What is everyone shooting these days? I have been shooting black eagles with slick trick fixed broadheads but looking to go with a thicker diameter arrow and a heavier setup this year. I am hunting elk this fall, but will be using same setup for whitetail hunting as well.

tmaggie50 said:

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What is everyone shooting these days? I have been shooting black eagles with slick trick fixed broadheads but looking to go with a thicker diameter arrow and a heavier setup this year. I am hunting elk this fall, but will be using same setup for whitetail hunting as well.

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I have tried all kinds of things. I've gone light. I've gone heavy.

Why are you looking to go thicker diameter? Most want to go thinner for wind and penetration.

Nothing wrong with the classic QAD Exodus for elk. If you want to add some FOC, you can get weights that screw in the back side of the insert.

I'm shooting black eagle rampage 350 spine, 1.5" Sevr broadheads.

Bow is Mathews Lift, 70# 26.5" DL

285 fps

This could be ignorance, but I've virtually never had a blood trail on anything I've killed. Part of my thinking is that the larger arrow with more weight will create more damage and even if it isn't a full pass through, the arrow partially lodged would create more damage.

My elk arrow this year will be:

27" Easton Axis 340 w/ standard HIT Insert and x-nock
4.5" One Stringer Wrap
3" Bohning Bronco Vanes (3X helical)
25 gr Iron Will collar
100 gr Slick Trick Viper Trick

This will be about 440 gr total arrow weight.

For archery elk years, I use the same arrow for whitetail.

tmaggie50 said:

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This could be ignorance, but I've virtually never had a blood trail on anything I've killed. Part of my thinking is that the larger arrow with more weight will create more damage and even if it isn't a full pass through, the arrow partially lodged would create more damage.

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couple of things. are you shooting from an elevated position or ground level? ground level shots can often result in less of a blood trail because the entrance and exit are on the same plain. blood pools in the cavity. with a downward trajectory, you are getting an exit down lower on the chest.

the arrow is not creating the wound channel. the broadhead is. a larger diameter arrow will actually create friction inside the cavity slowing it down a bit. a larger diameter broadhead will create a larger wound channel.

what you are looking for is full pass throughs whenever possible. getting a more weight up in the front of the arrow to create a better FOC (front of center) will help drive maintain momentum through the animal.

Im shooting GrizxlyStyx at 625 gr and 200 gr Maasai tips. I've got pass thru on Red Stag and Mountain Caribou. And WT. this setup was at 68# draw. Shoulder just can't do it any longer so I tuned both bows down.

Older Hoyt is heavier but I shoot it better and putting draw at 55# to shoot these same arrows.

Newer Hoyt I've re-limbed to 50# and still working on arrow setup but for sure will stick to the Masai point but at 125 gr.

arrow said:

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My elk arrow this year will be:

27" Easton Axis 340 w/ standard HIT Insert and x-nock
4.5" One Stringer Wrap
3" Bohning Bronco Vanes (3X helical)
25 gr Iron Will collar
100 gr Slick Trick Viper Trick

This will be about 440 gr total arrow weight.

For archery elk years, I use the same arrow for whitetail.

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Why have you not switched to iron will broadheads if you are using their collars? Iron Will is brand I am looking at so curious.

Too expensive. I tend to lose lots of arrows. The Viper Trick is a poor mans Iron Will.
I don't use the collars when practicing. I just use a 125 gr practice tip.

My favorite fixed blade broadhead is the QAD Exodus. But I've had good luck with the Viper Trick and it is easier on my broadhead target.

Shooting 70lbs. I had a complete pass thru from 55yards on an elk with a 430gr arrow. Black eagle rampage 300 spine with a 100gr. slick trick magnum. Since then I have upgraded to iron will 150gr broad heads. To get me closer to 500gr. Still shoots great.

I wouldn't change the arrow for a thicker dia. One ! You can always get a stiffer spine which has more GPI to load a heavier BH. And still get good FOC and heavier arrow.

Here's my setup currently.

Arrows with theoretical weights
Black Eagle Rampage 300 spine 8.7GPI 28"
Nocturnal
25 grain
Half out
55 grain
Broadhead
150gr
3 vanes
19 grain

Actual: 484 gr.
Foc: 17%
265fps

Draw length:28.5"

KE: 75.46
momentum: .569

RIP TKOs 300S
4 vanes for broad head stabilization
G5 Montec 100gr broadhead
Z7 Bow with 28.5" draw length @ 70ish lbs

Punched a hole all the way through an elk last year 40 yards with it and hope to do it again this year!

I tried a bunch of setups. Went really heavy a few years ago and gradually worked my way back down to around a 475-480 grain arrow setup which I feel is kind of the sweet spot for me. I feel like many 100 grain heads make sacrifices in strength so prefer 125 or 150 grain heads for a little added robustness.

Airstrike 300 arrows,
IronWill inserts and collars(used to shoot their broadheads too but other work well and hurt the wallet less when lost),
lighted nocks,
3 Ozark TargetMaxxx feathers ttat I custom cut to my preferred size on the back end(not sure why more don't shoot feathers but I've had great results with them. less likely to get damaged in my experience, less chance of deflection, and almost 15 grains of weight less compared to vanes so I put that weight up front instead).

For broadheads I shoot a combination of 125 grain Kudu Points(really love these), and 125 grain 1.5" Sevr Hybrids. Generally I prefer cut on contact but for whitetails I don't mind the Sevrs and the new hybrids are great. Also shoot some Simmons Makos in 125 gr.

First Elk hunt won't be until Sept 2025 (assuming we draw a WY tag), but below is my current whitetail setup.

Started out with Slick Trick Viper Tricks 125gr broadheads for my first 2 seasons bow hunting. Last season switched to a Grim Reaper 125gr 3 blade mechanical and personally had much better results. I realize that also could've been due to my shooting ability being better after a couple more years of reps but still, the GR mechanicals definitely performed better for me personally so that's what I have confidence in currently. Also tempted to try out the new beast broadheads.

Mathews Lift 29.5
Draw length: 26.5"
Draw weight: 75#

26.5" Black Eagle Rampage 300 spine
50gr Brass HIT insert
10gr Iron Will Collar
4.5" One Stringer Wrap
3x Left Helical AAE Max Stealth Vanes
AAE IP4 nock
Broadhead: Grim Reaper 125gr mechanical or possibly 125gr Beast Broadhead

Total weight: 463 gr.
Foc: around 17%
Don't know what my current FPS #'s are, still need to chrono some shots

Lift 29.5 at 75 lbs, 28.5 DL, BeeReal 2.0 grip;
300 spine RIP TKO, 125 GR head, 450 grains total;
289 fps

I'll be shooting the SEVR 2.0 at whitetails this year. I've got some Tooth of the Arrow bh and some Sirius Tuffhead single bevels for pigs. The Lift is all dialed in and I'm anxious to take it hunting.

Grim Reapers have been my all-time favorite whitetail broadhead.

I have two packs of Beast broadheads. I may carry them on my elk hunt along with the Viper Tricks.

I may switch the 125 gr heads soon, but I have way too many 100 gr components I need to go through first that I know will kill just fine.

Awesome! Would love to hear how the beasts perform on elk. I know Bodie Turner seems to be very high on them.

Rip tko 300. Rage trypan broadheads. Shooting a Mathews 33 phase 4. Smoked a few pigs with this arrow.

To all the LIFT owners, what are your opinions so far of your bow. In particular the draw cycle. I picked up the LIFT 33 and put a Garmin Xero A1 Pro on it. Both the draw cycle and the sight are taking some getting used to, but I'm finding the Garmin corrected a deficiency (bad habit) I didn't realize I had.

A_Gang_Ag_06 said:

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To all the LIFT owners, what are your opinions so far of your bow. In particular the draw cycle. I picked up the LIFT 33 and put a Garmin Xero A1 Pro on it. Both the draw cycle and the sight are taking some getting used to, but I'm finding the Garmin corrected a deficiency (bad habit) I didn't realize I had.

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I have a lift 29 and the draw cycle is rougher than my v3x, but the extra speed makes it worth it imo

Toelke Whip Longbow 52# at 29 inches
Easton 5mm FMJs - 500 spine, 75gn insert with 200gn Cutthroat broadhead, single bevel.

Using for Elk in 4 weeks.

getting a 1/2 dozen new arrows in 5mm to try out with feathers. haven't shot feathers in years.

Only shoot fletching on recurve.

Are you running the 85 or 80% let off mods? I started my lift with 85 but switched to 80 and I like the draw cycle much better now. Might be worth a try

A_Gang_Ag_06 said:

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but I'm finding the Garmin corrected a deficiency (bad habit) I didn't realize I had.

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Which is ?

plarmigan said:

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Are you running the 85 or 80% let off mods? I started my lift with 85 but switched to 80 and I like the draw cycle much better now. Might be worth a try

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85 I believe

Compound is stock axis 340s with Wasp sharpshooter 150 grn steel ferrule. Marketed as a Trad head but Ive been really impressed with them. Going to have daughter shoot them from her youth bow too.



Crossbow is custom 15.5" Spynal Tapps with 200 grain inserts and 170 grain NAP FOCs. Breaks large leg bones on the far side of the deer.

I use this setup for guest. 75yo hunting buddy drilled a doe last year. She was quartering to and just as I was saying to wait, he let it rip. Dead center shoulder, through scapula, and destroyed the spine. The 3" FOC head help for shots a little far back.

I'm still ordering the HMR's from what used to be Method Archery, now Contact-Archery.

325 spine, 34 gr "component", 125gr broadheads. 10.5GPI, I'm around 505gr total weight, 13-15% FOC according to website spine calculators. Pulling 70 pounds on my old Mathews Switchback XT.