Arrow build for the PSE Lightning (2025) — spine, weight, speed
The short answer. On a PSE Lightning (2025) at 80 lb and a 29″ draw, the engine builds a 446-grain arrow on 200 spine flying about 320 fps, making 101 ft‑lb of kinetic energy, 0.63 slug‑fps of momentum, at 11.4% FOC. Every number below is this engine's output for this exact bow — not a chart, not a rule of thumb, and not copied from anybody's spec sheet.
The PSE Lightning (2025) is rated at 350 fps IBO with 80% let-off. That IBO figure is measured with a 350‑grain arrow at 30 inches and 70 pounds — a test arrow, not a hunting arrow. The tables below show what the bow actually does with an arrow you would take into the woods, at every draw weight it offers.
The recommended starting build
- Spine: 200 — engine-picked for 80 lb at 29″ with a 100‑grain point
- Total arrow weight: 446 grains
- Estimated speed: ~320 fps
- Kinetic energy: 101 ft‑lb
- Momentum: 0.63 slug‑fps
- FOC: 11.4%
▸ Open this exact build in The Forge — free, and it loads with every component above already selected.
Every draw weight, side by side
Spine is not a property of the bow. It is set by draw weight, arrow length and point weight acting together, which is why the engine's pick changes down this column. If your bow is not maxed out, read the row that matches your actual poundage.
| Draw weight | Spine the engine picks | Total arrow weight (gr) | Speed (fps) | Kinetic energy (ft‑lb) | Momentum (slug‑fps) | FOC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 lb | 340 | 356 | 297 | 70 | 0.47 | 14.3% |
| 55 lb | 340 | 356 | 307 | 75 | 0.49 | 14.3% |
| 60 lb | 300 | 382 | 307 | 80 | 0.52 | 13.3% |
| 65 lb | 300 | 382 | 317 | 85 | 0.54 | 13.3% |
| 70 lb | 250 | 414 | 313 | 90 | 0.58 | 12.3% |
| 75 lb | 250 | 414 | 323 | 96 | 0.59 | 12.3% |
| 80 lb | 200 | 446 | 320 | 101 | 0.63 | 11.4% |
What one inch of draw length costs
| Draw length | Spine | Weight (gr) | Speed (fps) | Kinetic energy (ft‑lb) | FOC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27″ | 200 | 446 | 300 | 89 | 11.4% |
| 28″ | 200 | 446 | 310 | 95 | 11.4% |
| 29″ | 200 | 446 | 320 | 101 | 11.4% |
| 30″ | 200 | 446 | 330 | 108 | 11.4% |
What this build is cleared for
We grade against five energy floors and we tell you which of them are Easton's numbers and which are ours. Three come from Easton's game-class chart, which Easton retired in 2012 and which we reproduce from archive captures on the kinetic energy chart by game class. Two are ours, labelled as ours.
| Game class | Floor (ft‑lb) | Whose number | This build at 101 ft‑lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small game | 15 | judged | clears by 86 |
| Deer / antelope | 25 | charted | clears by 76 |
| Elk / bear / boar | 42 | charted | clears by 59 |
| Heavy game | 50 | derived | clears by 51 |
| Big game | 65 | charted | clears by 36 |
Energy is a floor, not a plan. It tells you whether an arrow has enough to work with; it does not tell you where to put it. For that you want the target size — broadside vital dimensions for 61 species are on the vital zone size page, with the sourced shoulder heights they derive from.
Bow specifications
- IBO speed: 350 fps
- Let-off: 80%
- Axle-to-axle: 31″
- Mass weight: 3.9 lb
- Draw weight range: 50–80 lb
- Draw length range: 25–30″
Common questions
What arrow spine do I need for a PSE Lightning (2025)?
At 80 lb and a 29-inch draw with a 100-grain point, the engine picks 200 spine for a 446-grain finished arrow. Drop to 50 lb and the pick moves to 340 spine at 356 grains. Spine is not a property of the bow — it is set by draw weight, arrow length and point weight together, which is why the table above shows every draw weight this bow offers rather than one number.
How fast does a PSE Lightning (2025) shoot a real hunting arrow?
About 320 fps with the 446-grain build above at 80 lb and 29 inches. The bow's advertised 350 fps IBO is measured with a 350-grain arrow at 30 inches and 70 pounds, which almost nobody shoots. The gap between 350 and 320 is not the manufacturer lying — it is the difference between the IBO test arrow and a huntable one.
Is this arrow heavy enough for elk?
Yes on energy: 101 ft-lb against the 42 ft-lb elk, black bear and boar floor — a margin of 59 ft-lb. That 42 is Easton's charted figure, not ours. It also clears the 25 ft-lb deer and antelope floor. Energy is only half the question though: penetration on elk is driven by momentum and FOC as much as by kinetic energy, and this build sits at 0.63 slug-fps and 11.4% FOC.
What game does this PSE Lightning (2025) build clear?
At 101 ft-lb it clears small game, deer / antelope, elk / bear / boar, heavy game, big game. It clears every floor we publish. Two of those floors are Easton's charted numbers (25 and 42 ft-lb), one is Easton's top band (65), one is ours placed between charted anchors (50), and one is ours with thin evidence that we label as such (15). We publish which is which rather than presenting all five as industry standard.
Where do these numbers come from?
The same physics engine that runs The Forge, with no hand-tuning and no chart lookup. Launch speed is IBO-corrected for your actual draw weight, draw length and arrow mass. Kinetic energy and momentum use the Easton method. The spine pick comes from a model validated against the published manufacturer charts — 98% agreement with Easton, 85% with Gold Tip. Bow specs (350 fps IBO, 80% let-off) are the manufacturer's published figures. When you chronograph your real bow, your measured speed replaces the estimate everywhere.
Method, and what we are not claiming
Launch speed is the bow's published IBO corrected for your actual draw weight, draw length and finished arrow mass. Kinetic energy and momentum are the Easton method. The spine pick comes from a coefficient model published in full on the spine what-if page, including its measured agreement with each manufacturer's chart.
What we are not claiming: that this is the arrow you should shoot. It is the arrow this engine builds from a sensible hunting default on this bow, so that the numbers on this page are reproducible rather than editorial. Your draw length, your point weight and your broadhead all move every figure here, and the permalink above opens the build so you can move them.
Built by archnerds, for archnerds — The Forge by Sparrow Expeditions.