Total Arrow Weight & GPP
Add up arrow components and check grains per pound of draw weight.
How this works
Grains per pound (GPP) normalizes arrow weight against how much bow it's being shot from — a 420-grain arrow is light for an 80 lb draw weight but heavy for a 45 lb one. That's why GPP, rather than raw grain weight, is the number archery manufacturers use to describe whether an arrow setup runs light, balanced, or heavy for a given bow.
Trade-offs across the GPP range
Lighter setups (under 5 GPP) shoot flatter and faster but transfer more shock back into the bow, which most bows and shooters feel as extra noise and vibration. Heavier setups (8+ GPP) shoot quieter and typically penetrate deeper for the same draw weight, at the cost of a more curved trajectory and shorter effective range. Most hunting setups land in the 6–8 GPP range as a practical middle ground.
Frequently asked questions
What GPP should I be targeting for hunting?
Many bowhunters aim for roughly 6–8 grains per pound of draw weight as a balanced hunting setup — quieter and harder-hitting than a very light, fast setup, without swinging all the way to a very heavy, slow one.
Why does GPP matter more than raw arrow weight?
GPP normalizes weight against how much bow is actually pushing the arrow — a 420-grain arrow is light for an 80 lb bow but heavy for a 45 lb one, so the ratio is more meaningful than the raw grain number alone.
What happens if my GPP is too low?
Very light setups (under about 5 GPP) can shoot flatter and faster but transfer more shock back into the bow, which usually shows up as extra noise and vibration and can stress some bows more than they're rated for.
Explore the whole Calcs family here.
Not happy with our calculations or how it works? Let us know.
Have a suggestion for a calculator you don't see here? Let us know.
All HuntersCalcs tools
Rifle & Scope
Ballistic Coefficient Estimator Bullet Drop / Trajectory Calculator Barrel-Length Velocity Loss (Estimate) BC Truing from Chronograph Cost per Shot / Cost per Hunt Density Altitude Calculator Scope / Binocular Exit Pupil, FOV & Twilight Factor Maximum Point-Blank Range Mil-Dot / MOA Range Estimator MOA / Mil Calculator Muzzle / Downrange Energy & Momentum Free Recoil Energy & Velocity Sectional Density Calculator Sight-In / Zero Correction Spin Drift & Coriolis (Long-Range) Time of Flight & Moving-Game Lead Twist Rate & Bullet Stability Uphill / Downhill Shot Correction Wind Drift CalculatorMuzzleloader
Muzzleloader Ballistics Muzzleloader Powder: Volume, Shots per Pound & Cost Patched Round Ball: Weight, BC & TwistShotgun
Pellet Energy by Shot Size & Range Crossing-Bird Lead Pellet Count & Pattern Density Slug DropArchery & Crossbow
Arrow Drop, Sight Pin Gaps & Yardage Tape Arrow FOC (Front of Center) Arrow Kinetic Energy & Momentum Arrow Speed Estimator Arrow Spine — General Starting Point Total Arrow Weight & GPP Holding Weight from Let-Off Broadhead Penetration Reference: Energy vs. Momentum Crossbow Bolt Drop with Multi-Reticle Scope Draw Length Calculator Treestand / Angle-Shot Horizontal DistanceReloading
Case Capacity from Water Weight Seating Depth off the Lands (CBTO) Chronograph ES / SD Statistics Load Density / Case Fill % Powder Burn-Rate Reference Reloading Cost per Round & Break-Even Load Data Finder Rounds per Pound of PowderDraw Odds
Tag Draw Odds Estimator (Pilot)Land & Herd
Food Plot Seed, Lime & Fertilizer Mix Hunting Lease Cost per Acre / per Hunter Trail Camera Population Estimate (Jacobson Method)Meat Processing
Cost per Pound of Venison Cure & Salt Calculator Freezer Space Needed per Deer Jerky / Sausage Seasoning Scaler Taxidermy Cost Estimator Venison / Fat Blend Ratio (Pearson Square) Venison Cut Yield CalculatorNo calculators match your search.