I just found a recent interview in Arrow Trade magazine in regards to arrow/broadhead design.
Looking for thoughts and opinions.

http://www.ezflipmags.com/Magazines/View/ArrowTrade_Magazine/25/79/

Yep I agree. every one is hooked on speed and light arrows. I shoot 500 alum. with a muzzy 3 blade 100 grain. have not ever had to shoot a second arrow at any animal ever. I shoot 57# out of a Bear SQ32. Great bow and I have what I think is a KILLER set up. Full metal Jacket arrows are trash!
I shot Carbon for many years but changed back to Alum. a few years ago and stick with them.
you want speed? shoot a target!
you want to kill something? shoot punching power.!

East Texas Archery,
Very well put. Speed in the grand scheme of things has very little to do with penetration. I only word it like that cause there always has to be some type of forward movement. I have seen traditional archers get 100% pass through on Moose with a recurve shooting at a whopping 160FPS with a 650gr, and a compound shooter get 6" of penetration on a Mule deer with a compound shooting 312fps and a 390gr arrow.
But speed is what the industry is pushing so that is what people are buying. I used to be on the speed and light arrow bandwagon till 5 years ago when I started prepping and building a setup for dangerous game hunts. Reality is, you are not going to kill a Cape Buffalo with a 400gr arrow and a rage broadhead.


Another thing I have been thinking about and would like to get some opinion on is,
I read some reports last year and
In 1970-1980 the wounded lost rate was in the 10%-15%
In 2009 the wounded lost rates were reported to be in the 33% range.
Do you think there is a direct relation between the modern equipment (lighter arrows, mechanical broadheads, and a focus on speed Vs punching power) and the increase of wounded unharvested animals?

I will go out on a limb and say yes to your Wounded / lost animal report. mechanical's fail, no question about it. People think that the faster the arrow gets to the animal will automatically kill it. people arnt looking at accuracy any more. like I tell my customers. speed does not kill, Accuracy kills.
Any way, I think with the faster, less penetrating shooting that is going on is leading up to more wounded and or lost animals. look at all the hog hunters that cant find the hog because they shoot 70# and 340FPS with 326 grain instead or a 55-60# 245-300FPS with 450-550 grain arrow.
Just my experience and visuals over the last 25years.

I am feeling better about about my 485 gr arrow at 60 dw with my old tried and true Muzzy's all the time! I caught a oryx hard quarter away from me and caught her in front of hind quarter and arrow went all the way to point of off side shoulder through lots of vital organs...60 yard recovery!

So why not the best of both worlds I shoot 70# with a 500gr arrow at 300fps speed and punching power. I put a Grim Reaper Whitetail special which is the 2" cut bh through a 327lb pig at 27 yards and it was buried 4 inches in the dirt, and I can use one pin zero to 30yrds. I have never even thought about using a light arrow I want over 300fps with a 500+gr arrow, I will only shot a bow that will do that.

I shoot a traditional recurve, my elk arrows for this year are GT 7595 arrows, 265 grain inserts and 225 grain Tuffhead single bevel broadheads. With nock and feathers it should come in around 750gr. My bow is a Sarrells Bobcatt at 55#. I've read the Ashby reports on arrow performance a heavy arrow with high FOC will pack a tremendous punch. I was skeptical, but I tell ya, at 20 yds those arrows will penetrate my 3D target with 9-10 inches out the back.

Topher,
I like the way you think. Sounds very similar to my logic. "why not have it all." I have two arrow setups. Arrow setup #1 is classified as my all around. It is an ABS Momentum 65/80, with a 150gr single bevel Masai broadhead. 560+ gr total weight with a 20% FOC and shoots about 260FPS. Arrow #2 is Safari/dangerous game setup. It is a Grizzly Stik Safari arrow, with a 315gr single bevel Ashby broadhead, and some insert weights. Total weight is 950gr, 25+% FOC and shoots around 205FPS. When I double check the zero on my broadheads I basically destroy the target. I have never shot an animal and not gotten 100% penetration.

I just picked up a Mathews MR7 so I will see what kind of numbers I can get out of it. I shoot 31" Easton FMJ's and have yet to have a issue with them.

Heavier is also much quieter. And it will extend the life of your bow

Sportsman79,
Not only will it extend the life of the bow, your arrows last a lot longer. I have found if you have a high FOC on a heavy arrow your arrows gain a major increase in durability. I still have five of the first six Safari arrows I purchased over four years ago. I have shot cinder blocks, 1 inch plywood, and several animals with out ever an issue. Only reason I don't have the sixth one is I got cocky and shot a steel plate on an angle. The steel plate won that time.

I like heavy always have. My set up is 60# DW and 29 DL 543 total arrow weight. I shoot 220 grain Muzzy Phantoms with 21% FOC. I don’t give rats AZZ about my speed. Today’s bows have plenty of speed. I remember back in the early days of compounds they weren’t much faster than our traditional bows and we were knocking down elk with 200 grain broad heads with aluminum arrows shooting a 50# Bear White Tail Hunter.

I love my 33 inch 2317s and Zwickey 4 blade Eskimo. I forget total weight, over 700, but they fly like darts and at 58 pounds its just a whisper

I like heavy arrows and speed along with accuracy. That's why I shoot a Mathews monster. 460 grain at 312 fps. Only had 2 arrows not pass through. Both were on hogs. They both stopped in the shoulder on the other side and the pigs didn't run off. Never shot a cape buffalo though.