Bows under 50lbs. at their draw? Been thinking of a weight drop for health reasons. Looking at recurve that is 45@30, my draw. But have no experience shooting game with under 55 at my draw. Deer and hogs primary targets here in TX.
With a 30 inch draw and a good bow, you will have no trouble with anything here in Texas. I hunt with 50 at my draw for everything including moose and elk.
Mike
I have yet to harvest an animal with my longbow, but I can't imagine that the 45# @28" I'm shooting would have any problem taking a life. Sharp broadhead and good shot placement, one would be surprised how little speed is needed to penetrate an animal.
46# at my draw for me.
I killed my first two animals with a 45 pound bow.
You'll be in great shape for deer and smaller.
..probably fine for many bigger game animals as well..I just don't have experience hunting them so I don't want to say.
I shoot a 40@28 longbow...and draw 27". This weight has been very effective on whitetails around my place.
No experience with hogs though.
I shoot a 47#s at 25-1/2" bow drawn to 26". I thought I had shot below the coyote it went through him so fast at 22 yards. Not a deer but it put my fears to rest.
Good shot at a good angle is the key. You may have to pass on some shots you might taken. But we don't hunt to survive, we hunt to feel alive
45# and a sharp broadhead go through both sides of an eastern whitetail with no difficulty.
I hunt with a 45# bow. It kills Goats pretty well.
If 40# was not adequate then more states would not allow it.
47#@28" for me will kill any animal in North America.
I have killed several hogs with a 40#@28 recurve in years past. Limited my shots to 30 yards, and still had a double lung kill at that mark (though it did not pass through the far side shoulder). 45#@30 should be plenty for hogs or whitetail.
When I started bow hunting in 1970, it was hard to find a bow that drew over 45@28. A bunch of game was killed too.
There have been a lot of threads on the effectiveness of bows in the 40's for hunting. I have had 4 shoulder surgeries and started using a bow that I draw about 45# for practice. I shot the bow so well I just ended up hunting with it. I have had very good results on both deer and pigs the last two years. I'll move up in weight for elk but for deer I staying low.
47# no issues so far.
Shoot 8 to 10 deer a year, have shot moose and hogs, all with 52 @ 28" long bows and recurves.
At your draw you have more then enough for hogs and deer.
A 45# bow was standard back in the day...late '60s-early '70s. No one thought anything of it. A sharp BH will go clean through a deer at 25 yards w/ a 45# bow.
I am hitting 49lbs at my short draw of 26.5" with a 517gr arrow tipped with a 125gr Woodsman Elite the last buck I shot I got 18.5" of penetration I hunt everything from elk on down with it and I will take that all day long. Widow
53# @28 Thunderchild and 54# @28 Dryad Orion. My draw is 24 7/8"
The past couple of years I've been shooting bows between 48-50 lbs at my 28" draw. I use the skinny axis shafts which may or may not help with penetration. I've shot quite a few deer with this set up out of both longbows and recurves and have only had a couple occasions that my arrow didn't pass through. I don't think you'll have any problems and your shoulders will love you for it! Tim
I have been using a 45# recurve for several years hunting. Gold Tip 35/55 or 15/35 at 28.5 draw I had 2 pass thru buck kills last year with Grizzly broadheads. In previous years I used Wensel Woodsmans and they stopped at the fletching. Still dead is dead with either COC broadhead.
46@28. I draw 27-27.5 inches.
45# works for me
My son shot his first deer with a 44# recurve when he was 13. He made a perfect broad side shot and got a complete pass through. He was using 1816 aluminum shafts and bear razor head lite broadheads up front. If you put it where it belongs you"ll have no problems!