The numbers you want for Whitetail deer
| Total arrow weight | 420-470 gr |
|---|---|
| FOC target | 11-15% |
| Minimum KE | 40 ft-lb |
| Minimum momentum | 0.45 slug·ft/s |
| Typical shot distance | 20-40 yards |
| Recommended spine range | 340-400 for 50-65lb @ 27-29" draw |
Why these numbers
Whitetail deer hunting requires enough kinetic energy to drive a broadhead through hide and rib, plus enough momentum to keep the arrow penetrating after the cut. 40 ft-lb KE is the consensus floor for Whitetail deer — below that you start seeing surface wounds and lost animals when shots land less than perfectly.
FOC of 11-15% is what most heavy-arrow guides recommend for Whitetail deer. Below 10% the arrow plane-shifts on bone strikes; above 18% you lose practical accuracy at typical Whitetail deer distances.
Point selection
Sharp 100-125gr fixed-blade broadhead for clean pass-through on shoulder shots — recoveries get a lot easier when the arrow exits.
Insert / half-out
Stainless steel insert for balance — go titanium if you're front-loading FOC. (Skip aluminum inserts: they're the weak link on bone strikes.)
Shaft picks
- Easton 5.0 Match Grade
- Easton 4mm Axis Long Range
- Black Eagle Spartan
- Gold Tip Hunter XT
- Victory RIP TKO
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 Whitetail deer setups
Going too light to chase speed. Sub-400gr 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 Whitetail deer?
Up to about 470 gr makes sense for Whitetail deer 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 Whitetail deer.