So my arrows should be here any day now. they are full length GT Blems .500" . I will be actually pulling 47 lbs. So I will need a minimum of 470 gr arrow weight correct? With everything on the arrow, plus a tip I think I will still be far from that. So what is the most simple way to achieve the correct weight? Heaviest head i can find? Inserts?

You dont "need" to have a 470 grain arrow, you can shoot a heavier or lighter arrow. what do you plan to shoot?

Most bowyers recommend 8gpp+ some are 5gpp. check with your bowyer first.

Having a heavy arrow doesnt mean squat if it isnt tuned.

I will be hunting just deer in Va.

I would try and stay at around 10 gpp for penetration purposes on deer.

To answer your question you can get 50 or 100 grain inserts, then if you are buying glue on heads you can also get light or heavy broadhead adapters.

 http://www.3riversarchery.com/brass+point+inserts_i0255X_baseitem.html  

 http://www.3riversarchery.com/Steel+Screw-In+Broadhead+Adapters_i4226X_baseitem.html  

 http://www.3riversarchery.com/Aluminum+Screw-In+Broadhead+Adapters_i4196X_baseitem.html

TJ, so if my draw is 26-27" my arrows maybe at least 29"? without a tip but with feathers and nock it will be around 275-280..What size tip and insert do think?

A don't have much experience with carbon but seems like you would be fine with a 150-175 grain point! Johnny

those are pretty easy to find?

I think those GT's are 8.6 grains per inch

Thats 250 grains for your 29" shaft
Add a 50 grain brass insert
A 45 grain long aluminum adapter
A 125 grain point
250+50=45+125 = 470

Fletchings and plastic nock will add a little more to. That arrow will fly great from your poundage bow.

Va Elite,

you need some system of tuning the arrows before you ever decide how long, etc.  

What i always do with a new arrow is pick the weight head I want to shoot.  Usually around 175 or 200 and then tune my arrows to that head.

I always tune my arrows by bare shaft tuning from around 12 feet and let the arrow tell the tale.  All you need to remember is nock left = weak, and nock right = still.  if it is weak, lighted the point or cut a little of the arrow off(what I do). If it is stiff, add more weight up front.  It can be tough adding inches to your arrow so cut wisely.  

Always shoot several arrows before making any adjustments.  

Reality is that with you just starting out, tuning an arrow perfectly is going to be one of your greatest challenges.  You probably don't have a set form or routine yet so your consistency wont be that great, but don't get discouraged.  Everyone of us started of like that, you will get better with time!

Daniel is correct. You may end up at 29.5 or 28.5 on your shaft after tuning. Don't worry too much about the shaft length as long as you have at least and inch sticking out behond your riser on your draw.

You will end up with one of your shafts being a little too short from where you end up on its length as you will be cutting it off a 1/2" at a time to determine where the best flight is.

Just start with cutting one shaft down at a time, don't cut them all at first. Once you find what lenght flies best with your desired head weight you can then cut them all and finish them.

If you have arrows on the way,and have never tuned before,I would get a field point test kit and just go out and shoot some before I cut them down or did anything like that. Go out and work on your form and just shoot with different tips and see what your arrows are flying like. I spent a lot of time and money messing with different stuff when my shooting was giving me bad readings.

Agree with Rick also. Until you solidify your form it will be hard for you to fine tune anything.

Cut one of your shafts to 29" and glue in your insert and just go shoot.

You really need to hook up with someone that has offered to help out of the gate. It will save you a ton of headaches and time.

Ok, so I will just glue one insert in and by several fp tips of different weights. I will I tell though which one is the right one? Am I shooting through paper? or just watching for POI?

Don't worry about arrow flight to much at first. Just work on perfect anchor, release and follow through. Don't drop you bow arm until the arrow hits the target. Thats the biggest mistake archers make is dropping their arm to soon trying to see the arrow.

According to Big Jims web site the .500 spine would be 249.4gr at 29". I would start with a 150gr tip and aluminum insert that comes with the shafts. Fletch one keep one bare shaft and see were they impact in relation to one another. Start close like 10 yards in case your way off on spine and slowly work out to 25yds when your form improves. I prefer to bare shaft over paper tune, here is a link to the procedure,  http://www.acsbows.com/bareshaftplaning.html

Also as you are shortening the arrow to stiffen carbon reacts very quick to length changes so as you get close 1/4 inch at a time.

Just get something as close to tune as you can and don't get frustrated. Only fletch a few arrows to shoot with as your form develops, you will probably need to retune and will have many full length bare shafts to work with.

never mind.... by the time i posted everyone else had you covered.... 470-500 grains will be what your are looking for.


btw.... You should really never drop below 8gpp on a traditional bow... even the 3D champs wanting flat trajectory like a bit more weight to their arrows for forgiveness. The lighter you go on arrows, the less forgiving your set up will be, and a hell of a lot noisier too...

Simplest way to get weight up would be a 100 grain brass insert, and it probably will work for you.  I shoot longbows and recurves in the low-to-mid 50 pound range and have very good luck with a 0.500 shaft cut to 29 inches, 100 grain brass insert, and 125-150 grain broadhead.

IMHO you're not using wood shafts so already it is complicated beyond my understanding.  ;-)

Add weight to carbons with weed eater line, mine come out at 550 total weight, and I do not have to go to heavy point to get there

Back to your question of keeping it simple! I seriously doubt you can make a arrow for your specs that doesn't meet the minimum weight needed with a 125 grain point up front! The key is tuning the arrow so it flies like a laser to the target! It's probably going to be a little longer than you think if using carbon but it's all good! Longer just means heavier.  2 grains per inch for a 28" shaft amounts to 56 grains! JHHO that don't mean shift! You or anyone else you meet will ever see or know the difference. Key is a great flying arrow! period.