Neb - I shoot heavy arrows and light arrows, both have their values. For East Coast animals where I do most of my hunting, a 400 grain arrow is fine and flies very well with a tight pin gap for aiming.
The heavier arrows penetrate, and usually pass through, but they don't kill any quicker for me than the lighter ones. While the thought of a bit of extra kinetic energy might a comfort for some, a properly placed arrow does the same for me.
I'd agree with Center, you are missing a decade of tech and better bows that are out there. I don't think you need to trade every year, or every three. But, by about five years, the tech has usually changed enough to make it worth looking at again.
I had my archery gear stolen in 1997, and didn't come back into the market until 2009. Everything I knew...wasn't true any more, and I had to relearn my hobby all over. I have since purchased a bow like the one I had stolen, just to shoot the "then" and "now" once in a while. My old bow will still kill, but it's loud, slow, heavy, and much less forgiving.
Buy used, the fan-clubs have members trading bows every year, and 1-3 year old bows don't hold value, when the new models come out.
Last edited by AH64guy; 07/10/14.