It can be challenging to choose the right arrow weight for a 50-pound bow. 50 pounds of draw weight is in that area where it can be problematic to select the right arrow as you don’t want to go too heavy and you don’t want to go too light. So in this article, we will see what the best arrow weight for a 50-pound bow is.
Here is the short answer:
For a 50 lb bow, you will want an arrow between 400-550 grains depending on what you are hunting. If you are hunting big game, you will need a heavier arrow. If you are hunting small or medium game animals, you will want a lighter arrow. Also, if you have a short draw length, you will desire a lighter arrow, and vice versa.
With the short answer out of the way, we can look more in-depth at the best arrow weight for a 50-pound bow and how to choose the right arrow weight.
How to choose the best arrow weight
Finding the best arrow weight is challenging, so we will look at how to choose the right arrow weight for a 50-pound bow.
When hunting big game animals such as elk, moose, or bison, you will want to go toward the upper end of the arrow weight spectrum. You will want to keep your total arrow weight around 550 grains to achieve maximum penetration.
If you are hunting small or medium size game animals like deer or antelope, an arrow around 420-500 grains will work best. Medium game animals are as tough as big game animals so you don’t need as heavy of an arrow to take them down.
Shorter draw lengths will have an impact on your ideal arrow weight. If you have a shorter draw length, you will lose bow speed and will want a lighter arrow. If you have a draw length below 27 inches, then 400-500 grains will be the best arrow weight depending on what you are hunting.
Unlike a shorter draw length, a longer draw length will mean that you will want a heavier arrow because your bow will be shooting faster. If you have between 27-32 inches of draw length, you will want to stay between 450-550 grains for the best downrange performance.
If you do not hunt big game and are building a target archery arrow, you will want to stay on the lighter end of the spectrum. Unless you are target shooting indoors where you know the distance, then an arrow with a thick diameter will be best. But if you are shooting targets at unknown distances, you will want to stay between 350-400 grains for the most forgiveness if you miss-range the target.
Conclusion
If you are hunting big game, have a long draw length, or are shooting indoor target archery, you will want a heavy arrow. If you have a short draw length, are hunting medium game animals, or are shooting unknown distances, you will want a lighter arrow.