Lightweight for Turkey?

[YosemiteSam]

I have a perfectly good setup for deer -- 50# with 605 gr arrows.  I find my 45# limbs shoot the same arrow just as well out to 20 yards.  But I love to tinker...

So I grabbed my 30# limbs, put them on my left-handed riser (opposite hand) and then grabbed some woodies that I used for a selfbow and have been enjoying the setup.  I discovered that even without a clicker, I'm doing perfectly respectable groups and the gaps aren't too far off my normal deer setup.  In fact, I can easily go to a high cheek anchor and, from 0-20 yards, my gaps are within a 2" margin.  That anchor position is tough with the heavier limbs but a cinch at 30#.  So I got to thinking about turkey season & wondering if this could offer enough penetration for those mountain chickens.  If any of you have experience with lightweight bows and turkeys or other large birds, I'd appreciate your input.

I figure I'm getting about 27# of actual draw weight.  The POC shafts are cut to about 28.75" before putting on the tips.  Tips are 125 grain.  So I figure I'm pushing an arrow around 400 gr at around 150-160 fps.  Max distance would be 20 yards.  Swap out the field point for a sharp Zwickey.  Am I likely to get through the turkey or is this just an attempt at cruelty?

[wingnut]

Turkeys are surprisingly hard to penetrate.  Could be the feathers or the fact that with low mass the impact moves the animal.  I'd stick with the 45# setup myself.

Mike

[tecum-tha]

Dito.

[zipper bowss]

Originally posted by wingnut:
Turkeys are surprisingly hard to penetrate.  Could be the feathers or the fact that with low mass the impact moves the animal.  I'd stick with the 45# setup myself.

Mike

Yep

[shag08]

I haven't been lucky enough to harvest a turkey with trad gear yet. But I always take my deer hunting rigs after turkeys. I've killed many with shotguns, and they are tough critters. I want all the penetration and kenetic energy I can get, no matter the game I'm after.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Turkeys wingbones are unreal hard and the absorb and rob the energy from your arrow upon impact. I've killed dozens and all with bows in upper 50's and only had a few pass throughs unless shot low which will not kill a turkey.

Two, three and four blades hasn't mattered one bit. I know what I would shoot and most states have a minimum poundage thank god but most are to low. Can it be done? I'm sure it has been.

Tracy

[Friend]

Have only harvested 34 birds...a small number in comparison to the embarrassing earlier year vast number of failures that occasionally re-appear.

I don't let up on them one bit. They continue to fully pour on it me.

[ksbowman]

Tracy and Wingnut are right on the money. I too have had very few pass thrus and shoot 53-64# bows. Like Wingnut says a lot of momentum is absorbed by the bird giving so much at impact.

Turkeys are as tough as anything we hunt here. No way I would try it with <30#! Like said above, I also have had few complete passthrus!

Bisch

[old_goat2]

Only head shots if you go that low in my opinion

I was surprised with a large sized Deadhead on a perfect wing hit, how far it shoved the turkey on impact.  Those wing quills have a lot of resistance.

[centaur]

Yep, I haven't killed as many as Friend, but of the ones I have killed, I have never had a complete pass through, and I'm shooting 625 grain arrows out of 55 pounds. Turkeys kind of 'give' when they are shot, which seems to complicate penetration, along with their feather covering. I agree with all above; use more than 30 pounds unless you want a wounded bird or unless you hit them in the head or neck.

With a lighter weight bow perhaps a better penetrating head should be considered.  i could use as light a bow as want if I go this spring.  I never saw a single turkey during the entire deer season.   I don't know why, but the turkeys numbers are falling fast around where I hunt, it is not from anyone shooting them.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

pavan, your always promoting low poundage bows do you have any turkey kill picks to show and stats.

Did you kill and recover the deadhead turkey?

Tracy

That was with a 53 pound Berry Morningstar, Yes, the turkey stayed put, I did not get a pass through.   The lowest poundage turkey kill that i have ever witnessed was with a 42 at 27" Hill.   It was a Hill 140 broadhead, His bird ran about fifty yards, he got a pass through.   The idea that it should not take much poundage would depend greatly on if the broadhead would have to fight through those quills.  The Deadhead on mine hit vertical, snapping wing quills on the hit.  I am not sure at all what a bow under 40 pounds would do with the same head and same hit.  I do know that most deer are capable of being penetrated with 40 pound bows, but with turkeys there are soft spots and hard spots, when you hit a hard spot they move quite a bit on the hit.  I would always opt for accuracy and flatter arrow flight, on game with in reason.  Shooting a super heavy arrow out of a light bow makes things more difficult, If  someone wanted to use a light bow and a wood arrow, I would take a serious look a Hunters Heads or Grizzly heads.  My light bow comment was in jest, I do not think I would get a turkey to shoot at, the way things are looking right now.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Oh, I'm not looking for light bows in anyway and know exactly how it all works. Just like to see the proof of the light bows everybody keeps telling them to shoot.      


Tracy

So you being just a bit ornery then, if that's the case the leatherbrawl is looking for a few good manly men.

[YosemiteSam]

And this is why I haunt these forums.  Thanks for sharing your experiences.  I've taken a few turkey but only with a shotgun.  So your experiences are appreciated.  It makes sense that the quills, feathers and light mass of the birds would rob speed out of an arrow upon impact.  As I think about it, on some of my lightweight selfbows, I've had arrows fail to penetrate thick burlap where it hangs a bit loose on the target face.  That little bit of give makes a big difference so I can only imagine what a big tuft of feathers might do.  I think I'll stick to my 45# setup.  Thanks again!