Big fat out front

[jasnt]

I’ve been following THP on YouTube for quite some time.  I noticed those guys switched up their setups to high foc and single bevel heavy broad heads with some bone crushing results.   I’m wondering if any of you guys are doing the same and what you think of this?  20-30% foc. 200-300gr broad heads.

[Stein]

My arrows are too long to get that kind of FOC unless i want an arrow that weighs a pound.  I tend to chase shiny things so I've been purposely not looking at anything archery on YouTube and run a tried and true bow and arrow.  It saves me all kinds of money.   

[MeepDog]

I'm newer to archery but I figured I'd try to start out right so I have been practicing with 600 grain setups almost all up front. Definitely quiet compared to lighter arrows.

[medic6]

I follow the ranch fair for his data and thought i would increase foc and see for myself the difference.  I shoot 28 inch 9.5 with 125g single bevel heads with 100g out certs. No more “it deflected” off the branch u couldn’t see.  Doing brush shoots showed it blows through the branch’s not deflecting out to god knows where.  I’m a believer.

[jasnt]

I follow the ranch fair for his data and thought i would increase foc and see for myself the difference.  I shoot 28 inch 9.5 with 125g single bevel heads with 100g out certs. No more “it deflected” off the branch u couldn’t see.  Doing brush shoots showed it blows through the branch’s not deflecting out to god knows where.  I’m a believer.

I’ve been binge watching ranch fairy last few days.

[Lucky1]

I shoot a 50 # bow. I am old, it is all I can pull anymore. I switched from shooting 400 spine arrows with 100 grain tips (total weight was about 425 I think).
Now I shoot 340 spine arrows with 100 grain inserts and 125 grain 3 blade fixed broadheads for a total of about 525 grains.
The arrows go right through the deer I have shot with the heavier setup. Had lots of pass throughs with the lighter set up too.
Getting the range correct is more critical with the heavier arrows.
I found it easier to spine tune the heavier arrows.

[Jpmiller]

I've been intrigued by this and am seriously considering switching my arrow/broadhead setup. Being color blind, having the pins spread farther apart appeals to me too as I'm usually pretty darn good at judging distances and my pins now are almost on top of each other, blocking my view.

[jasnt]

Think I’ve found my combo
20 yards, bare shaft, 460 gr head/insert weight, 300 spine , 29.5” shaft length
25.6% foc
766.8gr total weight

[Flyfisher9]

How fast is that 766 grain arrow flying ?

[jasnt]

How fast is that 766 grain arrow flying ?

no idea.  I don’t have a chronograph for arrows. Not worried about speed. It’s faster than a traditional and slower than a twizle stick 😂

[GWP]

Years ago a large buddy of mine shot 635 grain full length aluminum arrows using a bow weight measured at 84 lbs. And he would just stand there holding it like it was nothing. It used to knock my target over nearly every shot. Now THAT is some power.

[jasnt]

https://www.ashbybowhunting.org/get-started

[buckfvr]

I did a fair amount of reading/research on this subject a couple years ago, (I shot Arrow Dynamics at that time), Shot different arrows through a chronograph, calculated drop, etc., etc. and eventually got into some articles that got my attention. 

As in everything, there are two ends of a spectrum, and you are at one end of it.  ...There are serious trade offs to consider when deciding to huck arrows of that weight overly far.
I know others who got deep into the heavy/extreme foc thing and they are still heavy but moderately, rather than overly.  Moderation is a good path.   

[highside74]

I personally feel a lot of this stuff on YouTube and Insta is more social marketing than anything else. They are just trying to generate new sales imo. Massive foc and weight may make a difference with trad guys but not so much in highly efficient compound bows. My arrow is and has been 29" 413 gr for over 10 years. I've killed elk, deer and Moose from 8 yards to 80 and I've never had a problem. My kinetic energy is in the mid 70s. If you have a current setup I wouldn't change just to follow a trend but that's just me.

[jasnt]

Ed Ashby has over 30 years of arrow lethality testing on hundreds of animals, all testing done on animals with over 117 data points for every shot. All info is free and he doesn’t sell anything.

The Ashby Bowhunting Foundation’s goal is to provide the bowhunter with the information to achieve highest possible success rate and reduce the wound/non-recovery rate of big game to the lowest level possible. Through a program of continuing research, the Foundation seeks to find the most lethal arrow setups, considering all possible hits under real hunting conditions, and to make the results of this testing available to the global bowhunting community free of any cost, utilizing multi-media outlets for information and test results.

In addition to the individual bowhunter the Foundation will make testing results available to bowhunter education programs worldwide, and all government agencies responsible for promulgation of bowhunting laws, to encourage regulations that testing indicates will lower the wound/non-recovery rate of game.

The Foundation will strive to reconfirm the accuracy of any prior testing and to explore any and all untested avenues of research, including the ongoing testing of new broadheads and arrow components. To this end the Foundation will conduct both ongoing field testing and works with established university programs for various technical testing and analytical functions.

As with all the previous testing, the Foundation accepts no funding, direct or otherwise, from the archery industry, thus keeping the Foundation’s testing truly independent of industry influence.




Don’t take my word for it.  Check it out

[jasnt]

Ever have an arrow not exit?
According to the blood trackers of America’s stats.  Non pass threw deer are 27% recoveries and full pass threw are 74% recovery. 

I didn’t just pick this weight and go with it.  I started low and worked up in weight till the arrow flight was perfect.  No fletches to drive the arrow.  The weight out front drives the arrow and adds momentum.  I’m not worried about what energy I have at impact, I’m thinking about after impact.  Holes bleed better when there’s no object in the hole plugging them up.

[Jpmiller]

Ever have an arrow not exit?
According to the blood trackers of America’s stats.  Non pass threw deer are 27% recoveries and full pass threw are 74% recovery. 

I didn’t just pick this weight and go with it.  I started low and worked up in weight till the arrow flight was perfect.  No fletches to drive the arrow.  The weight out front drives the arrow and adds momentum.  I’m not worried about what energy I have at impact, I’m thinking about after impact.  Holes bleed better when there’s no object in the hole plugging them up.

When I was doing some reading on it this is what I kept coming back to. I've anecdotally noticed this and it kept coming back up

[jrebel]

Heavy arrows worked years ago and will work again....kind of glad some are going away from the "SPEED" craze.  150 grain broadheads use to be the gold standard.  Now 85, 100, 125 and so on.  Big heavy aluminum arrows with 150 grain broadheads would literally pancake deer, taking them off their feet and laying them on their side, I have never seen that with these light speed / whiz bang / fancy news ultra thin and light arrows.  With that said....I do believe there is a sweet spot with speed and weight in todays setups.  Find what shoots well and works for you and go with it.  Archery can be an expensive game if you chase shiny new trends.  Kind of like reloading for rifles....but you don't need a bunch of reloading gear to support the archery habit....

[jasnt]

I have a lot of friends that bow hunt, they have always tried to get me into it, I’ve fought them for years on it because of the troubles I’ve seen them have with killing animals quickly and reliably.  These are good hunters, good shooters, and put a lot of effort into their setups.

Last year I decided to try it, was successful and had a blast.  I did get a hole in both sides but arrow fell out about 10 yards away. Buck went 80 yards and crashed.  Ribs were the only bone encountered and the arrow barely made it out.  That was with about a 400gr set up at 17 yards. 
I wasn’t super impressed with that. So I started doing research. Every search kept bringing up the Ashby foundation. 

As a new bow hunter I want all the insurance I can get. I limit my shots to my effective range and wait for the good shot.  I’m not shooting heavy pull (55lbs) because it’s easy to shoot, I can hold draw for a long time and let down easily. 
These arrows are slower but the trajectory is acceptable for me. 

By the way all my bow hunting friends think I’m nuts too for shooting such a heavy arrow. 

[Longfield1]

I take a middle of the road approach and am shooting a 125gr broadhead with a 50 grain insert total arrow weight around 515grains

[Shawn Ryan]

Ashby was killing rhinos and water buffalo with archery equipment. And he did his work with a real science approach.

[hughjorgan]

I take a middle of the road approach and am shooting a 125gr broadhead with a 50 grain insert total arrow weight around 515grains

I am middle of the road as well. Run a 75 grain insert with 100 grain BH gives me 500 grain arrows.

I’ve shot lighter set ups and they did fine as well as a 9 percent FOC. Still had pass throughs.

[MIKEXRAY]

I wasn't happy with my arrow penetration a couple of years ago, due to my ignorance I was set up with an ultra light arrow. I simply added 60 - 70 gr by going with the next heavier spined arrow and a 125 gr 3 blade broadhead. I also went with a slimmer arrow of Easton Axis @ 5mm . Shooting both simultaneously at a broadhead target the upgraded setup definitely was hitting harder and deeper. I actually only had to change my 50 & 60 yard pins. I shot an elk that year hard quartering away with the arrow entering right before the last rib and was sticking in the far leg bone on exit.  I don't think my original setup would of ever accomplished this. Shooting deer and elk in a western atmosphere I'm not sure you need the same setup as someone hunting Cape Buffalo or whatever bigger game but adding some weight definitely made me more confident.  Its nice to get some bowhunting posts going , let's keep it up.

[jasnt]

I plan to do a lot of testing different setups this spring before I decide what I’ll run this season. Picked up some kudu 150’s.  So far it seems this combo is running great at 660gr total weight with gt hunter XT’s   

[MIKEXRAY]

Good luck.  I didn't read the whole topic before giving my two cents lol, only read page two with the middle of the road posts. Let us know the final outcome,  have a great season this year. 

[jasnt]

Good luck.  I didn't read the whole topic before giving my two cents lol, only read page two with the middle of the road posts. Let us know the final outcome,  have a great season this year. 

good luck to you as well



Got sighted in yesterday with the kudu 150’s.  Broadhead is grouping right with my field points out to 40 so far.  Really didn’t change my pins much at all.   Broadhead buried to the fletches in a half frozen straw bale.
This setup sure is quite.

[jasnt]

Picked up my new broadheads last week
Ranch fairy 200gr single bevel

[jrebel]

Picked up my new broadheads last week
Ranch fairy 200gr single bevel

How to they fly?  What kind of set up are you shooting them out of? 

[jasnt]

Picked up my new broadheads last week
Ranch fairy 200gr single bevel

How to they fly?  What kind of set up are you shooting them out of? 

shoot great. Grouping right with my field points.  Running a diamond edge 320, smackdown pro rest with factory sight and stabilizer
This arrow setup is 720gr total weight.