# How heavy is too heavy?



## Silver Mallard (Aug 9, 2015)

Ok guys & gals,
Is a 725 grain arrow too heavy for a 46# recurve. At what point do you start getting diminishing returns on arrow penetration? I know my arrow is very heavy, but is it too heavy? Thoughts........


----------



## Barry Duggan (Aug 9, 2015)

The point of diminishing returns begin when you can no longer pull your arrow out of the ground after it passes thru a critter. If the trajectory works for you, it's not too heavy, imo.


----------



## Allen Oliver (Aug 9, 2015)

I agree with Barry.


----------



## dm/wolfskin (Aug 9, 2015)

That's almost 16 grains per pound. Most of my arrows are 8 to 9 grains per pound.


----------



## Silver Mallard (Aug 9, 2015)

Arrow flight is very good but very slow.


----------



## Silver Mallard (Aug 9, 2015)

Dm, normally I like to stay in the 10-11# range.  I built these arrows up with gt heavy hunters for my pronghorn. Just tried them on my widow to see how they would fly. They fly VERY well out of my 46# widow.


----------



## Todd Cook (Aug 9, 2015)

I don't think it's too heavy, but probably more than needed. I think 10 or 11 gpp is the best compromise for most.


----------



## Barry Duggan (Aug 9, 2015)

I shoot low poundage, but have a around a 500gr., or higher, mentality for finished arrow weight. Even at 500gr., when shooting low poundage, your grains per pound can jump up rather quickly. Weight per pound means nothing to me; however, mine usually end up being in the 11.5-12.5 range.


----------



## John Cooper (Aug 9, 2015)

Read Barry's sig line. ...... you will have to shoot and get used to a shorter effective range.


I normally shoot 10-12 GPP


----------



## oldfella1962 (Aug 12, 2015)

One of my bows works out to be a bit over 13 GGP, the other bow a bit under 13 (same arrows for both bows). I see no trajectory drop out to 17 yards with the bow shooting slightly under 13, just a touch of drop for the bow slightly over 13. Then again since I shoot instinctive I may be adjusting for drop, but I just don't realize it since I don't think about it. All I know is they hit hard with a heavy cedar arrow and 125 grain heads. And shooting shaving sharp Zwicky Eskimo broadheads I just cannot fathom a deer surviving a good hit with those.


----------



## Dennis (Aug 12, 2015)

Those arrows will be effective


----------



## Barebowyer (Aug 12, 2015)

If they work for you and they are going where you need them to go I would keep moving forward......shoot straight!


----------



## tradhunter98 (Aug 13, 2015)

I'm at 575g with 53lbs


----------



## 2wheelfoster (Aug 13, 2015)

My current set up is ~550 gr. These fly great out of a 51# Flatwoods 3 piece and a 53# Buffalo Bow. If they work and you know your effective range.....As Doug Marcaida on Forged in Fire says....."It Will Kill"


----------



## jerry russell (Aug 13, 2015)

I like a heavy arrow but not to that extreme. KE and momentum are great but you have to hit the animal in the right spot to take advantage of the penetration.  That arrow will bottom out at ranges that a 500 grain arrow will not and the KE advantage will not be there at that curve.  Just my opinion but I advocate staying away from extremes such as ultra light bows, heavy bows and slow arrows.


----------



## TGUN (Aug 14, 2015)

because the the way most people get an arrow heavy is with heavy inserts and heavy tips/broadheads, I believe that a lot of "it shoots better with really heavy arrows" has more to do with the high Forward of Center than the overall weight. My brain is not good enough to do really high drop calculations so a 14 or 15 GPP arrow is out of my skill level. I want to shoot as flat a shooting arrow as I can and still have good KE with very high FOC. I get that by shooting the lightest GPI shaft I can find that will spine out of my bow with enough weight up front to get me *well north of 20% FOC*. I currently shoot a 400 spine shaft that weights 7.2 GPI with 300 grains up front which puts my GPP about 9.5. Overall maybe on the light side but the higher FOC gives me the punch of an arrow weighing 100 grains more and it shoots flat. I am lucky because I have a 26 inch draw and can do all this and still leave my arrows around 30 inches. Someone with a 30 inch draw probably could not build an arrow like this. I have played with it enough to know that the magic that happens when I can get an arrow north of 20% FOC and keep the GPP around 9 is not a fluke. Everyone is different so what works for me may not work for you and lighter arrows are sensitive to a bad release.


----------



## Bubbaforsure (Aug 18, 2015)

IMO....9-11 is more than plenty ... 
Sharpness and placement is the key...
Dead is Dead... ?


----------



## robert carter (Aug 19, 2015)

My brain has been trained at a trajectory for years. If I have a fast bow I bog it down with arrow weight so it hits where I look. A slower bow and I lighten the arrow some. It don`t take a lot to shoot through deer. I do for some reason like to shoot over 500 grains. I am shooting a 45 lb bow now with 525 grain arrows. RC


----------



## Barry Duggan (Aug 20, 2015)

robert carter said:


> My brain has been trained at a trajectory for years. If I have a fast bow I bog it down with arrow weight so it hits where I look.



This^. I'm use to a trajectory/velocity range. If my arrow comes out of the bow too fast, I kinda want to jump back...like it went off in my hand. 
Not to mention, on a critter, I am more likely to shoot high than low.


----------

