# what arrow setup do you use for your 40-45lb bow?



## bushcraftbrandon

wondering what everyone is shooting out of their 40-45 lb. longbow or recurve.

im looking to get carbon arrows and wondering what kind to get and what grain points to put up front.

just looking for general starting place.

thanks for all inputs


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## Okie1bow

*CF Arrow set-up*

I shoot a BW-1200HB, 64" long, [email protected] 28" and use 29.5" Long Raven X-200'ds Radial Weave's with 4" long soft plastic vains. I shoot off the riser with a Hoyt stick on "Marlex" rest. The total Gr. Wt. is 458 Gr. They fly as true as any I've ever used. I suspect "off the shelf shooting" with this set up would probably work well also. However be sure to use the pliable, "soft" vains. The stiffer versions, at least for me, do not shoot well off the shelf.


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## Flying Dutchman

I don't know what your drawlengt is, but I think a Goldtip Traditional .600 will be just about perfect.... and they are almost indestructable too.


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## bushcraftbrandon

my draw length is almost 28 inches.
so im shooting like 42 lbs.


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## rattus58

Doesn't anyone shoot woods no more.... or is it just us old guys stuck in the old ways.....

Aloha... :beer:


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## Flying Dutchman

reptilia said:


> my draw length is almost 28 inches.
> so im shooting like 42 lbs.


Okay, I shoot a mildly R/D modern longbow. With my drawlenght of 30" the bow delivers 38 lbs. I use a 4 " helical shielded fletching and a wrap.

A Goldtip .600 at 30 inch lenght with standard insert, standard push-in nock and a 125 grains fieldtip fly perfect. 42 lbs is 4 lbs heavier then I shoot. If you leave the shaft on full lenght (30 1/4 inch) I think a 100 grains tip will give you a great flight. If you shorten the shaft, you will have to search for a heavier tip. 

At the moment I use the GT Entrada Ultralight .600, which give me 9 GGP and an amazing speed. In the past I used the GT Traditionals .600 and they gave me also a great flight, but they are heavier, giving less speed.


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## Flying Dutchman

rattus58 said:


> Doesn't anyone shoot woods no more.... or is it just us old guys stuck in the old ways.....
> 
> Aloha... :beer:


Rattus: I shoot POC also! Last Sunday I shot a 3D Tournement with it and I won it! (also from the carbon-guys...)

Does this make you feel better? :darkbeer:


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## bushcraftbrandon

i have carbon express heritage 90's cut to 29" and need to put a lot of weight up front.

if i got arrows at 30" i bet i could use 125 grain tips (which is what i want)

gold tip 600's = carbon express 90???

they similar?


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## Floxter

My draw length is 28" and I'm pulling 42# on a Bob Gordon Warfed Hoyt Rambo with elevated rest and plunger. I use Redline or Beman Energy 600 cut to 28.5" with a half-out insert and 100gr RPS points or broadheads with 3 four inch feathers. Total arrow length, nock groove to back of point is 29". Weight is 352gr or 8.3gr/lb.


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## Flying Dutchman

reptilia said:


> gold tip 600's = carbon express 90???
> 
> they similar?


Dunnot know... you have to look for the spine, which is .600 for GT.....

Okay I just looked it up and the Heritage 90 is .530, which is stiffer. 

.600 offers you: 52.5 lbs 
.530 offers you: 59,5 lbs. 


I think that with a 0.530 you would end up with to much frontweight. a .600 shaft will allow you to shoot with a 125 grains tip. In that case you have to play a liitle bit with the lenght of the shaft. If you cut, no more then 1/4 inch per time, because carbon is very sensitive for shortening.


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## bushcraftbrandon

thanks for the input guys. 
would i need weighted inserts in the .600's? or are they heavy enough with inserts and feathers and 125 grain tips.

gotta go to work. see ya tonight or tomorrow on this thread!
thanks.:darkbeer:


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## Flying Dutchman

Use the standard GT inserts and you'll be fine...


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## stiknstring

Mine is close but not quite there...I shoot [email protected] but pull that sucker to 29 so I am getting about 49 pounds. I shoot .500 ICS Bowhunters and after properly tuning them I am sitting at a 29.5 inch arrow with 200 grains up front and they fly like darts out of my longbow mentioned as well as my two 55 pound selfbows. I like carbon alot...I wish all arrows were this easy to tune.


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## innate123

GT5575 Traditionals 40 grain inserts, 30" length, 145 grain tips are flying very nice out of our 45# Samicks with a 28" draw. I would like to try the .600 spine GT trads though.


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## Eldermike

rattus58 said:


> Doesn't anyone shoot woods no more.... or is it just us old guys stuck in the old ways.....
> 
> Aloha... :beer:


old guy here shoots wood.


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## deertracker

Here's a nice tool to play around with.

http://heilakka.com/stumiller/


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## Flying Dutchman

innate123 said:


> GT5575 Traditionals 40 grain inserts, 30" length, 145 grain tips are flying very nice out of our 45# Samicks with a 28" draw. I would like to try the .600 spine GT trads though.


55-75 has a spine of .400 meaning 79 lbs! I would say that is a very high spine for a 45# bow. Did you bareshaft them?


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## rattus58

Flying Dutchman said:


> Rattus: I shoot POC also! Last Sunday I shot a 3D Tournement with it and I won it! (also from the carbon-guys...)
> 
> Does this make you feel better? :darkbeer:


 Indeed it does.... I was beginning to think that they'd cut all the trees... 

Aloha... :beer:


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## Snuffer

Here's a good set-up. MFX 500 29 1/2 long (I have a 28" draw) 100 gr. brass insert 100gr. tip. 3 Four in. RH fletch. Out of a 42lb. Kanati longbow 12gr. per lb. 18% FOC.
Shot 3 deer so far all pass thrus with Magnus Stingers.


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## innate123

Flying Dutchman said:


> 55-75 has a spine of .400 meaning 79 lbs! I would say that is a very high spine for a 45# bow. Did you bareshaft them?


FD:

Not sure where you are getting 79#. I have it right out of Stu's calculator as 61.1# with a 30" arrow, 145 grain tip, and 50 grain (with insert +40 grains)

He has my bow at 28", 28" draw, and -1/16 centercut at 59.1#

After people watching my vids here and extending my draw arm more, I'm approaching a 29" draw now. 

But no, I have not bareshafted as I don't have bareshafted arrows and still do not have a good enough form to even try. But arrow flies very well visually. I think I'm at 10.6 gpi per Stu's calculator. 

Tim


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## Flying Dutchman

You are mentioning now the _dynamic _spine value! I mentioned the _static_ spine value. .400 means how much the arrows flexes at a weight of 2 lbs at 26"., in your case .400 inches. If you want to translate that to AMO spine values, you simply divide the 26 inches by th deflection of .400 times the constance for carbon, being 1.2115. 

So a .400 spine becomes: 26/.400*1.2115= 79 lbs

A longer lenght and a heigher front weigt will weaken the dynamic spine as you can see in St's calculator. Stu Miller is always very close at calculating that!

If they fly well, they fly well! Keep it that way.


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## bushcraftbrandon

i looked it up on the spine calculator.......... this is what i got:


numbers matched up good, but my total arrow weight was 385 grains.

is 385 grains to light for hunting deer? or is this a good weight?


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## innate123

FD: 

I claim "newbie-ness" here, but yes, I was going completely with Stu's calculator and the dynamic spine numbers match up fairly well with 30" arrows and the 40 grain added insert and 145 grain tips. At least I think I'm plugging everything correctly into the computer. The arrows do seem to fly nicely for now as I am working on my form. 

Tim

I am just thinking that if I end up hunting my first year trad with the 45# bow, my proficiency will likely NOT be over 20 yards so trajectory is not a big factor. I'd rather have a heavier gpi arrow with the heavier tip for penetration. With a .600 spine arrow you seem to be limited with a 100 - 125 grains up front before the dynamic spine seems to get messed up. Again, I am new to this and don't bareshaft, so I could be completely off my rocker. 

Tim


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## warped Arrow

I shoot 40/45 woods and carbon 500's with 120/125 gn points


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## bushcraftbrandon

reptilia said:


> i looked it up on the spine calculator.......... this is what i got:
> 
> 
> numbers matched up good, but my total arrow weight was 385 grains.
> 
> is 385 grains to light for hunting deer? or is this a good weight?


????


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## bushcraftbrandon

so is a 385 grain arrow shot out of a [email protected]" (my dl is 27.5) enough for whitetail?

is there an unspoken minimum weight for arrows among trad shooters?:darkbeer:


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## Floxter

Some bowyers won't warrant their bows if they're shot with arrows of less than 8gr/lb. However, you're at 8.75gr/lb, so no reason to worry.


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## suffolk_mopar

beman ics 340 classics here cut at 29" with 4" feathers and 125 grain points.


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## Okie1bow

*Old Guy?*



rattus58 said:


> Doesn't anyone shoot woods no more.... or is it just us old guys stuck in the old ways.....
> 
> Aloha... :beer:


Hey there fellow old guy. Wood is deffinently more traditional but my 1968 BW 1200 HB T/D just shoots those CF's sooooooo well it's hard not to do so.


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## Don_Parsons

Tag


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## matt_gold

I shoot a Mandarin Duck Phantom 45# which is 43.3# at my DL
I shoot Carbon Express Predator 2040's, 28" long
125gr combo points. total arrow weight is 352gr.

Not a bad setup but tearing SLIGHTLY nock left on paper test. Not sure if I have to move my rest outwards a bit or not. 
Anyhow, the predators are cheap, and I've yet to see a problem with them.


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## MuleHunter

Great topic!

I recently acquired a 45lbs recurve, it came in the mail extra when I ordered some limbs for my wifes bow. Crazy I know, but lucky I guess.

I own some arrows for my compound setup, but they are .340 spined. My idea is to load up on the broadhead wt so my old arrow will be soft enough for the set up. I was thinking of adding 100 grain inserts to the 100 grain heads. I am cheap and do not want to buy more arrows since I already own so many .340's.

Has anyone done this before? Should I try 150 grain heads or 200? Again, trying to weaken the spine with heavy head for the free 45lbs recurve I got, thoughts?


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## maddog20/20

I’ve got a 50# Hoyt Buffalo and I’ve been shooting a 500 spine Easton Axis Trad, but I just switched to Black Eagle Instincts. They cut to around 32” and I’m shooting 150gr heads. They already have a 100gr outsert (for impact absorption), so they’re a sturdy arrow.


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## Stub

Bit of a old thread. But I'll list what works for me on my 45# Imperial longbow.

Carbon: Beman ics 400s with 175gr tips. 3x4" rw parabolic feathers. (Full length and standard inserts) - 487gr arrow

Aluminum: Easton gamegetters 500s (2016) with 125gr tips. 3x4" rw parabolic feathers. Full length and standard inserts also. Bare shafts a bit weak. But works fine when fletched so I just left them for now. - 500gr arrow


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## Bow Rider

I went cheap and got some victory ares youth arrows. 500 spine, 29" pre-fletched at $5.00 each. The fletch job sucks and requires reinforcement, but they fly well with 125 grain tips. If you are serious target shooting at twenty yards trying to break 280, this might not be for you, but if your just shooting arrows trying to get better at ten or 15 yards, it's a decent economical choice.


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## Bill 2311

Funny how this old thread is still relevant. One of the questions that gets asked so frequently.
385 grains is a very light hunting arrow. I am sure that it will do the job if.... don't hit heavy bone, don't have a sharp angle, don't shoot past 20 yards and stay with a cut on contact two blade.


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