Paul L Mohr

If you are using ontarget play around with it a little to see what other choices would give you. Don't be afraid to use a longer arrow to gain some weight. It will not hurt anything as long as it spines correctly out of your bow. Using a longer arrow could put you up to the next size arrow which may give you some more weight.

Paul

treboryerf

Good point paul,unless uare shooting a great distances then i woul even try an total weight arrow with over 500gr with a good foc balance.which would be 7-15 %.You just can't go wrong with a heavy setup for up close hunting,and lets face it we rarely shoot over 30 yards when we r in the woods,may be another story if u were shooting out to 50 plus though.

Straightarrow

The easiest way to add some weight is to go with a stiffer spine arrow which will require a heavier tip to compensate for spine. This will not only up the weight, but will increase the FOC. Like others have said, this is most important for those who need the extra power on their arrow.

Keep in mind, the heavier you go, the more penetrating power your arrow will carry to the animal. Earlier when I said that twice as much would help, I wasn't kidding. There is no downside to a slow arrow as long as you know the distance, which is quite easy to do in most hunting situations.

Monie

5gr/lb @ 56lbs=280gr. You're good. A heavier arrow would give more knock down power, but if it's just deer, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you ARE worried, then change now, while you still have plenty of time before season to fiddle wit it.

Arthur P

Pet peeve rant warning!

5 grains per pound.... That's a freakin' TOURNAMENT rule. They won't even let you shoot FOAM animals with arrows lighter than that, except in certain cirumstances.

5 grains per pound is MINIMUM to stay within your bow warranty and to be legal to shoot tournaments. IT IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION FOR A DECENT WEIGHT HUNTING ARROW!

End of rant. [&:]

I wouldn't shoot any medium size game animal with any arrow weighing less than 400 grains. That is most certainly true if my bow is pushing under 65 ft lbs of energy. I feel that going lighter than that is dancing on the raw edge of disaster.

There are some things happen in the woods you have no control over. Make the best shot decision you can, try for the very best shot placement, release the arrow. That's the end of things you have control over. While the arrow is in flight, you wait and hope. Hope there isn't a twig to deflect your arrow. Hope the animal doesn't move while the arrow is in flight. Either one will screw up your intended perfect shot placement and put the arrow in a spot where you will likely need extra penetration in order to make a clean kill.

It usually works out, sometimes it doesn't. I'd hate to think I wounded and lost an animal when just a little more arrow weight would've given enough penetration to get to the vitals. If someone says they've never had it happen to them, they're either very lucky, haven't got much experience under their belt, or they're lying like a dog. It eventually happens to most everyone.

If you're shooting enough bow to blow a toilet plunger through an Abrams tank, like so many light arrow advocates are, that's one thing. Shooting lower energy setups is a whole 'nuther ball game. Extra arrow weight for extra penetration, I think, is common sense insurance. Just in case.

Dougk

I agree with Arthur P..

to add to that..I think you will find the heavier arrow is less critical to shoot..and you will find it more accurate..



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bigbulls

I like to have about 7+ grains of arrow weight per pound of draw weight. So at 56 pounds of draw weightI wouldwant to have a total finished weight arrow of at least390 grains.

Having said that Even a Axis FMJ will only weigh about 375 grains with a 125 grain tip. That is one of the heaviest carbon arrows made right now. IMO this would be a very good arrow set up for your draw weight and draw length.

Even a 2018 at almost 13 gpi, which is the heaviest arrow that Easton reccomends, Will only weigh about 460 grain with a 125 grain tip.

Straightarrow

The key is to use a heavier tip or insert weights. The advantage here is that a very high FOC will result. It's easy to take a carbon arrow up to and over 700 grains if you want.

Since she's only using 25" arrows, so I'm guessing she has a very short draw length. This type of person can normally put a very large amount of weight on the tip and still have many arrows flex correctly. I recommend not limiting oneself to 125 gr tips. I have as much as 300 grains on the tip of my arrows and would love to get even more on it if my arrow spine would handle it.

brucelanthier

Thanks to you I looked around and got some brass inserts that weigh 50 and 100 grains. The tip weight I am currently using is 225 grains and it gives me a FOC of 17% at 534 grains. Reading what you and others have said and then experimenting for myself have made me a believer in a good/higher FOC% and a heavy arrow.

Straightarrow

It's nice to know that some try it. I realize that very few will, but I'm such a believer in the concept and advantages of heavy arrows with a high FOC, that I'll keep talking about them.