I suspect you were asking? The average is likely from 8 to 10 grains per pound for anything in North America, but lower and higher have been, and still is being used by some. If you tune for the best arrow flight on an arrow that fits your bow, you likely don't need to worry much about the final weight since it will probably fall within that range. Most of this just falls back on what has worked well for people over the ages. Your selection should be your selection.

If the arrow will tune to your bow it will kill whatever you shoot in this country. People are gonna try n convince you to shoot heavy arrows. You try em all and shoot what you like and can hit with, I promise it'll get plenty of penetration.

Generally, it seems most guys don't like to go lower than 400 grains total arrow weight. I would agree with that. As was said, Use what shoots well from YOUR bow with the broadhead YOU are comfortable with.

450 for me. 38 to 40# bow.

I like 500 plus. The last couple weeks some buddies have shot deer with thier compounds and lite arrows, no pass thus and penetration was minimal, result, no deer.

Pretty hard to tell from the info you provided.

Draw weight at your draw length? Type of bow? Broadhead?

But, I'd say if it's deer only and at least 40# with a 10 GPP arrow you oughta be good to go. Unless maybe you're shooting a mechanical head. :-)

Stay away from expandable heads n YOU'LL be fine as long as it's legal bow weight.

“The last couple weeks some buddies have shot deer with thier compounds and lite arrows, no pass thus and penetration was minimal, result, no deer.”

I would have to question the arrowhead on those, especially since a lot of compounders go with mechanicals to mask a tuning problem.

I asked one of the Bowsiters who has killed a lot of big Elk & Mulies and guided a lot more people to nice animals of their own, and he said 400 is a good minimum. You CAN go as much heavier as you like, and the only thing that will really suffer is the trajectory, near as I can tell....

OTOH, there’s a lot to be said for a well-tuned, flat-shooting arrow, and there is a lot that you can do to maximize penetration potential at a lower all-up weight; skinny carbons, high FOC, longer/narrower broadheads, etc... And bear in mind that the 400 gr recommendation was for big Mulies and Elk. And even a calf Elk is a VERY big deer.

So I have to agree with George; find an arrow that shoots well and you should be fine unless you go out of your way to cause yourself a problem.

10 grains per pound of bow weight is the recommended standard. Many like a little more weight for penetration. Some like a little less for speed. You can't go wrong in that neighborhood if you aim for 10 then Like George said use what tunes. Using standard components usually always falls in that range.>>>----> Ken

I don't agree with 10 gpp. If that works great. If you have a 45# recurve and a 450 grain arrow and it's doing the job. If that same arrow shot well out of a 55# bow it will kill just the same and will have better energy. I think fps is also important.

10-12 gpp for me.

"If you have a 45# recurve and a 450 grain arrow and it's doing the job. If that same arrow shot well out of a 55# bow it will kill just the same and will have better energy."

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!

Everybody knows that if you push a 450 grain arrow 20 or 30 or 50 fps faster, it will bounce off because of the GPP being under 10....

CRIMINY! Next thing, you'll tell me the world is some kind of "sphere" shape, when anybody can see plain as pee that it's FLAT.

I have built them heavier than 12 gpp (14.4gpp) and they drop very quick. I do think the sweet spot is 10-12 hop like stated above to punch through bone and get where it needs to go. I have not experimented much below that threshold but I know compounded shoot 5gpp and do just fine. They are also slinging an arrow much faster too!

I pick the broadhead I want to shoot. Then I tune an arrow with this broadhead to shoot out of the bow I intend to use. I usually end up in the 450-475 grain weight range (my arrows are 27-27.5"). Killed deer with 414 grains to about 500.

I won't get out of bed for less than a 850 gr arrow at 5000% EFOC

GF your nuts

Of course you are right but if you up the weight to 500 or 550 for the 55 pound bow it will have even more momentum and the same trajection as the 45#. Weight is better if you can handle the arc at your hunting distance. It is harder to get sufficient spine in too light of an arrow without special components. It is not an accident if you use the suggested arrow by Easton and standard components it comes out around 10 GPP. Suggested weight is 9 to 11 GPP Too much under creates bow stress and noise.Too much over unnecessary arc. The recommended FOC is 7 to 9 % for target. 10 to 15% for hunting. Exaggeration in either direction creates new problems to solve.FOC will come out just fine too. No worries with any of this stuff if you follow recommendations. I don't think they have changed much in 50 years.>>>----> Ken

Harry, I was shooting a 47lb. recurve this fall, my 3 arrows in the quiver, were 573, 596, and 597. They fly like darts, I am not a heavy arrow fanatic, I usually try to go middle of road, or slightly heavy, but this particular combo was really dialed in. What all of the fellas said, AROUND that 10gpp, but the arrow flight is key. I'm sure You will find something that flys well in the 8 to 12 gpp.

8-10...always works on a well placed shot.

Why is there any debate?

Just funnin’ ya, Rooty!

My arrows weight whatever they weigh. I really don't pay any attention at all. Used to, but not in years.

Ftp that's it agree 100% . Lol Gf

Even with 5 grain arrows, plenty of compound shooters are near the weight of the new geezer trad norm, just getting twice the velocity, and more accuracy.

What you are getting and will get is a list of what everybody likes, and since they like it, then it must be the best and everyone should follow suit. George and GLF have covered it. I have a bow that shoots 9gpp@67# and it is trucking, I also have a Black Swan 60# that shoots a 360 grain arrow at 247-251fps and has killed everything it shot like lightning although I bought it for a 3D play thing, yet anything under 400gr not good I read. A well balance arrow tuned to your bow that you can shoot accurately at the distances that you desire is what you are looking for, there are no absolutes.

I have been shooting 10-12 gpp for a very long time. I shoot almost every day if its not raining. The other day I came across an Easton 2117 that was 500gpp with a field point. I usually shoot 600 grain ash arrows and when I shot the aluminum Easton I sent it clear over the 3D target and into the top of the back stop! I figure I should stick to the formula I've been using for years. It could take awhile for me to make the unconscious adjustment with a light arrow. Switching set ups could jar my confidence. TLM

As you can see, there will never be a consensus, other than there is no magic number. Old Fred liked 9 gpp and didn't worry about anything else. I've never had a hunting arrow that fell below that since I use aluminum of relatively thick walls, so I tune for flight and don't worry about any of that number stuff. But alas today, you must have data or you will be drummed out of tradland. Currently I am at 9.633333334 gpp.

I'm shooting 480 grain arrows off a 50# bow, but I've killed deer with lighter arrows. Years ago, before we knew anything about all this stuff, My friends and I just found arrows that would shoot well from our bows and we killed deer with them. God only knows what they weighed.

It still work that way Bob, but alas....well you know..it's numbers.

Last year I shot a 450 grain arrow out of 50 at 26" Berry longbow and hit a 6 point buck. The arrow did not stick in the deer. The deer did not even flinch. Just for a second, I thought that I missed, but when the buck walked away and then fell down, I knew my eyes were correct. I blame the lack of reaction on those Schulz heads. I didn't have to wait for 30 minutes to track the deer so I spent that time fruitlessly looking for my arrow, snow and switch grass ate it. I wonder what butter feels like when a hot knife passes through it. Heavy arrow advocates are pretty stubborn defending their choice, like it cannot be done without uefoc at 14 plus gpp and a bunch of other initials, but sorry folks, there is a reason that a plain cedar or aluminum with a common broadhead like a Bear or Zwickey or even a Hunter's Head were such a long lasting standard.

I should add that the 500 grain Easton had an extremely flat trajectory and was a mere apparition going downrange, compared to my usual ash arrows. No doubt it would do serious damage with a properly sharpened broad head. TLM

My shots are nearly always at very close range, so trajectories are not of much importance to me. My last three deer were shot with arrows coming in at 11.288 grains per pound of pull. One year, lighter arrows flew best, so I took a deer at barely 9 grains per pound of pull. I had great performance shooting 10.2 grains per pound of pull. So, 9- 11 grains per pound of pull is fine with me.

Joe

A sharp head in the pump house no matter how heavy or light will kill a deer, we've been doing it for years fellas. I shoot about 8.25 gpp and kill deer with no problems, usually blows through both sides unless I hit a shoulder on the opposite side,and I use a 3 blade head. I think we put to much thought into the numbers part of it. But, if you really want to look at the numbers go to a spine calculator, and look at the arrow energy, and play around with it with what works for your bow, you will see that the energy stays real close with a heavy slower arrow vs a faster lighter arrow. I'm more comfortable with a flatter trajectory. But that's just my thoughts, I use what works for me.

I'm with fdp, old painted cedars from the 60's with 125 gr Aces on them, I have no idea what they weigh. I do know they spine at #60 and 27" bop. Shooting the same arrows out of 3 different longbows, similar in poundage but different in the lack of center shot, including a selfbow 7/16ths out from center.

Dean that was a great testimonial. Did you know that arrow was just about exactly 9 GPP I bet the FOC was 10 to 15% too. If it is a 50 at 28 drawn to 26 it was 10 GPP Heavier weight will kill. Faster speed will kill. Not a lot wrong with middle of the road which just happens to be 9 to 11 grains per pound of bow weight.>>>---> Ken

Nearly 40 posts and its clear we archers are thin on math skills and still got to the right answers. It isn't a perfect linear change, but close:::::::Raise arrow weight, speed drops but kinetic energy remains the same. Lower arrow weight, speed rises, kinetic energy remains the same. Choose the weight/speed that matches the trajectory you prefer and you are good to go.

Rick

I generally agree with the 8-10 gpp, but wonder why we always focus on bow weight. I believe that how much effort it takes to pull the bow back has less to do with performance at the terminal end than other factors such as how fast the bow pushes an arrow and how well you can sharpen your broadhead and how well tuned your arrow is. I know there are 40# bows that push an arrow faster than some 60# bows---just because it takes more effort for someone to pull a bow back does not equate additional performance down range. Chronographs are pretty easily available to most people---if your buddy doesn't have one your local archery shop does. With the wide range of performance seen on newer trad bows I think that fps and arrow weight would make more sense to focus on than how much effort it takes one to draw the bow back.

If you have a bow that shoots an arrow at 180+ fps I believe that any reasonable weight arrow (400 grains and up for example) is going to work. But when the 8-10 grains per pound is applied to say a 35# bow (legal in some states), at 8gpp we get an arrow that weighs 280 grains. I know this is an extreme example, but worth noting as many use lower poundage bows, and in this discussion we are basing arrow weight on draw weight.

My question is, for those hunting deer, is there a point in performance where you are better off going above the 8-10 grains per pound? I limit my shots to less than 20 yards and have had more success with an arrow that is at least 11 gpp and sometimes over 13 gpp out of a 40# bow. Since trajectory is not a problem at these ranges I feel the return I get on a heavier arrow is worth it. My setup gives me 145fps with a 440 grain arrow (11 gpp). Again, I realize that many shooting higher weight bows (impacting the total arrow weight calculation when bow weight is multiplied by 8-10gpp), don't need to entertain the above...

Sorry in advance if this is confusing...

My casual observations, which many can explain better than I, are that my bows are quieter with the heavier ash arrows, than with the lighter aluminum. I am really tuned in to my set ups, so if a non interested party was listening they might not notice what I do. TLM

My arrows are 480-490ish out of my 55# bows.

Compounders use expandable most of the time. Put a 2 blade on those same arrows and it'll pass thru 4 deer. I've passes thru deer with 480 grains and the arrow never slowed down till it hit a tree. If it'll tune it's plenty.

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