Hey guys I'm sure I'm :knothead:
No worries Adam, shoot the 160, its the tuffer snuffer.
I would use the 160 and cut down the 100 grain brass insert and try the 50 grain so your total arrow weight would be around 610. That would be 10.5 gpp .My longbows shoot better when i stay around 10 gpp.
A sharp 160 will do the job just fine.
When my sons were young they shot lots of deer and a couple of bears with mid 40#s bows and 125 snuffers, no problem with penetration.
No worries at all...shoot the big Snuffers!!
I killed whitetails with 145 Snuffers on 530 gr arrows from a 53# bow.
You have plenty of horsepower for the big 160's.
Brett
I wouldn't think twice about using 160 grain Snuffers. They will slip right through.
This is different, but I shot deer with 70 pound compounds with screw in snuffers that weighed 125 grains. I think from that expierence that getting them where they cut easily is more important than horsepower. They penetrate so quickly and easily with that sharp tip, which is real sturdy on the heavier heads, that sharp blades will always slide them on thru easily.
I am ashamed to say this almost, but I wasn't and still am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but at the time I started using them I had no earthly idea how to get one sharper than a butter knife. So penetration really suffered even outta that compound compared to after learning how to get them even remotely sharp.
Now I can get them hair popping sharp using Rick Barbee's method. So my point is even with low poundage bows in the light 40's, a real sharp one will zip right thru, while even with a lot of horsepower, the dull ones don't do as well. I suspect the reason that you here this question so much is precisely this reason. Most simply do not know how to or care to get them really sharp.
It is a learned techniguue that is makes it much easier get it scary sharp even on the steep factory angles. So get your sharpening right and you will be more than fine. I once knocked a 125 grain off a shelf from36 inches high on accident and it penetrated over an 1/8 inch into real oak floors. So they will get'it done if you do your part regardless of bow weight.
BTW: The heavier ones are better so stick with the 160's plus 43 grain insert with stock insert or a 50 grain brass arrow insert, depending on what you want. I personally would be fine with either and expect to pull it out of the ground after a complete pass thru. God Bless
I concur with the votes for the 160, your set-up is fine.
I concur - you're good with the 160's, and stay away from the smaller Snuffers. I killed several bears with pre-fast flite Black Widow recurves in the 52-55 lb range with big Snuffers, penetration was not an issue, at all. Stay off the shoulders of the bear and you'll be fine.
Ryan
bear hunt at Walters Wilderness Camp in Saskatchewan....my buddy shot a nice bear with his Bill Stewart recurve with 160 Snuffers
went through a rib, through vitals, clipped heart, exit under armpit on opposite side and slammed into shoulder where it stopped. Bear went 20 yards... Taxidermist said he thought it was shot with a shotgun slug based on the size of the holes it made....could not believe it was a recurve and broadhead that did that damage.
160 Snuffer will do you very well....