"How heavy of an arrow can I shoot & how far can I lethally shoot it?" It's a great question and one many new GrizzlyStik customers ask. We understand heavy/High FOC arrow systems go against the grain of most conventional bowhunting equipment. When discussing our GrizzlyStik systems we like to start by asking bowhunters.....What's your maximum lethal distance?
By "lethal distance" we mean, the ethical distance you're willing to take your first shot on an animal. Your lethal distance should not be confused or mixed with practice/target distance. For each of us, our lethal distance can vary drastically on ability, practice, hunting conditions, and the size of the game pursued. Most bowhunters answer their lethal distance is somewhere between 30 and 40 yards.
We invite bowhunters to change the way they think about ethical shot placement and breaking down the game they hunt. With the right equipment inside your lethal distance, you can get very aggressive with your shot placement. Imagine aiming at the front shoulder and "hoping" you hit a heavy bone.
FYI.......Pope & Young reports the average shot distance on a record book whitetails is 19 yards. We build arrow & broadhead systems for bowhunters who want to maximize their opportunities inside their lethal distance and hit them with a 9-pound hammer. With a heavy/High FOC GrizzlyStik system you can stop "shooting at" and start "shooting through" big game.
Once we determine your lethal distance, we like to make the next several recommendations.
- Build an arrow and broadhead system as heavy as possible
- Build an arrow and broadhead system with as much FOC as possible
- Build an arrow and broadhead system following Dr. Ashby's 12 Arrow Penetration Factors
Based on those criteria, we like to next recommend selecting a two-arrow test pack and shooting the GrizzlyStik system that fills all your hunt requirements.
This next step is very important.....the testing is used to determine several essential criteria that must be met:
- Perfect arrow flight from your bow at your lethal distance
- Confirmation you like the arrow trajectory at your lethal distance
- Confidence to go hunting with the GrizzlyStik system
If you can't find the perfect arrow flight or feel like you're lobbing the arrow too much at your lethal distance, we recommend reducing your arrow/head weight until you hit both criteria.
How much is a 650-grain system going to drop compared to a 400-grain setup? - For shots 40 yards and in (most bowhunters' lethal distance) - Not Very Much. GrizzlyStik founder Ed Schlief demonstrates the effect of increased head weight on arrow trajectory at a distance.
Will heavy/High FOC arrows drop more at a longer distance? Absolutely.
Will they fall off the table at 40 yards? Absolutely not.
As an example, most 70# bow shooters switching from a 400 to the 650-grain system don't adjust their (fixed) 20, 30 & 40-yard pins and can stretch out to a 100-yard pin if they want it for practice.
Once you get dialed in through testing, all your shot opportunities inside your lethal distance become a chip shot.
Here is a video of Whitetails entering the "lethal zone". As you can see, our customers have shown you can ethically attack at any angle, at any time, and still achieve full arrow penetration. That sounds like confidence to us.
