I have a mild R/D longbow that I shoot 47@27. If I stick with 12-13 grains per pound, use a sharp 2 blade and have good arrow flight??? Is this enough for Elk??
I've been checking out past threads and can't really find a clear cut answer??
I'm not an elk hunter yet, not till this fall anyway, but I've seen it in several places that once you get to 12gr per pound you lose some ground in the momentum category and it was recommended staying between 9 and 11gr per pound. I'm sure someone else will chime in shortly. I've talked to several people who have taken elk with a 45# bow and the basic opinion I've heard from them is that it is enough, but that if you are comfortable shooting heavier, do so. But use a sharp two blade and it will do the job, you just have to do your part. More poundage won't help if you can't hit with it.
Where doyou plan on hunting and what does the regulation say for min weight to hunt elk with? Some sates have a 50# min draw
IMO,NO
55lbs minium for me and I like 65+lbs.Big target that bowhunters can stretch their shooting abilities when compared to whitetails shooting distances.
that would give you a 564-611 gr arrow launched from a 47# bow. from what I've learned reading David Petersen & Doc Ed, you're not making the cut. You should shoot a minimum of 600gr from a bow pulling at least 50# at a maximum of 20 yards. Time to hit the gym :thumbsup:
PS:And,if you were to follow Ed Ashby's calculations to the T, your 564gr arrow should come out of your bow at 230 Fps to have enough "umph" for mighty Wapiti. you're not gonna' get that from a 47# trad bow. :D
I am an elk hunter and have taken a few.If you keep your shots close,have great arrow flight,and a shaving sharp broadhead YES however I'm still not a fan of anything under 60# for elk size and larger game. they are very stocky critters hides are thicker as well as there ribs and shots tend to be a little farther out west than most first timers realize. 27 yards is the national distance average for elk.I spend most of sept in elk camp in New Mexico I've seen to many instances were a low poundage bow didn't get it done,most of them were highly efficient C-bows.Just one mans humble opinion.
You need 50# in Wyoming to be legal, and you will want it. Elk are big critters, particularly if you are used to whitetails. Get a bit more bow; you will be glad you did if the elk decide to cooperate and get close enough for a shot.
You won't find a clear cut answer to that question. I'd say your set up is marginal and you could be asking for real trouble, and not just legal either.
Others will give you differing opinions, and if everything is working perfectly your setup might be adequate.
For me, that's just not good enough and I respect the animal more than that; but that's just another opinion.
Maybe ROn LaClair will chime in on this one. He sent me a pic a year ago of one of his customers who tool a huge bull in New Mexico with one of his Shrews at 47# of draw weight. Pick your shots well and you will be fine.
Dan
Elk are the toughest of big game animals to take with a bow there ribs are thick and curved and close together the elk I have taken where shot at 70 lbs and I got complete pass through but that was at 70lbs 47lbs? I dought you will have sucess :banghead:
Sounds like a great reason to buy another bow. Think they call it a man-law. :banghead:
I know many who have taken elk with low poundage bows, but I believe that usually involves not hitting ribs. Elk have thick ribs covered by fat, hair, and, if in the rut, sometimes a decent layer of mud. I would up your weight as much as possible and stick to a 600+ grain arrow and a shaving sharp 2 blade. BTW, minimum here in oregon is 50# as well.
ttt
I Think the law in Wyoming is that your bow has to be able to cast a 500gr arrow so many yards. Oregon will let it go also. You would not get a ticket anywhere in the western states for being at 47 pds and needing 50pds. I've shot quite a few elk with a recurve and 47 pds is more than enough, so long as you keep your shots inside 25 yards. A question like that is always going to get the "MAGNUM" crew going and seems to get asked at least every couple of months. Elk are thick animals, but you don't need 60 pds. to kill an elk. I use 52pds now and have used 48pds before and never had any problems. Just my 2 cents worth.
Well da bow is marked 50@28 so, I guess I would be legal in most states.. Unless the DNR man checked my draw??? Even then I think I could squeeze an extra inch of draw for him... :readit:
Anyone else out there hunt with 50# or less for elk??
I'm planning on using my Crow Creek this fall. It is 50@27". I figure that since shot placement is the most important thing, and this is the bow I shoot best, its the one I should take.
I have taken 5 elk with bows in the 45-50# range. It's not the bow, it's the arrow!!! 600+ grains with a 2-blade head will do it. I don't even stick to the "gotta-keep-your-shots-close" rule but it is harder to shoot those heavier arrows at longer ranges because of trajectory. I have shot through elk and then broken bones on the other side with a setup like yours with heavy arrows. One time I punched a hole through the offside scapula on a 40 yd. shot with a 630 gr. arrow and last year with a 47# longbow and 650 gr. arrow I broke the humorus bone IN HALF from 25 yds.
i don't know what, if anything, it means, but i once shot an arrow at a junked car door with 50 pounds and the feild tipped arrow completely penetrated the door and i still have a black diamond that buried 1/2" into a rock i hit.
i would use nothing LESS than your current poundage along with an absolutely scary sharp two blade broadhead.
well,i just found 2 dz. ash arrows that weigh in @ 600-620. They seem to be shootin pretty good out of my 47# longbow. And are even rocking the chunck of 3d target im shootin at.But they drop like a rock after 25 yards.
Never been hunting for elk, but all I've read and heard is shoot the heaviest bow you can shoot accurately. As several have said limit you shot to 25 yards. Also, from what I've read many shots at elk are longer than at whitetails. Big country, big critter. But what do I know I use my 63# MOAB on everything from squirrels to 225# boar.
Tommy, did you steal my arrows?
You can't use them, you know. They are right-handed.
Killdeer :knothead:
Illy I know. That's why I'm shooting them backwards. :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by String Cutter:
Well da bow is marked 50@28 so, I guess I would be legal in most states.. Unless the DNR man checked my draw??? Even then I think I could squeeze an extra inch of draw for him... :readit:
Anyone else out there hunt with 50# or less for elk??
this comment sounds like you really don't care about finding out what is enough for a worst case scenario shot on a beautiful American treasure like Elk.
I'll leave the poundage you use up to you but here is my experience with heavy vs lighter bows. This is not 100% accurate but it is close. If you are shooting 10gr arrow weight per pound of draw, the 62# bow will shoot a 620gr arrow about as fast as a 52# bow will shoot a 520 grainer. Of course there are many variables but the point is that heavy bows will shoot heavy arrows better.
To me it boils down to whether or not you can accurately shoot a 60#+ pound bow, COLD. That is to say, you don't generally get warm-up shots while hunting. Also, can you shoot a 60#+ down-hill, from a setting or kneeling position and so on.
Surely a 600-700gr arrow will give you better penetration if shot at a similar speed than a 520gr arrow will but if you miss the heart/lungs it doesn't matter.
String, With all due respect, this is not fishing where we try and use the lightest tackle we can.
It's Bowhunting and your talking a big animal, We have people who have done it and done it with lighter tackle, WHY? :knothead:
If you have a physical disability and this is the absolute max you can pull keep your shots short and make only high percentage shots.
If you start now and work out for the next 5 months I know you could shoot a 55-60lbs Bow.
When you Elk hunt your not shooting a 3D round where you might shoot 100 arrows, in 10 days of Elk hunting you might only get a few chances.
IMHO shoot the max you can shoot accurately, the Elk deserve it.
Well, The reason I'm shooting such a light weight bow is I like to shoot alot. With anything more then 50# after afew days I have to go to the Doctor to get a shot in the shoulder. And yes I'm going to shoot atleast 50 arrows or more aday while out there. Love to let the arrow fly stump shooting. .
Alex, I have no problems with da DNR man. Check what I do for a living. But after years of setting in courts like I have you come to realize that laws were made by lawyers. And Can be twisted and turned to mean just about anything you want them to mean..
Now is a 49#bow going to do that much less then a 50#bow??? Is going 56mph in a 55mph speedlimit going to change the course of history??? What about differant bow scales weighN differantly??? Differant radar guns the same thing??? I've never written a ticket for 3 or even 4 miles over the limit?? World ain't black and white.... Got to have some wiggle room..
By the way, I hunt elk with bows in the low-mid 50s draw. Using the same criteria stated in the above post, I don't shoot a 60+# bow "cold" consistently enough to hunt with it. If I can warm up w/ 3-4 practice shots I do fine with a 60+ pounder but like I said, you don't get to do that will hunting.
If we only had records of the poundage of the early bows of the 1700 and 1800s, I wonder how we'd evaluate them. I know were not there, today is today, were so fortunate to have those fellows setting at their desk in the Legislature, to let us know what will kill elk and other animals. Otherwise would be up a creek !
Light tackle :knothead:
A lot of states frown on it. And the State of Minnesota we just dropped our poundage to 30# for a legal hunting bow.
Pastor Carl
Trust me on this, Stringcutter; elk are LARGE. If you are used to whitetails, when you get lucky enough to see a big bull within good bow range, you will be happy to have a little more bow. Under perfect conditions, you can kill an elk with a light bow, but you can also kill an elk with a .22 under perfect conditions. That doesn't mean that it is a good thing to try if there are other options.Use the most bow you can handle,and give yourself a little wiggle room. You owe it to the elk, which are great animals that live in wonderful country. My two cents.
"IMHO shoot the max you can shoot accurately, the Elk deserve it." Well said!
Why risk it and use a borderline set-up?
I agree that a high respect for the animal should drive you to use a higher poundage bow.
Just my opinion.
On the other hand, the elk "deserve" the best shot you can give them and that may be with a lighter bow, it is for me. I don't know String Cutter but it sounds like his shoulder problem is like mine. I know I can't "work up" to a heavier bow by Sept. because I've spent the last 4 years trying that. I used to believe the "experts" opinion about needing at least 60# for elk until I had the experience of shooting heavy arrows through them with 45-50#. It's a bit funny to me that none of you guys that say that String Cutter should use a heavy bow on elk use any examples of bad experiences you have had shooting light-weight bows at elk. Do you have any? Have any of you tried it, or are you also going on the "experts" opinion? String Cutter, It sounds like you shoot your bow well without hurting your shoulder. If you shoot well with 600+ gr. arrows, don't be afraid of throwing those at an elk. It will work!!!! Just my (experienced) opinion.
I think it on a low end but will work. I like mid 50s oh and I also know what your saying about lawyers lol I have a mess of court coming up as well. Got to love it when it falls on your off day! :banghead:
I have never hunted elk though I have tried to vicariously through TV. But I would think all the bow weight you would need would be the bare minimum for being able to bust through two rib bones on an elk. I suppose this would be more of a kinetic energy thing though so you would need the bare minimum energy to get a pass through having gone through tough old elk ribs on both sides.
Maybe though it can be modified to be said you need enough energy to get through a shoulder blade.
Just uneducated thoughts.
QuoteOriginally posted by String Cutter:
QUOTE] And yes I'm going to shoot at least 50 arrows or more aday while out there. Love to let the arrow fly stump shooting. .
[/QB]
Thomas, I'm sorry, I thought you where going
Elk Hunting it sounds like your going stump shooting in Elk country.
Elk will not tolerate that kind of horse play in there living room.
Do you think you could shoot 50 arrows and expect to even see a white tail in the same woods?
Your 47pounder will be great for your stump shoot-n- elk country trip.
Thomas please don't be offended if you don't get the answer you where looking for.
I have a mild R/D longbow that I shoot 47@27. If I stick with 12-13 grains per pound, use a sharp 2 blade and have good arrow flight??? Is this enough for Elk?? NO, with all do respect, Elk are big.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/elk2.jpg)
Yep, I've seen lots of deer while stump/ Squirrel/deer hunting. I'm out there to have fun shootin and enjoy nature. If all I wanted to do was kill, I'ld break out the old 300 mag.
Please don't think I'm not taking what you guys are saying... I am... Just upped the poundage on a bow I have on order to 55@28... But it's still only going to give me 52@27... Going to attempt to shoot that?? If I can??? But , If I can't shot the heaveier one as well as the 47#er I might have to stick with the lighter one??
King, Beautiful critter... Tell us the story.
QuoteI have a mild R/D longbow that I shoot 47@27. If I stick with 12-13 grains per pound, use a sharp 2 blade and have good arrow flight??? Is this enough for Elk??
Use good hot selection and it is fine.
Whether or not the game targeted is "noble" has NO bearing on whether the chosen setup is good to go.
Steve
Doug...my apologies. I should have said in my "unexperienced" opinion. Won't happen again.
Kingwouldbe looks to have a bit of valuable experience. I'll stick with him and the many other "experts" who have recommended a heavier set-up for elk. That is my choice, correct?
Sorry...string cutter I was by no means trying to comment on your set-up as if I was some kind of authortiy.
Good luck.
This question has been asked a number times, I don't think we are going to get the right answer for every individual. I think that the poundage is different for every individual that's on here that wants to go elk hunting. I would think that the importance would be on the heaviness of the arrow, the most important part, would be shot placement. I don't think elk are any tougher than a Whitetail deer in proportion, if you hit Bone, you're going to need to be prepared for it.
When you ask a question, is it enough poundage ! You need to be prepared to get answers from people that you may not expect them to shoot a 65 or 70# bow, but from what I have seen on here in the last five years, the average I would say would be 55 lbs. with a 600 gr arrow or more.
I haven't heard anybody mention, relax when they come to the shot opportunity present itself. I would think that that falls into shot placement, I know that there are perfect shots, and that is what should be striving for on every shot rather be elk or Whitetail.
We practice all year long for something that takes three to five seconds. Is there a perfect poundage? Is there are perfect arrow weight ?
It is what it needs to be for that particular individual. Me trying to dictate what somebody else should shoot because the " elk deserves it" doesn't quite cut it, that would be like me trying to change the rules of church, or dictate how you handle your relationship with Jesus Christ. It's not going to happen.
The best piece of equipment that you have is setting right on your shoulders ! Use it !
Pastor Carl
Let me stir the pot even a little more??? If 47# isn't enough for a 2 blade with a 600grain arrow??? Then How much poundage do you need to use a 3 blade like a lot of folks use??
In my thoughts a 47# w/2blades will penitrate better than a 55-60# with a big old snuffer strapped on...
Not trying to start a fight... Just trying to learn... I ain't never even laid eyes on an elk before. I 'm judgin by what size I think they are and I'm guessin about the size of a med. Size horse... Something that I've seen and touched before..
I have spoken about this with a very fine bowyer that uses bows in the mid fifties with a 26'' draw with bows that have no glass and cedar arrows. They have shot a number of elk and reported no lack of penetration to me. With your longer draw and faster bow, you are probably in the same power and penetration range as they are.
When one considers what Art Young had for cast and foot pounds on moose, as seen in his Alaska footage, you may be in that range as well with your ash shafts. He used a 64'' osage broom handle and birch shafts. Heavy bow poundage for sure, but still those broom handles did not have the cast of your bow.
Forget about draw weight for one minute.
David's elk has other requirements.
Remember carry weight?
Unless you plan on leaving it, it would take a lot of average size guys to pack out that monster if they aren't fit enough.
That is one reason that Ishi, with his 40 pound bow, was the last of his tribe. He was barely surviving before he moved to San Francisco. His tribe hunted as a tribe, and fired arrows into their elks as a tribe. Their favorite method of killing large bears was firing arrows into the open mouth so it would bleed, starve, and weaken.
I would not want to hunt elk with a marginal set up unless I limited my shots to marginal elk.
It's obvious experience is falling on deaf ears. You've asked, and haven't gotten the return you were favoring and simply want to ignore the fact an elk is a huge animal.
You state perfect conditions. What is that in elk country? Depending on where you're hunting strong winds could be the norm (above or at treeline). Your bow in such conditions will have little if any power behind it, not to mention horrible range due to heavy arrows.
I hope you're willing to pass up alot of elk due to "bad conditions" (which wouldn't be the case with a heavier bow) when in reality, getting in on one or two elk for a first timer would be an accomplishment.
I wouldn't bank on 47# bow with a 2 blade penetrating better than a 60# bow with a razor sharp big snuffer either.
If you are using the same design bow and same gpp for each bow...the 60# will have lots more energy and momentum. Just a thought.
If it were me, I'd go with a heavier weight bow(if I could shoot it accuratly) and a good sharp 2 blade or a good sharp Wensel Woodsman 3 blade. The WW is a penetrating machine.
Mike
" It's obvious experience is falling on deaf ears. You've asked, and haven't gotten the return you were favoring and simply want to ignore the fact an elk is a huge animal."
Is there anyone here that has gone elk hunting and shot an elk, and hit a rip, what kind of penetration did you have ? What poundage and grain of arrow did you do it with ?
And the real question is would somebody else's bow at the same poundage do the same thing under the same conditions ?
It seems like getting hung up on poundage of the bow and the weight of the arrow, is almost a fine line of " my wheels are better than your wheels"
I would think that everybody's bow is going to function differently, especially if they are custom bows, sure they're all going to cast a arrow, but the energy from each of the bows will be different. But then again maybe the difference is not to be that much, to make that difference.
If you look at my signature line, I have two 43 lb. bows, but I know that one is faster than the other one. The recurve his 13 fps faster. This is just one example of what I'm talking about. Custom bows being different.
My first thought would be, do I want to spend all that money for a license, travel, lodging, and everything else that goes along with a trip, and then not have the best possible poundage in a bow to hunt with.
You're putting the three to five seconds of your opportunity for a shot up against questionable odds if you don't do it right.
In my uneducated opinion, I would think 47 lbs. would be enough, but you would have limitations, and if you have the discipline to honor those limitations, you also will have the courage to accept empty hands at the end of the hunt.
But what if you're wrong.
That becomes a pretty big question !
Pastor Carl
Irregardless of what is said from hence forth. Everyones mind here is made up as to which bow and arrow and shooter combination is going to work. There is no advice good enough and no reasons sound enough to change minds that are already made up.
I am singling out no one in this. We all think we have the right idea but no one really does. Exceptional circumstances be darned and just go hunting. If you cant live by someone elses experience then live from your own because in the end it will be the only experience you trust.
Should I hunt elk with 47#? Should I hunt deer with 25#? I guarantee that these animals have been taken with less at one time or another. Did the animal deserve it?
StringCutter, go to elk country and stump shoot to your hearts content. If you get that shot at an elk while out there you have been warned by some encouraged by others and.......
If a tree falls and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound??
I have seen a BW recurve out shoot a Bear recurve by 25 fps, The Widow was 42 and the Bear was 57. Both bows were drawn to 29''. We should never over look the actual performance of the the individual or the individual bow. More power plus accuracy, is always a benefit. I wonder though if there is a realm where a good hit would give adequate penetration and a bad hit would give a bounce off. Not the best scenario, but it is a possibility. Pass throughs are always better in my opinion. Perhaps string cutter , you could check how you are drawing your bow to see if there is something you could do to draw more weight without hurting your shoulder. One of the local cops here found that by swing drawing with the bow coming up quicker and reducing the straight part of his draw it hurt less on his fresh shoulder surgery.
Shoot all the bow you can. If you don't double lung an elk you will probaly never find it. An elk with one lung can and will cover miles. They won't go down like a deer.
SL
I think Ken Beck from Black Widow killed a trophy bull with a 47# bow.
Lone Archer you're right he did..... But I went ahead and ordered a 55@28 (52@27)Bighorn 1pc recurve and a mid 50's @ my draw Dwyer Longbow. If'n this ain't enough horse power I might have to start using my throwing stars??? :knothead:
I know of people who have killed elk with 41#, 46# and 48#.
Elk are hard to kill there ribs are very curved I think if you dont shoot 55 to 60lbs you are setting yourself up for failure and probably will only wound the animal Elk are far harder to kill than Moose or deer or Bear also stay at least 600gr arrow scary sharp as if you hit a rib you will still claim you trophy :bigsmyl:
ok tommy il give ya my 2 cents i ran elk camps for 28 years befor i got out of guiding iv killed elk with bows from 46 all the way to 90 # iv seen several guys wives kill elk with a 45 pound bow also now im not telling ya it ok and not ok but to be honest a 45 # bow will kill anything on this earth with 1 well placed shot !!!keep in mind if you use that bow it will work but you better be very well decplined on ur shot s and shot placement id personally say 25 yards max and you better be shooting a woodsman or a snuffer the only other blade id even consider is a black diamond eskimo now keep in mind thses ideas come from over 200 elk kills in the last 30 years from what i have perosnally seen i wont lie to ya a big arrow with a snuffer will get the job done if you can handal a 60 # bow so much the better good luck and just do it wiseley the elk deserve it !!
I have never seen them talk politics on these threads, but this is about as close as it gets to it :knothead:
Whenever you bring up a subject like this;
It's like throwing gas on a bonfire, every once in awhile someone will come along with the bottle water, but most to time, you won't get the answer that you're looking for because it's in your mind and your hand, wrapped up with your discipline, and your attitude.
What's going to be the best poundage for Elk, is totally up to you and the state that you're hunting in. If 47 lbs. is the bow you have and it is legal in that state, that's the one that you hunt with. And that's the one that will give you the experience to answer your question. And hopefully you have the discipline to keep your shot placement good and close.
Pastor Carl
Kingwouldbe you lead a charmed life!
I'm going to use a 50# @30inch Acs CX this year on elk. I chronographed it the other day and it was only five feet per second slower than my 60# @30 inch recurve. That is with 620 grain arrows. I have always used zwickeys and magnus. I have killed about 15 elk(lost count). If I had your setup and wanted to hunt elk I would use a smaller two blade like the zwickey eskimo. Penetration will be the thing you need the most. I don't think elk are any harder to kill than a big mule deer. You just have to hit them right. Just my opinion, Gary
I've never hunted elk but i read a letter Howard Hill wrote to the gov. stating that you could effectivly kill a elk with a bow that is 40# a long as you use an arrow over 400 grains
QuoteOriginally posted by always89s boy:
I've never hunted elk but i read a letter Howard Hill wrote to the gov. stating that you could effectivly kill a elk with a bow that is 40# a long as you use an arrow over 400 grains
sure, 'cuz I read on cave walls that people used to push Elk over cliffs or club them to death :knothead:
alex
Well, I'm going with mid 50#s at 27 inches. and a STOS or Grizzly. If'n that wont take down an elk, Guess I'm just not man enough to play da game.
G'luck String Cutter. Opinions aside, I bet you have a great time. :)
Thomas, your man enough, :wavey: I can tell that you have taken to hart what everyone has said and came up with your own conclusion, Right on and have a great time Trad-Bowhunting the American wapiti.
Alex to funny man :goldtooth:
String cutter, Just remember that bow weight is just a small part of good penatration! Other big factors are, Type of bow, Draw length, Arrow weight, Arrow diamiter, Arrow FOC, Broadhead type, Arrow and broadhead integrate, ... Some of these factors you don't have any control over or can not change others you do. Dr. Ashby's reports are a must read for anyone looking for more penatration. Just for an example, Ashby found that on buffalow rib shots a 54# longbow with a 723gr extreme FOC arrow and 190 gr griz broadhead out penatrated a 82# longbow with normal FOC 792gr arrow and 190gr griz.
Hummm??? Tell me more of this DOCTOUR???? I tried readin his stuff but some how lose focus very fast...
You can find all you want and then some on the Dr. Ashby section of the forum home page. Yes, it is sometimes hard to focus and keep reading, however there is alot of useful info there. One other major penatration factor that I forgot to mention is to make sure you setup is in tune. If your arrow is not properly tuned it will rob lots of penatration from your setup. Steve
SC -- that's because there really is no clear-cut answer. The logical and statistical answer is that you are very marginally geared ... everything, including your self-restraint, will have to be perfect. Optimistically, get as close to Dr. Ashby's advice as you can manage, hold your shots to 15 yards or so (which I now do with mid- and high-50s bows that shoot 700 grains at least 160 fps, and you can pull it off. Self-restraint in the clinch are darn hard to come by, at least for me even after half a century of working on it. That's why I "over-gear" as much as possible. Then if I fail I have only myself to blame it on, which is how it should be. I love these animals. I recognize my place as a predator and theirs as prey. But damn if I could keep hunting, after all the personal moral tragedies I've suffered across the decades, with a "If everything goes right" attitude. We can't all do everything. Far more important is to strive to do everything we do absulutely the best it can be done. Thanks for asking, dave
Dave?? Do you still think I'm still marginal shooting a 55-60# bow??? OMG!! guys I just want to hunt elk?? Don't want to go after water buff,rhino or a hippo??? Maybe a moose??? some day???,
SC -- Absolutely not underbowed! My bad. I read your original post and somehow 45# stuck in my mind; you didn't say what you are shooting there so that stuck. And as so often happens with these long threads, I didn't read anything in between (both to avoid the temptation to argue, and to try and keep my job, way too much of which time I already divert to TG!) I just posted my reaction to your original post. Sorry. You are shooting what I shoot, and following Ashby's advice I get plumb pass-throughs on broadside elk even with ribs in and out. Scapula is another matter, and that's what the good Dock is trying to prepare us for. You're set, except for the fun part ... finding a willing wapiti! Dave
Bow performance varies widely, one 46lb bow can shoot the same weight arrow as fast or faster than another 50lb bow
Isn't the real question about arrow weight abd FPS?????
If.
itdoesn't spit out a reasonable hunting weight arrow
Rather than getting hung up on draw weight it should be based on performance
Imo
Gator -- I agree, so long as you're talking about speed at heavy arrow weights. Problem with the trend in the past decade is the tendency, and industry encouragement, to get arrow weight down to improve speed. Decide the weight arrow you need, the compare bow speeds. My personal example is when, a few years ago, a shoulder injury from too much shooting forced me to drop from mid-60s to mid-50s bow weight, yet the newer bow, even 10 pounds lighter, pushed the same arrows 10 fps faster! So, yes, I agree: arrow weight plus speed is what we're after, but most of the emphasis on weight. Thanks for the clarification.dave
Didn't even think of that??? So if I go with a highR/d longbow??? Instead of an older type d shaped long bow??? I might be able to shave off a few more pounds and get away with it???/
Only thinking this cause I have a 60# Dwyer longbow on order and it's D shaped.... But, he also has one that has alot of R/D the dauntless... Think I could change it to the high R/D drop down let's say 3-4#s and get the same preformance??? My shoulders might thank me for it??
Hill said you could kill any thing in North America with a 40# bow and a 400 grain arrow. I am sure he knew what he was talking about.
Jesse what he said is true. I also can kill any game animal in the world with a .22 long rifle but I don't think it would be a very good idea to try?????
My advise would be to listen to the guide, 28 yrs and 200 elk should be worth alot, and I know what hes talking about liking the snuffers or woodsmans. The eastern hunters I have hunted with are darn good hunters, you,ve hunted whitetails alot probably, If you can get up on them you darn sure can get up them elk, practise alot with what you have and you,ll get r done.
String Cutter, I've killed a couple of elk and a couple of hundred other animals. If I had any advice, I would go back to the posts here from the fellows who have actually killed or at least SEEN an elk and go with what they say. The rest are nice but (much like college professors) they are all theory and no practice.
Oh yea, and my opinion is that I would much rather see an elk shot in the armpit with a 47#er than shot in the guts with a 55. If you can shoot your current setup with comfort and great accuracy then stay with it. Oh yea and have fun!
To underscore what others have said my 49# ACS CX shoots a 650 grain arrow at the same speed as my previous 58# recurve did. Set yourself some objectives like: this weight arrow, at this speed, with this kind of accuracy. Rather than just reading the numbers written by bowyers and others.