# What gpi do you like for your hunting arrows?



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

My first set of arrows I bought when I got into the bow hunting game a few years ago were Easton Bloodlines that are 8.7 grains per inch. With a 125 grain head my finished arrow weight was 435 grains. When I bought my next arrows I got some Cabela's carbon stalker extremes, because I believed they were a similar quality arrow but at a more economical price. These are 9.3 grains per inch and with the 100 grain heads I started shooting with them they finish out at 425 grains. I know guys have great results on game with arrows both much lighter and much heavier, but I really like where I'm at now. 420-440 isn't in the extreme either way and I think it provides a really good blend of light enough for decent speed and trajectory, but heavy enough to give you all the penetration you need on deer to elk size game. I'm curious to know everybody else's thoughts on the subject.

Also, what do you think would be a good arrow weight for a women's setup for a 50 pound bow and a 26 inch draw length? My wife is still shooting her Easton Bloodlines, and at the different spine rating we picked up for her these arrows are 7.7 gpi. Her finished arrows weigh 360 grains. I have heard that with slower/low ke setups you want to use a heavier arrow to maximize penetration. The drawback is that a heavier arrow will make an already slow bow shoot even slower. Her current setup flings these 360 grain arrows at 217 fps. Would it really be worth it to get heavier arrows and shoot slower than this? I'm not worried at all about this setup on deer as I have already seen what it is capable of for them, but I wonder how it would do on elk. I archery hunt both deer and elk and my wife only archery hunts for deer and she has told me she doesn't want to bow hunt for elk because she is worried that her bow might not be up to it. I honestly would have no hesitations at all about her shooting at broadside elk out to 30 yards with a magnus stinger or other quality two blade fixed head at the helm.


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## kdog (May 4, 2015)

I think your arrow weight is a good one. I use a 430 grain arrow for elk, closer to 350 for deer out of the same bow, but both arrows spine the same dynamic spine. anyway that is with a 30 inch draw and 67 pounds. yrou draw length and weight will have some effect on your choices. 

if your sife is shooting 50 pounds, which is really good, this can go either way, some will recommend a really heavy arrow but then pin gap is really big. When i was in africa the guides supprised me and said for lighter weight bows for women they have recommended a lighter arrow to get it to game faster and reminded me that you only need 7-8 inches penetration to take down game ( this includes Kudu and Wildebeest ). I agree with you, leave her with the arrow she has and use a very efficent broadhead. the magnus stinger is a good one. I use the buzzcuts myself with great success.


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

I have used a 390-405 grain arrow for a lot of years on lots of critters and like the weight range. My wife now uses a 375-380 grain micro diameter arrow and at 54lbs and 24" draw went all the way trough her cow at 40 yards.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks for the responses, guys. Those were 2 very informative posts!


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

kdog said:


> I think your arrow weight is a good one. I use a 430 grain arrow for elk, closer to 350 for deer out of the same bow, but both arrows spine the same dynamic spine. anyway that is with a 30 inch draw and 67 pounds. yrou draw length and weight will have some effect on your choices.
> 
> if your sife is shooting 50 pounds, which is really good, this can go either way, some will recommend a really heavy arrow but then pin gap is really big. When i was in africa the guides supprised me and said for lighter weight bows for women they have recommended a lighter arrow to get it to game faster and reminded me that *you only need 7-8 inches penetration to take down game* ( this includes Kudu and Wildebeest ). I agree with you, leave her with the arrow she has and use a very efficent broadhead. the magnus stinger is a good one. I use the buzzcuts myself with great success.


That's an interesting school of thought. You have so many guys over here saying if it ain't a pass through, it ain't sh**! Would 7 to 8 inches really be adequate penetration though? It seems like that much penetration would only get one lung on a kudu/wildebeest/elk size critter. Of course I one lunged my elk this year (not because of a lack of penetration but the angle) and he still died pretty fast. I think it was a back of liver + offside lung hit, but I did the gutless method on him so I can't be for sure.


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## kdog (May 4, 2015)

colorcountrygunner said:


> That's an interesting school of thought. You have so many guys over here saying if it ain't a pass through, it ain't sh**! Would 7 to 8 inches really be adequate penetration though? It seems like that much penetration would only get one lung on a kudu/wildebeest/elk size critter. Of course I one lunged my elk this year (not because of a lack of penetration but the angle) and he still died pretty fast. I think it was a back of liver + offside lung hit, but I did the gutless method on him so I can't be for sure.


It is a good question, we did not test his theory while we where there, but he has been in business a long time and specialized in bowhunting and is a bowhunter himself.

on the otherhand they have on staff some of the best trackers in the business...


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