[mus42tang]

Considering carbon arrows for the first time. Doing a little scouting. Have a few questions.


On the Beman ICS, I look like I'd use the 400 (60 # draw/29" arrow), but am very near the slightly heavier carbon arrow- 340.

Anyone find it an advantage to use the slightly heavier arrow. Especially if you weren't looking to squeeze out the last bit of speed.

As to arrow, anyone have experience with the Beman ICS hunter or the Beman ICS bowhunter.
Is there much difference in accuracy for the non competitive private shooter and plain old archery hunter.
Thanks for any comments.

 

[Asajoe1]

Not sure on the weight tolerances on the bemans but the ICS Hunter is .003" straightness tolerance and the Bowhunter model is .006" which is what alot of the low end carbons are like the Gold Tip hunter and alot of the Eastons. The average Joe probably would never know the difference.

 

[REdgar7mm]

I have shot both Goldtip and Beman. Currently shooting Beman ICS Hunter 400's. I can't tell the differance as for a hunting arrow. Both shoot the same across the board.

 

[Keystonepaul]

I love my beman ICS 340 hunters. Underspined is more of a problem than overspined I believe in general. My bemans have lasted and lasted- just refletch them every so often and off I go. Practice for me got boring if I wasn't trying to hit the smallest spot I could make and aim for on my block target and I had no trouble with accurracy with my bemans. There's more consistent tolerances in the more expensive arrows, but for most the bemans will be more than adequate I would think. No complaints with mine. Good luck, Keystonepaul

 

[Gitzit]

I shoot the same draw and poundage as you do, the 400 are ok for me up to 65lbs over that and they don't fly very good. I've also tried the 340's they hit just a little lower. The 340's did seem more durable.
Also, the camo arrows will hit lower than the non-camo arrows, I guess it's the extra weight of the camo ?

 

[mus42tang]

Thanks already for the great input. I may opt for the heavier carbon arrow (slightly it seems). I'm more interest in the strength of the arrow as opposed to wringing out the last amount of speed.

I like to remember that I'm just a hunting archer and not a 3D, competitive,target archer. If I give up some speed for more durablility, and save some arrows and money, that's good for me. I enjoy practicing; I just don't make it a big competitive event.

Thanks for helping me think more about it.

 

[Gitzit]

I got curious on the weight differences of the ICS hunter and ICS camo. Their listed as grains per inch.

400 ICS hunter is 8.4 gpi the 400 ICS camo is 9.1
340 ICS hunter is 9.3 gpi the 340 ICS camo is 10.0

Actually the 340 hunter is close to the weight of the 400 camo.

 

[KCROE]

Yeah, 60# and 29" draw length sorta puts you in the in between area doesn't it. I was in your same exact boat a year ago when I got my Beman ICS Hunter 400's.

Quite frankly you can go with either one since you're close enough to use either one. But if 60# is the max draw of your bow; stay with the 400's. They can handle the pressure of that bow and you don't lose speed. But if your max draw weigth is more than 60# (meaning that you may be bumping it up at some point in your life to 65# or 70#); then go with the 340's. That way you don't have to change them out later; like I had to when I upgraded to a 67# Mathews and had to replace my 400's with 340's.

I've been told that if you're completely unsure and want to err on the side of caution, you're better to go with a heavier arrow than needed vs. going with too light of an arrow than needed.

 

[sendero]

Just FYI cabela's carbon stalker extreme shafts are beman ICS hunter shafts with a different label. You can save a few $ buying the Cabelas labled ones.

 

[Asajoe1]

I hope you realize it is not the draw length of the bow but length of the finished arrow along with the weight of the tip you are shooting that you go by on the charts. Depending on your rest and how far back you set it a 29" draw bow may be shooting an arrow that is only 26-27" in length.

 

[mus42tang]

Asajoe1, for a snowy day in Atlanta, Georgia, your post just broke me up laughing. No it's 29 inch arrows I've been using for hunting for fifteen years.
What broke me up is I got accused of dragging my knuckles on the court when I played basketball in California. This 6'5" point guard couldn't figure out how I was getting my hands in there to steal the ball and block a shot.

I had fun with an old archery tech who set my 30 inch draw bow, knowing, absolutely, I was some hayseed who knew nothing about archery. His eyeballs almost fell out of his head when my first two arrow shots were both 1 inch from dead center, on his excellent set up.

An old point guard, a hair under 6'1", isn't suppose to use a 30 inch draw on a bow. I probably could have gotten away with a 31" inch bow, if they usually made them that big.

It use to always crack me up, thinking I was using a GIANT bow size, while I was the smallest player on the team, where the next smallest was 3 1/2 inches taller.

Thanks for my remembering and breaking me up.

 

[CMitchell]

The heavier arrow will also be more quiet.

 

[Asajoe1]

All depends on where your anchor point is! I anchor with my thumb hooked behind my neck and shoot a 29" draw bow but I know guys who are taller that shoot 28s and we have a knuckle dragger who is shorter than I am who has always shot a 30" draw. Years ago I used to anchor with my thumb joint in the hollow at the back of my jaw and was using a shorter draw. A local friend of mine who used to shoot semi-pro comp. anchored on the tip of his chin! Looked really weird but worked fine for him.