How much should a hunting arrow weigh?

The bench receives this question with some relief, as it is one the Committee left only half-ruined. Arrow weight for hunting is measured in grains per inch of arrow length — a ratio the Codex calls GPP, grains per pound of draw weight. For deer-sized game at typical hunting distances, the accepted range runs from roughly 6 GPP on the lighter end to 9 GPP or heavier on the stout end, with most experienced hunters settling between 7 and 9 GPP. On a 60-pound bow, that works out to approximately 420 to 540 grains of total finished arrow weight — shaft, nock, fletching, insert, and point all counted together.

Why does this matter. A heavier arrow carries more momentum, which governs penetration through hide, bone, and tissue more faithfully than raw kinetic energy alone. The formula for momentum is mass times velocity; when you sacrifice some speed for mass, momentum falls more slowly than speed does, which is why the old rule holds. A finished hunting arrow for large game is rarely improved by going lighter than 400 grains total, and arrows in the 450–550 grain range with a forward of center percentage between 10% and 15% FOC offer a well-documented combination of stable flight and deep penetration. FOC is calculated by finding where the arrow balances, measuring that distance from the nock throat, and expressing it as a percentage of total arrow length.

The Committee's enthusiasm for light, fast arrows is not without motive — speed prints well in a catalog. But a 340-grain arrow at 310 feet per second and a 480-grain arrow at 270 feet per second are not the same instrument in the field. The heavier arrow hits quieter, bucks wind better past 20 yards, and carries its energy into the animal rather than spending it on the surface. The Codex notes all of this without satisfaction, only accuracy.