Arrow weight

[mathews4ever]

I'm just curious what everyone uses for hunting. I have personally chose to shoot a 550 grain arrow but I am considering switching to 350 grains. I am not one to make a hasty decision either. I have spent hours over the last couple months crunching the numbers and trying to figure out if the is an advantage or disadvantage either way and the numbers don't lie. With modern bows producing the energy they do a heavy arrow really isn't needed. I have figured out kinetic energy, and momentum and the difference really is minuscule. Where the monstrous difference lies is arrow speed. I am not a speed freak by any means, right now my bow pushing that 550 grain arrow is traveling at 215fps, but arrow speed really could be an asset when it comes to judging yardage. With a quick bow you can be off by as much as 5 yards or more and still make a lethal shot on a whitetail. With my setup now it is more like 2 yards or I am out of the kill zone. I am in no way choosing speed over practice but from an ethical standpoint, fast probably equals less wounded game, that is if you still keep your shots at 40 or less. I know that a lot of archers think they can shoot everyhting at 100 yards with their bows but it would be great if they would forget about bragging rights and put the animals welfare first.

Rule 1 Be safe
Rule 2 make the most ethical and human kill possible

[Pegg]

I shoot a heavy arrow when I use my long bow or recurve. About 500gr. When I use my compound I use an arrow from 375 to about 425 gr arrow. I like a little heavier when the arrow is going slower. I am not a speed freak either. But it is nice to have a little faster arrow when you get a little longer shot.

[boogityn]

  I believe in using the lightest arrow I can at all times. using a 300 grain has allowed me, as I get older, to lower my poundage on my bow and still keep the arrow speed that I like to maintain. Perhaps if one is going to change to a lighter arrow, one should also ponder a change in broadhead, like say a Magnus stinger, a none mechanical, a head that cuts on contact. Tune in to my blood brother Ted Nudgent, He preaches this same concept.  He might be a little extreme but all of his kills are indeed ethical. The man is 60 years old, and because he has tuned his bow done and went to the lightest arrow possible, he is still able to hunt with out any struggle.
         I don't Know if I'm on board with the fact that the state of Mn. has lowered the min. draw wieght to 25 lbs. At that wieght,one would hvae to use the lightest arrow made, if not I believe that there would be a tramendous increase in the injury rate to whitetails. Just my opinion.

[sconihunter]

I just bought new arrows (high country), and they are 300 grains.  My arrow speed was 325fps when i tested it yesterday with 100 grain field tips.  My reezen is wicked fast

[Pegg]

The things you need to watch for when setting up your bow is that per lbs you shoot you need at least 5gr. So if you shoot 60lbs weight you would need a 300 gr weight arrow. Any thing less would be like dry firing you bow. Most bow mfg would tell you that.

[MnArch]

I'm a believer of putting the best hit possible on an animal, and in my experience most archers will benefit from extra speed. Being a good shot and practicing is about half the battle when you talk bowhunting. The other half is all the variables one encounters in the field. Distance judging when ranging isn't possible, obstruction, wind, animal movement, nerves...to name a few. Extra speed does help trim down the variables of distance, wind drift and animal movement. That said, I don't go TOO light in my arrow setup...in the early to mid 400 grain area. Plus I always wait for shots that I believe I can make every time.

[MNBucKKiller]

I currently shoot 350 but when I buy my new bow this spring I wanna go a little heavier.