I don’t know if there is a perfect arrow but I’m going to try to build my perfect arrow. I’ll be using Ashby’s guidelines.

10 keys to penetration

1. Structural integrity

2. Arrow flight

3. Ferrule to shaft ratio

4. Arrow weight 650

5. FOC > 20%

6. single bevel 3.0 M.A.

7. Tapered shaft

8. Shaft finish

9. Broad head finish

10. Momentum

Using ontarget2 this is what I have decided to build. Easton Axis 260 cut to 27″ with a 2″ footer, fletched with four 3″ feathers, 250 grain cutthroat broad heads and a 50 grain brass HIT insert. You get 50 grains by removing the end of a 75 grain insert.

I made a 2″ footer using a 2016 arrow. Use a chamfer tool and stone to remove any burrs.

  
I’ll be using a 250 grain Cutthroat broad head. These have a 2.0 mechanical advantage. I considered some other heads with a 3.0 M.A. but I felt like they wouldn’t be as durable so I opted for the stronger head because structural integrity was on top of the list.

  
  
 One head was 5.8 grains lighter than the rest. All of them were over 250 grains.

They don’t come out of the box razor sharp but they aren’t supposed to.

Using my Gatco it didn’t take long to get them all razor sharp however I had to use the 22 degree setting to clean them up.

Finished arrow weights

  
Here was my first 5 shots at 20 yards.

All of them were in a 2″ circle so I’m going to say they have same POI as field points at 20 yards at least.

With the footing I think they will be pretty tough. They certainly look tough.

So to recap

10 keys to penetration
1. Structural integrity  (to be tested)

2. Arrow flight (bare shaft and broad head tuned)

3. Ferrule to shaft ratio (shaft is smaller than ferrule)

4. Arrow weight 650 (660 grains)

5. FOC > 20%. (FOC = 25%)

6. single bevel 3.0 M.A.  (Single bevel 2.0 M.A.)

7. Tapered shaft  (not really tapered but shaft is significantly smaller than ferule)

8. Shaft finish (slick?)

9. Broad head finish. (Teflon coated)

10. Momentum (.645)

I pretty much accomplished all my goals even though I did sacrifice some mechanical advantage for durability which I think was a good trade off. I’ll update with a toughness test after I get a femur bone.

Now all I need to do is draw a New Mexico elk tag.

Finally drew my tag. Read about it here

New Mexico archery elk unit 15

UPDATE 3/8/16

Femur bone shots

  
Without a doubt this combination passes the durability test.

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Update 1/28/2019

I went to Africa and decided to use a 150 grain head (taw 550 grain)for a little flatter trajectory. That was a mistake. Read about it here Chattaronga Safaris