Hi all,
I did my best to search this out in past forums, and found a lot about 45# for hunting, but not 40#. I'm a wheelie-convert, new to "trad", and have a 40#@30in (my draw) ordered. I have tried/shot heavier bows and feel fine shooting them, but notice that my arthritic shoulder is sore afterwards. In addition, I've spent a lot of time "lurking" and observing posts from experienced archers advising new archers not to "overbow" themselves. I'm kind of a perfectionist, and want to have good form, learn to shoot properly, and also enjoy shooting without lingering discomfort. In addition, I want to still be shootin in my older years. All of this to say: in addition to being proficient,with good form, I also be able to ethically kill whitetails and an occasional hog. My theory is that accuracy = kills, not necessarily weight. Will I be ok hunting whitetails with my 40# bow and a decent 2-blade broadhead or should I plan on increasing my weight eventually? Thanks very much!
Use a SHARP broad head, and be prepared to take only the "good" shots, at ranges under 20 yards.
Your #40 bow will do its job well, if you do yours.
Good Luck,
RW
If the broadhead is shaving sharp and you hit them in the right place yes that is quite enough for deer and hogs. A lady at the archery club took a 103 lb. doe last year with a 35# recurve and a stinger 2 blade head.
What RW said, and use a scary sharp 2 blade broadhead with enough weight out front, 150-200 should do fine. I would lean to the 145 eclipse, teflon coated 2 blade. In shooting the same type BH, same weight on a new target, the teflon coated head went in about 5 inches more, slicker for better penetration.
Your 30" draw also helps increase the arrow speed.
Your 40#@30" will be equal to 45#@28" as far as arrow speed and penetration. Have fun.
Get really close and aim true. I would stay with smaller hogs. Hogzilla might just throw that arrow back at you with light poundage.
Absolutely fine. Just make a good shot.
That is the legal limit in Arkansas, so I guess you will be fine.
Thanks for the graet feedback already! The other thing is that I'm switching from shooting with my dominant hand (righty) with the wheelie, to shooting on the side of my dominant eye (lefty) with the longbow. Want to be sure that I can at least be accurate with the new hand, ya know? I'll make sure the broadheads are scary sharp, and hearing all of this will give me a bit of confidence with the new equipment. In a year or so, I might be able to increase poundage as well...if I can justify the $$ spent to the boss! ;)
Sharp heads and shot placement is key regardless of pounds. I think for deer size game you will be fine.
QuoteOriginally posted by Al Dean:
Your 40#@30" will be equal to 45#@28" as far as arrow speed and penetration. Have fun.
Really? Thats great to hear if so! It was my understanding that increased weight only came with drawing the bow back further than it's spec weight at 28in. In other words, shouldn't 40#@30in still equate to less arrow speed and penetration than 45#@28in?
Thanks again!
An Olympic Archery coach I talked to earlier today advised me he knows several people who regularly hunt with recurves 30-40 pounds. I'll be hunting with 46 pounds. Like was written above; super-sharp broadhead, 2-blade for me, broadside and low angle from a treestand. A heavy arrow (500 grains) is recommended for the lower weight. However, my arrow will be just 424 grains.
If you bow is 40#@28" then you should gain approx 2.5 pounds per inch which would mean your shooting about 45# at your 30" draw. If your bow is 40#@30", then no you bow will not be the same as a 45#@28" bow. However, the longer your draw the longer the power stroke and there is a gain there. Each 1" of draw length will earn you approx 3 fps, so you 30" draw is gaining about 6 fps over a standard 28" draw length. Each pound of draw weight gains you approx 2 fps, so if you bow is 45#@28", you are gaining approx 10 fps for the additional poundage, plus the additional 6 fps for the 2" draw length.
So if you had two shooters shooting the same bow and it was 40#@28" and one guy's draw length was 28" while the other was 30", the 30" draw should be shooting that same bow approx 16 fps faster and the guy with the 28" draw length would have to shoot a bow that was 48#@28" to make up the performance gain.
Unforturnately all that gain can be thrown out with poor form, poor release or poor bow tuning.
Now for the original question. Yes you can kill a deer with 40# bow, but unless you have a physical reason, I personally would try to increase my draw weight some, as my formed developed. Shooting the bare minimum you can get by with, is never my recommendation. The extra horsepower may not matter when everything happens as it should, but it will come in handy if things don't. But, that's just my opinion.
40# is the minimum for deer here in Oregon. It'll do just fine as long as your setup is tuned and your aim is true. Good luck and enjoy the hunt! :thumbsup:
I know more than a few poeple that have killed deer with 40# bows(clean kills,short blood trails).Sharp broadheads and proper placement.
I was watching some YOU TUBE video of Ron La Clair yesterday and one of them was an interview from a show called "Yesterdays youngsters" and I'm pretty sure that he said his wife took a doe with a 30# bow.If I'm wrong I'm sorry but I thought that was what I heard and I can beleive it.
Maybe if Ron reads this he can assure you wieght is fine.
Put an arrow in the boiler room with a sharp head up front and you'll be fine.Keep your shots in your comfort range!!
Like has been said many many times before. Get it razor sharp, and put it in the boiler room, and you cant go wrong.
You will have no problem with a heavy arrow and a sharp broadhead.
Yes 40@30 will be as good or better than 45@28. You would be amazed at how much the arrow being on the string 2 inches longer adds to the power.
More energy is transfered to the arrow because the arrow is on the string longer.
The 40# will do just fine. I shoot low poundage recurve bows with heavy aluminum arrows and no problems taking game such as deer, javelina and small feral hogs with very sharp 2 blade broadheads at 20 yards and under.
40 will do it. You may have a differing draw length changing hands than you did with your compound. I shoot both sides and there is a 1/2" difference, using identical form. Regardless, you will be fine.
most all of these guys are correct, i've only been shooting trad 20 years so i'm certainly no expert, since your new to trad, i'll give my two cents worth. i only shoot 45# i set my stand (if i can) in the fork of two trails with my back to the trail coming in, this gives me an opportunity to stand up and less than a 20yd. shot. two pope and youngs, three 150's and 19 other bucks, numerous does that have gone no more than 75 yrds. tops. YOU CAN DO IT! arrow wieght does matter, speed, NOT! i believe it was fred bear that said It doesn't mater how fast your bow is, if your arrow gets there first. i would shoot more poundage if i could, but i'm like you , :archer2: i can't.
:coffee:
All of this is just what I was hoping to hear. Thanks very much for the great feedback!
bucksdown, how heavy an arrow do you shoot with your 45#s....just curious, thinking about using my 45# Big Jim Buff for fall bear :)
Friend of mine shot a nice buck with a old 42# bear bow using a bear broad head. His draw length is about 26". He got through the chest cavity to the off side ribs. Arrow wallowed around until the deer fell less than 50yds. from the point where he was shot. Double lungs but no exit wound.
it worked for me, the legal limit here in MD is 30# for deer and BEAR???? The things suggested above are all good, sharp broadhead, good shoot placement, one thing that wasnt mentioned is a heavy arrow with higher FOC is not a make or break, but it is a good idea. good luck!!!
You should be good at 40#...I shoot around 55# and rarely shoot over 15 yards at any rate.
Have fun!
QuoteOriginally posted by gobblegrunter:
QuoteOriginally posted by Al Dean:
Your 40#@30" will be equal to 45#@28" as far as arrow speed and penetration. Have fun.
Really? Thats great to hear if so! It was my understanding that increased weight only came with drawing the bow back further than it's spec weight at 28in. In other words, shouldn't 40#@30in still equate to less arrow speed and penetration than 45#@28in?
Thanks again! [/b]
My understanding is that there is an approximate difference of 3lbs or so per inch of draw. Thus 40@30 would be roughly one pound shy of 45@28. Now, I suppose that the formula curve is different at higher poundage, but it's seems to hold true at the weights your talking about. Plenty for deer.
QuoteOriginally posted by NorthernCaliforniaHunter:
QuoteOriginally posted by gobblegrunter:
QuoteOriginally posted by Al Dean:
Your 40#@30" will be equal to 45#@28" as far as arrow speed and penetration. Have fun.
Really? Thats great to hear if so! It was my understanding that increased weight only came with drawing the bow back further than it's spec weight at 28in. In other words, shouldn't 40#@30in still equate to less arrow speed and penetration than 45#@28in?
Thanks again! [/b]
My understanding is that there is an approximate difference of 3lbs or so per inch of draw. Thus 40@30 would be roughly one pound shy of 45@28. Now, I suppose that the formula curve is different at higher poundage, but it's seems to hold true at the weights your talking about. Plenty for deer. [/b]
I think your math is backwards. If it is 40# @ 30" then it would be 34# @ 28". Regardless, he will be fine with that poundage (if his draw is 30").
One of my all-time favorite traditional archery pictures is of a whitetail doe that Monty Browning shot with a 38# hickory selfbow. In the article he talks about drawing it an extra inch to get to 40# to be legal. The article was great and the picture even better. If I remember right he got a pass through on that deer.
Rod Jenkins did a shooting clinic last year for us and went on a hog hunt afterwards. He brought a 40 lbs Dalla to shoot to be forgiving on his bad shoulder on which he has had surgery. He shot a 200+ lbs hog and buried his arrow in the offside shoulder of the hog. It didn't go far and left a great blood trail. His comment was if you shoot them in the soft spots it doesn't matter and if you shoot them in the wrong spot it doesn't matter. A big hog is a lot tougher than a deer.
To the original poster: What bow do you have on order?
It seems like you're a bit concerned with having "only" a 40# bow. A lot will depend on the design of your bow. A good performing bow may well cast the same arrow faster than a lower performance heavier weight bow.
Just for example: I have a 67#@28" old Bear Polar. I draw 30", so at my draw it's like 72#. Now, no one would say that this bow would be too light to hunt with, more likely it would be deemed overkill.
I just finished up a r/d longbow that draws 48#@30". This bow will shoot the same 603 gr. arrow FASTER than the Polar, even though it is 24# lighter.
Notice I'm not talking same grains per # - I'm talking the exact same heavy arrow.
I'm not trying to start any arguments here, just offering the viewpoint that there is a lot more to a bow than just the draw weight. I'm guessing that since you stated you ordered a bow, it's probably a good performing bow and you have nothing to worry about - #40 is plenty.
It's all about good shot placement anyway - practice with it, keep your broadheads sharp, and go hunting.
QuoteOriginally posted by gobblegrunter:
40#@30in (my draw)
Whitetails all day long....and not just limited to 2 blades either. Wensels 3 blades or Zwickey No Mercy 4 blades both will blow slap through.....as your draw length makes a big difference in the power stroke. you have the same power as 46#s at 28.....or there bouts.
My state stipulates 40#@28" or less draw, hope yours does not say the same.
Starting at 40# is very smart on your part, alot of guys making the change from compound WAY over bow themselves. You on the other hand are starting out with with a bow that will enable you to learn your form and will be fun to shoot. Like Ken Beck says the 3 most important qualitys in a traditional bow are accuracy, accuracy and accuracy. Looking foreward to your thread telling everyone of your first tradional kill. Good Luck!
Arrow flight is always formost for me. If your shooting a hunting weight arrow sraight, with a sharp 2 blade or three you will zip right through the biggest deer in the woods. One of the best bow hunters in this area Pat Gullioli, I dont think I spelled his last name right, hunted with a 40 bound recurve for years. Killed several trophy class bucks and I never heard him say he didn't have enough bow. Pat owned and ran Pat's archery in Okmulgee Ok for 35 years so I guess he probably new what he was doing.
gobblegrunter:
I noticed that a number of posters have insinuated that 40# @ 28" will equate to 45# @ 30". Athough this is true, this is not the case in your situation.
You stated that you ordered 40# @ 30".
"and have a 40#@30in (my draw) ordered."
Your bow will be, 40# @ 30". Had you ordered it 40# @ 28" and then drew it to 30", you would experience the extra 4-6 pounds. That's not to say that 40# is 40# is 40#. Because of your longer draw (power stroke) you will get a bit more performance out of 40# that someone that was drawing 40# at 28".
Just wanted to clear that up in case there was any confusion.
As to your original question, without a doubt, if you hit him where you are supposed to, 40# is more than adequate.
QuoteArrow flight is always formost for me.
I agree. The draw weight is fine, a sharp broadhead is a must if you are shooting 30# or 300#, as is shot placement. There's no substitute for proper tuning either--a wobbly arrow will rob you of penetration. One of the main culprits that a lot overlook is a nock that snaps on the string too tight, especially with lower draw weights. A good release helps a lot also.
It has been said several times, Shoot placement and bh sharpness is the key...
Wife shoots 41# at her draw, her elk went 47 yards after shot. It was my job to get the elk close to her for the shot,6 yards.
Again shoot placement,and bh sharpness,and last but just as important within your shooting range..
Good luck and have fun....
Later....Buzz
Sorry to be posting a response so late. I hadn't realized the thread got bumped up again! It was really great to see all of the positive feedback from you all, and I'm very pleased that I went with the 40# bow after reading your posts. I'm also sure that it will increase my enjoyment and longevity in shooting, which is very important because my 5yr old son and I are getting started together (he'll be getting a longbow for Christmas)and will hopefully be shooting together for many years to come. To answer some of your questions, the bow that is ordered is a 68" R/D, 3 piece longbow made by Tim Duvall of Dry Ridge Archery. I'm certain from some referrals/ guys with his bows, and in talking to Tim (great guy to deal with BTW) that it will be a great-performing bow, so I'm sure it'll be just fine. The bow will infact be 40# @ 30in (which is my draw). Thanks again for all of the input, its definitely appreciated. I'll post pics of the bow and of some of my progress as I go. I wish you all the best of luck this season!