Whitetail Arrow Build

[USMC22]

I live in the north east. Those 40+ yard shots just don’t happen here, for me anyways.

I run a fixed pin sight for 10, 20 and 30 yards.

I have a short draw length - 26.5” AMO

I draw ”light weight” - 49.5 lbs

My current arrow is:
- Gold Tip Hunter XT
- 100 gr brass inserts
- 100 gr Stinger Broadhead
- GT Nocks
- Raptor Vanes
- Carbon to Carbon is 26.125”
- Total Arrow Weight is 453 grains
- FOC is ~ 18%
- Speed (through chrono) is 206 FPS

Looking for some feedback. Haven’t had the chance on a deer yet and dropped to 50lbs this year due to injuries preventing me from drawing higher weights.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Sounds like good whitetail medicine to me. As draw weight and draw length decrease, total arrow weight and broadhead choice become increasingly important to achieving adequate penetration. I think 450 grain TAW and a fixed 2-blade head are good choices for your application. For what it's worth, I killed my first whitetail with a Browning Micro Midas set at 35#/24" shooting a 400-ish grain arrow with 3-blade Muzzy.

 

[MattB]

Your set-up is good, but I think *I* would be inclined to lower my weight down closer to 400 gr. to improve trajectory just a bit. A 50 gr. Insert would be an easy way to accomplish that.

 

[Zac]

I would probably run a quieter vane. Either Silent Knight Flex Fletch, or AAE Max Stealth's. Also I would change to a non-vented head for for optial sound dampening.

 

[Page Master]

Your set-up is good, but I think *I* would be inclined to lower my weight down closer to 400 gr. to improve trajectory just a bit. A 50 gr. Insert would be an easy way to accomplish that.

He'll lose penetration, which he barely has, if he does that. Since he is only shooting white tails the 453g should be fine with shot placement and a sharp 2 blade broadhead. He needs to be treating his arrows like a trad hunter does. Slow and heavy but quiet and sharp.

I would probably run a quieter vane. Either Silent Knight Flex Fletch, or AAE Max Stealth's. Also I would change to a non-vented head for for optial sound dampening.

I don't think he's shooting fast enough for any vane to be loud. He could shoot 5'' feathers and still be objectively quiet.

 

[Trial153]

If your shooting fixed blade heads stay were your at. If your shooting mechanicals i would look to add a about 50 grains....... either way its sensible set up for white tails in the NE

 

[LostArra]

If your shooting fixed blade heads stay were your at. If your shooting mechanicals i would look to add a about 50 grains....... either way its sensible set up for white tails in the NE

If you're shooting mechanicals I would stop and go to fixed blades. You're basically shooting fast recurve speeds and mechanicals are a bad idea from any trad bow. Fixed heads from 170 fps longbows will pass thru an elk so your current bow/arrow specs are fine for killing whitetail assuming you hit where you are aiming.

 

[Zac]

He'll lose penetration, which he barely has, if he does that. Since he is only shooting white tails the 453g should be fine with shot placement and a sharp 2 blade broadhead. He needs to be treating his arrows like a trad hunter does. Slow and heavy but quiet and sharp.



I don't think he's shooting fast enough for any vane to be loud. He could shoot 5'' feathers and still be objectively quiet.

Even trad setups with 5 inch feathers are very loud. Any 2 inch vane is going to be very noisy. Greg Poole talks about this frequently.

 

[callmebubba]

Definitely consider a sharp cut on contact head, you're low on kinetic energy to punch through so sharp will be a key.

Second, since this is moving so slow, your risk of an animal jumping your string is high even at close range so keep that in mind. Particularly an issue if the animal is aware that something is off (looking for you).

Best of luck.

 

[MattB]

He'll lose penetration, which he barely has, if he does that. Since he is only shooting white tails the 453g should be fine with shot placement and a sharp 2 blade broadhead. He needs to be treating his arrows like a trad hunter does. Slow and heavy but quiet and sharp.

Barely has? I got a full passthrough on a moose with a 400 gr. arrow with a 60# bow and a relatively inefficient 3 blade BH (Trocar). The OP is hunting animals ~1/3 that size.

If you have had alternate experiences with similar set-up's I am all ears.

 

[Page Master]

Barely has? I got a full passthrough on a moose with a 400 gr. arrow with a 60# bow and a relatively inefficient 3 blade BH (Trocar). The OP is hunting animals ~1/3 that size.

If you have had alternate experiences with similar set-up's I am all ears.

You can get a pass through, sure. But dropping from a 450g arrow at 50# to 400g to get a better trajectory is asinine. He's shooting 206fps. Keep the arrow weight high and know your limits. I don't know a single accomplished archer pushing sub 450g TAW, let alone down to 400g for trad bow speeds.

You CAN, but why would you? Keep the weight high and use a sharp single bevel and send it. Doing otherwise is against all logic. 60# compound? What was the arrow speed? Higher than 206fps I would imagine.

 

[USMC22]

@ 60 lbs is was 218 - 226 FPS depending on arrow weights (450 - 475)

 

[Billy Goat]

You can get a pass through, sure. But dropping from a 450g arrow at 50# to 400g to get a better trajectory is asinine. He's shooting 206fps. Keep the arrow weight high and know your limits. I don't know a single accomplished archer pushing sub 450g TAW, let alone down to 400g for trad bow speeds.

You CAN, but why would you? Keep the weight high and use a sharp single bevel and send it. Doing otherwise is against all logic. 60# compound? What was the arrow speed? Higher than 206fps I would imagine.

I wouldn't hesitate a bit to use a 400 grain arrow out of a 50# compound, for whitetail. I have seen them kill elk with out trouble.


I guess I just don't know what I'm doing.

 

[MattB]

I wouldn't hesitate a bit to use a 400 grain arrow out of a 50# compound, for whitetail. I have seen them kill elk with out trouble.


I guess I just don't know what I'm doing.

To the point if being assinine.

 

[Billy Goat]

38#, 350 grain if not lighter arrow, 27" DL.

22 yards. Freeze frame of the impact. 160# doe. Complete pass thru. Shot was a touch forward.




Ideal? No. But this is a 13 yo young lady. She wasn't allowed to shoot past 25 yards. She shoots well out past 30 yards.

I guess I just get tired of talk that makes it sound like a lowly 400 grain arrow will just bounce off a deer. Shot placement is the key. Hit where you're aiming and it doesn't take much.

 

[Felix40]

I wouldn’t change a thing. You have basically the same energy and the same broadhead I have with my recurve. It kills stuff super dead as long as I don’t try to get cute with bad angles. I wouldn’t mind better penetration sometimes but you have to work with what you have

Those stingers have a tendency to get dull after a while in the quiver. Try to touch them up once in a while.

 

[journeyman713]

If it were me, I'd lose the brass inserts. Your FOC is high, and so is your overall arrow weight for that poundage and draw length.
The increased speed will flatten your trajectory and improve hitting where you aim, at the various distances.
Hitting where you want is the most important thing IMO.

 

[Page Master]

I wouldn't hesitate a bit to use a 400 grain arrow out of a 50# compound, for whitetail. I have seen them kill elk with out trouble.


I guess I just don't know what I'm doing.

Not what I said at all, but if you want to be dramatic I guess you can. I don't see dropping arrow weight to marginally gain a flatter trajectory as being beneficial when you're already shooting slow and light.

 

[Billy Goat]

Not what I said at all, but if you want to be dramatic I guess you can. I don't see dropping arrow weight to marginally gain a flatter trajectory as being beneficial when you're already shooting slow and light.

Sorry, thought you said to use a 400 grain arrow would be asinine.

 

[journeyman713]

Not what I said at all, but if you want to be dramatic I guess you can. I don't see dropping arrow weight to marginally gain a flatter trajectory as being beneficial when you're already shooting slow and light.

There is more going on than just dropping arrow weight.
Must factor in all things, Speed, Weight, Trajectory and Kinetic energy.

I just ran some numbers on the two scenarios;
His current set-up, and without the 100 grain insert (guessing 50 fps faster).

His current set-up, 206fps, 453gr. has;
- Kinetic energy of 41ft lbs at 20 yards
- Kinetic energy of 40ft lbs at 30 yards
- Trajectory between 20 and 30 yards - 22" of arrow drop

Without 100gr. insert, 256fps. 353gr. has;
- Kinetic energy of 49ft lbs at 20 yards
- Kinetic energy of 48ft lbs at 30 yards
- Trajectory between 20 and 30 yards - 14" of arrow drop

KE is not lost and the arrow gets there faster, which reduces error of misjudging distance and deer jumping the string, and the most important thing - Hitting what you are aiming at.