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Joined: Feb 2008
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OP
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Curious to get some opinions on an arrow set up. Here are the specs:
Elite Energy 35
28.5" draw length
66lb draw wt
29.25" Easton Axis, 260 spine arrow, 11.5 GPI
75 grain HITT inserts
225 grain Helix Broadhead
Blazer 2" vanes
Arrow comes in at 670 grains and a KE of around 72. Chrono measured the arrow at 220 FPS. I didn't calculate the FOC but it should be around 20 I think and man the bow is quiet with this arrow.
Let me know what you all think. Thanks
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Campfire Tracker
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It will kill anything you hit with it
It's accuracy that kills game
One shot, one kill........ It saves a lot of ammo!
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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And why I want flatter trajectory.
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time by the blood of patriots and tyrants.
If being stupid allows me to believe in Him, I'd wish to be a retard. Eisenhower and G Washington should be good company.
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To me you are defeating the purpose of your components.
The Axis is by design an arrow for flat shooting and wind bucking. It also has very good penetration.
The broadhead is way to heavy for your arrow. Sure you can make it work but why?
When you have to make things work that tells you they are not ideal for each other.
A 125gr head on that arrow would work beyond belief.
Eat Fish, Wear Grundens, Drink Alaskan.
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I shoot a 464 gr axis at 280 for 81# ke. Flatter shooting and more energy.
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464gr makes sense and I am sure a lot easier to tune and shoot accurately.
Eat Fish, Wear Grundens, Drink Alaskan.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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Was thinking it was heavy too, why use Axis?
I guess they still make heavy and AL shafts? I like heavy.
Flatter doesn't matter that much, you can't guess ranges well enough to hit, at least confidence wise I'd prefer to range each shot and then let it work.
Just like picking a 308 over a flatter round. But different strokes for different folks as they say.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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I like heavy myself but the OP set-up is not a well balanced set-up. Then there becomes a point where you just don't get anymore return on investment on heavy too. A pass thru with a 400gr is the exact same as a pass thru with 600gr.
Now if we were talking dangerous game it becomes a different story. The OP said elk not Cape Buffalo.
Eat Fish, Wear Grundens, Drink Alaskan.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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I can agree to that. Will the 400 pass through a strong angling shot, assuming no major bones hit?
I've only bowhunted elk, IE I've never shot at one with an arrow. So I have no clue what weight realisitically takes to get good penetration.
My go to was 2219 and 4 blade Zwickey Deltas. They'll bust through a big hog, shields and all so I was assuming ok on the elk.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Not sure on that. To be honest in my opinion that would be a bad shot selection. If the angle is that extreme to miss the off side shoulder you could be splitting the lungs and at best hitting one. I would wait for a better "softer" angle shot.
Eat Fish, Wear Grundens, Drink Alaskan.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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I don't take em on purpose, but animals whirl and move. Hence the want for a bit of error protection.
I aim to stay away from any bone, especially shoulder, even on an exit side. Exit the crease of the leg is what I try for. Doesn't mean it would work that way though.
I'll never hunt elk again though likely so its just wondering. But I might hunt moose with a bow at some point since I go to AK every fall now.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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My lightest hunting arrows for a compound are 490gr. I took one elk using these at 35 yards. Shot was slightly quartering away. Complete pass thru.
I killed two prong horn with these arrows as well both quartering and pass thru's.
Numerous deer most all pass thru's. I can only think of two that didn't. One was in the off shoulder. The other for whatever reason didn't exit and didn't hit bone.
1 bear quartering away exited just in front of the off side shoulder.
My heaviest arrows from a compound are 522gr. I took a moose using these at 22 yards, quartering, complete pass thru.
I have killed a number of deer with all sorts of angled shots and pass thru's. I blew a Slick Trick thru the off side shoulder of a deer with about half the arrow remaining in.
2 elk one pass thru and the other in the off shoulder.
I like pass thru's but I am ok with the head stuck in bone on the off side. Never had a problem recovering game either way.
In my opinion to many people read to much magazine BS and buy into it. Because it is in black & White in a magazine it must be fact. Then you have some that take what they read or hear to extremes. I see this all the time with FOC and broad heads.
There is zero need for a broad head more then 125gr for North American big game, using modern compounds.
Eat Fish, Wear Grundens, Drink Alaskan.
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rost, I understand. Shiit happens in the woods. My point is even if the broad head didn't exit the off side on a GOOD shot, I wouldn't lose sleep. As it is a dead animal.
Eat Fish, Wear Grundens, Drink Alaskan.
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I have shot several bulls, mule deer and antelope with arrows weighing around 400 gr and traveling in the 260-270 fps range. All dead and most pass throughs. A bow that you can still pull and shoot well after a hard day of climbing the mountains is much more important to me than pulling every last # of draw weight.
Last edited by centershot; 06/16/14.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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My lightest hunting arrows for a compound are 490gr. I took one elk using these at 35 yards. Shot was slightly quartering away. Complete pass thru.
I killed two prong horn with these arrows as well both quartering and pass thru's.
Numerous deer most all pass thru's. I can only think of two that didn't. One was in the off shoulder. The other for whatever reason didn't exit and didn't hit bone.
1 bear quartering away exited just in front of the off side shoulder.
My heaviest arrows from a compound are 522gr. I took a moose using these at 22 yards, quartering, complete pass thru.
I have killed a number of deer with all sorts of angled shots and pass thru's. I blew a Slick Trick thru the off side shoulder of a deer with about half the arrow remaining in.
2 elk one pass thru and the other in the off shoulder.
I like pass thru's but I am ok with the head stuck in bone on the off side. Never had a problem recovering game either way.
In my opinion to many people read to much magazine BS and buy into it. Because it is in black & White in a magazine it must be fact. Then you have some that take what they read or hear to extremes. I see this all the time with FOC and broad heads.
There is zero need for a broad head more then 125gr for North American big game, using modern compounds.
Interesting take on the 125s. They won't penetrate big pigs here as good as heavier heads. Though I doubt I've ever seen one not penetrate at least both lungs. Wife shot 110 Zwickeys, and had the head out the other side, but not a pass through on a pig over 350 pounds years back. 50 ish pound draw IIRC, Maybe 52 with a 2016... We went to lighter arrows later on deer, and it was ok, but penetration wasn't as good. Especially when moving to Muzzy heads. I hear ya on non pass through, but every one we've ever done that way, had very little blood to follow, not a real big deal but could be. Of course as you note, generally they don't go to far with an arrow in the right place. RE modern bows, I have nothing with cams, and nothing newer than 91. After that I went to recurves and was very happy there. I'm sure a new bow could make a big difference. I don't see that in my future as if I have time to shoot bows again it'll be the brackenbury I"m 99% sure.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Rost I still hunt on occasion with 1987 Hoyt ProVantage. Your 1991 will get it done as you already know. You don't need a new bow shoot and kill chit with what you have.
I have hunted pigs in FL, AL, LA, and TX with both 100gr and 125gr slick tricks, razor tricks, and muzzy's. All pass thru's but I shoot 65lb and 70lb.
I shoot a long bow too.
Eat Fish, Wear Grundens, Drink Alaskan.
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Back 20 years ago I used to shoot an old 80# Hoyt cam bow with big old heavy 2317's and 130gr muzzy's. Granted that bow was not as fast as the bows of today, but still was in the 240+fps range with 650gr+ aluminum arrows. Those arrows carried approx. 20ft/lbs more KE than my current setups around 260fps w/ 400gr arrows. I have had much more success and more pass throughs on the same animals with the newer 60# setup shooting less KE but with carbon arrows and 90 gr muzzys. I believe some of the penetration is attributed to the 1" cutting dia. of the 90gr over the 1 1/8" cutting dia. of the 130's but most of the increase is in the change to carbon arrows of smaller diameter and less flex at impact along with 20-25fps increase. Not exactly sure what makes the difference but I have no intention of going back. For critters up to the size of an elk my setup has worked excellent.
Last edited by centershot; 06/17/14.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
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Short of needing a hammer to go through a shoulder, I have always used arrows in the 400 range @ 280 fps. Never had an issue.
I have a guy who has been walking with me gearing up for the hunt and he hunts with a similar weight. He explains to me that he needs that weight in the event he has to shoot through some light brush and it will help keep the arrow from deflecting. We will not be hunting together...
I would evaluate why you need such a heavy arrow....
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Campfire Regular
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I shoot a traditional 55 lb recurve, and shoot HEAVY arrows, over 600g, on everything from Elk to whitetail to hogs. Usually get a complete pass through unless the arrow encounters bone, and usually then too. Heavier arrows are slower, but VERY quiet and carry good KE. You don't really need a lot of arrow speed if your bow is silent at the shot and the animal doesn't jump the string. I'm a KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) sort of guy. My bow is wood, my arrows are wood, my broad heads are steel/one piece/two blade and my fletching is actually made of feathers, oh and my fingers actually touch the string. The only thing that can go wrong on my rig in the field is the string. My bow is slow and my arrows are heavy but it's quiet and I get no hand shock. Heavy arrows resist a cross wind better, penetrate better at odd shot angles, deflect small unseen obstacles like that twig you didn't see at the shot, bust through bone and usually make two holes to bleed from.
Heavy arrows kill chit just as dead as all this new fanged carbon fiber 350fps laser beam death rays. Some times the old ways are just as good, or even better, IMHO.
Foxx...
God Bless America!
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464gr makes sense and I am sure a lot easier to tune and shoot accurately. Ugh No.......the heavier arrow will always have more energy....they don't use light arrows on cape buff. That said, I've shot hunting arrows all the way up to 840gr but I think for NA game such as elk, an arrow somewhere between 450-550 is usually the best combination of speed, efficiency, quiet, etc
Last edited by B_Lance; 07/11/14.
"Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win."
Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out-Art Linkletter
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