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What arrow to shoot?

Just this past hunting season i shot game trakker carbon express with vanes, i also have aluminums 2117 with feathers, i pretty much shoot them the same, and i have only 3 of each so i can't decide wich ones to get, i shoot a fred bear trx and its set at like 62 pounds. What do you guys think is the best arrow to shoot? I've decided this is it i'm not going with anyother arrow...
Thanks for your help!!

Tyler

RE: What arrow to shoot?

Between the two you mentioned I would go with the carbon express. I've used those arrows for several years and believe they are much tougher' you will normally lose them before they ever tweak or break. The only draw back is it's hard to get 400grn out of them without using the 2or3grn per inch plastic inserts. But they are inexpensive and a cinch to install. Hope this helps. elknut1.

www.elknut.com
Bugling Bulls & Beyond!

RE: What arrow to shoot?

depending on the length of your arrow a 2312 might work for you about 1/2 the price of carbon express and lots lighter than 2117 if you are shooting 27" - 28" arrows if you must stick with the arrows you mention I'd do what elknut sugjest weight tubes in the carbon express

We all have different oppinions , if we did'nt the world would be a BORING place

RE: What arrow to shoot?

Going to lighter arrows trades speed for penetration - I'd make the decision based on that. If you are willing to give up a little penetration for a little speed, go with the lighter arrows. E.g., H. W. Allen, the inventor of the compound, said in the early 70's: "Something in the 400-450 grain weight would give you a good fast arrow and still be heavy enough to give good penetaration. If you go lighter than that, then you are risking losing penetration."

I go heavier, myself, shooting 2117's like you, just because that is what they set me up with at Valkyrie archery.

beprepn

RE: What arrow to shoot?

If I wanted lighter weight, I'd go with the carbon instead of the light, thin walled aluminum. Never have had much success with those flimsy things.

If accuracy is the same with the 2117's and the carbons, then you have to choose on other criteria. Which is easier to tune with broadheads? Which is quieter out of your bow? Does one or another have more 'feels right' when you're shooting them? Which one do you have more confidence with?

RE: What arrow to shoot?

I switched from 2314's to carbon last year for a couple reasons. I couldn't tell much difference in the penatration if you use a heavy enough set up with 125 grain broadheads and things to get your arrow weight above the 400 grain mark. It also pushed my pins closer together and I became more accurate. Carbons also almost last until you loose them.
Shoot what you feel the most confident with. The 2314's worked good also.

RE: What arrow to shoot?

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quotequote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> Going to lighter arrows trades speed for penetration - I'd make the decision based on that. If you are willing to give up a little penetration for a little speed, go with the lighter arrows. E.g., H. W. Allen, the inventor of the compound, said in the early 70's: "Something in the 400-450 grain weight would give you a good fast arrow and still be heavy enough to give good penetaration. If you go lighter than that, then you are risking losing penetration." <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

At least when arthurp says it he has 50 years of experience to back up his opinion! What exactly are your credentials? I see you professing to be the "enlightened one" when it comes to arrow penetration but you seem to have annointed yourself. As far as I can tell the only feathers in your cap are the fact that you shot a bow 15 years ago and you know how to read. Yet, you seem to want to force feed your opinion to a bunch of guys that have been hunting and tinkering for the last 15 years, several of which work on archery equipment either part time or full time. Would you explain to me how exactly you have tested your theories? How many game animals you have taken with both heavy arrows and light arrows? What differences that you have noticed in the 2. What have been your personal experiences with light carbon arrows on a shoulder shot. Please list for me your most revealing experiences with light carbon arrow. All of this should go to greatly further your opinion to those of us that are still "unenlightened".

Protect your hunting rights, "Spay or neuter a liberal."

RE: What arrow to shoot?

Yep. I've never made any secret out of the fact that I prefer arrows in the range of 9-12 grains per pound of draw weight. And that I haven't had much success getting carbon arrows to tune and shoot to my expectations with broadheads. And that I simply don't trust light arrows for hunting, regardless of what material they're made from.

However, I do have to admit that super light carbon arrows at very high speeds do fantastic work for many people. As long as you can get good accuracy, it doesn't matter much what arrow you shoot a deer with when using bows that give out enough KE to blow a toilet plunger thru an Abrams tank.

Fact is, average run of the mill hatchet cam bows these days at 60 pounds and 30" draw are shooting more energy than the recurve shooters with extra heavy arrows in the 50's and 60's were using to take elephants! If a 900 grain arrow at 55 ft lbs can kill a 5 ton elephant, what chance would a 250 pound deer have? So, when you hear stories of bad penetration on deer, it's got to be either poor shot placement, poor choice of broadheads or poor choice in arrows.

That's why I champion hefty arrows. As long as the hunter does his job and puts the arrow in the right spot, I KNOW they'll work out of any hunting legal setup for any game. I believe when you slide down the scale in performance, or up the scale in animal size, light arrows have their limitations.

But what do I know about light arrows? Due to my draw length, even my carbons have all wound up weighing between 450-470 grains, unweighted, depending on whether I was shooting feathers or vanes.

RE: What arrow to shoot?

Arthur,

I can appreciate your opinion. While I disagree with some of your points I respect your opinion as it is one that has come from years of experience. Unlike that of our counterpart who professes to "know" what produces the best penetration yet lacks the personal experience to form such an opinion.

Protect your hunting rights, "Spay or neuter a liberal."

RE: What arrow to shoot?

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quotequote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> E.g., H. W. Allen, the inventor of the compound, said in the early 70's: ... If you go lighter than that, then you are risking losing penetration." <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

At least when arthurp says it he has 50 years of experience to back up his opinion! What exactly are your credentials? I see you professing to be the "enlightened one" when it comes to arrow penetration but you seem to have annointed yourself. As far as I can tell the only feathers in your cap are the fact that you shot a bow 15 years ago and you know how to read. Yet, you seem to want to force feed your opinion to a bunch of guys that have been hunting and tinkering for the last 15 years, several of which work on archery equipment either part time or full time. Would you explain to me how exactly you have tested your theories? How many game animals you have taken with both heavy arrows and light arrows? What differences that you have noticed in the 2. What have been your personal experiences with light carbon arrows on a shoulder shot. Please list for me your most revealing experiences with light carbon arrow. All of this should go to greatly further your opinion to those of us that are still "unenlightened".

Protect your hunting rights, "Spay or neuter a liberal."
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

"My 667-grain, 2419 Easton shaft with 70-plus foot pounds of energy smashed that (bison) bull from 25 yards and sizzled completely through. Another thing I've learned about buffalo is the need for heavy-duty, deep-driving gear. "

"Light arrows shed energy like ping pong balls at longer ranges, cutting down drastically on animal penetration."

Both of these quotes are from Chuck Adams.

I think that bow hunting has become such big business, with the advertisers driving magazine content (and speed sells bows), that the simple fact that momentum, not KE, determines penetration has been lost. Although, with the big bows shot by many these days, it hardly matters (except, maybe, on Bison :) ).

beprepn

PS. I'd prefer not to be personally attacked and will leave the DB at some point.

RE: What arrow to shoot?

It depends on how you define 'performance.' There are a lot of things I judge performance on other than speed. In fact, speed is right near the bottom of the list of things I look for when setting up an outfit for hunting. It's important but, for me, there are many other criteria that are more important. And bow design usually has more to do with it than arrow choice.

File it away under the heading of not being able to teach an old dog new tricks, if you like. I'm old, fat, married and boring and I'm darned comfortable with it. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>