I am looking at maybe getting another set of arrows. What are some ideas for good hunting arrows? Maximas, ST Excels, Axis, etc, etc.
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Best hunting arrow?
- Thread starter UTGrad
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The ST Epics are good arrows. The Axis arrows are excellent too.
There are other brands to consider though. The goldtip arrows have a good following. Carbon Express makes good arrows, especially their Maxima series.
Why don't you come by one day and we'll "build" some on the computer software and get them spined just right.
There are other brands to consider though. The goldtip arrows have a good following. Carbon Express makes good arrows, especially their Maxima series.
Why don't you come by one day and we'll "build" some on the computer software and get them spined just right.
The ones you are looking at are all good arrows. I own and shoot each one you listed, but for me I prefer the St Axis, and Gold Tip Pro .... honestly though, unless you plan on shooting 60 yards... a hunting arrow, get the cheapest arrow in a good list..... St Epic
Grizzly Johnson
Well-Known Member
JayMc said:
You got the tech to do that... I will holler at you when I get my new bow.... but I am about 1.5 hrs away...
i guess i havent caught on the carbon thing yet. i still shoot xx78 super slam selects @10.3gr/in.
Radar
Well-Known Member
I like Easton ST Epics . They are durable and have a good insert that allows perfect alignment , decreasing the chance of broadhead wobble .
Scott61 said:
I'm liking them more and more. I tried a dozen year before last and they were fine, but I already had a bunch of Axis arrows so I gave them to my little brother. He's had good luck with them.
My dad received the ones I built for him yesterday. All I could do was spin test the BHs after squaring the shafts and setting the inserts. I put 6 BHs on arrows for him (slick tricks) and he said they flew great out of the box.
The insert style for the Epics is a good one.
Grizzly_Johnson said:
I have the software to spec them out based on your bow and how you like to build arrows. It isn't perfect, but it helps narrow down options. The target arrows I shoot are expensive so I use the program to figure out what the arrow spine will do with different point weights and shaft lengths. It takes some trial and error out of the process.
If you tell me what equipment you use I can help spec out arrows remotely. You don't have to drive
Radar
Well-Known Member
I'm old school and still use the Easton arrow spine charts . 
Scott61 said:I'm old school and still use the Easton arrow spine charts .
I do too for hunting arrows, but I'm not taking any chances with Navigators :whistle:
It is cool for a dork like me to see what the arrow drop is at distances, what the speed loss it, etc. I can waste a lot of time looking at arrow combos and ballistic data. It's just part of the archery obsession.
JayMc said:
I didn't know such software existed. I will give you a shout when I am ready.
JayMc said:Scott61 said:I'm old school and still use the Easton arrow spine charts .
I do too for hunting arrows, but I'm not taking any chances with Navigators :whistle:
It is cool for a dork like me to see what the arrow drop is at distances, what the speed loss it, etc. I can waste a lot of time looking at arrow combos and ballistic data. It's just part of the archery obsession.
LOL... dork! I am starting to hear that name more and more... humm maybe I should take a closer look at myself or at least come to terms with reality!
Hey in all seriousness... I would like to PM you what my favorite setup is and see what you spine software shows! That would be pretty neat!
I REALLY have been pleased with my gold tip XT hunters and Gold Tip Expediton Hunters.
They are both tough as nails, and fly great out of my setup.
I shoot the expedition hunters now instead of the xt hunters.
You can get expediton hunters fletched for around $60 a dozen and XT hunters for around $80 fletched.
IMO the expedition hunters are WELL worth the $50 I pay for a bare shaft dozen.
They are both tough as nails, and fly great out of my setup.
I shoot the expedition hunters now instead of the xt hunters.
You can get expediton hunters fletched for around $60 a dozen and XT hunters for around $80 fletched.
IMO the expedition hunters are WELL worth the $50 I pay for a bare shaft dozen.
Radar
Well-Known Member
JayMc said:Scott61 said:I'm old school and still use the Easton arrow spine charts .
I do too for hunting arrows, but I'm not taking any chances with Navigators :whistle:
It is cool for a dork like me to see what the arrow drop is at distances, what the speed loss it, etc. I can waste a lot of time looking at arrow combos and ballistic data. It's just part of the archery obsession.
Interesting . I'm just happy getting blood on my arrows .
bobthebowhunter
Well-Known Member
gold tip xt hunters for me. 5575
Radar
Well-Known Member
I have had good results with the Gold tips too . I do like the Easton Epics a little more because of the better insert , but the GT's are a very good hunting arrow .bobthebowhunter said:
All the arrows mentioned are good arrows.
I started with Easton 2213 XX75 aluminum arrows MANY years ago. I've shot plastic vanes, feathers, 2,3,4,and 5 inch.
For my BEST results, I now shoot 2 different carbon arrows. One for 3-d and target practice up until the broadheads go on, (just before the season begins). This is a 7.2 gpi arrow (carbon maxx 250) that is noticably flatter flying and distance forgiving than my hunting 8.8 gpi arrows. Both are EASTON. I also interchangably hunt with the Beman 340 arrow (now owned by Easton).
THe target arrows are 4 inch feathered. The hunting arrows are Blazer vanes.
As an experiment, (and since I LOVE to tinker with equipment), in 2007, I hunted with the lighter, 7.2 gpi arrow with 4 inch feathers. (For years pryor to this experiment I tested MANY different broadheads on real deer in live hunting situations)
I recorded TEN separate bow kills on deer.
Then, last season, (2008), I switched to the heavier arrow, which while a little slower, had more weight and therefore KE. Again, TEN bow killed deer.
(Of course ALL TEN kills (for each set-up, 20 total in 2 years for the test data) were with the same Kinetic Energy (KE). Speed of the arrow increased or decreased in proportion with the weight of the arrow. At 62 pounds, both the heavy arrow and light arrow delivered the same KE.)
My results were enough to convince me that while the KE of both arrows was the same, penetration was DEFINITELY NOT! THe lighter of the two arrows, with identical matching broadheads, and VERY similar double lung shots, did NOT penetrate NEARLY as well as the heavier arrow.
The end result of an arrow that stays in a double lung shot deer as it runs off...EXPENSIVE! It almost always got broken.
TO make a bunch of boring data easy to summarize...it took me SEVEN of the lighter arrows to kill 10 deer. While I killed EIGHT deer with ONE of the heavier arrows, and also a coyote, and 2 turkeys. In fact, the arrow is still in my quiver and ready for next year!
THe lesson learned here is that I would choose my hunting arrow based on durability and accuracy while my target arrow on speed and accuracy!
(as an aside, I'll add that the blazer vanes were VERY durable and required only a gentle washing while the feathered arrows needed re-fletching)
Hope this helps!
102
I started with Easton 2213 XX75 aluminum arrows MANY years ago. I've shot plastic vanes, feathers, 2,3,4,and 5 inch.
For my BEST results, I now shoot 2 different carbon arrows. One for 3-d and target practice up until the broadheads go on, (just before the season begins). This is a 7.2 gpi arrow (carbon maxx 250) that is noticably flatter flying and distance forgiving than my hunting 8.8 gpi arrows. Both are EASTON. I also interchangably hunt with the Beman 340 arrow (now owned by Easton).
THe target arrows are 4 inch feathered. The hunting arrows are Blazer vanes.
As an experiment, (and since I LOVE to tinker with equipment), in 2007, I hunted with the lighter, 7.2 gpi arrow with 4 inch feathers. (For years pryor to this experiment I tested MANY different broadheads on real deer in live hunting situations)
I recorded TEN separate bow kills on deer.
Then, last season, (2008), I switched to the heavier arrow, which while a little slower, had more weight and therefore KE. Again, TEN bow killed deer.
(Of course ALL TEN kills (for each set-up, 20 total in 2 years for the test data) were with the same Kinetic Energy (KE). Speed of the arrow increased or decreased in proportion with the weight of the arrow. At 62 pounds, both the heavy arrow and light arrow delivered the same KE.)
My results were enough to convince me that while the KE of both arrows was the same, penetration was DEFINITELY NOT! THe lighter of the two arrows, with identical matching broadheads, and VERY similar double lung shots, did NOT penetrate NEARLY as well as the heavier arrow.
The end result of an arrow that stays in a double lung shot deer as it runs off...EXPENSIVE! It almost always got broken.
TO make a bunch of boring data easy to summarize...it took me SEVEN of the lighter arrows to kill 10 deer. While I killed EIGHT deer with ONE of the heavier arrows, and also a coyote, and 2 turkeys. In fact, the arrow is still in my quiver and ready for next year!
THe lesson learned here is that I would choose my hunting arrow based on durability and accuracy while my target arrow on speed and accuracy!
(as an aside, I'll add that the blazer vanes were VERY durable and required only a gentle washing while the feathered arrows needed re-fletching)
Hope this helps!
102
