Most traditional archers tend to stick together, but when the subject turns to arrow penetration and lethality, particularly as it pertains to projectile weight, everyone has an opinion. While some favor lighter, faster arrows as a means of minimizing trajectory at hunting distances, still others favor heavier arrow weights that deliver a decidedly stronger punch at the point of impact.

The intent of this discussion is to examine some of my own personal observations in real traditional bowhunting situations with arrows of varying weights. The reader is advised to keep in mind that this discussion is not intended to be anything but a very limited work as it relates to the subject matter and is only offered as a look at one facet of the total equation of an arrow’s performance in the field.

In the four plus years I have been a traditional archer, I have been fortunate enough to hunt for and harvest a number of game animals. In many instances, the blood trails were decidedly short, while in other instances, they were incredibly long. Conventional wisdom suggests that the difference in the two has been shot placement, but in reality, that assumption is incorrect. In fact, in two of the most difficult tracking jobs I have ever had, the arrow was placed perfectly behind the animal’s shoulder. What went wrong is in part, what has facilitated the writing of this article.

I shoot carbon arrows from all of my traditional bows which are from 47# to 49# at my 27" draw. Depending on how I tune the arrow to a specific bow, the weight of the finished projectile varies from 400 grains to 570 grains including the point. Needless to say, all else being equal, I get the most speed and cast from the lighter arrows, while the heavier arrows require more mental calculation for me to shoot consistently at most ranges.

Of the animals I have shot with traditional bows where the wound channel could be closely evaluated upon recovery, I have had the following experiences:

Arrows weighing 400-420 grains (or approximately 9 grains per pounds of draw weight):

• One hog, quartering away, hit behind shoulder, not a pass-thru shot, arrow deflected off rib and into non-lethal portion of the chest. Animal recovered via rifle several days later.
• One pronghorn antelope, broadside, shot through the chest, pass-thru shot, no rib contact, quick recovery.

• One mule deer, slightly quartering toward, hit behind shoulder, deflected off rib and into paunch. Pass-thu shot. Animal recovered via follow-up shot eight hours after initial shot.

Arrows more than 500 grains (or approximately 10.5 grains per pound of draw weight or more):

• Three hogs, all broadside, rib broken on entry in two instances, pass-thru shots, all recovered with relative ease.
• Three white tailed deer, two broadside shots and one quartering away, one pass-thru, two with ribs broken on entry and exit, one with rib broken on entry and foreleg broken on exit, all recovered quickly.
• One mule deer, slightly quartering toward, near pass-thru after penetrating almost the whole length of the animal (arrow sticking out of off-side), no rib contact, quick recovery.
• Two pronghorn antelope, both slightly quartering toward, rib broken on entry on one, pass-thru shots, quick recovery.
• One javelina, quartering away, broke shoulder, not a pass-thru shot, quick recovery.

In each of the instances described above there was a significant difference in performance based on projectile weight when the arrow contacted bone. While both arrow weights performed well under circumstances when soft tissue was the only thing that was penetrated, the additional resistance encountered by the arrow when striking a rib, shoulder, or a leg bone clearly favored the extra weight of 500 plus grain arrow. Further, the arrow penetration that has been the best for me in the over 500 grain category has been a 570 grain arrow. When shot with my 47# recurves (my preferred hunting weight), that’s more than 12 grains per pound of draw weight, which is considered by most to be a little on the heavy side.

In conclusion, there are any numbers of factors that are important considerations relative to how an arrow will perform on game. They include broadhead design, arrow tuning, and shot placement to name a few. However, in my own personal experience, arrow weight has been the most significant common denominator (all else being equal) in determining how an arrow will perform when shot from a traditional bow, when that arrow encounters the resistance of bone. That does not mean that all bone (such as shoulders) will be penetrated, but only that the odds of penetrating such obstacles and striking a lethal blow are better with a heavier arrow than with a lighter one. And no matter what each traditional bowhunter’s varying opinion may be, the objective of bringing our game to bag as effectively as possible is something on which we all can agree!