# Hunting arrow weight



## trapper.robi (Jul 9, 2011)

Im shooting 450 grains


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## ND Swede (Feb 21, 2009)

I often hear 400 gr as a good minimum.


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## dwagoner (Sep 27, 2007)

i dont like below 400, i like the 425-450 range for what i say is a medium weight.

BUT how far are you shooting??? 400g is more than enough, but you have to make a good shot still....


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## Strodav (Apr 25, 2012)

As always, there are trade offs. Heavier arrows are quieter out of the bow and put more energy downrange at the expense of speed so they are not as forgiving of distance errors. Lighter arrows arrive at the target quicker and are more forgiving of distance errors but are a bit noisier with a bit less energy. I've read that deer can respond to noise in .2 seconds, so I like to keep the speed up. Personally, I shoot a narrow diameter 370 gr hunting arrow and pass throughs are the rule. Narrow diameter arrows carry a bit more energy downrange as there is less drag. For my 60# / 28" DL setup, I'm using a VAP 400 shaft with helical Blazers, Deep Six Hit inserts with Solid S30V Deep Six broadheads.


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## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

dwagoner said:


> i dont like below 400, i like the 425-450 range for what i say is a medium weight.
> 
> BUT how far are you shooting??? 400g is more than enough, but you have to make a good shot still....


Once again I find my self agreeing with dwagoner.


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## jhauser (Feb 24, 2005)

425 for me


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## CT bowhunter78 (Jan 3, 2007)

I shoot 390, 14 kills with 390 grains and working just fine.


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## waldopepper (Jul 29, 2014)

Need some education here. I assume the numbers refer to weight ? I just got my PSE Surge and it is set up for 45 lbs at present. The carbon arrows my local made for me say 250 on them. I am just target shooting. What are the recommendations for target up to 60 lb, what number ? Right now I am at 20 & 25 yards.
Also where does "spine" come in ? Not sure I understand that. (thought I did)
Eventually I want to make some arrows. Did that 50+ years ago, all wood and real feathers back then.


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## CT bowhunter78 (Jan 3, 2007)

waldopepper said:


> Need some education here. I assume the numbers refer to weight ? I just got my PSE Surge and it is set up for 45 lbs at present. The carbon arrows my local made for me say 250 on them. I am just target shooting. What are the recommendations for target up to 60 lb, what number ? Right now I am at 20 & 25 yards.
> Also where does "spine" come in ? Not sure I understand that. (thought I did)
> Eventually I want to make some arrows. Did that 50+ years ago, all wood and real feathers back then.


That 250 you are seeing is the spine strength (not the weight of your arrow). In easily understood terms, spine is the stiffness of your arrow shaft.


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## waldopepper (Jul 29, 2014)

In an earlier post I saw the numbers 390 and 425-450. What do the larger numbers represent ? Is the larger numbers stiffer ? What advantage is there to these different numbers ?


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## CT bowhunter78 (Jan 3, 2007)

waldopepper said:


> In an earlier post I saw the numbers 390 and 425-450. What do the larger numbers represent ? Is the larger numbers stiffer ? What advantage is there to these different numbers ?


That's just arrow weight (in grains), larger numbers are not necessarily stiffer just heavier. Spine will be different than weight. Guys shooting 425-450 grains can really get some impact energy on the deer (assuming the arrow is moving fast enough....... energy requires speed and weight). I shoot 390 grains right now so I will get a little more speed out of my bow than if I were shooting 425-450 grains. Since I shoot 390 grains right at 303 fps I am seeing 79.5 ft-lbs of energy. Hypothetically let's say I shoot 425 grains and then my speed drops to 288 fps, that would give me an end result of 76.6 ft-lbs of energy. So it really depends on what your setup can do.


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## waldopepper (Jul 29, 2014)

Great info CT, thank you. 
I will get out the gram scale and weigh one of my arrows. How many grains in a gram ?
I'm not concerned with weight for hunting. I am just a target shooter. However, If things ever get bad enough in this country... I will have a couple broadheads just in case.
My wife saw two deer out behind the pond this week. 150 ft shot. Sometimes rabbit, sometimes coyote. If there is a coyote in the area, no rabbits. If rabbits then no coyotes. I will shoot coyotes anytime, we have four dogs, three small, one big.


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## Debaser (Feb 27, 2003)

One gram is 15.4323584 grains.

Google can translate them for you, just like with inches or pounds.

Type "1 gram to grains" into Google and it does the work.


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## KRONIIK (Jun 3, 2014)

CT bowhunter78 said:


> That 250 you are seeing is the spine strength (not the weight of your arrow). In easily understood terms, spine is the stiffness of your arrow shaft.


 And every other manufacturer uses a different system to measure spine stiffness. It's currently a huge, confusing MESS!


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## Larry brown (Aug 17, 2013)

Easton's pretty simple post theirs on the arrows. I'm going up to a 530 grain with 17% FOC from 430 grain with 13% FOC. 288 fps with the 430 so gonna slow down some but should blow through pretty easy.


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## 660 Grizzly (Apr 30, 2004)

My Gold Tip Pro Hunter 7595's with a 125 grain Montec weigh in at 438 grains. I take a little bit of flack from some of my friends that do more flat land hunting, they say I should be dropping down to 100 grain broadheads to gain some speed. I like the 125 grains, and the balance gives me a good FOC so I'm not likely to change it up. Most of my shooting is done at moose in the woods and the furthest I've shot at one was 56 yards, and it did a damn fine job of bringing bullwinkle down. Most of my moose shots have been from 10 to 30 yards though, so the speed and trajectory are fine. I might be wrong, but I believe most hunters now carry a range finder as part of their normal arsenal, so trajectory isn't as critical as it once was; if you know the distance then you know where to aim.

I love reading the discussions on proper arrow weight because it really is dependent on where and what you're hunting. Long range whitetails and close up moose have different criteria.

Good hunting!


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## 6APPEAL (Sep 1, 2009)

I use two different set-ups, one for here in the Southeast and another for out West. For the MS Whitetail I hunt I'm using a 447 grain arrow setup (Gold Tip Velocity 300 shaft with a 150 grain GrizzlyStik Samurai Single Bevel Broadhead). For the larger Mule Deer and Elk I hunt out West I use a 603 grain setup (GrizzlyStik Alaskan shaft with the same 150 grain GrizzlyStik Samurai Single Bevel Broadhead). A pass through with either setup on the intended game not a problem.

I agree with 660 Grizzly on the proper arrow is dependent on what and where you are hunting.


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## FPT (Aug 10, 2014)

I'm considering the Easton Carbon Ion 600 for my daughters new bow.The finished weight looks to be around 225gr before adding the 100gr broadhead.Is this too light for a hunting arrow?Her draw weight weight isl 40lb ish.


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## Mankussm (Nov 29, 2012)

GoldTip XT Hunters 5575 Camo 9.0gpi
25.5in C2C, Blazers, Nocturnals, and Slicktrick 100 Mags
TW = 378gr
FOC = 10.25


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## willy boy (Jan 28, 2013)

johnkalex said:


> What's an average hunting arrow weight. Is 400 gn enough or should I have More?


depending on the arrow you have plenty. I shoot 376grn and have clean pass through. I thought about increasing head weight but the way they are hitting there's no need.


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## JJSREEZEN (Feb 20, 2012)

I have had all pass thru with 390 grain arrow @ 280 fps, no shoulder blades have been hit yet. Lungs are the way to go,love watchin em drop!!!


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