I wanted to try some hickory shafts but man are they heavy. What are some of the heaviest shafts you have used for deer hunting.

700 grain maples- 65# longbow back in the day. Now I shoot 625 grain cedars out of most my bows- 50-62#

Is 680grains out of 50lb heavy?

Solid fiberglass fish arrow right around 1,000grs.

Thirty years ago I used some ash arrows out of my longbow. I reckon they were in the 700 grain category. Never shot a deer with them but smote a groundhog and some squirrels.

Thirty years ago I used some ash arrows out of my longbow. I reckon they were in the 700 grain category. Never shot a deer with them but smote a groundhog and some squirrels.

If you can't kill any deer alive with a 2018...

Heaviest 545 woodie, lightest 385 carbon. Both w/ 125gr BHs.

2018s will work, but 700 grains makes the bow quiet and wood arrows are prettier

Years ago I had a 80#@28" Martin Mountaineer longbow and was shooting approx 750 grain hickory arrows off of it. I never killed a deer with the combo but I did kill a couple wild pigs with it.

For a few years I used grizzly sticks with weighed inserts and big heavy Abowyer brown bear heads. I forgot the exact weight, but as best I remember they weighed in just a hair under 800 grains.

Didn't know anyone asked about deer killing.

George, with all these guys huntin' 'em you got to figure at least a few have killed one ;-)

Well that is true Dana. Well, not me so much, but those ash shafts taught me I don't need that weight for much of anything. ;)

I'm currently shooting about 650 grains in my 53-ish pound bows in Doug fir. I also have some POC and chundoo I shoot that are maybe 30 or so grains lighter. These are all 75- 80 lb. spine.

I've shot hickory arrows for 20 years. My everyday bows shoot 650 grain hickories and I've killed lots of big and small critters with them. That's pretty much all I've used for so long, I certainly don't see 650 grains as heavy.

Hickory shafts can be had in lighter weight and spine, or heavier weight and spine.

In my experience, the heavier/stiffer ones stay straighter. I've always wondered if the weaker spined hickory shafts came from wood that wasn't seasoned properly... because I've seen improper care after cutting turn hickory to rubber that won't hold its shape.

I have 850 grain hickories I shoot from an 84 lb recurve I made. Man do those things fly nice, fast and flat(for this selfbow guy), and hit HARD.

Love me some hickory!

373 grain carbon 45#.

I took a doe with a 840 grain dogwood arrow once but I am better suited with a 550 grain arrow.

I the opposite I like my 480gr arrow from my 61# bow never ever had a problem

Trajectory is always something to consider

All those heavy arrows may be “over kill”, but I will say it again, they quiet your bow and we all know that your bow can never be quiet enough. Also, I like my shots close, so the arcing trajectory really isn’t a problem.

I got my first deer at 29 paces with 27 3/4” 2018 and a 125... I think those went about 550....

Flat enough!

Ive killed deer with just under 15 gpp-- -550 grain arrow at 36#. It performed just as well as arrows that weighed 400 grains--- at short distances. I now stay between 10-11 gpp depending on which bow im using. I like the trajectory better for the longer shots i practice.

Try a lighter wood arrow. Wood makes bows quieter. I've use around 10 gpp except 1 year I tried 8. If it'll shoot well outa ur bow it'll kill deer.

I guess if the OP was asking "Heaviest arrow used for deer hunting" I'll take it for granted he'd be interested in the performance a heavier arrow had on deer. For deer I like to stay in the 9gpp to 10gpp range for my 60# to 65# recurves. So my arrows for deer aren't really heavy for the poundage I shoot but they're not light either.

I guess if the OP was asking "Heaviest arrow used for deer hunting" I'll take it for granted he'd be interested in the performance a heavier arrow had on deer. For deer I like to stay in the 9gpp to 10gpp range for my 60# to 65# recurves. So my arrows for deer aren't really heavy for the poundage I shoot but they're not light either.

The heaviest arrow I ever used to take an animal ( a whitetail buck) was 640 gr from a 44 lb recurve, it was an 8 yd shot from a tree stand. Most all of my hunting arrows fall in the 10 to 12 grs per lbs range.

Just heavier to carry around. Bout like carrying a compound with a quiver full of those. Lol

I missed a deer once with a 630 gr. ash/ 54# bow,,shot over his back out of a stand,,hit a tree just behind him, man was that loud, damn near jumped out of his skin gettin' away.. HA,, I guess anymore nothin's considered heavy until you get in the 700 gr. range.

2016 Easton arrow,515 grains, 45# longbow, 30yards quartering towards me, walking. Shot impacted onside tight to the shoulder, penetrated to the offside hind leg and impacted the top of the femur. For 200 to 250 pound deer you don't need more than this.

We're not all shooting 40 pound bows. Some of us are shooting heavier weight bows, but with an arrow weight that equates to LESS grains per pound than some of the light bow users... you know, if ya wanna be honest about trajectory 'n stuff :^)

An arrow twice as heavy can shoot flatter depending on the bow it's shot from. The arrow's relationship with the bow has more relevance than just arrow weight alone.

That's a good point Jeff, i have a setup that's 8 gpp which is about a 630 grain arrow off a 78 pound recurve. It should give me a pass thru lol

The OP didn't ask anything about what was needed. The question was simply about your heaviest arrows used

You can effectively kill deer with arrows as light as 7 or less hrs. per pound of draw weight, but that wasn't the question.

As for trajectory, a lot of folks shooting recurves and longbows really have no experience with trajectory because they don't experiment. How's dont lose efficiency of cast nearly as quickly as most folks think.

And if you typically hint from a tree stand trajectory is almost a non issue at typical whitetail ranges.

How flat of a trajectory do you need for shooting deer killing range. Most guys here quickly tell us they don't shoot past thirty yards hunting and most, much less than that. For that you need the quietest bow possible and whatever arrow you like. Some of us actually shoot our 40# bows out to much longer distances and at ten grains per pound, or even twelve, we still can get very good trajectory....if we aren't slumped over like Quasimodo and short drawing.

But then actually, he just asked us what we use or have used, and I suspect to quantify his choice of a hickory arrow....which will also fly from lighter bows or heavier ones and do the job. In Leatherwall fashion, it turns into a circus of innuendo and posturing. So just to get back on somewhat of a track, I will refer to my first post about ash shafts. They did fine, flew okay but were a bear to keep straight.

I've always hunted with 9-10 grain range. I just wanted to see how heavy people have went with their arrows. Just starting conversation.

Well if you want to get technical the OP didn't ask about trajectory either. All he really ask was " What are some of the heaviest shafts you have used for deer hunting." So since it's only for deer hunting my answer would be maple arrows about 625grs off of a 67#@28" recurve. It was my elk set-up but since I practiced with it all summer I just used the same combo for deer that year.

That's perfectly fine. But just like any conversation, here too it will evolve and turn this way and that. Some folks just don't like it to do so when it's not 'convenient' for them. Whatever. It's all good. I'm out of here.

2219s... 13+ GPI! Tough, too.

680 gr with a Simmons tree shark out of 56#@28 Schafer Silvertip!

Didn't go far.

Josh

No one ever just answers the question on here. Lol. Me included. When I’m using a 900 grain arrow I use it with my 90 lb bow. It’s more better

And don’t forget the slower the arrow the more it penetrates. All else being equal.

You really need to throw a LOL on there, Saph....

You never know when you’re gonna confuse somebody as to WHAT else is being kept “equal”....

Sorry, my comment regarding trajectory was directed towards the use of solid fiberglass fish arrows, which I’m sure was meant to inject a little humor, my bad

Heaviest arrow for whitetail I have used has been 650gr approx (forgewoods) out of a 53# recurve.

Stix I have some of them pine hexshafts. I've had them a long time but never got around to making arrows out of them. Maybe this year I'll make some.

Well a heavily arrow out of a 50 pound bow penetrates better than a lighter one. At least that is what physics says. Or does it?

Yep JR, but only if both are traveling the same speed,lol. According to physics. Thats the part most leave out.

You are right lol GLF

610 gr out of 50 # bow

I shot a buffalo with 800 grain arrow, but not deer,,

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