A CO elk hunt is in the works! I was wanting to shoot my #55 Bear Montana Longbow, a hardwood shaft around 675-700gr and a 160gr broadhead, either the Ace, Stos, or Grizzly. Is it enough bow and a heavy enough setup for elk as i have only used it on whitetails with 600gr arrows?
As long as you put it where it's supposed to go and the broadhead is sharp, it should go through anything in North America. Just my 2 cents.
More than enough!
too easy!!!
I misworded my original post! It shouldve read a 675-700gr finished arrow with a 160gr head! Sorry!!!
click here for info (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=082909;p=1)
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and there is a wealth of other posts available on this subject using the search button. Hope this helps. :)
I think you would be better off using the bow you have than trying to hunt with more bow than you can control.But thats just my way of thinking.
It is my main bow! I dabble in self bows and the like, and love em but the Bear Montana is my bread and butter bow! What would any of you recommend for arrows and weight of arrows or would my setup suffice with the #55 bow and 700gr arrows?
Thanks rastaman! My bow/arrow setup is more than adequate according to the post. I was leaning towards the 160 Stos broadhead, its a streamlined broadhead(close to 3-1 ratio), and has a decent cut of 1 3/16" i believe. They will be sharp, that i promise and now i have confidence in it. Time to make some arrows!!!
You need at least ten pounds per hundred weight which means you have to shoot at least 90 pounds to kill an elk. Plus a 900 grain arrow..
J/K I think I have read this same type thread a hunnerd times in the last coupla days so I am feeling punchy
it will be like throwing a rock trajectory wise but if you can line up 2 elk side by side I would say you could probably get them both with the same arrow!!!!
Why would you not think that setup capable of killing and elk, moose, or any of the animals of North America?
I guess i really wasnt sure(never hunted elk before), if it would be an ok setup! It's got pretty good trajectory now shooting 600gr finished arrows, but im gonna bump up a bit 650-700gr finished arrow! That would be bout 11.8-12.7 gpi per lb of bow weight!
if your familar with how it shoots at 600 grain I wouldnt change a thing. Thats more than enough
That is with a 145gr Ace head! I was wanting to shoot a more streamlined head to aid in penetration and go up to a 160gr head. The 6oo's are cedars soaked in Watco Danish Oil, i wanna use hardwoods due to their durability! Since they weigh more, the extra head weight would give good FOC and arrow balance!
Short answer, it is.
Yep plenty of bow and arrow! Now the hard part, getting close enough for a shot! Good Luck! :bigsmyl:
More than enough.
Plenty....if you hit the right spot. 100# isn't if you hit the wrong spot. ;)
My brother shoots a Strunk self bow @ around 50#'s, and he short draws that to boot, has 2 Roosevelts to his credit, both a short walk to recovery. I like the STOS heads!!
Yup, just have to find an Elk and it's kill Zone and you should be fine.
I would personaly not wory about the 600 gr setup, thats about just right if you ask me, and they make a 145 stos, 700gr off a 55lb bow is a bit over kill if you ask me, it will definatly take some time to get your brain used to the new lob.
Thats why i made the post in the first place!!! I may still go up a spine and shoot a 160 Stos and Douglas Fir arrow! Maybe get a group thats just a tad heavier than the cedars would be. I normally shoot a heavy for setup arrow, "cuz a man just never knows what could happen"! I soaked those cedars in Watco Danish Oil to get em heavier, otherwise they wouldnt have been close to that! Thanks for the honesty!
Sounds to me like you WANT to change your current setup, which to me is perfectly fine, so go for it. If you can learn the trajectory, it will certainly do the job. By the way, your original setup will do the job also.
From what everybody says i now believe that it will work just fine! But fir shafts are tougher and if i gain 50gr i gain 50gr i guess! I have read on here how some guys have broken cedars on tough trips out west in the past, thats the main reason im switchin cuz im fond of cedar!
I believe also that either setup will work.Those STOS heads are nice.I also know when it's months away from a hunt we are excited about,we like to tinker with equipment and make sure things are good for the hunt.It helps me pass the time when I'm climbing the walls.
I have been playing around with arrows that weight,making a similar jump in weight as you are talking about.It took very little time to adjust though there is a difference.There is also a difference in how hard they hit.I have been working with carbons so it may not be the same but have found that going up in point weight 15-25 grs would need 5# stiffer spine.You may even find that you could shorten your shaft 1/2" to increase your head weight 15 grs and still have good flight.
Whichever way you go,it's going to be a fun trip.I hope you keep us updated.
Thanks Jim! I sure will keep everyone up to date! You are right, it's a long way away! Ive got two spring turkey hunts planned(Black Hills, SD and one in my home state MN), before then, plus plenty of shooting and bowfishing this summer:) Im goin to order some fir shafts today in 65-70 from either Surewood or Allegheny! Which do you recommend? Im a little loyal to Allegheny and have received several good sets of shafts over the years from them!!!
Did you soak the whole cedar shaft in the watco oil? Does that create an adhesion problem for dipping or gluing? Would the fir shafts need the oil soak to get that 700 grain mark? I did not get that kind of weight with my fir shafts, but I cut everything so the broadhead touches my finger at full draw, 27" bop. Sorry for the questions. Oh one more, do the shafts soak up the weight of the oil evenly? I would love to get my own cedars up a bit in weight as well, for my new lower draw weight bows, low to mid 50s.
I soaked 23/64 cedars for a week in the oil, then i took em out and let em dry in the upright position for a week! I then add a hand rubbed coat of Spar Helmsman Urethane and let em dry a day, Duco sticks really well to it! I cut and tapered before soaking, also did a bit of straightening! Feb/Mar '09 Trad Bowhunter mag is where i got the idea from! He only soaked 2-3 shafts at a time, i built a tube out of 2" PVC with a cap on one end and a cleanout on the other and i soak the whole 12 shafts together! Fir may not be as porous as some shafts! We will see!
QuoteOriginally posted by soopernate:
You need at least ten pounds per hundred weight which means you have to shoot at least 90 pounds to kill an elk. Plus a 900 grain arrow..
That 10 pounds per hundred weight of animal is a good rule of thumb. I have a seven hundred (700) pound draw weight bow on order for the bull elephant I am planning on shooting and will use the rear axle off a Ryder truck to make the arrow shaft. :scared: :smileystooges: :readit: :saywhat: :knothead: :archer: :biglaugh: Yeah, right!!
Allan