The Heavier the Better??
 

SInce i sparked a high-jack ill start my own.

3-D
Im going for aLIGHT 3-D setup, im going to be pushing in the 325ish, range. Is heavier more accurate? More forgiving? I wanted a light arrow for the theory of "forgiving" in the sense of yardage. Is that good reasoning?

Hunting
And for hunting sitiuations, is heavier better? Moreforgiving?Hit them harder?, I really wouldnt have to worry about my yardage, i got the rangefinder. Would a heavy arrow be good for me?

Im trying to learn here. What would i gain/lose in each given situation.

RE: The Heavier the Better??
 

My reasoning for going lighter is so I have a flatter trajectory. I do some open ground spot and stalk every year and I find that they often get closer or farther away between when I range them and when I am ready to release an arrow at them. With the lighter arrows and thus increased speed I have one pin out to 30 yards. I find it to be an enormous advantage to not need a range finder inside 30 yards whether that be for whitetails or whatever. My draw length is also only 27". If it were 30" I could have the best of both worlds, but I am a short guy so in order to accomplish what I want I have to have a lighter arrow.

If I were having any issues with penetration I would sacrifice speed, but my current set up shoots 63 ft-lbs of KE which is enough to blow through a quarting elk and stick in a tree on the other side. I simply don't need any better penetration.

RE: The Heavier the Better??
 

THose are my same thoughts. With only 27.5"DL myself we have the same brainwaves on arrows. The lighter the flatter, and i like that.

RE: The Heavier the Better??
 

I subscribe to the notion that a deer hunting arrow should be heavy and the heavier the better. I hunted this past season with a 533gr arrow w/17%FOC and am looking to make a 610gr w/17.5%FOC arrow for next season. My maximum yardage is 25yds. Certainly other folks have longer yardage considerations and weight may play a factor but at my hunting yardage weight is not an issue. The heavy arrow with a four feather fletch should give me maximum "forgiveness" in most deer hunting situations so that if I don't have perfect weather and make the perfect shot the percentages will still be with me.

RE: The Heavier the Better??
 

I don't target shoot at all though. If fatter/heavier helps scores, well that just doesn't apply to me. I think it is a great sport, I just don't do it. I am not an archer. I am a bowhunter.

EDIT: my hunting arrows really aren't what I would call light. They weigh 382 grains.

RE: The Heavier the Better??
 

I shoot 60# bows and my hunting arrows range from 330 grains right up to 500 grains. One thing each of my arrows (regardless of weight) has in common is adequate FOC. I like a minimum of 12% with broadheads, but 15% and above is even better. I think the high FOC improves groups as well as penetration.

Dan

RE: The Heavier the Better??
 

Well i got some fat arrows but they are Ultra Lights, with my Fat arrows there only going to be pushing apx. 325grn.

My hunting arrows are skinnier but thicker-walled and heavier.

RE: The Heavier the Better??
 

Bruce, the FMJ's I built for my trip to NE in Dec. weighed 504 grains and the FOC was over 20%. I knew I would be hunting in the canyons and range would be more limited than in Oct. when they are more out in the open. They performed Great!!

Dan

RE: The Heavier the Better??
 

Lighter is "better" in 3D.....in that you can shoot a flatter trajectory. Flatter trajectory means you can be off in your yardage guesstimate (this is all relative to something heavier) and still maybe get the scoring ring you're after. That's the premise, anyways. Huntingson described why he likes it for a hunting situation.

Me....I like Bruce's explanation on why he shoots a heavy hunting arrow. I concur. With my effective range probably being even shorter than his. "Flatter trajectory" and hunting arrow don't belong in the same sentence for MY hunting situations. Non issue. I'll take the extra wallop a heavier arrow delivers....and my bow can push it.

RE: The Heavier the Better??
 

I bet they did. Sounds like an excellent arrow ;).