The total weight of the arrow is more important than the foc. Removing arrow weight just for foc is ridiculous.

The real trick is to actually go hunting and kill something. 

For whitetails I try for 10 or 11 gpp. For most hogs this works well too. As both Terry and Ryan stated above I'd rather shoot a big broadhead in case i hit too far back and that has worked out really well for me.

Quote from: Terry Green on May 11, 2025, 12:51:10 PM
The total weight of the arrow is more important than the foc. Removing arrow weight just for foc is ridiculous.

The real trick is to actually go hunting and kill something. 

I think what he was eluding to is that you can gain FOC by designing the arrow to be lighter in the rear end and redistributing it to the front.

For numbers sake, 20grs removed from the rear could have the same effect as adding 75grs to the front.
This approach can help you get a high FOC without having a ridiculously heavy arrow. The higher the FOC goes the more point weight you need to add to make the FOC go up. Subtracting a small amount of weight from the rear can have a much greater effect in raising the FOC.


I have made a 1005gr arrow that I shoot from a 70#@28" Border Black Douglas recurve. From memory it has 660gr upfront and a 7" footing of 2020 aluminum shaft. The shaft is an Axis 5mm in 400 spine. The secret is the 7" footing. This allows the use of a light gpp shaft because the dynamic spine is increased dramatically because of the short flexible portion.

I suppose it is a good thing for those that want to make things complicated, as for me I shoot about 500/550 weight arrow with a sharp broad head out of around 50lb bow, tuned well. It has worked for me for 45 years so I like to keep it simple. don't have to do a lot of math to make my arrows. I never even heard of FOC until the last few years,as they say to each their own, and really have no issues with people that want to go through all of that, just not for me. 
Pappy

The single bevel should produce bone penetration at 650 gn mark. Your FOC, which enhances soft tissue penetration is at the min level where nonlinear penetration gains just start to explode.

You may find the following arrow design for your Super Mag 48 to be considerably more attractive:
BE carnivore 350...29"s...150 gn brass insert...250...21 gn lighted nock...3x4" feathers...12.5 gpp...28.8% EFOC...650 gn total...Note: I have, personally, never encountered the need for impact collars.

In case anyone is wondering where the FOC craze all started.....

https://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=127087.msg2258505#msg2258505

I predominantly use tail tapered and footed shafts with 160-190 grain points.  I find that tapered arrows fly much better for me.  The heavier points also add to stability and recovery from paradox is quicker.  Don't know about penetration improvement, cause all my arrows end up laying on the ground past the critter.

To answer the OPs original question, it's overkill. People need to understand that Ashby isn't saying that a person needs 650 grains or more of arrow weight to effectively kill an animal. 650 grains is the heavy bone breaking threshold. If you don't hit heavy bone, anything will work and Ashby himself says this. 650 grains is the "plan B arrow." If things go wrong and you encounter heavy bone due to a poor executed shot or if the animal should move slightly, the 650 grains will up your percentage of a successful kill. That's it.

And FOC, if you increase FOC while lowering the overall arrow weight, that doesn't necessarily increase penetration as you've decreased arrow mass. An increase in FOC, with a well tuned arrow, can help improve arrow flight and help keep the arrow from deflecting when it hits the animal, all of which will aid in penetration, but more arrow mass will always be better than less arrow mass.

With all that said, I myself like my arrows to be around 10 to 11 grains per pound of bow weight and I aim for 20 to 25 percent FOC. I'm shooting around 475 grains with 47 pounds and I'm shooting 577 grains with 53 pounds.

Having read every word of his studies and having been a bowhunter for over a decade, almost exclusively bowhunting, my take home from his studies has been very simple.

• build integrity/durability matters the most, irregardless of the game we hunt because bone is always harder on flimsy parts than flesh and skin
• heavier arrows carry more momentum and penetrate better.  This is a good thing for hunting, but only after you hit where you're aiming.  Its better on MOST average sized animals like deer to shoot a medium weight arrow that hits true than a heavy arrow to optimize penetration potential on water buffalo
• forward of center weight is generally speaking better than well distributed weight because it helps the arrow stabilize in flight better and penetrate deeper BUT a well tuned setup is worth more than gaining a few % in FOC
• Longer, more acute heads will have more mechanical advantage to get through an animal than wider heads BUT also cut less.  Know your game and choose a head well suited to the game you are pursuing.  I wouldn't want a 1" 2 blade for a mature feral pig with fat shield that seals up or a black bear...give me a wide 3-blade for them.  They aren't thick but their fat makes things harder to track. 

All of that said, I couldn't tell you what my arrows weigh or the FOC.  I knew at some point when I was building them but at this point I just slap a couple hundred grains of insert up front and a 125 head or do a 225 head with a single 100gr insert and I go hunt.  Pass throughs are the norm but I've had some not go through.  Despite "internet knowledge" the animals that I have the least amount of pass throughs on are the smallest deer.  It's like shooting into a pillow.  Id rather hit an older mature animal that stands firm and strong.

Your final two points are right on target, so to speak.  Accuracy is most important, but good penetration is critical.