For you carbon shooters, what is the grain/pound minimum arrow weight that you feel safe shooting? What do you average grain/pound?
I know a lot here focus around the 10gr/pound, and front load which is the reason for the question. Carbon changes a few things and allows some flexibility.
Thanks;
Billy
It's funny you ask that because I just switched to carbons from wood. The fella who helped me was telling me he thought 8-10 grains was what I needed to shoot. We ended up at 9 grains. I must admit I was a little skeptical but through the whole tuning process and now that I have my arrows I must admit that I have been shooting better than ever. I now understand what "right where I was looking" means. They are not that much more than a dozen woodies either if you ask me it's money well spent. I also switched to Wensel Woodsman broad heads , can't wait to get a shot at something.
I'm shooting 580gr @ 55# or 10.5gr/lb. I'd go heavier but I see no reason to go lighter. A lighter arrow increases bow noise and decreases energy transfer.
The main reasons I shoot carbons is they're so damn rugged. If you foot a carbon shaft with a section of an aluminium shaft, they will bounce of rocks undamaged.
At 11 gr my velocities were around 140 fps. At 8 gr my velocities were around 180 fps. 9 is where I settled, at 165 fps. For me, that worked out to a 295 gr arrow with a 200 gr head.
(I don't get hung up on velocities... but I do pay attention, and I like to use the chrony since its just sitting there in the garage...)
I have not hunted that combo yet - will let you know how it goes (if I'm fortunate enough to connect with it).
It depends on the bow more than the type of arrow. I shoot anywhere from 8-11gpp but like 9gpp the best(450gr for me). If you have a metal riser and/or an ILF setup, you can go lighter if you like. 6-7gpp is not uncommon with metal risers. Some bowyers won't warranty a wooden riser bow below 8gpp though.
I have not noticed a big noise difference between 8gpp and 11gpp out of most of my bows. They all shoot quiet.
shaft material don't matter at all.
for ALL my hunting arrows, i want 'em 10-11 gpp.
i'd never wanna go below 8 gpp.
with carbons, for me the way to go is to load up the front end big time - 300 to 350 grains - the added foc is always a good thing for most everyone. i'd never mess with weight tubes, not as consistent as putting weight where it matters most.
ymmv.
I usually shoot in the 9-10gn/lb range when hunting.With a fast bow I might get by with a little heavier arrow but most times this gives me an arch in my archery I can handle and is a good combination of speed and quietness.This year I am hunting with 40-42lb bows so my arrows are 420gns.
I average 12-12.5 GPP
I've shot targets with as low at around 6 gpp, but my go-to setup is 9 gpp (unweighted, no front-loading).
12 grs. per lb. on my carbons. 500grs. MFX 500 29.5 long 200 gn. points.
Thanks guys. It looks like most stick to 10grains or more.
Billy