Anyone shooting "Heavy" bolts?

[learn2flyfish]

Like in the 500-600 grain range? Are they as accurate as the bolts in the 350-450 grain range?

Thanks,

Paul

[paulaboutform]

I've made up and shot both 500gr and 600gr arrows with extreme FOC balance and they were crazy accurate. I can't say they were more accurate but they shot great.

Paul

[Normous]

During my hog hunt recently I used a carbon slugged 16'5" 2219 and a 92 gr brass insert with a 100 gr Slick Trick out of my Micro 355.
Total weight was 550 gr and accuracy was as good as my lighter arrows that I usually use for deer.

[jefrohio]

I had the same experience as the other members using a 525gr arrow. Great accuracy, they nose dive at 40 yards and buck the wind better than a lighter arrow. Jefro

[vixenmaster]

Dependin on the arrow material yer usin n size you can certainly add alot of up front weight to them. Sluggin them is one way addin steel set screws in the back of yer front inserts is anudder way. Awshucks n myself did alot of that back in 05-07 n later. I had some set-up heavy in the 700+ range n 600+ 500+ went thru hogs like hot knife through butter

[longbow joe]

The best combo is when you get a say 400 fps bulldog or like bow and match it up with a log.......... best of everything still fast . Hits like a ton a bricks. Quiet and easy on the limbs

[SEW]

The easiest way to increase weight is by adding it to the front(heavy insert + heavy BH) . This causes very high FOC which really affects trajectory, as previously mentioned, out past 40 yards. The ideal is to keep FOC reasonable and have a good balanced, heavy arrow.
Heavier vanes (3"), as offset as possible or lightly helical, lighted nocks for weight, heavy shaft, as long as practical, and 250-260g combined insert/BH (fixed) will be shot from my BD400 bear hunting next year.
As long as FOC is not too high, that post 40 yard dive doesn't exist.

[Hunt it]

I'm using a 700 grain arrow out of my 400BD. Nice and quiet, hits like a ton of bricks and very accurate.

[nchunterkw]

Same here +500 gr for the bison (and hogs) and fly great and hit hard. Also quiet the bow somewhat

[L. E. Carroll]

I have several brand new screw in 1 1/4" dia. 250 gn VPA3 blade Broadheads.... These are big heavy 3:1 broadheads that are very strong ( and spendy ) left over from my trad. days.

Any idea how they would work with a stock Excal 16 1/2" 252 gn Quill's with their standard aluminum insert's when shot from a M380 or M350 ? I just weighed that combo and it comes in at 502 grains.

Gene

[Hunt it]

VPA will fly ok out to 20-30 yards then not so good beyond. I've tried the 3 blade 300 grn.

[rej]

I use the 20" Firebolt and find them very good. Get the odd one that is irregular. First thing I do is re-fletch with "the Bolt" and 2" Blazers. One of my favorite heads is the Slick Trick 175 gr. xbow magnum. That gets you an arrow <> 550 gr. It is very accurate(1" groups at 40 Yd.) and goes through a deer easily. Also get this with a moose quite often. The other head I prefer for thick skin game is the NAP Hellrazor xbow. Heaviest you can get this one is 150 gr. Seems these COC heads penetrate better even though the bolt is lighter(<> 525 gr.) This set up is extremely accurate and goes right through a Moose or Elk. These are used in my favorite Excalibur, a Vortex. I have used the shorter bolts in it and while they were accurate they don't have the penetration. My sons have the current Excaliburs and they tried my longer bolts and they worked but quite a bit sticking forward. We cut some to 18" and they worked fine as well and the amount forward was manageable. I posted this mainly to show the path of Excalibur development. Gains in one field mean losses in another. Not that it matters much with Excalibur. They are all deadly game getters and best quality and reliability.

[cropduster]

Mega 405
300 g V.P.A
Total weight 585
Hog killer special

[jody5252]

You bet... 2219 Eastons-20", 3" flex fletch SK 300 vanes, lumenok, 125gr Dirt Nap BH, standard insert. 722-724 grs... Oh. And man are they ever accurate!

[nchunterkw]

I use the 20" Firebolt and find them very good. Get the odd one that is irregular. First thing I do is re-fletch with "the Bolt" and 2" Blazers. One of my favorite heads is the Slick Trick 175 gr. xbow magnum. That gets you an arrow <> 550 gr. It is very accurate(1" groups at 40 Yd.) and goes through a deer easily. Also get this with a moose quite often. The other head I prefer for thick skin game is the NAP Hellrazor xbow. Heaviest you can get this one is 150 gr. Seems these COC heads penetrate better even though the bolt is lighter(<> 525 gr.) This set up is extremely accurate and goes right through a Moose or Elk. These are used in my favorite Excalibur, a Vortex. I have used the shorter bolts in it and while they were accurate they don't have the penetration. My sons have the current Excaliburs and they tried my longer bolts and they worked but quite a bit sticking forward. We cut some to 18" and they worked fine as well and the amount forward was manageable. I posted this mainly to show the path of Excalibur development. Gains in one field mean losses in another. Not that it matters much with Excalibur. They are all deadly game getters and best quality and reliability.

Swap out that Firebolt for something stiffer like a Zombie Slayer or Gold Tip Nitro Pro and you will get even better penetration. Even though my Micro and Vortex are pretty much equal as far as speed and trajectory, the Micro hits harder. I think it due to using shorter stiffer arrows. Less flex at impact. My 500gr GT Nitro tipped with a Ramcat passed completely through the bison in my avatar pic at 30 yds.