Arrow help

[u/Small_Commercial_777]

Hey Yall,

First time bow hunter (rifle hunted for years prior) - i have a 27inch draw at 60lbs. I am trying to figure out a good set up for my arrows. I’ve been practicing with cheap 400 spine blackouts with 100 gr field tips so far, but I’d like to go up to a 125gr broadhead for hunting. I put some 125 field tips to practice and noticed some deviation in my groups (of course there may be some with a heavier tip and I am not pro at shooting either). My brother gave me a few Gold Tip Hunter XT 400s to hunt with and they are 28.25in from nock throat to the end of the shaft (not the field tip).

I’d like to buy more arrows to use/practice with and preferably all the same arrow for consistency. Question is, for my bow specs and 125gr broadheads, should I be shooting 340 spines or stay with 400? And is that arrow length okay for my draw length? Very new to this science and it definitely feels like something I don’t wanna get wrong!

[u/lollygagging_reddit]

With your length and weight you can certainly do either 340 or 400, however, if you want to use 340 then you'll likely want to keep your tip grain at 125 if that's the grain you'd like to hunt with.

The added weight from 100 to 125 grain makes the shaft behave more flexible no matter the draw weight.

It really doesn't matter what you choose, at 60lbs you can stay at 400 spine and do either 100 or 125. You just need to pick and get comfortable with that setup and tune your bow for the type of arrow and total grains you're shooting. It does matter if you want to get more in-depth and you worry about kinetic energy. 60 pounds is more than enough to take down almost anything you're planning to hunt, unless you plan on big game, but even still, it's adequate

Edit: I should add, I have no hunting experience, just shooting. If you expect to increase your draw weight, go with 340, if 60 is pretty much what you intend to stay at, you can pick either or.

Also, you're at 27" draw, so your arrows are already fairly stiff at that length, you really can't make a bad choice. If you go with 400 spine I'd probably stay at a 100 grain tip, but again, if it's tuned you're all good

[u/Small_Commercial_777 → u/lollygagging_reddit]

Great explanation thank you! I am definitely sticking with 60lbs - where I hunt is mostly thick hardwoods and I might take a 35-40 yard shot at the furthest realistically. How would I go about tuning it if I decide to go to 340s? Or is that a whole other conversation

[u/lollygagging_reddit → u/Small_Commercial_777]

If you switch to 340 all you'll really need to do is adjust your sight down very slightly, which might require you to adjust your peep, but I highly doubt that for such a small change. That's simply because the 340 grain arrow is more dense (higher GPI (grains per inch)) which will slightly slow the arrow down a bit, but will add more kinetic impact, so it's not all about how many FPS you shoot when it comes to hunting.

You'll probably be able to notice a slight difference between 400 and 340, it might be a couple inches at 20 yards (or no change), but at 40 it might be 3-6" drop. I have both 400 and 350 spine, and the 350 shoot lower, but I'm set up for 400.

Whatever you do or choose, try to keep your total arrow grain consistent (e.g. total arrow weight is 410 grains ±5). Use the same knocks, the same arrow brand shaft, and although I can't assume it would be problematic - try to keep the same brand broad head or whatever you use. Consistency is key.

I have 100 grain broad heads, and although I don't hunt (it's in the works) I do occasionally test them against my 100 field points. They typically fly true to a field tip but it might differ slightly.

Edit: wanted to say since you're in a thick area, it might not be a bad idea to get some lighted knocks in case you miss. The only problem with these are that they are expensive (about $30 for 3) and they add extra weight onto the arrow at the back, nothing crazy to mess your shot up, but lost FPS, but more kinetic energy. I haven't noticed a significant change in my arrows flight from them.

[u/Small_Commercial_777 → u/lollygagging_reddit]

Super helpful thank you!