how do you set yours up?

[blazingsaddle]

With all the speed craze going on these days, how do you guys set up your bows as far as arrow weights go? I mean do you aim strictly for speed or KE?
How many spend the time to pick the perfect weight vs speed for optimal KE? Do any of you buy arrows based on what they weigh?


For me, I shoot the heaviest arrow I can throw, at speeds as close to 280+-. I have found that I have better luck with overall broad head accuracy at this speed. Also I like my pin gaps at this speed. With my arrow weight/draw length, I toss more than enough KE.

What determines how you set your bow up?

 

[FAB]

I,ve had mixed results with penetration on deer with heavy vs lighter weight arrows and have settled on 380-420 gr. range for hunting. Last year I was shooting arrows weighing about 450 grains and had worse penetration than with a slower bow, the same broadheads, weighing 390 grains. The bow shooting the heavier arrows was a Bowtech 82nd at 70 lbs and the penetration was dissapointing. This year I'm going back to a lighter arrow. That being said I used to shoot a 500 gr. arrow out of a Blacknight that blew holes through everything.

 

[backinthegame]

Arrow Set-Up: 400 grains, plus or minus a few.

Bow Set-Up: Forgiving. At least a 7" brace, and I like a little longer ATA.

 

[BigPig]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-02-09 AT 11:11AM (MST)[p]KE is a purely mathematical number that disregards the most important element of the killing effectiveness of an arrow, MOMENTUM!

You can get a lot of KE with a light arrow going smoking fast, but it will lack momentum and will fail to penetrate. This is because too much energy dissipates and is therefore wasted upon impact with a dense target like bone or heavy hide. A heavier arrow retains that energy upon impact and has the momentum to carry the arrow through the target.

I think the best compromise lies with an arrow about 410-450 grains. That will give you plenty of speed, a flat enough trajectory, plenty of punch, AND enough momentum to carry your broadhead through an animal.

I shoot a 425 gr arrow at about 270 and it goes through everyting I shoot at.