Ive been debating and debating but im pretty sure im going to purchase a new recurve. I want the Bear Supermag 48 I was thinking of getting it in a 55lb model but im thinking with a bow that short itel probably stack up and feel aggressive. So I suppose ill go with the 50lb model im just curious to those who have hunted with a low pound recurve what was your experience? I want something comfortable that'll penetrate a deer with no problem. My concern is up here in NY we have big deer I was told with a 45-50lb draw weight that on a bigger deer like a mature buck if I hit bone I could be in serious trouble. I plan to only shoot 20 yards but out of curiosity could a 50lb bow kill a deer at 30 yards? Looking foreword to your replies.
Can you hit your spot at 30 yards is the bigger question than if a 50lb bow can kill a whitetail.
Not as consistently as id like to right now but its something to work on. Doesnt matter anyway ive already told myself 20 yards is my limit until I get some trad kills under my belt and can consistently hit that spot every shot.
I shot a 52 lb longbow last year with plenty of whop to kill seven deer and had a passthrough on all but 2 and they were quartering away and broke the off shoulder on one and the off leg bone on the other. I agree being able to shoot it accurately is the most important factor in lethality!
Keep your shots to 20 yds and you can kill just about any big game animal in North America.50#'s, a well tuned arrow, and a sharp broadhead...your good to go!!
Wellllllllllllllll... I wouldn't take the 30 yard shot for a large variety of reasons. However, I'm confident that ANY of my Dryad Bows (all longbows no recurves -- ranging from 48-55 pounds) has enough energy to easily kill at 30 yards.
IMHO The real question is can you get the arrow there before the deer moves enough to marginalize your chances of making a kill shot, even if you can hit your spot.
And there you go. :)
i've killed several whitetails with 45-46# recurves. just use a decent broadhead and place your shot correctly. a 45# bow will put an arrow clean through any deer in the woods. 50# will do the same. accuracy trumps poundage every day imo.
I have killed 20 deer with traditional gear pulling between 47-52#'s. Heavy arrows and a razor sharp head works every time. :thumbsup:
Always remember, a bad placed shot with 47#'s is just as bad with 80#'s. ;)
A 45 pound bow, a sharp broadhead, and and accurate shot will kill deer in New York, Iowa, Canada...anyplace they have deer. If you shoot better with a 45-50 pound bow, that's what you should use. Arwin hit it exactly right. Place your shot well and you don't need a 55# bow for any deer anywhere.
Thanks guys I feel comfortable with the lower poundage. I was just wondering about the 30 yard thing just so I have an idea of what kind of power im pushing like I said I wont shoot at a deer over 20. Im happy to hear the lower poundage will do the trick itel make it easier to purchase the bow now
Oh yes, it would plow right through a deer at 30yds. I think thats where kinetic energy and momentum come into play with heavy arrows. Scientific jibberish that I don't have time to explain,LOL!
Good to know have you guys ever hit any rib bones? If so did the broadhead just keep on goin?
Sorry for all the pics, not trying to be a show off, just want to insure you that your set-up is sufficient. :thumbsup:
The best demonstration I can think of was on a Russian hog. My arrow struck just behind the front leg, through those thick ribs, and poked out the other side. This was with a Checkmate Hunter recurve, pulling 50#@27, using an ACE 160 head and 55/60 chundoo shafts. You can see the blood trail from it behind and in front of me. Super sharp 2 blade!!
PLEASE keep images t0 640 wide or less
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g128/ad2877/Harvests/hog1.jpg[/IMG]
Next is the buck I shot last year pulling 49#@27 on a RER longbow using Snuffer 160's and cedar 50/55 arrows. In right behind the last rib and out the armpit on the opposite side.
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g128/ad2877/Harvests/Picture032.jpg)
Here is one of the doe I shot last year with the same RER longbow , 49@27 Snuffer 160 and cedar shaft. Big, scary sharp broadheads make messy blood trails.
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g128/ad2877/Harvests/10-22-08-2.jpg)
Last is the buck I killed in 2007, shooting a Shrew Sabertooth pulling 47#@27. I used a Snuffer 160 and cedar shaft. I shot down through the top of him and out it came through his chest with no problem.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g128/ad2877/Harvests/Picture101.jpg[/IMG]
Thats all the convincing I need! Great animals Arwin and thats one heck of a hole on that doe! I aint got no worries now lol
I'll be using a 42@27 PSA BW this year. With GT 35/55's coming out to 480gr. After spending 2 whole days bare shaft tuning my arrows... Raising my brace a turn or 2.... adjusting my knock.... Until she's shooting like a lazer.. That's what I'll be hunting with this year. And ain't got a second thought about getting passthroughs. It's not the bow weight that kills . It's the arrow. I would rather have a 40#er very well tuned then a 60#er just so,so?? COME ON DEER SEASON!!!
I have taken seven deer with traditional bows, all of the were under 50# at my draw. The last two I shot the bow was a 45# grizzly that I had the arrows tuned in right, they were both pass through s. Some Trad archers feel real good about taking 30 yard shots, I feel comfortable with my shots all under 20 yards. I would rather exercise patients than long range shooting skills.
Here's a 340lb Black bear killed with a 49# recurve. Complete passthrough with plenty of energy left to bury into a log 5 yards on the other side of the bear.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p187/lechwe/DSC06784.jpg)
50lbs is enough weight to kill anything in the US and lots of other places.I don't consider 50lbs to be a light weight bow at all.If you can't kill a deer with a 50lb bow a heavier one is not going to help one bit. :)
as has been mentioned in this thread, it's accuracy and sharp broadheads that take game consistently. bow holding weight is of far lesser importance.
for a trad bowhunter, you wanna get yer act together in this order ...
- spend most of yer time learning/practising to shoot consistently and accurately no matter the stance, location or weather.
- know yer effective/consitent kill range/zone and stay within its parameters.
- achieve consistently good, clean arrow flight.
- broadheads must be razor sharp.
there really ain't no more 'cept yer hunting skills and luck.
As Arwin states, please don't think I'm posting these to brag either, but I have three hunting bows and they are all 50# @ 28". As Vermonster states. It's all in knowing your range and shot placement. If you are more accurate with lighter weight bows by all means you owe that to the animal.
Here are a few from the past two years with my black widow.
(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa121/kyTJ/montage.jpg)
These are the past four (or five) years bucks. I've taking with light bows. Our Kentucky deer get to 200+ #'s as your's do. You won't always get a complete pass through but if you send me a p.m. I'll give you my two cents on broadhead setup for light weight hunting bows.
(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa121/kyTJ/tradbucks2.jpg)
Great bear Lechwe!
Fifty pounds isn't "light." History will bear out that 45# was the best selling bow in the 1960's from Bear, Pearson, Wing, etc. Anything over 55# needed to be special ordered from Bear.
Another thing; you are much better off with a lighter bow that you can draw to full length, and get a good dynamic release, than one you struggle with to get to draw. Performance is a fickle friend, and the numbers on the side of a bow don't tell you much. Once you understand how personal form affects performance, you will be enlightened about so-called light bows.
A friend of mine had shoulder surgey and he kills deer with a 40lb bow.
As others have already demonstrated, 50# is plenty. That Bear Supermag is a very short bow though, best suited to a shorter i.e., less than 28-inch draw length. Even at 28 inches, you're going to feel finger pinch regardless of the weight. Good luck.
what Orion said....
48 lb bow with a 25 yard shot, complete pass through
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/chonaker4/PA190001.jpg)
Good advice guys I really think ill just go with the 50. Great animals by the way looks like the bows did their jobs.
Killed my buck 12 yard shot fletching stopped the arrow on the exit from a complete pass thru...i was only shooting 38# that season and the deer dropped in 20 yards.
I wont ever question if I have enough power now and currently Im only shooting 47# and 54#. Put the arrow where it needs to be and and keep em close you will be fine!
And heres a picture of it...for those who tend to doubt like in other threads.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f137/swankeer/Picture004.jpg[/IMG]
all images 640 wide or less, please!
Deadbolt,
Great pic !!
Quotewont ever question if I have enough power now and currently Im only shooting 47# and 54#. Put the arrow where it needs to be and and keep em close you will be fine!
That is pretty much the way I looked at things after short drawing and sending a treeshark with bleeder blades through one with what was about 35@22 at 17yds a few years ago.I have never bothered about numbers since then. :bigsmyl:
dude! i have killed a moose with a 47 lb recurve!
I cant figure out why so many people are so wraped up in shooting heavy bows. I shot 3D with a guy who was waaay over bowed. He was shooting a 60lb bow and told me he had a 65 lb ordered, he was shooting arrows all over the place. Its all about being accurate and knowing your equipment. Im 41 years old and in pretty good shape and the bow im shooting now is 48 at my draw length. I have 5 bows ordered and none are over 50lbs.
QuoteOriginally posted by LITTLEBIGMAN:
dude! i have killed a moose with a 47 lb recurve!
"Nuff said right there."
Joe, just in case you haven't seen it...60+ lbs. can be shot very accurate :rolleyes:
What about it can't you figure out? If you can do it with the same amount of accuracy....there simply is no downside...
This one was a pass through with 45# Martin Savannah, 480 grain arrow.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/oldearcher46/10310005.jpg)
Guru
Im not talking about the people who can handle a heavy bow. As i said above i was shooting with a guy who was having a lot of shooting problems with the weight he was shooting with. Thats the downside.
No worries 2Blade , Ive killed several good size deer using 47 - 52 lbs . Thats the weight range I prefer for deer .
mike
I'd bet that guy wouldn't be a bit better shot with 50#'s...
Most of the time #'s has nothing to do with "shooting all over the place"....I'd bet that guy wouldn't shoot a bit better with a lighter bow...he obviously has a lot wrong with his shooting....
My point is...heavy bows can't be blamed for bad shooting in most cases...
I believe a fellow that shots instinctive will shoot good with a "heavy" bow. Of course he has to be able to draw it smoothly. A fellow that "aims" will have some trouble holding and lining up.Just my opinion.RC
Personlly, I can shoot heavy bows but I hear stuff poping and cracking when I do and it ain`t the bow making the noise. Now I hunt with around 50-54lbs at 27.RC
Might as well say this again...."I`ve never lost an animal due to bow lbs or broadhead design , the critters I`ve lost were due to poor shot placement".RC
QuoteOriginally posted by RC:
Might as well say this again...."I`ve never lost an animal due to bow lbs or broadhead design , the critters I`ve lost were due to poor shot placement".RC
Same here
QuoteOriginally posted by RC:
Might as well say this again...."I`ve never lost an animal due to bow lbs or broadhead design , the critters I`ve lost were due to poor shot placement".RC
Great advice something ever bowhunter should remember.
BTW Curt read your article in the August edition of Bowhunter Magzine great read I really enjoyed it :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by Guru:
I'd bet that guy wouldn't shoot a bit better with a lighter bow...he obviously has a lot wrong with his shooting....
Maybe, maybe not. I wasn't there so I can't say.
When I shot competitively, I used to go to about 50 3D's per year. I can't begin to recall how many folks I saw every year who drew several inches shorter than they should for their build, shook at full draw like a dog passing a herring bone, or snap shot simply because they couldn't physically hold at anchor. If an archer is clearly overbowed, form and aiming are moot points—kind of a crawl, walk, run analogy.
What's heavy and what's light in terms of draw weight is an individual thing. There's a guy down the road from me who shoots mid-70's poundage with all the ease and control of a target archer using a 35# bow. And he hits 10 rings like he's being paid for them. But for every guy like him I've seen, I have probably watched a half-dozen or more who could benefit from drawing less weight. If an archer can't handle the poundage of their bow, they can't control the rest of their shot.
Back to the original question of using 45- to 50-pound bows for hunting....
It's not a problem. As others have said, 45-pounds or so was average draw weight for whitetail hunters a few decades ago—before fastflight strings and carbon arrows—and that choice proved highly effective. My paternal grandfather shot a recurve pulling 42# at his 26" draw length. With a Dacron string, and 3-blade heads on 460-grain aluminum arrows (no front-loading, weight tubes, footings etc.) he routinely blew through deer with ease.
Thats really refreshing to know that 50lbs or less will do the job even on a moose! I can say that makes me relax a little. I always thought if somehow I got to go on an elk hunt or something id have to shoot a 55lb bow or higher.
I agree with Jason Wesbrock. If you think it isn't an issue with a lot of hunters, let me invite you to Denton Hill and we will watch them at the practice ranges. To be sure, many folks can handle heavy bows, but there are a lot more who can't, and that contributes to struggling with accuracy, and we know what that can lead to.
I've been watching this sport for five decades now, and from my vantage point it is very clear to see that folks tend to buy bows that are too heavy for them to handle properly. And RC...if they aim? Surely you are kidding. Everyone aims, and struggling to get to draw won't help anyone.
I will go as far as to say this; there are guys who handle heavy bows very well....easily, for that matter. However, there are many who seem to think it's the only way to go and they create more problems than doing good when it comes to new shooters. My 50# bow drawn to 28" will be just as effective as a 60# bow drawn to 26"...probably more effective with power stroke and dynamic release.
When we get to citing numbers on the side of a riser, or limb butt, as the answer to performance, we are making a big mistake.
If you want to shoot a heavy bow well, then work into it and shoot every other day, working on form and aiming process....whether that process is conscious or unconscious. We aim, one way or the other, and must be able to shoot without struggle. Guys who shoot heavy bows well, work at it. Guys who want to hunt any game in North America with a 45# bow has history on their side.
Whichever you use, just be proficient at it.
Jason and George that was very well put.
I too wondered when buying my first longbow in 08' if 50# would get the job done, and it did with a complete pass thru later that same year!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/BowHuntingFool/P1040104.jpg)
Great shot Joe, I be he didn't go over 80 yards.
Beauty of a buck congrats.
Just talked to a guy I know who has one of the short Bear recurves like im looking at. He says with his long draw he doesnt notice any stack and he said its a real shooter.
George with all due respect I was not kidding. I have several hunting Buds and we all shoot with different styles.One uses his point as a "sight pin" and holds a long time. Nothing wrong with it but if he were shooting a bow to heavy it would really hurt is accuracy. I DON`t aim. I pick a spot and never look at my bow,arrow only what I`m shooting at. If I`m shooting a bow a little heavy it don`t effect me as bad as it does him because I don`t hold at anchor very long at all.
I have proven I don`t aim several times with friends by shooting candles in the dark when you could`nt see your hand in front of your face. I can do this consistent out to thirty yards. I may not hit`m everytime but close enough to prove my point.I know its a different topic all together but not everyone has to aim or gap to hit what they are shooting at. I`m not saying anything bad about it cause if I were`nt hitting my target I would do whatever I had to and if gap shooting worked i`d use it.
Be honored to share a campfire with you and chase pork in the swamp sometime. maybe shoot some candles after supper....RC
QuoteOriginally posted by RC:
I pick a spot and never look at my bow,arrow only what I`m shooting at. If I`m shooting a bow a little heavy it don`t effect me as bad as it does him because I don`t hold at anchor very long at all.
Good point :thumbsup:
Just to answer the original question: yes IMO 50# is more than enough for deer hunting
I don't care what anyone else said you shouldn't hunt any big game animal with less than 60#.
Sure there have been thousands if not tens of thousands of big game animals harvest with bows under 40# if you have to ask you need to work out and build yourself up and not hunt at all. Work and work, year in and year out until a 60# bow is easy for you to shoot. Then and only then can you even start to hunt deer. BUT then only with 12 grains per pound of draw weight with single bevel two blade heads on front loaded carbon arrows with at least 200 grains up front. You also have to religously follow the sol-lunar tables and have to set your camp up with a fung shui lay out especially in the direction you head is pointing while you sleep. :bigsmyl: :biglaugh:
"I don't care what anyone else said you shouldn't hunt any big game animal with less than 60#."
DAng Im SLOW......I almost replied to that in earnest! LOL
Whew......
ROFL
The bdeer in my avatar was shot with a 48@29 Sarrels recurve this past season. He was over 200# live weight. I also shot another P&Y buck that was over 200# last year with the same bow. I draw about 28.5 so I was pulling about 46# on that bow. I have also taken several pigs and turkeys with that bow. It will work fine.
Bisch
C2 that was hilarious, I was almost fished in!
Killed four deer this year with a 47#@29" recurve. Used Woodsman and Simmons Tree Shark broadheads weighed up to 250 grains on A/D Trad Lite shafts.
Three were complete pass throughs, the fourth (Simmons head) hit about 5" higher than I intended. Cut the spine and spinal cord COMPLETELY in half and still took out the far side lung. All were very effective in performance.
In my book, yes, 50# is enough for deer.
Daryl
Sure....50#s is a plenty....deer aren't armor plated like some would have you to believe. Many a Bear 4 blades have been run through them with 50#s that's for sure.
Hey Joe.....maybe these guys wonder why you are so wrapped up in light weight bows...... :biglaugh:
Not so big boys with big toys.... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQShKyZcibA)
Big Toys II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNr40smq13A)
I have no trouble with 40lb bows so 50 is just gravy on deer. :D My heavy bow if I ever think I need it for something like a trip out west or up north is 47lb.Don't need it for anything that lives down where I do. :biglaugh: