The numbers you want for Black bear
| Total arrow weight | 500-580 gr |
|---|---|
| FOC target | 14-18% |
| Minimum KE | 60 ft-lb |
| Minimum momentum | 0.58 slug·ft/s |
| Typical shot distance | 15-30 yards |
| Recommended spine range | 300-340 for 65-75lb @ 28-30" draw |
Why these numbers
Black bear hunting requires enough kinetic energy to drive a broadhead through hide and rib, plus enough momentum to keep the arrow penetrating after the cut. 60 ft-lb KE is the consensus floor for Black bear — below that you start seeing surface wounds and lost animals when shots land less than perfectly.
FOC of 14-18% is what most heavy-arrow guides recommend for Black bear. Below 10% the arrow plane-shifts on bone strikes; above 18% you lose practical accuracy at typical Black bear distances.
Point selection
Heavy single-bevel cut-on-contact 150-175gr broadhead. Bear fur + fat absorbs energy fast — heavy arrows recover blood trails.
Insert / half-out
Titanium or stainless half-out, 75-125gr, to push FOC to 16%+ for maximum penetration.
Shaft picks
- Easton 5mm FMJ
- Black Eagle Deep Impact
- Day Six HD
- Firenock AeroWeave 246
- Gold Tip Kinetic
Build it now
Drop these specs into our free builder and dial in your exact bow. We'll compute live FOC, KE, momentum, spine confidence, and ballistic coefficient. Sight tape generation and shot solver (Pro) extend it for actual hunt prep.
Open the builder →Common mistakes hunters make on Black bear setups
Going too light to chase speed. Sub-480gr builds look fast on the chronograph but can fail to penetrate on bone strikes. Heavier arrows lose only a few yards of effective range and gain meaningful penetration margin.
Ignoring FOC. A heavy arrow at 8% FOC doesn't penetrate like an equally heavy arrow at 14% — the centered mass plane-shifts on angle hits. Get the front weight up.
Skipping the spine check. A 70 lb bow with a 300 spine arrow that's actually too weak (because of long arrow + heavy point + cam-aggressive bow) will tear through paper but plane sideways out of the bow. Use the builder's spine confidence indicator — don't guess.
FAQ
What about heavier arrows for Black bear?
Up to about 550 gr makes sense for Black bear if you're confident in your shot. Past that you sacrifice trajectory more than you gain penetration. Use the builder's KE + momentum readouts to compare specific heavy builds.
Does broadhead choice matter more than arrow choice?
For penetration, the arrow does most of the work — the broadhead just gets it started. For wound channel size, the broadhead matters most. You want both balanced for Black bear.