Lite for turkeys???

[3Feathers]

Anybody use a lite poundage bow for turkeys?I have a longbow thats 45lbs. at my 25in. draw.I know they are tough birds to kill.What do you think???

[NOMAD88]

yeah it will definately get the job done

[LittleBen]

Frankly, I think the toughness of turkeys is overrated. I think you could get it done with 30lb no problem .... that's if you can connect with the terrible trajectory.

Flat trajectory is a bonus for turkeys, you could also get by with a lighter arrow. Penetration has a lot to do with how straight your arrows are flying, a straight flying arrow will out penetrate a loggy flying arrow. I like to use wide two blade heads for turkeys, but it probably is not needed. I think the good old Bear Razorheads with the bleeder blades would be just as good.

[Shawn Leonard]

I would say it depends, if you are shooting a very light arrow you may not get enough penetration. 45#s no doubt will do it but make sure you shoot at least 9gpp. and more would be better! Turkeys are pretty tough, I get a kick out of guys who say they are not, just like I hear guys say that about bunnies, than they change their mind quick when one goes running by with 3 arrows hanging out of it, or when a turkey that looked hit hard takes off and flies 300 yards. Shawn

[RC]

I`ve killed several Turkeys and like Shawn sez they are tough. I have only shot through a couple. I would shoot the 45 lbs for sure as I have killed several with 48 lbs. I think the arrow staying in the bird is a good thing.RC

[Friend]

Be cautious in the estimation required to consistently bring home a gob.

One example is likely not enough substantiation to hang your hat on however; I have witnessed quite similar results three time. Just last Saturday, I arrowed a gob with what appeared to be a fine mark. The bird was knocked off his feet, struggled and stumbled sideways for ten yards. I thought it was over then he went five more yards, then five more, then took flight with my arrow to never- neverland. I was using a 45@28...543 gn arrow tipped with a wide two blade.

It is quite disappointing to lose such a magnificent creature. The bird deserved far better. The 2 hour futile search re-emphasized my distaste when the failure consequences are shouldered by the quarry I pursue.

Note: Big Jim arrowed an Osceola that did not yield a pass thru. He was shooting 80#'s@ 30 while utilizing a 780 gn arrow.

Quickened immobility is key.

[CRS]

Shot placement is key.  My son shot a turkey last fall with a 40lb bow.  He put it in the vitals and it went less than 50 yards.

[mcgroundstalker]

An arrow is not a bullet... If a cardboard disk can stop an arrow, a turkeys wing full of hollow bones and moving will do the same thing... Quiet bow, heavy arrow and a shot into the vitals should do the trick... A string tracker helps too...

... mike ...     ...

PS: I've read too many stories about how a "solid hit" bird ran off... When you put an arrow into a turkey, get after it and save the high-fives for later!

[Orion]

45# is enough bow, but use a relatively heavy arrow.  Turkeys are tough to penetrate.  In addition to their heavy plumage, they are physically rather light, relatively speaking, so when the arrow hits them, they tend to be moved/pushed by the arrow, which tends to retard penetration.

Are they tough to kill?  Put the arrow in the right place, which is a very small place, and they go down quickly.  Put the arrow anywhere else, and you probably have a lost bird.

[wapiti792]

I think they are pretty tough! I have shot through 600# elk, a 400 pound bear, multiple Midwest whitetails with a 57# bow and a 630 grain 2 blade setup. I have shot through one turkey...the other 5 held the arrow. It amazing to me how much energy they absorb with their feathers and relatively light wing bones/chest cavities. The only pass through I got was in the neck!

[tracker12]

The tough part about turkeys is hitting the vitals.  I personally prefer to not get a pass trough.  I have hunted and killed several turkeys with my wheel bow using Nap Gobbler getters that are designed to stay in the bird.  I have never lost a bird with that head. That long shaft sticking in a bird makes it difficult for them the fly and even run if there is brush around.  I think the perfect trad bow shooting BH would be a fixed blade BH with a round blount nose with sharp blades following.

[Ground Hunter]

Sometimes I guess I don't get it.  This is not ultra-lite fishing.  Use enough bow.

[Gehrke145]

wapiti792  I'm with you!  I've shot close to 2 doz and can count on one hand where the arrow didn't stay in the bird.  Some of those are compound kills with arrows that zipped through deer and elk at longer ranges.  Don't sell them short!

[3Feathers]

Going to switch to my 55lb.Hill and 630grn.arrows............

[ron w]

45#'s will kill a turkey, a deer, a bear or anything you might hunt in the sate of New York. Shot placement, a good sharp 2 blade and the deal is done!! I don't know how 45#'s is not enough bow!

[CRS]

I like to get pass through's on all my shots.  In my experience when an arrow stays in the turkey it tends to cause it to panic.  That makes it to cover more ground.

When I zip an arrow completely through, they may jump at the impact, but then seem to go into what I call a death run or walk and then just tip over.

I did have an interesting experience one Spring when I shot a bearded hen.  The arrow stayed in her and she made to a rimrock edge.  She then took flight and landed in the top of a very tall pine tree.  She died up there and I had to wait three days for a strong enough wind to blow her out of the tree.  

Was not much fun punching my tag on that one.  The meat was lost but I did save wing feathers and the "trophy" beard.  I also recovered my arrow and broadhead that was still in her.

[Shawn Leonard]

I have shot quite a few turkeys with a recurve and several with a compound, arrows do not zip thru turkeys. It is very rare to get a complete passthru, sticking out the offside, yes but total passthru is very,very rare. I may of had 2 passthrus on birds even with a compound it is not very common. 45#s is more than enough, hit them right with a scary sharp broadhead and they die. Also remember it is how efficient a bow is, I would rather shoot a 40# high performance recurve or R/D longbow than say a 50# straight limbed Hill style bow. Shawn

[CRS]

Shawn,
Have you noticed much difference in the reaction of the turkeys on complete pass throughs or if the arrow stays in?

Chad

[Shawn Leonard]

I do agree turkeys as with most animals seem to panic more when the arrow stays in but as I said it is very rare to get a pass thru on turkeys. Ask most guys who have shot a bunch and I bet less than 25 percent get a pass thru, maybe even under 15 percent. Shawn