Arrows/broad heads for recurve

[More Liberty]

This was my first season hunting with a bow, and a recurve at that. I got a couple deer for my freezer but wasn't confident in my arrows or broad heads. I picked up some cheap sets from academy. They accomplished the mission but I was hesitant to release at any distance over 15 yds. I'm looking for some reasonable suggestions for arrows and broad heads for a Martin Sabre takedown bow @ 50 lbs. Any advice will help. I also want to make sure that I can train/practice with them.

[More Liberty]

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[critter69]

VPA , any weight you want. Three blade or two.

[More Liberty]

VPA , any weight you want. Three blade or two.

What's VPA?

[SwampRabbit]

1st, congrats on what sounds like a very successful first season. Getting a couple deer your first year shooting trad is awesome!

2nd, what arrows and broadheads did you use?

3rd, you will find most folks try to keep it at 15 yards or less shooting at deer with trad bows.

[jerp]

What weight broadhead tuned best with your set-up? Shooting 50# I would probably go with a two-blade.

[More Liberty]

What weight broadhead tuned best with your set-up? Shooting 50# I would probably go with a two-blade.

I was using 100 grain. This is the type of advice. Thanks

[jerp]

If you are shooting 100 grain broad heads it suggests to me that you are probably shooting fairly light arrows. A good rule of thumb for hunting arrows is total arrow weight should be around 10 grains of arrow weight per pound of draw weight. For example, with my 50 # longbow I use 400 spine arrows with 250 grains out front. (100 grain insert and a 150 grain head.) Total weight is over 500 grains. It makes for a fairly slow arrow - I think about 180fps but heavier arrows quiet the bow and penetration is maximized

[Dry Bones]

Exactly right Jerp. You do not have to be exactly grains per pound of draw weight, but as a given rule of thumb, that's ideal. Out of my 49 lb Jenkins recurve I am shoot a little light, but the arrows are 15-35' Gold Tip Traditionals with 100 grain brass insert and 145 grain Zwickey Eskimo. My field points are 145 grain practice points. I bought them from RMS gear, along with the brass inserts. My New to me SuperMag seems to like Douglas Fir shafts 55-60 spine with 145 grain head weight. I also shoot XX75 aluminums from Easton in 400 spine in my 50lb Pearson. I like the NAP thunderhead 100 grain on the end of my XX75 shafts with a 100 grain insert.
Sorry for the long post, but there are a lot of different combinations, as long as you get good clean arrow flight, that's the most important part.

[More Liberty]

Exactly right Jerp. You do not have to be exactly grains per pound of draw weight, but as a given rule of thumb, that's ideal. Out of my 49 lb Jenkins recurve I am shoot a little light, but the arrows are 15-35' Gold Tip Traditionals with 100 grain brass insert and 145 grain Zwickey Eskimo. My field points are 145 grain practice points. I bought them from RMS gear, along with the brass inserts. My New to me SuperMag seems to like Douglas Fir shafts 55-60 spine with 145 grain head weight. I also shoot XX75 aluminums from Easton in 400 spine in my 50lb Pearson. I like the NAP thunderhead 100 grain on the end of my XX75 shafts with a 100 grain insert.
Sorry for the long post, but there are a lot of different combinations, as long as you get good clean arrow flight, that's the most important part.

Thanks. I knew nothing about this. Do yo also find that your field points and broad heads Shoot the same?

[Sliver Slinger]

Ive had good success shooting easton 2018 shafts with magnus 100 grain buzzcut broadheds off my recurve. @ 56 lbs

[Bisch]

Arrows/broad heads for recurve

Your total arrow weight should be at least 9 grains per pound of draw weight (and 10gpp would be even better for hunting, IMHO). So, if you are drawing 50# at your draw length, your total arrow weight should be at least 450gr. You never mentioned your actual draw length, and knowing that is critical to knowing your actual draw weight. Just because the bow has 50#@28" written on it, does not mean you are actually shooting 50# of draw weight. You should have your draw length measured, and put the bow on a scale to that length to see what your actual draw weight is. The only way to know for sure that your arrow is correct for your setup is to do some kind of tuning. Paper tuning and bare shaft tuning both yield reliable results. If you do not do some kind of tuning, there is a great chance that you are not getting the performance from your arrow that you should. If your arrows are well tuned, your broadheads and field points will shoot exactly the same! Find someone in your area who knows trad, and learn from them.

And btw, I hunt a lot, and shoot a fair amount of critters. I rarely shoot them much past 15yds! If you can get good at 15yds, you can be very successful!

Good luck!

Bisch

[Bisch]

As far as arrow and broadhead recommendations, there is a ton of good stuff out there.

Aluminum, carbon, and wood are all good arrow choices, but only if the right one is chosen thru tuning. Aluminum is probably the easiest to tune, carbon is the most durable, and wood the most difficult (esp for a newbie to all this).

There are a hundred different kids of broadheads that all work great. Get a cut on contact broadhead. Magnus, STOS, VPA, Zwickey, Woodsman, and a bunch more. Just make sure they are scary sharp, and in the same weight as the field points that you tuned your arrows with.

Bisch