How to set up my Arrow's Specs
08-20-2004, 09:47 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location:
Posts: 4
How to set up my Arrow's Specs
I'm just now getting back to bow hunting. When I used to shoot, short aluminum arrows and overdraws were the rage. Last year I was shooting my Browning Bridger 65% let off bow at 70# draw w/ PSE carbon force 400's and 125Gr broadheads. To make easier hunting shots I've decided to drop back to 55# draw and use PSE carbon force 100 arrows. BTW the arrows are about 30-31" long.
My question is, can someone explain what weight tips I should use and how draw poundage and an arrow's effectiveness are related. The old bow shop I went to was OK, but when I asked the owner what weight broadheads to shoot and what poundage to pull he said it doesn't matter. I know this isn't true. Can someone break it down for me and get me up to date please.
Also, is this a good set up?
My question is, can someone explain what weight tips I should use and how draw poundage and an arrow's effectiveness are related. The old bow shop I went to was OK, but when I asked the owner what weight broadheads to shoot and what poundage to pull he said it doesn't matter. I know this isn't true. Can someone break it down for me and get me up to date please.
Also, is this a good set up?
08-21-2004, 02:43 PM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blissfield MI USA
Posts: 5,293
RE: How to set up my Arrow's Specs
I'm thinking those are going to be underspined for your set up. Give us more info on your bow. I have never heard of it before. Is it an older bow or what?
True AMO draw length, not the length of your arrows or what "Some guy told you" or what the bow says it's set at. If you don't know how to check it, here is how. Put an arrow in it and draw it back, have someone mark the arrow right above the inner most part of the grip. Measure from the valley of the nock ( I just leave it nocked on the string and measure from the string) to the end of the shaft, not the tip of the finnished arrow. Then add 1 3/4 inces to that. That is your draw length.
We would also need to know what length arrow you are going to shoot. It should technically be about an inch shorter than your draw length. However if you shoot an older bow it may be a bit longer becsause of clearance issues with the riser. Or it may be shorter if you shoot an overdraw.
How much draw weight are you pulling, you should really have it measured if you haven't done it in a while. Draw length, arrow length and draw weight are the most important factors in getting the correct arrow. Not exactly things you want to guess at.
What kind of cams are on it, dual hatchet cams, single cam, eccentrics? Or do you know what the IBO or AMO rating was for it new. This helps determin how effetient the bow is. Some bows devolope much more energy than other ones, even when set at the same specs. Also what is the axle to axle on the bow.
I tried to look up some information on this bow the other day to respond, but I couldn't really find much. Most of the hits I get are for a gun safe with the model name Bridger. A few of them were for bows, but no real information to speak of.
If this is an older bow, I would suggest not shooting the carbon force 100 arrows out of it, Even if the spine is close to being right. They are very light arrows and will not be good on your bow. The older bows were just not made to take that kind of abuse. It's not even really that great on the newer ones unless you are shooting a weak set up.
I am thinking of picking these arrows for my bow. I only shoot 26 inches and 60 lbs of draw weight though. And I will only be shooting 24 inch arrows. I can't see these spining correctly on your bow at 30 some inches if your draw length is any where near that.
Going from 400's to 100's is a pretty big drop in weight and spine.
Paul
True AMO draw length, not the length of your arrows or what "Some guy told you" or what the bow says it's set at. If you don't know how to check it, here is how. Put an arrow in it and draw it back, have someone mark the arrow right above the inner most part of the grip. Measure from the valley of the nock ( I just leave it nocked on the string and measure from the string) to the end of the shaft, not the tip of the finnished arrow. Then add 1 3/4 inces to that. That is your draw length.
We would also need to know what length arrow you are going to shoot. It should technically be about an inch shorter than your draw length. However if you shoot an older bow it may be a bit longer becsause of clearance issues with the riser. Or it may be shorter if you shoot an overdraw.
How much draw weight are you pulling, you should really have it measured if you haven't done it in a while. Draw length, arrow length and draw weight are the most important factors in getting the correct arrow. Not exactly things you want to guess at.
What kind of cams are on it, dual hatchet cams, single cam, eccentrics? Or do you know what the IBO or AMO rating was for it new. This helps determin how effetient the bow is. Some bows devolope much more energy than other ones, even when set at the same specs. Also what is the axle to axle on the bow.
I tried to look up some information on this bow the other day to respond, but I couldn't really find much. Most of the hits I get are for a gun safe with the model name Bridger. A few of them were for bows, but no real information to speak of.
If this is an older bow, I would suggest not shooting the carbon force 100 arrows out of it, Even if the spine is close to being right. They are very light arrows and will not be good on your bow. The older bows were just not made to take that kind of abuse. It's not even really that great on the newer ones unless you are shooting a weak set up.
I am thinking of picking these arrows for my bow. I only shoot 26 inches and 60 lbs of draw weight though. And I will only be shooting 24 inch arrows. I can't see these spining correctly on your bow at 30 some inches if your draw length is any where near that.
Going from 400's to 100's is a pretty big drop in weight and spine.
Paul
08-22-2004, 09:44 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location:
Posts: 4
RE: How to set up my Arrow's Specs
Paul, Thanks for the response. The Browning Bridger was made in the early 1990's. Its a magnesium riser and fiberglass limbs. Its adjustable from 45-70 pound draw and 50 - 65% let off. I'm not sure of the bow speed, or if that info was even available back then.
I just picked my bow up from the shop and getting the new arrows. This new shop swears they're good up to 60# and my bow is now right on 55#. My arrows are 28.5" and my set draw length on the bow is 29".
So how does that set up sound, and what weight arrow tips should I use? I used to use 125 grain field points and broadheads.
Thanks again for your help
I just picked my bow up from the shop and getting the new arrows. This new shop swears they're good up to 60# and my bow is now right on 55#. My arrows are 28.5" and my set draw length on the bow is 29".
So how does that set up sound, and what weight arrow tips should I use? I used to use 125 grain field points and broadheads.
Thanks again for your help
08-23-2004, 08:56 AM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blissfield MI USA
Posts: 5,293
RE: How to set up my Arrow's Specs
Taking into acount the age of the bow and type of cams it probably has on it (assuming dual medium cams) I think the spine should be good on those arrows. The fact that they are the correct length helps alot. When you said they were 31 inches long I was a bit thrown off. As far as the weight of the tip goes I don't think it will really matter much. 100's are easy to find and should still give you decent FOC. It would depend on the type of fletchings you have as well (feathers or vanes), you didn't say which you had.
My only concern now is that these arrows are kind of light. Depending on your fletching you are shooting between 5.6 and 6 grns per pound with a 100 grn tip. While you should pick up some speed this way, I'm afraid it may be a little hard on this old bow
. 6 grns per lb isn't bad though, epecially if you don't shoot alot. I would highly suggest limb savers and some good string silencers to take some of the vibration out after the shot. Keep your string and harness waxed well too.
If you have some 125 grn heads left over try them and see how they fly. If they are pretty old keep in mind some of the newer low profile heads fly a bit better. My suggestion would be to fletch these arrows with 4 inch vanes and some offset, unless you have a drop away, then go with helical, and use a 125 grn head with good penitration qualities. This would give you a finnished arrow weight of around 350 grns and an FOC of 13 - 13.5. Plus it would up your grns/lb to almost 6.5 helping relieve some of the stress from your bow.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying your bow will self distruct if you shoot these arrows out of it. That's not the case at all. However if you shoot a lot, over time shooting light arrows can take a toll on your bow. Worn bushings, bent axle's, cracked limbs, that sort of stuff. If you don't shoot very much, or are considering getting a new bow in a few years I would not be overly concerned about it. Now if these arrows were under 300 grns I might be a bit more concerned. Don't go with feathers and a 75 grn tip for a set up. You would pick up some more speed, but most likely quite a bit of vibration and noise to go with it.
And I don't claim to be an expert at this either. I don't own a shop or anything like that. Just play alot and read everything I can. I do however spend alot of time reading things on the internet and talking to shop owners. I also experiment quite a bit with my own set up. So I'm not completely clueless. Since no one else was telling you what you wanted to hear, I decided to give you my opinion. And it's just that, my opinion. If Len or someone like that comes on here and says I'm full of crap and all wet, I would go with what they tell you. They have a lot more experiance at this then I do.
Also if you would like some more info on set ups and arrow spine type stuff I can give you some links and right down what I think about the subject. It may take me a while, but I'm unemployed at the moment so I have time.
The short answer is if you can get good groups with those arrows with 100 or 125 grn tips your set up is more than capable of killing deer. I think the spine should be ok with either tip weight. If not you can fine tune it with your draw weight if you have to. Have you looked at the easton tuning guide yet?
Good luck,
Paul
My only concern now is that these arrows are kind of light. Depending on your fletching you are shooting between 5.6 and 6 grns per pound with a 100 grn tip. While you should pick up some speed this way, I'm afraid it may be a little hard on this old bow
. 6 grns per lb isn't bad though, epecially if you don't shoot alot. I would highly suggest limb savers and some good string silencers to take some of the vibration out after the shot. Keep your string and harness waxed well too.If you have some 125 grn heads left over try them and see how they fly. If they are pretty old keep in mind some of the newer low profile heads fly a bit better. My suggestion would be to fletch these arrows with 4 inch vanes and some offset, unless you have a drop away, then go with helical, and use a 125 grn head with good penitration qualities. This would give you a finnished arrow weight of around 350 grns and an FOC of 13 - 13.5. Plus it would up your grns/lb to almost 6.5 helping relieve some of the stress from your bow.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying your bow will self distruct if you shoot these arrows out of it. That's not the case at all. However if you shoot a lot, over time shooting light arrows can take a toll on your bow. Worn bushings, bent axle's, cracked limbs, that sort of stuff. If you don't shoot very much, or are considering getting a new bow in a few years I would not be overly concerned about it. Now if these arrows were under 300 grns I might be a bit more concerned. Don't go with feathers and a 75 grn tip for a set up. You would pick up some more speed, but most likely quite a bit of vibration and noise to go with it.
And I don't claim to be an expert at this either. I don't own a shop or anything like that. Just play alot and read everything I can. I do however spend alot of time reading things on the internet and talking to shop owners. I also experiment quite a bit with my own set up. So I'm not completely clueless. Since no one else was telling you what you wanted to hear, I decided to give you my opinion. And it's just that, my opinion. If Len or someone like that comes on here and says I'm full of crap and all wet, I would go with what they tell you. They have a lot more experiance at this then I do.
Also if you would like some more info on set ups and arrow spine type stuff I can give you some links and right down what I think about the subject. It may take me a while, but I'm unemployed at the moment so I have time.
The short answer is if you can get good groups with those arrows with 100 or 125 grn tips your set up is more than capable of killing deer. I think the spine should be ok with either tip weight. If not you can fine tune it with your draw weight if you have to. Have you looked at the easton tuning guide yet?
Good luck,
Paul
