At the Ranch – Whitetail: Heavy Versus Light Arrows

In this video I want to talk about heavy arrows versus light arrows. Right now I am currently shooting a Vector Custom Shot Arrow and it is a relatively new arrow company that I started to use during my hunts this year. I really just want to talk about the differences between heavier arrows and lighter arrows and what the benefits and drawbacks are of both.

With this being my first year shooting what I would call a heavy arrow, I’ve already come to really like it. The biggest difference with a heavier arrow versus a lighter arrow is your grains. This arrow that I am using now is about a 550 grain arrow. In comparison, the arrows that I was shooting last year were under 400. It’s a big difference so I want to kind of run through the differences here and what I’ve been experiencing.

With a heavier arrow, you are going to be shooting at a slower speed. So out of my exact same bow setup, last year I was shooting around 280 to 290 feet per second. Now, with a heavier arrow being used, I’m shooting in that 250 range so my speed has come down quite a bit. But, what you’re gaining back in that is better kinetic energy from the heavier arrow. For example, when I hit something, the front weight of this arrow is going to pull it through better than my lighter arrow – which was a lot faster, but can be stopped much easier. You really need to see what you value and what you prefer better. Some people prefer shooting as fast as possible. I prefer – because I’m still shooting relatively quickly – the fact that now I’m going have a better chance of penetration with a heavier arrow wherever I hit. Whereas with the lighter arrow, you have a better chance of breaking it off and it’s just not going to impact and penetrate your target as well.

These are the biggest differences between a heavy and a light arrow. Again, lighter arrows are going to be a lot faster, but your penetration and your kinetic energy is going to be a lot lower. With a heavier arrow your kinetic energies are going to be a lot higher but it’s going to move a little slower.

heavy arrow

Get More Deer Hunting Tips:

At the Ranch – Whitetail: Bowhunting on the Ground Versus Treestand

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