How many here like to shoot both 'light' and 'heavy' arrows from the same bow?

I'm not talking extreme differences, like 5 gpp and 14 gpp, but maybe a lighter carbon and a heavier aluminum shaft.

I have one bow that rockets a carbon arrow well, great for 3D, but feed it a 2018 and it's a B52 bomber!

Yeah, I know that trajectory matters, and if I were looking to shoot just one arrow for all purposes, I could find a good 'compromise', but why not look for the best of both?

I do know this - if I were hunting bear or elk or moose, the quiver would be loaded with those 2018's.

I shot the same all year round hunting and target shooting I take the middle of the road just over 10gpp and 12-15% foc it works good for both and I know what my setup will do.

Never the same bow but I do have light weight target bows that I shoot lighter weight arrows. Never less than 8gpp. What kind of bow are you shooting 5gpp? A lot of bows won't stand that low of gpp. Back in the 80's when the speed thing was coming on I would have several bows each week come back with cracked limbs and broken risers. I don't know a lot about the carbon foam limbs but they should stand the abuse.

I'm -not- shooting 5gpp!! More like 7.5 or so. And around 11.5 for heavy. (I'd have to weigh them for exact #'s.)

The point is that one bow can shoot like two different bows for different purposes, -if- one is so inclined.

Of course, Bigdog's approach is solid too, 'beware the man with just one gun...'

Still sound advice in going 8-10 gpp

stickhunter, Most ILF limbs are warranted to 5 gpp. It's usually only custom bows that have a caveat attached about gpp. Anyway, I would think any arrow weight matched to a bow would be fine for 3D. You're not talking 80 yard shots, usually a max of 30 nowadays for most shoots. For instance my point-on is over 50 yards, so I personally would be using a heavier arrow for 3D rounds. Didn't say heavy...I said heavier...versus lighter.

You really want a balance at which your bow performs well, and you are getting a trajectory that fits your form. That likely is neither light nor heavy but could be either. 8^). I kinda struggle with people's interpretations of what light and heavy represent. The standard is usually between 8 and 10+ grains for hunting, but field, target and 3D are different and open to lots of variables.

Funny my minds eye likes an arrow going around 185 fps so I look to have most of my set-up shoot around that speed then no really adjusting when I pick up a bow. Shawn

T or F a heavy arrow will shoot smother and quieter than a light one? also what is the formula to get the FOC

True, in my experience.

http://www.grizzlystik.com/Calculating-Forward-of-Center-FOC.aspx

follow this link for some good foc info

2x what bigdog21 said.

Your arrow will decide what the best front-of-center is by tuning. All the calculators in the world only get you to a "likely" point. You can do that through tuning and using the variables to get that perfect flight....by shooting. Just another aspect from when we didn't have charts, schematics and interactive charts.

You have to define "light" and "heavy". 8 grs. per pound isn't light in my book. and 14 isn't particularly heavy so, there's that.

If you have a bow that "launchs" carbons, but doesn't shoot aluminums proportionately as fast, something is wrong. UNLESS the bow has some kind of really radical sideview working limb profile.

I agree that the same bow can be used different purposes. I've said on here for years that arrows were simply like bullets shot from a rifle and should be chosen accordingly with the end result in mind, in consideration of the use environmnet. Folks were pretty much appalled.

Do you need lots of penetration potential at short range, or do you need flatter trajectory to help mkae longer shots easier?

I think more often than not, "FOC" is a way to make the wrong arrows fly straighter. 8-9gpp makes me happy.

I have some heavy Chinese carbons that I use for Judos/close Range

fdp, I suspect that most shooters would consider 14 gpp 'heavy as all get-out' ;-)

Since I don't use a chronograph I couldn't quantify, but I know hot from warm ;-) There's a lot to like about the 8-10 range, and I suspect most 'traditional' shooters are comfortable there. It represents the golden mean that Maurice Thompson spoke of back when. This topic is just about stretching that some.

315grn aroows for 3Ds, and 500+ grn arrows for hunting, out of the bow I've been using for both 3Ds and hunting for years.

What I try to do is to get my light and heavy arrows shooting a similar point on. Trajectory will be different though. I cut my heavy arrows Shorter.

I have 9gpp 30.5" and 12gpp 28.25" that group at 30 yards.

I don't know how 3D tournaments work for arrows, but in field archery you must shoot the same weight and length arrow when shooting a field, hunter or animal round. No using different lengths and weights to accommodate targets.

George, can you use different arrows for different rounds? Not talking about using different arrows on different targets in the same round. Pretty sure IBO also requires matched arrows at a given shoot.

I don't like shooting carbons from my Grizzly. Way the heck too fast for me. I'll take an 800 grain arrow over a 400 grain arrow any day. At the short range I shoot a slow arrow is fine. I much prefer my bow to go thump than 'BANG'. jme

I can shoot both "light" Douglas Fir arrows and "heavy" Hickory arrows from my bow with the same results (hitting the spot) any time.

I shoot those two woods as well. Fir is nicer arrow wood overall but the thump from hickory on the string is like listening to bass notes.

I've only been shooting hi-performance long bows for a couple of months now, and of course the "longbows" PLURAL for about 24 hours… But neither one really seems to "like" a lightweight arrow all that much.

Just one man's experience, and based on a very small amount of data, but the longbows are just so much softer in the hand and quieter on the release at 9 or 10 GPP did it almost seems a fool's errand to ask them to shoot anything else. Although I suppose I could always go up a bit in weight and see how they like it.

The recurves don't seem to mind eight or so GPP in the slightest....

But these are pretty early impressions, and I reserve the right to change my mind after a summer traipsing around the 3-D course!!

GF,

To a lot of Longbow shooters, 9-10gpp is light :)

I've shot 7gpp on a couple of my recurves and the speed difference was pretty shocking.

I shoot only ash or birch out of my Meigs #46 longbow. They hit hard and are very quiet. They also are durable for stump shooting which is the only way I practice 99% of the time. I get total penetration on both deer and black bear with a Zwickey Eskimo or No Mercy broadhead, even if I hit ribs.

Caveman, T-rex's were in the past bro.

I shoot wood and carbons. Generally prefer both on the heavier side, about 11-12 gpp.

"To a lot of Longbow shooters, 9-10gpp is light"

Yeah, I suppose so! Just depends on what you're used to, I guess...

It'll be interesting to me to get out of the yard and see how I do up against stumps & 3Ds... I've been trying to ignore elevation while I futz with spine, but I do love a flat-shooting arrow.... missing high and low is why I switched over to carbon in the first place and it makes a real difference. You lose a lot fewer arrows when they're stuck in the target!

I have been shooting 3555 gold tip arrows out of my 53#@27 in longbow. they are very fast but I wanted a heavier arrow to hunt with. Pulled out some 2016's with a 200 grain point and 4 fletch 60x120. They shoot very well and weigh at least 550 grains.

Call me superstitious but my bows have a sweet spot and certain weight arrows just seem to shoot better .I find that nice weight and don't change it.Most of my bows will effectively deliver a reasonably heavy arrow efficiently.light arrows scare me because I don't think they will penatrate that well.That isn't really true but that's how I travel. OSR

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