So I was thinking that I needed to start trying to work my way up a bow that's about 55@28. The more I hunt and the more I shoot I'm starting to think my fast modern 50@28, drawn 29", with skinny string would probably be just find for the bigger game. What says the experienced bunch? Just food for thought, new bow is shooting a 650 grain arrow mid-170s.
Nope.. Your arrow/broad head and shot placement matter a hell of alot more than the # of your bow.
^
Yep!
You know , I am convinced that it is more of a macho thing . When I was in my 20s I had to shoot 80# bows because most people couldn't do it .
Funny thing , the state record for the largest white tail doe in Michigan set back in the early 1960s was done by a woman with a 25# recurve .
:saywhat:
I've taken several deer with a 50# bow and 190 grain shark. Blew completly through. Complete pass through on most of them. If you want to go heavier have at it. I shoot 61 right now, just because I want to. If you do and go back to 50 you may find an increase in accuracy. If you don't try something new your not learning any thing new. EXPERINCE counts for a lot. Don't pass up a chance to grow. We all want another bow, even when the one we have works just fine. LOL. :thumbsup:
Isn't that the truth Robert ! Well said :clapper: but for me I'm sticking around the 40 pound mark
It just boils down to shot placement and a very sharp broadhead.
50# is most adequate! And, most likely more accurate as mentioned above. It' will be more fun to shoot also. The more you shoot the more accurate you become. It's just better! :)
5# difference will make very little difference in any case. Being able to shoot 55# or more will just make it that much more easy to control your 50# bow. I won't back down in poundage until I have to, but what is right for me isn't right for everyone. To answer your question, If you are actually shooting a 650 grain arrow in the mid 170's, I think you should be able to kill even the largest of hogs with proper shot placement.
Read Don Thomas' article in the last Traditional Bowhunter issue. It's about shoulder injuries, which I've had myself. I have a 60# longbow, and a 52# (that I'm currently shooting), and I don't think I will go back to the heavier one. I want to enjoy archery for many more years to come.
I'm with Kenny x2, #50 is a great poundage for most big game.
Nice to see a thread for once on here were someone is trying to improve there poundage not drop down. :thumbsup:
Tracy
650 grain arrow traveling 170 fps is actually on the higher side of the bell curve if you sampled 100 guys I think. More than ample.
Most of my bows are what many would consider "wimp" bows - mid 40s. I'm in the process of buying/trading for a 50# Bear AuSable just because I don't have any more that heavy and want to work out with a bit more bow weight. Last year I got total penetration on a 235# pig with my 43# RER XR. I have yet to have an arrow not penetrate a deer and do not feel that I HAVE to shoot heavier.
Of course last year it would have made no difference whether I was shooting 25# or 85#. Never got a shot :(
There ain't enough difference between 50# and 55# to make any real difference, either in performance on game or ability to control it.
What if we are talking elk? Bear or moose?
If he is really getting that fps with that weight arrow, from everything that I have read, he would be fine. Pretty great performance.
Do you need more then 50lbs.. I think you can kill most game with 50 lbs with good flight, and a sharp broadhead.
If you can shoot a 60lb bow well, is it an advantage? absolutely. I've seen perfectly place shot out of a 50+ lb recurve get minimal penetration on Moose and Mt. Goat. Hit heavy bone, muscle or hide at a slightly perfect angle and you could get bad results.
Bottom Line is:
More weight is better as long as you don't give up arrow flight or accuracy!
People can say there's not much difference with an extra few pounds but that little bit of extra energy could be the difference between splitting bone and killing the animal and just burring in bone.
Well, seems I need one. I get antsy dropping down to 57#.
ChuckC
My 42 lb Toelke will be with me hunting everything in North America.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=112539
Some 50 pounders can out preform some 60 pounders. I have seen slower 60 pound Hill style bows shoot no faster with the same arrows than a faster 50 pound Hill style bow. Now if you add a curve or two to the limb design, anything can happen. After a few run ins with moose on canoe trips, I lost my desire to shoot one, but if I did ever go for a moose I would pick a faster bow and a tougher arrow. I have no trouble shooting heavy bows, but I still do most of my shooting with bows in the low to upper 50s. As a ground whitetail hunter, shot accuracy and timing and shooting versatility come first. Every so often I take out a heavier bow and shoot a few hundred arrows, being able to do so with a heavy bow makes the bows under 60 shoot better for me.
Will it work yes. Will it work for worst case scenario, probably not. There are too many things that can happen once the string has been let go. I would work up to the extra poundage for that reason. Just do not give up accuracy.
A 50@28 bow is the .30-30 of bow hunting! Perfectly fine for most situations, but lacking respect.
Is 50# enough? Probably. Depends on arrow weight, draw length, etc...
Shoot the heaviest weight you can shoot comfortably, accurately, and without injuring yourself. Why wouldn't you?
Whatever weight that is is up to you
I have a couple of bows at 50# and a couple at #56ish. I am planning on using one of the heavier bows on my moose hunt this fall. I am not sure if they are any faster than my 50# whip, but I shoot them well and the extra poundage gives me a little more piece of mind.
That being said, I shoot 46@29 and wouldn't hesitate to use it on almost any big game with a heavy arrow and sharp COC broadhead
http://www.safarituff.com/trophies.html
Follow the advice at the bottom of the page and you will pick up a lot more performance than you can by dropping strands in the string, maybe even more than going up 5# of draw weight.
If 55# is a struggle, you are doing more harm than good. Elk, moose, and bear have been killed with bows under 50#. My best friend's daughter has killed a few whitetails pulling around 25# on a recurve.
QuoteOriginally posted by pavan:
Some 50 pounders can out preform some 60 pounders. I have seen slower 60 pound Hill style bows shoot no faster with the same arrows than a faster 50 pound Hill style bow. Now if you add a curve or two to the limb design, anything can happen. After a few run ins with moose on canoe trips, I lost my desire to shoot one, but if I did ever go for a moose I would pick a faster bow and a tougher arrow. I have no trouble shooting heavy bows, but I still do most of my shooting with bows in the low to upper 50s. As a ground whitetail hunter, shot accuracy and timing and shooting versatility come first. Every so often I take out a heavier bow and shoot a few hundred arrows, being able to do so with a heavy bow makes the bows under 60 shoot better for me.
I am with Pavan on this one. There is a lot more to a set up then the # marked on the bow. Arrow weight, speed, BH design and sharpness and most of all ability to hit the mark on the first arrow. Go with ever gives you the best combo of the above and you will not have any regrets.
Yes...It's a macho thing :saywhat: I shoot and love bows in the #60 pound range but have shot lots of animals with #70 bows too. I would definately shoot over #60 if elk were in my backyard but with whitetail having maneuverability is the name of the game with tree stand hunting.
Hunt with the heaviest you can comfortably shoot in hunting conditions....hunting conditions here include:
Sitting for hours in freezing cold before having to draw
Having to hold at draw or half draw as you wait out that deer who turned to look at you at exactly the wrong moment
I freely admit that I feel I have made errors in both directions (low and high). Only you can judge for yourself
QuoteOriginally posted by ceme24:
Hunt with the heaviest you can comfortably shoot in hunting conditions....hunting conditions here include:
Sitting for hours in freezing cold before having to draw
Having to hold at draw or half draw as you wait out that deer who turned to look at you at exactly the wrong moment
I freely admit that I feel I have made errors in both directions (low and high). Only you can judge for yourself
I highly respect this gentleman's comment. It is a comment we have all seen Terry and Rob make over the years.
50# minimum is the law for moose in Alaska so if you bring a 50 @ 28 bow you better be sure your drawing to 28".
One thing I will never forget reading in Pow Wow just recently is you don't find a good bow. It finds you! Once you've gone through enough bows and that one has finally found you it is euphoric! It is an extension of your body. It is grabbing that bow from the rack and taking the first shot by just looking at the spot and watching the arrow fly exactly to where you were looking....If you can do this with a bow over 50#'s I would say you have added advantage.
~CB
yup that would be fine. i use a 45# bow for everything down here from target to deer.
:thumbsup: so 50# no problem
This is that bow for me CB...by some theories I shouldn't shoot this bow well...my draw is 29". It's an old 58" Grizzly with a Bear weather rest. I can pick it up after not shooting it for a while and "hit" with a 620gr arrow. It's marked "45x" but scales at 53# at my draw. For some reason I just naturally gravitate toward it come August....
Did I need 50# for this shot? Nope, but I needed to "hit"....
It doesn't hurt that it's from my birth year and my cousin gave it to me!
(http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa337/ceme24/null_zps63561064.jpg) (http://s1192.photobucket.com/user/ceme24/media/null_zps63561064.jpg.html)
no
last couple years my highest poundage was 56# after pulling 50# for years, my thinking was to go back to hill style bows and heavy woods then up the poundage a bit..
well last september my shoulder started hurting and I was in pain all last year everytime I drew back a string...
a month ago I bought 44# recurve, 2weeks ago I got my first cortisone shot and finally no pain.
I'm going back to mid 40's to 50 max and selling all my other 50+ bows one by one.
im not even worried a tiny bit about shooting 44# with 540gr total weight arrow,,, 250gr abowyer broadhead that bareshafts perfect the bow is super quiet with hush wraps and the arrow hits perfect for me out to 20yds.
All my bows are between 45-50#. My next one will be closer to 40#. Arthritis causes a lot of problems.
Seems like it depends if you are shooting large hogs, bears, or going to Alaska to shoot really big game. For deer, Graps brought up a great point above. That point has been discussed six times per year since I have been on this forum and the answers are always based on set up, shot placement, and personal preference.
For me,unfortunately, most of my shooting is paper or foam targets nowdays, so about anything that is comfortable is my pick for draw weight, but If I were to go out of state, hire a guide and go after moose, I would probably want to work on shooting a bow 55 to 65 lb at my draw length, and somehow, I would be determined to find the money or means to get one. However, that bow would sit around a lot and just collect dust after the trip. Many bows now for sale 55 lb or greater so I would say more people are shooting weights greater than your mentioned 50 lb than not. Before I would go after something big and dangerous, whether its buffalo or grizzly bear, I would get a bow with as much draw weight as I could handle and have a guide with some backup. For most deer, the majority of experienced people have concluded in similar discussions that about anything that people shoot daily will work with good shot placement.
I enjoy shooting lots of arrows. Every day if I can and shooting over 50 lbs really causes me pain in my neck and shoulders. I dropped down in poundage a few years ago and can now shoot without hurting. Shooting over 50 pounds is not an option for me.
Here is the kicker. I always thought I had about a 27.5 draw. I found out I draw 26. So for the last 7-8 years I have killed all my criters with bows around 45-47 at 26. I tried to count them up but its near a 100 deer and hogs. Most with Simmons or Magnus I heads and 500 grain arrows.The other 2oo+ were killed with only around 5 pounds more in earlier years. I shot a 59 @28 Jeffery recurve for years before that drawn to 26. It would be the heaviest bow I have hunted with I believe. So in short I would feel purty good shooting 50 pounds on deer and pigs.RC
Hi RC. You are the man. Don't be a stranger. We can learn a lot from you.
After shooting a elk with 53lbs I will never shoot a heavier bow than that. No need
47 lb bow
Shot placement shot placement shot placement!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4122/4903974415_27ebe9027e_z.jpg)
In a lot of states, including Oregon, there is a 50# minimum draw weight for elk. After all the elk i've taken myself, and seen taken, with a wide variety of archery equipment, i have to agree with it........
Oh sure.... you can most likely kill an elk with a 35# bow if the shot placement is perfect, and you slip between the ribs. But i honestly think you shouldn't be hunting elk or moose with less than 50#'s and be responsible about it. I've seen my share of elk lost to much higher draw weights just by glancing off a rib bone wrong....
Bottom line is that it's a personal decision. Every pound of weight you can add to your draw weight comfortably without effecting your marksmanship, adds to your potential success. Too many things can, and will happen in hunting that a little extra power in that arrow might make the difference between loosing an animal, or putting it in the freezer....... I don't think its a macho thing at all. I like that expression "A 50# bow is like the 30-30 rifle to fire arm hunting." it will get the job done just fine, but is lacking in respect.
X2, well said Kirk :thumbsup:
I'm surprised any state would let someone hunt elk or moose with such a light poundage. Just don't get it why take the chance, I've gutted and processed my elk never hunted moose but processed cattle before. There's a lot of difference between a whitetail and a elk just saying. Nope, don't get it a all :dunno:
Tracy
There is never anything wrong with heavier for sure, however, 50 pounds will get the job done in most cases. Consider every part of your equipment, especially arrows i.e. FoC, Total arrow weight, inserts, outsert, broadhead design, shaft integrity, BH sharpness and perfect flight.
No amount of draw weight can make up for poor shot placement. There are many components to archery lethality, you must consider them all to be successful; bow draw weight is just one variable.
Kris
Yep, I need more than 50#.
I'm a 55@30 guy with 10 gpp arrow now. Used to be a 60-61@30 but it hurts my shoulder. I'm good with 50-55@30.
Good point. 55@30 will do as well or better than 65@25. Depending on the bows being compared, 55@30 may provide better performance than 75@25.
Lots of variables to consider other than draw weight. Minimum draw weights should cover the worst performing bows.
Make a lousy shot, you will loose a squirrel even if you are pulling 100#. Way back when I didn't know any better, I shot and lost rabbits pulling 82#. More poundage won't fix bad shot placement.
At my draw I'm settled on bows with draw weights of 45-50# -- mostly around 47#. I'm satisfied that this will work just fine, given my conservative shot selection, on anything in North America (where less than 50# is legal).
I have come to the realization that Cape Buffalo are not in my future. Not because I don't want to punish myself trying to get to 60#+ but because my coin jar isn't big enough.
Yeah...had that dream as well. Might still happen, but there's going to have to be a winning lottery ticket in my future...