I just recently acquired a 55# recurve bow and have been shooting my fingers to the bone. However I do not fully understand what type of arrow/broadhead combination I should be using. I would like to shoot deer, hogs, and nilgai with it this winter and the arrows I have now I don't think will penetrate well. They are 28in at 7.3 gpi with a 125 gr slick trick. What can I do to get good penetration without sacrificing too much speed. I know of people shooting the same weight and draw using 600+ grain arrows for big game. Any feedback is welcome!

I shoot a 52# recurve and a 57# longbow. I shoot Gold Tip 35/55 shafts left long at 30". Feathers. 100gr grain brass inserts and 200grain heads for a 575gr arrow. Perfect flight and penetrates like crazy.

Speed in a recurve is waaaaaay overrated.....

Hi Imbada92,
I would go for the alaskan bowhunting products. Check their webpage [URL=http://www.alaskabowhunting.com ]alaskabowhunting.com [/URL]

They have excellent reviews and information with penetration and energy tests.. for big game compounds bows and for light compounds and recurves. you can see in one of their sections that "Even 40# recurve bows could breach the heavy bone threshold 100% of the time when shooting the proper arrow and broadhead combination"

They recommend a 650 grain arrows (minimum) with at least 19% FOC (forward of center). With GrizzlyStik arrows and broadheads you can shoot arrows that bust through bone and dramatically increase your odds for complete penetration on big game - even from bows as low in poundage as 40#.

Give them a try. We have tested their products a Poitahue Ranch here in La Pampa. Their setups for Red Stag size game or for the massive water buffalo are serious. They know about penetration.

You can mail Todd@alaskabowhunting.com in my name !

Imbada,

arrow selection is definitely going to be vital to your success and overall enjoyment. The wrong shaft will give you fits as you try and tune your bow, and an out of tune set up will not give satisfactory results with broadheads. The broadheads themselves are less important as there are an excess of excellent ones out there.

I would strongly recommend downloading the Easton Archery tuning guide found at the following link:

http://www.eastonarchery.com/downloads/tuning-guide

Even if you don't use Easton arrows, it explains how to select components and then set up and tune your bow. It does an excellent job of helping you understand how changing different aspects of your components effect your arrow's flight.

Once you get your bow tuned with field points, you can start to mess around with broadheads. My personal preference is for a fixed blade head with 3 or 4 blades. I like Slick Tricks and G5 Monotech heads, but again, there are lots of good choices.

Thanks guys! This will help out a bunch. I had a feeling speed was overrated and arrow weight was the ticket! Hopefully I will be posting a pic of a big hog or nilgai.

Obvious response: if you want speed, the compound is the way to go.

If you have a local archery shop, I would strongly suggest you check with them. The Easton catalog has a very comprehensive chart on arrow spine VS actual draw length and weight.

Ours has a barrel full of arrows; wood, aluminum, and carbon.

Arrow flight becomes even more critical at recurve speeds.

Good Luck!