Min arrow weight for which game?

[windrover]

First: Thanks to Dr Ashby for his excellent and valuable research.    

Question: So we see that there is a threshold arrow weight for penetration of buffalo ribs, about 650 grains. I would assume that this reflects the toughness of those buffalo bones. Still 650 grains is not necessary to penetrate rabbit, or a coyote, or maybe a small whitetail doe. What about a bear or a moose or elk. It seems to me that there must be a different minimum weight to penetrate for each animal. Am I on the right track? If I am then there is much research to be done. Dr Ashby has set a high standard.
Input Welcome

[Shawn Leonard]

There may be but most North American game can be taken with 10 gpp. and bows of legal draw weight. ie. 50# bow with a 500 grain arrow and sharp broadhead will cleanly kill both elk and moose with proper shot placement and distances 25 yards and under the closer the better! Shawn

[todd smith]

I like the old addage of: beware the man with one gun as he may well know how to use it.

The 650 grain 'heavy bone threshold' arrow is not so heavy as to be out of line for deer sized critters and up.  So why not come up with an arrow that you know will work for any and all big game hunting and then use that?

Still...  I did cleanly take a moose with a 500 grain cedar and a sharp double bevel Hunter's Head 3:1 broadhead from a 48# longbow...

[John3]

I shot through a black bear with a cedar arrow weighing 490 grains and a 55# longbow.  My arrow zipped through the bear and buried itself in the moss.  I looked ten minutes and never did find it.

My Gold Tips I work to get them heavy at 510 grains.  3/16" poly rope added and I crown dip them for the looks (I can see the yellow dip very well in flight) and the extra grains of weight...  

CRAZY sharp two blade broadheads placed correctly get it done every time.  My set up will work for every game animal in North America.  Moose, Elk I want close anyway...!  15 yards or less I bet my 56# longbow and my GT arrows with a scary sharp Eskimo could get a pass through... I would have no qualms about using this set up what so ever.

John III

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by windrover:
 Still 650 grains is not necessary to penetrate rabbit, or a coyote, or maybe a small whitetail doe. What about a bear or a moose or elk.  

My hunting arrows weight right around 500 grains. As a matter of fact, the one I shot completely through my bull moose weighed 499 grains on my digital scale.

If memory serves, Fred Eichler's arrows weigh substantially less than 650 grains, and he's killed all 29 species of North American big game.

[windrover]

I have three recurve bows, 43#, 48#, 58# at my draw. I am inclined to set up all of them at about 10gr/lb so that trajectory will be similar. 58# should be fine for moose, 48# with 470 grain carbons at 20% foc will be for deer.

[S.C. Hunter]

I agree with others here, nothing wrong with going heavy. I myself have had good success as well with 485-530gr arrows from 53#-57# longbows. I have shot clean through deer with 485gr arrows no problem and had the same arrow and up to 530gr take hogs over 200# a few shots complete pass through shots. Zwickey and Magnus heads.

[windrover]

Glad to hear of success with 500 gr arrows. I have tried my 30" 2219 w razorhead (about 610 ) gr. on my 48# bow and the trajectory is not good at all.

My other question was/is do you accept that different animals would have different minimum arrow weights to penetrate ?

[Autumnarcher]

I have experimented with arrow weight, and recently been shooting a 5/16 hexpine with 200 gr on the tip. they tip the scale at 625 gr.
Out to about 20 yds, they shoot pretty good, but try as I might, I get too many low shots to be happy. Im shooting about 54# at my draw length out of my Thunderstick MOAB.

On the 3D courses, I am not happy with the dramatic drop off in the trajectory beyond 20 yds. Ive practiced a lot with them, and I decided Im going back to my other arrows at 535gr. They are plenty to do the job, and the trjectory of them is much better. I think there is a point you reach where the additional weight is too much. I took the 75 gr woody weights off, and they still fly great, but a little flatter.

[Huntnjim]

I agree with 10 gr per pound. Been pulling the string on bows since the early 70s and even with today's new lamination technology it still works efficiently.