I shoot a BW PSA III. 44#. Is this enough for elk hunting. I put in for my state elk draw and have been invited out of state to hunt elk. Should I be concerned about this poundage. Thanks Travis.
Check the regs. Make sure it's heavy enough. Do a search, there has been a ton of "discussion" on this topic.
I would check the regulations in the state your planning on hunting and in your own stae for that matter should you hunt elk there..
Many states have a higher draw wt. limit for elk that they do for deer.
Gene :wavey:
I like mid 50
For elk in Oregon the minimum is 50#. As stated check your regs. :thumbsup:
To work up to 50-55# shouldn't be much of a problem and with the right arrows and heads you would be much better off.As long as you can still maitain your accuracy.
#35 in Colorado. I would use no less than #45. Keep it close and use a sharp broadhead.
OK thanks guys
What is your draw length at 44#?
Ken Beck killed an elk with a 45lb bow so it certainly can be done, I would think that the heavier poundage would help with a marginal hit (ie: bone contact) but if you pick your shot and can put the arrow in the right spot then get after it. Good Luck
Yep , If your bow is rated at 44 lb and you only have a 26 in draw it will be a 40 lb bow. Draw length is important. As Kirk said , Here in Oregon its 50 lb minimum. I would reccomend a regulatin check. God Bless you and have a great time with your hunt. Steve
This is just my thought but if you can shoot some more I would. Not saying you cant do it with your gear but a little heavier would help.
I agree with the others that mid-50's or more is probably a better choice. No doubt a perfect shot at even 40# will get the job done but its the marginal hits where the extra power helps you out. I killed my bull this year with a longbow pulling 57# at my 31" draw but I would shoot 65-75# if I could comfortably do it. That being said shoot what you can comfortably and make sure your arrow flight is spot on. Good luck...Shawn
Your bow will do the job. Do not fall into the light arrow speed trap. Your at the bottom end of hunting weight for elk. Get that arrow weight up around 550 to 600 grains as a minimum. Get close and only take broadside or slightly quartering away shots. Tricia draws 42 lbs at a 28 inch draw. She shoots 564 grain arrows. I am fully confident in her equipments ability to kill an elk.
I killed my first bull last September shooting 47# at my draw length. That said... I would also add that you should shoot as much as you can accurately.
My arrows were 630 grain with two blade COC BHs. The shot was broadside at 23 yds.
I hope to be shooting about 53# by this September.
Good luck!!
Although you can kill anything with a 45# bow I don't think hunting elk with one is a good idea. Too many things come into play and they are a thick animal. I'd work up to at least the low 50s and then shoot 10-12 gpp and a very good broadhead.
Maybe you can pick up a heavier set of limbs for your bow.
Mike
I'm with Ferret on this one.A little heavier will help.Elk are thick and big boned.JMHO
I am planning to hunt a water buff in the future so I know that I need to go up in #s.Maybe you can do a elk with 45#,but why not to try to upgrade your muscles and master a 50-55#.It isn't not that much.
It can be done, just make sure that your arrows are flying like darts. A 55# bow that is shooting untuned arrows will not get the penatration that a well tuned 45#bow will.
Elk Nailer,
I don't understand your post.
Arrows flying true and a good sharp broadhead are a must with any setup 45# or 80#. The point here is that 45# is very marginal for elk and illegal in many states for that reason.
Mike
Wingnut, the point that I was trying to make is that a untuned 55 will not penatrate as well as a properly tuned 45.
Ah! It could be misinterpreted to seem that a 55# bow can't be tuned for good arrow flight so use a 45.
I just spent a couple hours with a customer this week helping get his arrows flying. He is shooting a 54# static curve and we got his arrows flying with just a spinning nock. He is setting up for pigs and elk this fall.
Mike
elk nailer, a 45# untuned is a LOT less efficent than a 55# tuned.
If one is a member here and has the will to make a search how to tune a bow it can be done pretty easy.Here we are talking of really fine tuned equipment only.For sure if someone isn't still capable to fine tune his set up,it is better he waits a little longer before going elk hunting.He can start practicing with bunnies,squirrells and frogs!
Just make sure your bow is tune and you got your broadhead shaving hair sharp and you have good arrow weight.
I'd spend the next few months getting into shape..not only for the hills but to shoot a heavier bow.
Elk have a very large kill area (compared to deer size game) and this can makes archers beleive they can extend their range a bit.I sure now I'm guilty of it and been a feild when it's happened.I think 60lbs @ 27'' draw should be the limit for elk size animals w/.Just my opinion
I say that you should shoot a bow that will give you the most speed from a heavy arrow. A 600+ gr. arrow (what I recommend for elk) does not know what weight of bow shot it at, say 155 fps. That could be a 45# glass bow or a 60# self bow but nobody here would say that a 60# self bow is marginal for elk, would they? Why then is the 45# bow marginal for elk that shoots the same arrow at the same speed? That being said, I have found that I cannot shoot a heavy weight bow due to a shoulder injury. My choices were to hunt with a rifle or go to a light-pull bow shooting heavy arrows (making it difficult to shoot longer than about 25 yds). I was able to test out my setup and got 20" of penetration on a cow elk with a 630 gr. arrow going 143 fps. this last year.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/CowHeroShotsmall.jpg)
If you can, shoot a heavier (faster) bow, but if not, shoot an efficient bow and a heavy arrow. IMO, a heavy arrow going slow out penetrates a light arrow going fast, all else being equal. Don't worry about how heavy your bow is but worry about how heavy your arrow is for it's the arrow that kills, not the bow. In my 6 traditional elk kills, all with light-weight, slow bows, I have been impressed with how well a heavy, slow arrow penetrates the mighty wapiti, once I even broke the off-side humorus (leg)bone in half after my arrow passed through the chest! I was shooting a 47# longbow with that elk.
BTW, that bow sitting on the elk is a 41# Quinn, but again, it doesn't matter the weight of the bow, it's a heavy arrow the leads to great penetration, no matter how fast that arrow is going. I like to watch these shows on TV where guys shoot their WT setups (70# compound and 400-500 gr. arrows...maybe 300 fps?) at elk. They get very poor penetration in a lot of cases, esp. if a rib is hit. Of course, good flight and a sharp 2-blade BH are also key when shooting these slow, heavy arrows.
I don't know how much experience you have with elk, but these animals are not whitetails. If you don't believe me, dress one out and then try getting one out of the woods on your own. So, at the risk of going against the grain, let me say this: No, 44 lbs. is definately NOT enough. Even under ideal conditions 44 lbs. is marginal, at best. My advise is to work yourself up to a bow at least in the mid-50's range.
Limit your distance--do not be taking 40-yd shots, and 44# should be just fine, but....it goes without saying that you must be able to shoot your bow very, very well. Suggest cut-on-contact two-blade heavy broadhead. Absolutely agree with Treat that the critical factor is heavy arrow weight for best penetration, not bow weight or arrow speed.
QuoteOriginally posted by FerretWYO:
This is just my thought but if you can shoot some more I would. Not saying you cant do it with your gear but a little heavier would help.
I no idea about Elk but that make sense
Maybe this has been said, but I think the rule of thumb is at least 160 fps at 600 grains with a two blade broadhead. However you get there is up to you. Some light bows are crazy swift, others are dogs. I have lost three elk over the last 20 years to poor penetration... its NOT a good feeling. I shoot 58# with a 640 or 680 grain arrow (depending on broadhead). I lodged the broadhead in opposite side bone the last two years. The bulls died within 100 yards, one within 40. Thats a good feeling!
It wouldn't be my first choice of weight for elk, but it certainly has been done. Everything else needs to be optimum. Do a SEARCH here on this subject, it has been talked about at length in these forums.
Good luck -
Kris
QuoteOriginally posted by cacciatore:
I am planning to hunt a water buff in the future so I know that I need to go up in #s.Maybe you can do a elk with 45#,but why not to try to upgrade your muscles and master a 50-55#.It isn't not that much.
Im not sayin I cant shoot more weight, I can shoot 85 lbs but I shoot this bow accurate. I am comfortable with it, and have confidence. I just wondered if would get the job done. Thanks.
X2 what Doug Treat said. I was with him on last year's hunt and took a 4X4 with a 46# bow (at my draw length). I was also shooting a COC 2 blade broadhead on the tip of a 630 grain arrow. Shot distance was ~23 yards... recovery 100 yards.
Good hunting!
Taking a guy to CO elk hunting this year shooting #47@28" BW recurve due to shoulder surgery! Hes shooting 540gr lam birch arrows and 160 STOS heads(700gr total wt)! Arrows fly like darts, well slow darts but tuned nonetheless!
Man I want to voice my opinions on these low poundage bows for elk but like the many many threads before I will not. I will say 35# for elk in Colorado is ridiculous no matter what your arrow weights. :rolleyes:
Try to work your way up if you can and good luck on your hunt :thumbsup:
Tracy
QuoteOriginally posted by FerretWYO:
This is just my thought but if you can shoot some more I would. Not saying you cant do it with your gear but a little heavier would help.
exactly
Great advice from many experienced hunters. Everyone says heavy arrow and good broadhead with a lower poundage bow. Of those that have taken elk what broadheads have you done that with?
I just now checked the Colo regs and 35# is the minimum..... but mid 50 would be much better. Elk are big tough animals that can take a lot of killing. You want them dead soon not miles later..
I guess I don't get it. Why would you purposely hunt elk with a #45 bow unless you had a bad shoulder or some other limiting factor keeping you from shooting a heavier bow? I think we owe it to the elk to do everything we can to kill it quickly or leave it alone. Why try to find the minimum it can be done with? Why not get a heavier bow and exercise a little and get so you can handle it? Gary
I'm with the crowd on this on. I killed a white-tail, mulie, and a mt. goat with a 49lb recurve, but I'd never hunt elk or moose with it. Not saying it's not possible, but it greatly increases your chances of wounding an animal. Work up to mid 50's is great advice, I've worked up to 60 my next elk trip. Shoot lots and you can built up pretty fast.