Newbie question - What kind/size of arrow?
07-14-2015, 03:09 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 36
Newbie question - What kind/size of arrow?
I'm pretty new to hunting, and while my friend was using my bow, he lost one of my arrows. I was wondering if it is worth getting just 1, don't even know if they sell them in a single package at all. But anyways, if/when I am in a market for some arrows, which brand/type would be good for me? I use a Mathews Mission Riot which is right now at 50 lbs, but I may move to 60 lb. Right now my other arrows are Gold Tip Expedition Hunter 5575/400 (carbon), but they're a bit too expensive at around $100 for dozen. I'm guessing I should probably stick with .400 spine, but does it matter what the O.D and I.D are (what do they stand for as well)? Or would any .400 spine arrow work? Can you recommend some good affordable brands that are good for hunting and practicing (or should I keep a separate set of each? Thanks!
07-14-2015, 04:52 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
O.D. stands for Outer Dimension. .I.D. Stands for Inner Dimension. And no they don't sell them in singles. Need to know your arrow length (measure from the throat of the noch to the end of the shaft) as well as the weight tip you intend to use before I can tell you what spine you need. I already know what cam type is in that Bow. As far as practicing, I personally use the same type, weight, fletch, everything that I will be hunting with except the broadhead itself. I have used Carbon Express for around 12 or 13 years now. Most like them, some hate them. As far as Gold Tips go, you aren't going to find a better arrow cheaper that's for certain.
07-14-2015, 05:16 PM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
I use Gold Tip myself and don't have any issues. I do believe a 400 spine is somewhat on the heavy side for your set up (unless your draw is excessively long). Even if you go to a 60# draw weight you could easily get by with a 350 spine.
If you think Gold Tips are expensive, wait til you price Carbon Express, Victory, Beeman or other brands.
If you think Gold Tips are expensive, wait til you price Carbon Express, Victory, Beeman or other brands.
07-14-2015, 06:16 PM
#4
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 36
O.D. stands for Outer Dimension. .I.D. Stands for Inner Dimension. And no they don't sell them in singles. Need to know your arrow length (measure from the throat of the noch to the end of the shaft) as well as the weight tip you intend to use before I can tell you what spine you need. I already know what cam type is in that Bow. As far as practicing, I personally use the same type, weight, fletch, everything that I will be hunting with except the broadhead itself. I have used Carbon Express for around 12 or 13 years now. Most like them, some hate them. As far as Gold Tips go, you aren't going to find a better arrow cheaper that's for certain.
I use Gold Tip myself and don't have any issues. I do believe a 400 spine is somewhat on the heavy side for your set up (unless your draw is excessively long). Even if you go to a 60# draw weight you could easily get by with a 350 spine.
If you think Gold Tips are expensive, wait til you price Carbon Express, Victory, Beeman or other brands.
If you think Gold Tips are expensive, wait til you price Carbon Express, Victory, Beeman or other brands.
Also, what kind of fletching should I get on the new arrows when I get them? What about the fletching turn (helical or offset)? And are wraps just there for show or do they help out at all?
07-14-2015, 07:08 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
Draw length has nothing to do with it. It's arrow length. Draw and arrow length can differ depending upon the style of rest you have, whether you use an overdraw or not. As far as spine, according to the Gold tip chart (seen here: https://www.goldtip.com/arrowcontent.aspx?page=chart ) you should currently be using 500's but if you do step it up to 60 then 400 is fine at your arrow length of between 26-27 inches.
I fletch my own arrows in Helical fashion but I use a drop away rest. Those using TM hunter style (prong type rest) Helical is a serious pain in the butt to tune in. I personally use Blazer Vanes. Wraps are for appearance only pretty much. The really bright colored ones are for helping you find an arrow after being shot. They are used more in tournament for personalizing arrows for identification in multi user targets. They offer zero else. Just making your arrows look pretty.
I fletch my own arrows in Helical fashion but I use a drop away rest. Those using TM hunter style (prong type rest) Helical is a serious pain in the butt to tune in. I personally use Blazer Vanes. Wraps are for appearance only pretty much. The really bright colored ones are for helping you find an arrow after being shot. They are used more in tournament for personalizing arrows for identification in multi user targets. They offer zero else. Just making your arrows look pretty.
07-14-2015, 07:21 PM
#6
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 36
Draw length has nothing to do with it. It's arrow length. Draw and arrow length can differ depending upon the style of rest you have, whether you use an overdraw or not. As far as spine, according to the Gold tip chart (seen here: https://www.goldtip.com/arrowcontent.aspx?page=chart ) you should currently be using 500's but if you do step it up to 60 then 400 is fine at your arrow length of between 26-27 inches.
I fletch my own arrows in Helical fashion but I use a drop away rest. Those using TM hunter style (prong type rest) Helical is a serious pain in the butt to tune in. I personally use Blazer Vanes. Wraps are for appearance only pretty much. The really bright colored ones are for helping you find an arrow after being shot. They are used more in tournament for personalizing arrows for identification in multi user targets. They offer zero else. Just making your arrows look pretty.
I fletch my own arrows in Helical fashion but I use a drop away rest. Those using TM hunter style (prong type rest) Helical is a serious pain in the butt to tune in. I personally use Blazer Vanes. Wraps are for appearance only pretty much. The really bright colored ones are for helping you find an arrow after being shot. They are used more in tournament for personalizing arrows for identification in multi user targets. They offer zero else. Just making your arrows look pretty.
My current arrows are 'straight' fletched ( http://shooting4fun.mobi/wp-content/...comparison.png ), is that the same as offset by any chance? How do I know if I have a rest or not (stupid question I know aha)? What about the length of the flentching?
Also, would you recommend me getting a lighted nock or glow in the dark fletchings?
07-14-2015, 08:29 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
A rest is what your arrow sits on on your riser. I highly doubt you shoot that bow "off the shelf" without a rest. Many different styles including TM Hunter, Drop away, shoot through, and plunger just to name a few. Most popular are the TM Hunter, Drop Away, and Shoot through. Here are some pics to show you.
TM Hunter
Drop Away
Shoot Through
And no, offset is not the same as straight. Offset is normally a 1 degree offset either right or left. Straight is straight.
As far as Lighted nochs, I don't use them myself but I have been intending to. A lot of people really like them since in lower light conditions you can more easily see where you hit the deer as well as finding your arrow after the shot (if it passed through) so you can inspect the arrow for sign of the type of hit you got. I.E. Good pink foamy lung blood, heavy red arterial heart-artery blood, or the bad dark, almost black blood from a Liver shot, or the really bad white sticky stuff or green stuff from a gut shot.
TM Hunter
Drop Away
Shoot Through
And no, offset is not the same as straight. Offset is normally a 1 degree offset either right or left. Straight is straight.
As far as Lighted nochs, I don't use them myself but I have been intending to. A lot of people really like them since in lower light conditions you can more easily see where you hit the deer as well as finding your arrow after the shot (if it passed through) so you can inspect the arrow for sign of the type of hit you got. I.E. Good pink foamy lung blood, heavy red arterial heart-artery blood, or the bad dark, almost black blood from a Liver shot, or the really bad white sticky stuff or green stuff from a gut shot.
07-14-2015, 08:50 PM
#8
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 36
A rest is what your arrow sits on on your riser. I highly doubt you shoot that bow "off the shelf" without a rest. Many different styles including TM Hunter, Drop away, shoot through, and plunger just to name a few. Most popular are the TM Hunter, Drop Away, and Shoot through. Here are some pics to show you.
TM Hunter
Drop Away
Shoot Through
And no, offset is not the same as straight. Offset is normally a 1 degree offset either right or left. Straight is straight.
As far as Lighted nochs, I don't use them myself but I have been intending to. A lot of people really like them since in lower light conditions you can more easily see where you hit the deer as well as finding your arrow after the shot (if it passed through) so you can inspect the arrow for sign of the type of hit you got. I.E. Good pink foamy lung blood, heavy red arterial heart-artery blood, or the bad dark, almost black blood from a Liver shot, or the really bad white sticky stuff or green stuff from a gut shot.
TM Hunter
Drop Away
Shoot Through
And no, offset is not the same as straight. Offset is normally a 1 degree offset either right or left. Straight is straight.
As far as Lighted nochs, I don't use them myself but I have been intending to. A lot of people really like them since in lower light conditions you can more easily see where you hit the deer as well as finding your arrow after the shot (if it passed through) so you can inspect the arrow for sign of the type of hit you got. I.E. Good pink foamy lung blood, heavy red arterial heart-artery blood, or the bad dark, almost black blood from a Liver shot, or the really bad white sticky stuff or green stuff from a gut shot.
Are arrows that are offered for hunting usually always offset and not straight then (since I'm guessing if 'straight' was a more common option, the sight would offer that)? I'd love to use lighted nochs, but they're too expensive, especially since they're $10+ for one. Maybe in the future when I have more time and more money. Have you heard anything about the Bloodsport brand by any chance? Some of their arrows come with a 'blood wrap' on the front of the arrow to show you the color of the fluid it went through, and they also, on some of the arrows, have lighted nochs available.
07-14-2015, 10:11 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
That "blood wrap" is just another gimmic to sell to newbie hunters. Your arrow will collect more than enough particle matter to tell what kind of hit you have without some unneeded wrap on there.
I used a slight 1 degree offset for many years with my compound rigs so I would have that little bit more speed. Now that I have bows capable of 300 feet per second or more I use Helical for that extra stabilization. I only sacrifice around 3 or 4 feet per second which is fine. As far as lighted nochs go, yes they are salty but you can get really good ones for a bit less than 10 bucks a piece. A 3 pack of the Nockturnal illuminated nochs go for 25 bucks. The thing about illuminated nochs is the weight. They average around 20 grains verses a regular nock of an average 4.5 grains. That can change your "Forward Of Center F.O.C." about an inch back on standard carbon arrows. Not much and it really wouldn't affect your placement THAT much but it could create a small tuning difference which could be solved by either raising your noch point up a hair or lowering your rest a hair. Some people just go to a heavier tip to compensate. Which they then have to re-sight in their bow. Like I said, I've never used them myself. Just going off others that I have worked on their bows and such around the club.
I used a slight 1 degree offset for many years with my compound rigs so I would have that little bit more speed. Now that I have bows capable of 300 feet per second or more I use Helical for that extra stabilization. I only sacrifice around 3 or 4 feet per second which is fine. As far as lighted nochs go, yes they are salty but you can get really good ones for a bit less than 10 bucks a piece. A 3 pack of the Nockturnal illuminated nochs go for 25 bucks. The thing about illuminated nochs is the weight. They average around 20 grains verses a regular nock of an average 4.5 grains. That can change your "Forward Of Center F.O.C." about an inch back on standard carbon arrows. Not much and it really wouldn't affect your placement THAT much but it could create a small tuning difference which could be solved by either raising your noch point up a hair or lowering your rest a hair. Some people just go to a heavier tip to compensate. Which they then have to re-sight in their bow. Like I said, I've never used them myself. Just going off others that I have worked on their bows and such around the club.
07-14-2015, 10:42 PM
#10
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 36
That "blood wrap" is just another gimmic to sell to newbie hunters. Your arrow will collect more than enough particle matter to tell what kind of hit you have without some unneeded wrap on there.
I used a slight 1 degree offset for many years with my compound rigs so I would have that little bit more speed. Now that I have bows capable of 300 feet per second or more I use Helical for that extra stabilization. I only sacrifice around 3 or 4 feet per second which is fine. As far as lighted nochs go, yes they are salty but you can get really good ones for a bit less than 10 bucks a piece. A 3 pack of the Nockturnal illuminated nochs go for 25 bucks. The thing about illuminated nochs is the weight. They average around 20 grains verses a regular nock of an average 4.5 grains. That can change your "Forward Of Center F.O.C." about an inch back on standard carbon arrows. Not much and it really wouldn't affect your placement THAT much but it could create a small tuning difference which could be solved by either raising your noch point up a hair or lowering your rest a hair. Some people just go to a heavier tip to compensate. Which they then have to re-sight in their bow. Like I said, I've never used them myself. Just going off others that I have worked on their bows and such around the club.
I used a slight 1 degree offset for many years with my compound rigs so I would have that little bit more speed. Now that I have bows capable of 300 feet per second or more I use Helical for that extra stabilization. I only sacrifice around 3 or 4 feet per second which is fine. As far as lighted nochs go, yes they are salty but you can get really good ones for a bit less than 10 bucks a piece. A 3 pack of the Nockturnal illuminated nochs go for 25 bucks. The thing about illuminated nochs is the weight. They average around 20 grains verses a regular nock of an average 4.5 grains. That can change your "Forward Of Center F.O.C." about an inch back on standard carbon arrows. Not much and it really wouldn't affect your placement THAT much but it could create a small tuning difference which could be solved by either raising your noch point up a hair or lowering your rest a hair. Some people just go to a heavier tip to compensate. Which they then have to re-sight in their bow. Like I said, I've never used them myself. Just going off others that I have worked on their bows and such around the club.
Thanks for the information, I really appreciate it!
Also, I just found this out (wish I would've found out sooner), but flexing your arrows, how often do you do it? I'm going to try to make it a habit after every time I shoot them to play it safe. And how much do you bend them? I've been bending them slightly since they're not seeming wanting to go any more, but I do run my fingers across them once or twice to be safe as well.