Grains per pound?

[jerp]

OK, now that I've been shooting my recurve for a while I'm getting into the "arrow tweaking" phase. I just got a test kit from 3 Rivers with field points of in a range of weights. I've read/heard several recommendations on optimal grains of arrow weight per pounds of draw weight. As a general rule or starting point, what how many grains per pound of draw weight do you find flies best?

EDIT: BTW, I won't be hunting with this bow (only 40#) so penetration is not an issue. Just want the best flight possible as I shoot targets

[berettadave]

I'm not the best one to reply to this for sure but, I have had good luck with my arrows at around 9-10 gr per pound. I think if you are just shooting targets you may get away with lighter arrows(up to a point)and have a slightly flatter trajectory. The arrows I used this last Saturday at Cowtown were a little lighter than my normal hunting arrows. They were right at 9.1 gpp. I'm pulling 54# at 30" and was shooting a 492 gr arrow.

There are a lot of folks on here that know more than me so maybe they will chime in.

Dave

[trad"Doc"53]

Jerp, I can only offer up for myself. Since I get an occasianl opportunity to hunt, I like shooting the same arrow weight and arrows that I will be carrying in my quiver to hunt with. Middle of the road seems to be 10grns/per pound. That being said my arrows weigh 500grns. I am pulling roughly 47#s at my draw length so I am a tad over the 10grns. mark. Since all your going to do is shoot targets you may want to go the route that Dave suggested above, getting a little flater trajectory

[Phillip Fields]

Jerp, I really don't think the grains per pound has much effect on how the arrow flies. A heavy or light arrow can be tuned to fly equally well. A lighter arrow is generally a little louder, but that shouldn't be a concern on the target range. If I was seting a bow up for targets I would probably shoot around 9 grains per pound. Since I'm a hunter I shoot the same setup on the range as I do when hunting. I shoot a 620 grain arrow out of 55# at 28" (11 .27 grs per pound).

[huntinpool]

I shoot a bow for tournaments and a different bow for hunting. My target bow is #50 and I shoot 357 gr carbons, 479 gr alum, 479 Woodies, I shoot the same carbon and woodies off of my longbow limbs which are #45 . Most wooden bows and boyers want you to shoot a min. of 8 gpp. Anything less could void your warranty. I have shot as low as 5.2 gpp on my recurve limbs, they are carbon /foam and rated to shoot 5 gpp . It would shoot 238fps and would miss really quick, very unforgiving setup.

So if your shooting wooden bow and limbs I would say 7 gpi is the low side to keep from damageing anything.

On a side note, I have a Sarrels Longbow that I shoot at 6.2 gpp and it shoots great , quite and very accurate. Bob will not fix it if it blows up , but it is good test data and proff he makes a bow that can handle a lighter setup. .

[TxAg]

Jerp,

I just bought a 40# recurve. I asked the bowyer what arrows he recommended according to my draw length. He suggested Beman MFX 600's cut to 30" with 75 grain inserts and a 125 grain head. They have 3 5" feathers. I tend to draw 28" or slightly more.

This arrow combo shows 460 grain total arrow weight at 11.5 grains per pound and 20% front of center.

My arrows are flying very straight, and I'm shooting better than I ever have before.

Anyway, I know that didn't totally answer your question...The general rule of thumb is about 10 gpp. I'm a little over that, but I plan on hunting with these arrows, so I wanted them a little heavier.

[Night Wing]

I've got two recurve bows: 42# @ 30" and 37# @ 30". I just changed over to a lighter arrow for both bows and both bows are now shooting a 32", 2212 aluminum arrow.

The 42# bow shoots 476 grains, 11.33 (GPP) grains per pound arrow and the 37# bow shoots 496 grains, 13.40 (GPP) grains per pound arrow.

[Txnrog]

Jerp,
If you're not willing to change arrows, then don't mess with it unless you're way too light. Changing those tips will change your spine performance, so if you need a 200gr tip to get to 11gpp, it may fly like a wounded seagull without changing arrows.

I think the general rule is 10gpp, but If I remember right, Bob recommends 13-14gpp. I think most of my setups are between 10 & 13 gpp. I set mine up so I can shoot the same arrows out of several bows - to do that, I have to change point weights to raise and lower the spine.

all my current bows are in the #50-56 range at my draw now, so the lighter ones will run a little heavy on arrow weight compared to the heavier ones. I have a 48# (54@my draw) that needs 300gr tips to shoot the same arrow I use out of my Bobcatts (56@my draw) w/ 200 gr tips.

When I get into a different weight class I'm going to start keeping different sets of arrows. It makes it a bit more difficult to pick up different bows and shoot similarly unless you keep gpi relatively consistant.

[bbs383ci]

my bow is 55# @28" but i draw 26 1/2" so im prolly pulling about 51-52# and im shooting 622 gr. arrows they fly wonderful (slow) but have awesome penetration i decided to go a little heavier due to the fact that im going to be shooting the simmons tree sharks

[Samiel2d]

jerp if im not mistaken you've also got a Samick Sage 40#? if so anything around 10gpp is will fly great. the lightest arrow ive shot out of my sage is a 423gr carbon shaft, heaviest are my Ironwood's which are around 550gr.

[jerp]

Yep - I'm shooting 29" 500's with 125gr points which puts me at 11.5 GPI, which sounds fine from what ya'll have said. So going heavier than that would just be for better penetration when hunting, right?

[bbs383ci]

i think with 11gpp youll have more than enough weight for blow thru penetration

[huntinpool]

If all your doing is shooting targets , there is no need in going over 8 gpp. With your bow you could go to a 10 or 8 strand string and lighter points to gain perfomance and still use the same arrows.

[TxAg]

Yep - I'm shooting 29" 500's with 125gr points which puts me at 11.5 GPI, which sounds fine from what ya'll have said. So going heavier than that would just be for better penetration when hunting, right?

I'll have to defer to the experts, but from what I understand the diminishing returns begin around 15 gpp. At 11.5 you should be doing great on penetration.

[meangene1969]

Jerp 10 gr is good I shoot much lower for 3d and 12 gr for hunting.