Second guessing my short DL arrow build

[Huntnfish89]

I recently finished putting these arrows together with the intention of using them for my first archery elk hunt here in N Idaho. They shoot great with fps, and I'll be testing them with some 100gr. vpa 3 blades here tomorrow. My question is for everyone who has more experience, do the specs on these seem sufficient with my limited draw length.

Diamond sb1
24.5" DL
I'm at 65lbs right now, will go up to 70 here in a month or so.
RIP tko arrows with 90gr stainless insert.
My total arrow weight is roughly 433 +/- a point. And roughly 15.5% foc ( for those so inclined)
I haven't shot through a chrono, but according to the online calculators I should be somewhere around 232 fps with 51 lbs KE

Am I just getting too much into my head and these should work fine or should I adjust something while I have the time. I know I will be shooting just above recurve speeds and this will limit my shot distances, and there are a ton of other variables, but I want to make sure that I can do the best with the things that I can have some control over.

The pic with the target I have 125gr field points in so that too is another option if I want to go heavier.

 

[BullsDeep]

Should be fine. I have similar set up but a little longer arrows. I have victory vaps with 95 grain insert and 100 grain head weighing in at 454g

 

[Timberline001]

You’ll be more than fine on elk. My first bow when I was 13 was a similar setup and I got a full pass through on my bull at 42 yards with the standard slick tricks. That VPA is wicked and you’ll pass right through one with no problems.

 

[TheTone]

You’ll be fine. I’ve seen a number of elk killed with lighter arrows and/or lighter draw weight. I’d limit my shots to fully broadside ones

 

[hobbes]

You are over thinking it.

 

[Huntnfish89]

Thanks this is reassuring, I do have an annoying tendency of overthinking things

 

[hobbes]

Thanks this is reassuring, I do have an annoying tendency of overthinking things

I'm an engineer, so understand completely. I'm just getting old and crotchety and stuck in my ways, so don't think much about my setup anymore.

 

[NMRoker]

For that draw length and poundage, I think you are in a good spot between arrow weight and speed.

 

[Sapcut]

Fine, fine, fine....until you hit something other than soft tissue. I've never seen an arrow not penetrate because it was too heavy. Seen pa-lenty not penetrate because they were too light.

 

[WCB]

Your fine....99% of guys severely over think it. Only issues I have seen with archery shot elk are bad broadheads, bad insert issues, and bad shot placement.

 

[sndmn11]

It is fine, I would not worry about the 5lbs of draw weight you mention if it does anything at all detrimental to your accuracy.

 

[Red Letters]

Highjack question (TS I'll edit if this question is out of line), does anyone get concerned when the arrows are at different angles like the last one in the op? His target is filled with material so I get that they could deflect on impact or whatever, but I get shots like that with a foam style target and no wind from time to time.

 

[Huntnfish89]

It is fine, I would not worry about the 5lbs of draw weight you mention if it does anything at all detrimental to your accuracy.

I guess I'll assess that when I up the poundage. This is my first year shooting and I wanted to keep the weight down while I worked on my form, and just kept it this way for turkey season. Interestingly enough, when I did up the DW by about 5lbs from 60-65 I actually saw an increase in accuracy and found that I was able to hold a little more steady.

 

[Huntnfish89]

Highjack question (TS I'll edit if this question is out of line), does anyone get concerned when the arrows are at different angles like the last one in the op? His target is filled with material so I get that they could deflect on impact or whatever, but I get shots like that with a foam style target and no wind from time to time.

I know for me if my arrows are all.sticking out at weird angles in the foam target then there is something wrong. That being said, my foam target is one of the morell dice and it can tend to shift a little upon impact so I take that into account.

In think you are right in saying that the bag targets are fairly non uniform when it come to filling so the random pockets of high/ low density fill will affect the arrow angle and might not be an accurate indicator of straight flight or otherwise.

 

[805Bowhunter]

It is fine, I would not worry about the 5lbs of draw weight you mention if it does anything at all detrimental to your accuracy.

Exactly and the most important point IMO. Ramping up poundage is great IF you can draw and shoot it effectively. In the past few years I have seen so many people that are in setups way beyond their ability. They're either sky drawing or pulling across their chest etc. and unable to draw effectively in a blind, sitting down, in the brush etc. Stick with what shoots well and what you are comfortable with in ALL scenarios. Your current setup is fine right now.

 

[kcm2]

i stopped reading after the part where you said they were shooting good. Go hunting and worry about finding elk, that's the hard part.

 

[ElkNut1]

This photo is of my 13 year old Son; 40# Hoyt Raider 25" draw with 400 grain arrow, 3 bladed fixed broadhead. Drove the arrow to the fletchings on this 6 point. Point is; you'll be waaay more than fine!

ElkNut

 

[Billy Goat]

This photo is of my 13 year old Son; 40# Hoyt Raider 25" draw with 400 grain arrow, 3 bladed fixed broadhead. Drove the arrow to the fletchings on this 6 point. Point is; you'll be waaay more than fine!

ElkNut

Seems somehow on the internet elk have turned into bullet proof.

Hit them where it counts with a well tuned sharp point, that's the most important part.

 

[Sapcut]

Hit them where it counts with a well tuned sharp point, that's the most important part.

See that’s just the point and problem, IMO. Everyone knows that basically any bow with any arrow will kill any animal if the shot is exactly perfect.

What about doing real tangible things that can be done to increase and maximize chances of turning the “bad shot placement” into a recovered animal? That seems to not be too concerning to most bow hunters.

 

[Billy Goat]

See that’s just the point and problem, IMO. Everyone knows that basically any bow with any arrow will kill any animal if the shot is exactly perfect.

What about doing real tangible things that can be done to increase and maximize chances of turning the “bad shot placement” into a recovered animal? That seems to not be too concerning to most bow hunters.

Because I have seen too many try to build something that they think will overcome poor shot placement only to see their shooting suffer significantly.

My honest opinion is big mechanicals might actually be better. I believe they increase your chances of finding a gut shot animal over a smaller cutting broadhead. A small cut broadhead that hits bone and doesn't penetrate doesn't make a dead animal, whereas a small hole back thru the guts still does.

I don't believe that many archers can shoot a setup that can reliably break heavy bone. I know of a bull that was hit forward this year from a setup that had well above average weight both in arrow and limbs. Bull went down in 40 yards. Then got up and left. They found the strickland helix broadhead mangled and tracked the bull for a mile in the snow. No recovery.

Unfortunately that's an individual whose shooting really suffered from trying to build a setup to pass thru heavy bone, and the result is he still won't reliably pass thru heavy bone and his accuracy is down.


It's a bow and arrow, treat it like one.


I don't like to compare firearms to archery tackle but what do you think is better in this situation? A shooter that has a .308 that they can shoot 2 moa to 400 yards with in field conditions or a 300 rum that they can only shoot to 4 moa under same conditions?