for deer?

In a previous article on our website, Momentum Beats Speed for Lethal Arrow Hits, author Bill Bagley recommended the following as a starting point for arrow weight: 6 grains of arrow weight per pound of draw weight for bows in the 70-lb. range. 8 grains of arrow weight per pound of draw weight for bows in the 60-lb.

Is 400 grain arrow for deer?

According to Easton, a 400 grain arrow traveling at the glacial speed of 170 feet-per-second has sufficient energy to harvest a mature deer.

Are Heavier arrows more forgiving?

Heavy arrow seams more forgiving because it is slower! Your form flaws show up more the faster the arrow is going, most people are obsessed with speed but most people don't have the form to shoot it.

Are lighter arrows more accurate?

All factors remaining equal, heavy arrows always are more reliable, more durable, than lighter. More material, with additional layers of carbon material, equal more strength when subjected to abuse such as bone impacts or when shot into rocky ground or bounced off trees following misses.

How heavy should traditional arrows be?

Traditional archery hunting arrows should weigh between 375-1000 grains depending on the bow draw weight and arrow length. The bow draw weight will always be countered by the weight of the arrow. Example: A 40-pound bow draw weight should use a 500 gr arrow.

What happens if arrow spine is too stiff?

If the arrow's spine is too weak or too stiff, the arrow will not correct itself as soon as it should while in flight. If that arrow is weak and continues to flex (has a low spine rating), it's going to veer off target. Likewise, if the arrow is unforgivingly stiff, it also won't follow the path the archer intends.

What size arrows for a 30 inch draw?

That could become especially critical when shooting fixed-blade broadheads, which tend to magnify tuning issues. The Easton spine chart recommends a spine of 250 for a 30-inch arrow shot from a bow set at 70 pounds. Cut that arrow length down to 28 inches, and the spine chart recommends a 340 spine.

Can you over spine an arrow?

An arrow that is overly stiff, over spined, does not cycle enough. You have to have that cycle as close as you can get to properly launch an arrow that will recover correctly for proper flight. You can play with weights and what not to get that "proper" spine to get "proper" flight.

How many grains should my arrow be?

For reference, light arrows weigh about 350 grains, a typical arrow weighs 420 to 500 grains, and a heavy arrow weighs over 600 grains. Bentcik said few Americans use arrows weighing 700 grains or more unless they're shooting traditional equipment.

How much does arrow weight affect speed?

For every five grains of arrow weight added, you will lose 1-1.5 fps in arrow speed. Yup, that seems about right!

Are thicker arrows better?

The advantage of thicker arrows for the short indoor distance of 18m can be explained pragmatically: thicker arrows on the small 40cm target face result in additional score points because they cover a larger area than the 'normal' arrows (thinner arrows) and thus more frequently touch the boundary line to the next ...

Do heavier arrows fly farther?

The regular, heavier arrow would leave the bow much slower but maintain a much higher percent of its velocity downrange. In fact, the regular arrow would even pass the foam arrow downrange even though it started slower!

What grain arrow should I shoot for deer?

Under most deer hunting conditions a heavyweight arrow in the 8 to 9 grains per pound range is a fine choice producing arrow speeds in the 220 to 235 fps range. If the shot distance may approach 30 yards then a mid-weight, full-length arrow pushing a medium sized broadhead is the best choice.

What is the most accurate hunting arrow?

Easton Archery FMJ 4MM

The Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) 4MM by Easton Archery offers increased accuracy and penetration. It's one of the most accurate, dependable arrows on the market, and it's precision made in the USA.

What grain arrow should I use?

If you want to target practice, you want the arrow to weigh in total (shaft, vanes, insert, nock and field point combined) around 5 to 6 grain per pound of draw weight. So if your bow has 60 lbs. of draw, you want to use arrows that weigh in total between 300 and 360 grain.

Does adding weight to back of arrow increase spine?

Registered. It does not change the spine. Adding weight to the back of the arrow has the exact same effect as adding weight in the middle of the string. This slows the arrow and that is all.

Are longer or shorter arrows better?

Shorter arrows are lighter and can generally be made to be stiffer than long arrows. A light arrow will fly further and faster than a heavier arrow. An arrow flexes as it flies through the air and a shorter and stiffer arrow will flex less and this also helps with additional speed and flight distance.

Is 500 grains enough arrow weight for elk?

For elk hunting, my optimal total weight of an arrow is somewhere between 450-500 grains but this will certainly depend on your setup. I can achieve this weight by choosing an arrow that weight approx. 8.8 grains per inch cut at 27.5”.

Is 450 grain arrow good for hunting?

These are the heaviest arrows I have used thus far simply due to a heavier spine I am using. I generally like my arrows to weigh around 450 as at that weight and out of a 60 lb recurve, penetration and speed have both been excellent. I have killed over 15 deer with traditional tackle and arrows in this weight range.

Is a 350 grain arrow too light for hunting?

fwiw, anything under 400 is too light for hunting. Your chances of losing an animal increase, at 270fps your chances for failure increase, your bow is louder and less forgiving and your arrows will have a very slim chance of penetration thru bone if your shot is marginal.