Guys who hunt a variety of game such as Whitetail, Elk, Moose, and Bear. What do you feel is the best all around poundage for a all around hunting bow. I want something that is going to be able to reach out and take a long shot if the opportunity arrives and shoot a flat arrow.

Any bow will shoot a flat arrow if the arrow is light enough. If you want to take long shots, get a compound. The idea with shooting a traditional bow is to get close, i.e., be a hunter not a shootist.

Now, to answer your question, a bow in the 55#@28 range is enough for moose and elk, though I'd go heavier, and is a nice weight for deer and bear, although 50# would work just as well for them.

And, yes, I've killed every one of those critters. I used 65#-70# on moose, usually 55#-65# on elk and generally 50#-55# on deer and bear. Now that I'm getting a little long in the tooth, I tend to shoot 50-55# for everything except moose. Don't know if I'll get another crack at moose, but if I do, I'll up my bow weight to 60#.

55#

You read my mind SB!!! Be interesting to see what others say.

I consider a 30-35 shot a long one. That is just me though. I could use my compound but I don't wanna anymore.

#55 I would not be afraid to kill anything but a Griz with that weight.

50lbs

53 pounds

DDave

50 to 60 is pretty good,although 45 is often used a lot. I personally shoot 75 and up, but I shoot grizz sometimes.

A bow in the 50/55 range with the proper arrow and BH should take just about any game animal in NA.

"Any bow will shoot a flat arrow if the arrow is light enough. If you want to take long shots, get a compound. The idea with shooting a traditional bow is to get close, i.e., be a hunter not a shootist."

That's why I don't ask questions here. I just don't need to get chewed on.

It also depends on draw length. 45#'s@30" is probably more than 55#'s@ 26".

Hey Cameron...that is our next frontier...let's do some chronograph work comparing the same arrow at your draw length and my draw length to get an idea of how much a longer power stroke affects energy

DDave

The heaviest bow you can shoot accurately is how I go...

I shot a groundhog at near 80 yards with a 60# home made longbow. Right through the chest with an ash arrow and Bear Razorhead. Had a witness standing right beside me on that one and he posts here on the Leatherwall. So should I go buy a compound? I've also hit pheasants in the air, running squirrels (1) and two running rabbits. I killed a gray squirrel at near fifty paces with my old lemonwood bow...Ol' Buck, and have shot at crows in the lower field next to my house at well over a hundred yards. My bows are varied in weight from 41# to 57# and I shoot them all. My longest deer kill was around 35 yards...a double lung.

As for bow weight, you need to follow the rules of the area where you are hunting the game....many are different regarding bow weights. And of course you should be able to be accurate with whatever weight you use.

I think 55# is just about right. Most serious hunters can handle it and it packs enough punch for the larger critters.

I've never hunted moose..but have arrow killed a bunch of bull elk and smaller game.. Longest killing shot was on a bull elk at just under 70 yards..Most a lot closer in than that..

IF I had it to do again I think that about 65#@30" draw in and efficient bow with 9-10 GPP arrows would be the ticket..so long as a person can master that draw weight..

45-55# as the law allows is probably plenty..ESP for those who hunt deer at 30 yards and closer.. Being able to shoot consistently and accurately is more important to the archer-hunter than draw weight-KE etc..Jim

To hunt deer, moose, elk and bear with just one "perfect" bow? While 50lbs is a good all around average, if doing all these trips, maybe consider a good whitetail bow and then another bigger game bow? As with rifles, there are very few rifles that are great, overall, for so many species. Maybe narrow down on 2 bows, like a 45lb for "typical" Eastern USA deer hunting (I see you're from Ohio) and a 55lb bow for elk/moose where the animals are obviously much larger and shots are typically longer.

While some say "shoot the highest weight you can shoot", there's also the Eastern whitetail reality that you may have to draw very slowly and silently, with a deer at close range, where lower weights serve you very well, in a real world hunting situation. No offense to others, but I've killed a pile of deer and I've found that more weight is great on the range and less weight is way better on the stand or in the blind, when you have real live deer right in front of you, it's quiet, you're cold and excited and the deer is starting to get spooky. Just sayin'.

50 - 55

I have a 65lb but I like my 55lb bows the best.

George, no wonder Punxsutawney Phil is so wary about coming out!!! Good shooting. Johnny

a 48# heart shot is better than a 75# gut shot...that being said,it takes a certain amount of energy to reach the heart,the bigger the animal,the more energy is required...then there's the legal matter of minimum draw weights by state....After saying all that,I'd agree with the majority on here and say between 50# and 55#....I shoot about 45#,but I hunt whitetail deer at 20 yards and under

Matt

50 to 55#s will cover everything in North America. From bunnies to bears you've got it covered.

After watching George's videos and reading his post I wouldn't want him shooting at me! :) Then again, I don't want anyone shooting at me! With anything! But seriously, lots of sound advice here. I agree with Mojostick's thoughts in that a lighter weight bow increases one's ability to draw smoothly and quietly on a whitetail at close range after sitting for a long time, without engaging in callisthenics. I have an under 28" draw so, up to now, have used at least 50# for deer. That being said, I am presently working up lighter spined arrow/broadhead combination with 1816's for my 45# bows, drawing on Mr. Stout's description of the rig he uses on his 44# Carroll takedown. I am looking forward to perfecting it. I think limiting one's self to a single bow for all NA game would be limiting...if I had to I would use 55# as I can still draw that easily.

I agree with that, Except!!!+++!!! for rare "Large Shielded Hogs." Go big or go home on those ones....

50-55 pounds.

Anything in the 55-65 Lb range.There's little FPS gain per pound once you go over 60.

Is groundhog good to eat ?

This question has been around for years, and years. There's a difference between what WE consider to be an all around weight hunting bow, and what the people who actually had to hunt successfully, or die chose.

Fact is that bows much over 55lbs. were virtually always restricted to war bows prior to the advent of recreational hunting. Average hunting bow length was also shorter, and draw lengths shorter than those of bows used for war/defense.

Clearly history indicates that for a HUNTING bow, 50=55lbs is plenty based on the dimensions of bows that have been recreated to match the dimensions of historical items.

"Is groundhog good to eat ?" Yep....I've eaten lots of them.

I'd have to say a minimum of 55lbs for hunting all game in north America. That would cover any minimum except one, altho I'm not one to suggest the minimum on anything 55 would work fine. I like to play it safe. Vermont moose used to be 60lbs, not sure if it still is or not.

What you can effectively shoot w/ accuracy .

55

Btw that is at your draw, not the weight written on the bow at 28 ,lol.

I don't see how ANYONE, to include yourself, can predetermine what will be the maximum draw weight you can handle.......It really is putting the cart before the horse. Most states generally have draw weight minimums and so at least you will know if you can handle that or not. And whatever weight that minimum is, it will be well suited to take that species. It amazes bow efficiency and overall design never comes in to play in these discussions, because as factors they are far more of a contributor to the arrow's penetrating force(momentum, not kinetic energy) than draw weight will ever be.

Best All Around Weight For Hunting,Ill go with 50#-55# Final answer.

"Guys who hunt a variety of game such as Whitetail, Elk, Moose, and Bear. What do you feel is the best all around poundage for a all around hunting bow."?

You'd need to be legal, so for a singular bow, it would need to be legal for the largest species you'd be hunting per that state's law. I do not believe any state has a legal requirement higher than 50-pounds peak draw for their particular largest game. So, your draw weight would need to be at 50-pounds or higher, to meet legal minimum legal requirements if you are talking in terms of a singular traditional bow to hunt the game you noted where legal in the country. In addition, many hunter organizations that specialize in support for hunting various large game species, such as RMEF for elk, may have their own "recommended" draw weights for archery tackle to specialize in hunting that particular species. For the largest game, most of these professional organizations would recommend to use the heaviest-draw bow you could shoot with accuracy. That weight would be specific to the individual. So if this weight fell into the 60-65 pound range, that would then be the "recommended" draw weight.

So, my long winded answer to your specific question:

You are not speaking in terms of "minimum, but are speaking in terms of "best". I cannot give the correct poundage specific to you, just like you cannot give the correct poundage specific to me. I would have to say, as already noted above, the best answer would be the heaviest-draw bow you could shoot with accuracy, provided that weight was at or above the legal requirement, which is probably at least 50-pounds per various state laws.

Best :)

The weight you are more accurate and comfortable with, that is legal where you hunt. Enjoy

55#

52#

Good shot on the groundpig George. I would have loved to have saw that.

These are all preferances the best don't exist only in your mind.LOL

Mind range, low range or high range get the bow that you can handle the most acurately. If thats a 55 pound then thats what it is but if not its to light move up and if 55 is to heavy move down.

Its all that simple thats why cavemen do it.LOL

"What do you feel is the best all around poundage for a all around hunting bow. I want something that is going to be able to reach out and take a long shot if the opportunity arrives and shoot a flat arrow."

54-56 pounds is a good hunting weight. If you want a flatter cast for your hunting bow, I would recommend looking at some of the faster bows. My Border bow shoots my 500 grain arrows very flat out to 40 yards. I noticed JParanee was able to move down to 50 pound Border Hex 7 limbs and still shoot over 205 fps at 8 gpp arrows.

53# most everybody I know here in Colorado gears up for elk and hunts everything else with the sand setup. 53# is the far and away average for the bows sold at the local traditional archery shop

60# bare minimum, 65# is a good draw weight

Well guys I think it depends on the efficiency of the bow. Bow X may have a different cast than Bow Y. Then too arrow weight and broadhead choice also are a factor. A 65# bow with a Rage on a 350 gr arrow is not going to do the job of a 50 lb. bow and a 550 gr. arrow and a 2 blade single bevel.

I shot clean through a Kudu with a 50# bow, a 550 gr. arrow and a Buzz Cut.

So there are more factors than just draw weight, but in general I would day 50#, all other factors being equal.

TBB

40-50# for me. I hunt whitetails, turkeys, rabbits and squirrels, so that weight bow with a 30" 2016 or 2114 arrow and 125 gr. points works for me. I can hold it at full draw as long as necessary and I can target shoot quite a lot before getting tired.

George stout is my hero.... Said it beautifully. I shoot 50 pounds. I'd not hesitate to use that for any of the above mentioned critters. Save moose. If I were hunting moose I'd personally prefer to be around 60. But since it doesn't look like moose is on the near horizon 50 it is lol.

50ish.

I’m going to agree with those who say poundage is pretty much irrelevant.

Much more important to consider whether you’re launching sufficient arrow mass to assure penetration, and whether your bow can throw that much weight at a useful speed. I don’t need a bow that shoots perfectly flat out to ranges where I can’t group into a foot, and I don’t want one so slow that I might miss a deer high/low at a range where I can hit a fence post 8 or 9 outta 10. And to be honest, I believe I could just about achieve both ends of that spectrum from a bow marked #50 @ 28” if I were willing to stretch my GPP just a grain or two outside of the commonly-accepted 8-12 GPP range. So as a grossly oversimplified rool o’ thummm…. assuming a proven broadhead, prudent shot angles and real-world hunting accuracy…. How about this:

A 400-450 grain arrow ought to cover a good 90% of deer hunting applications.

500-550 grains is pretty much good, all-around.

And 600-650 grains... If that won’t anchor a moose or an Elk, then chances are pretty good that you’ve made the wrong choice about more than just the mass of your arrow.

I’m sure there will be some who’ll argue that I’m thinking Too Heavy and others Too Light, so I figure if nobody’s happy, I must be on to something.

Good shot on the ground hog George, would have liked to see you do it, five times in a row !!, then it would prove something.

Grizz54w, neither I nor you could do it five times in a row. The good thing about that is you only need to do it once if you hit the target.

I never said I could do it repeatedly, but proving it can be done is adequately done with one arrow at one time. For someone to say you should shoot a compound if you shoot over 35 yards is ridiculous. The length of the shot has never been dependent on the weapon; it depends on the archer, and whether he or she, at the time of the shot, is confident of a hit. Red Beastmaster was with me that day; the shot presented itself and felt right. Anyway as an archer, I don't limit my practice to "gimmee"ranges just because someone things folks can hit targets farther than 20 yards. That is their restriction, not mine. Knowing the animal you are targeting, and how it normally reacts in certain situations, is part of that process.

There is no one universal weight. I believe everyone should shoot the heaviest bow they can shoot comfortably and hit well with.

60# to me was perfect. Now I'm older and don't pull that much but still think 60# is best if you can shoot it great.

Some interesting thoughts. Thanks for all of the replies guys. Seems a lot of you prefer at or around 55#'s.

Poundage isn't irrelevant if you want the best weight for all those animals and the scenario's you'll hunt them in. What the weight would be for you is for you. If I still drew 26 inches, I'd say 65-75 pounds at 26. I currently draw and anchor at 28.25 or so. But, I still like 60-65 pounds the best. It just feels real nice. God Bless

60# plus @ "ur" draw length ...

I agree with alot of the other posts. There is no 'best'. Alot of variables including draw length and efficiency of the bow. I was faced with a situation a long time ago when I had to get rid of all of my rifles and have only one. I am not saying that I made th best decision, but my though process was to have one that I could take anything in North America under any circumstances. I knew that I wouldn't be hunting outside of North America, and that most of my hunting would be for deer, but didn't want to take anything off of the table. I basically chose those smallest caliber that "I" felt would be able to get the job done. That happened to be 7mm Rem Mag, but that may not have been the least that I could have gone with. I knew tha it would be overkill for predators, but didn't hunt them much anyway, but I had great confidence that it would get the job done, and that I didn't need a 300 win mag or anything like that.

I draw a hair over 29", and personally if I was limited to only one bow, and assuming it wasn't a d-shaped longbow, I would chose something around 60-65 at my draw. That would give me confidence on shielded boar and other large game. Some may feel comfortable with less, and that is fine. I have killed some very large hogs with bows in the low 50#'s, but can honestly say that there have been times that I wish that I had more firepower with me. YMMV.

I also do like the improved retention of downfield energy for shooting heavy game. Is it necessary? I don't know, but that is what makes me feel confident. In the same way that I didn't opt for a 300 mag or heavier, I wouldn't pic my 75-100# bows. To much work when sitting in a stand freezing my butt off, or holding at full draw waiting for a critter to step out from behind a bush.

Guess I misunderstood. I consider 55 the minimum that would be enough for all north american game, not the best. For myself personally I don't do minimums so I prefer 62 lbs after my injurys, but before that I always shot 73-76 lbs.

I'm also not much on that best weight being what you can shoot best. In that case guys could be going out with 20lbs to hunt deer. And if you go with the 10gn per pound that's 20 lbs with 200gn arrows. Guys used to say around 9 or 10 gpp out of hunting bow.(meaning hunting weight) But that "hunting bows" got left out somewhere along the way.

One should use the heaviest bow they can build into and shoot best. You have to build into any bow weight and 60 is no harder to build into than 40 , so why not shoot a hunting weight bow. Animals shouldn't have to suffer due to laziness.

I know this is mainly a target archers forum so I'll catch heck but that's my opinion, and that of most all the older big name hunters over the years.

George:

The OPer never specified 35 yards, rather "something to reach out and take a long shot, and he was talking about shooting big game animals, not varmits. What is a long shot can vary depending on perspective, of course, but the wheelie boys on the outhouse channels are now shooting 80-100 yards. Can one shoot that distance with a trad bow? Sure. Should one shoot that distance at a game animal with any bow? Not in my opinion. Even if the shooter can hit a target at that distance, a game animal can move a lot in the time it takes the arrow to get there, resulting in a bad hit.

My reference to get a compound was offered as tongue-in-cheek humor in that context. Apparently it wasn't interpreted that way.

Orion, Howard hill did it. So did a bunch other "trad hunters". The Wheelie boys" you refer to are few and far between. Probably a much smaller percentage than the trad archers who used to do it consistently.

Your comment was directed by your bias towards anyone who shoots something besides your idea of acceptable. It wasn't useful in anyway. Trying to determine that stick bows are 35 yard weapons in all situations is beyond either of those two. If you think they are a short range weapon, than aide by it. Not everyone does or is limited by such a thought process. God Bless

I will tell you this for free. If I would have had a shot at a stationary elk at 45 yards away in September, I would have taken the shot. I was practicing out to 60 yards and felt comfortable at that distance. A spooky whitetail? Not this boy.

"is no one universal weight. I believe everyone should shoot the heaviest bow they can shoot comfortably and hit well with. -- N.Y. Yankee"

I agree. A 60# bow is no help if the most you can shoot well is 50#. Shoot what you can control and hunt sharp.

If you are going for a grizzly or brown bear you'd better start working yourself up to a suitable bow.

I can shoot 65# but do a lot better on whitetail (and stumps) with 50 to 60# bows. So that's what I use.

Actually, it depends a lot on your height. I am 5'9" and 255 pounds, which is way too heavy for hunting....I would be way better off at about 175 pounds or perhaps 6'9" and 255.

I feel that a 55-60# bow, with the right arrows would take anything I can think of.

There's no need or reason to every use anything over 50#. A 50# launching a 125 grain broadhead on a 30" 2016 arrow will pass clean through a bull moose. You don't need anymore penetration than that.

Well, Sparky....

That might be the case if you are drawing to make full use of that 30 inch arrow. But of course, you didn't specify what kind of bow you're using. I'm guessing it's a fairly modern recurve.

Just another guess, but I suspect Howard Hill was using those much higher draw weights that he favored for a reason.

Personally, with my draw length, #50 with a 9-10 GPP arrow won't do what I need a hunting rig to be able to do.

WV: Lots of folks took long shots in the 40s, 50s and 60s. They took long shots consistently, but they didn't hit much consistently, and that includes Hill, Bear, Pearson and others. Sure, they sometimes hit what they shot at at long distances, but a lot of times they didn't.

Hill missed the elk at long range twice before he hit it. His killing arrow could just as easily have wounded the animal. Did you hear Fred Bear's story on the shot that killed his tiger. On the latest 4 Disc collection I have, Fred told the interviewer that he was trying to shoot ahead of the tiger to turn it back so he or others with guns could get a better shot at it. The shot was so far off it hit the cat to Fred's surprise.

I do a fair amount of longer range shooting as well, out to 60 yards or so. Not bad on paper, but I'd never knowingly shoot at an animal that far away. As I said earlier, it doesn't make any difference if you can hit a stationary target at that distance, because a real live critter isn't stationary, the shooter often can't see any obstructions that might be in the way, etc.: the longer the shot, the more that can go wrong.

My comment re the wheelie bow, while in jest, was also accurate. Take ten average shots with a compound shooting with sights and mechanical releases, and put them against 10 average stick bow shooters. There's no doubt more of the 10 compound shooters will hit the mark at "long range," whatever that is, than will average stick bow shooters. So, if an average shooter wants to hit what he's shooting at "at longer ranges," he's much more likely to be able to do so with a compound.

Thanks for that info, Max. I guess you can't conceive of any situation in North America where more poundage could be helpful.

63-66# or whatever you can shoot consistently and accurately.

A 2016 with a125 grain head shot from a 50# stick bow drawn to 28"s will consistently pass through a bull moose? Are you being serious?

all of mine!

My opinion is a well tuned bow with a matching Arrow of significant weight GPI no less than 9 to 11 With heavy broad head like a 190 grain Simmons tree shark. As for weight a 50 lb Bow is suficient to kill any and all game on the North American continent, to include moose, they have large lungs and go down surprisingly easy with a well placed lung shot. I've known several folks who have killed Elk and moose with a 45 lb bow to include bear that are also take with this weight consistently. Now that said you should always shoot those most weight you can shoot accurately and consistently and comfortably. I'll leave it at that.

Very respectfully Bow Collector

“A 2016 with a125 grain head shot from a 50# stick bow drawn to 28"s will consistently pass through a bull moose? Are you being serious?”

You can’t forget that Fred Asbell said in one of his books that a well-designed #50 recurve can shoot clear through any critter on North America….. So It Must Be True.

But then somebody here suggested that 1 additional inch of draw LENGTH delivers as much additional velocity as going up #10 in draw WEIGHT… assume no increase in the mass of the arrow.

But if THAT is true, then Fred Asbell shooting 11 GPP at #50 and 30” is sending the same arrow that I would get using 6.25 GPP and drawing my 26.5”…..out of nearly NINETY POUNDS.

And at that rate, I’d have to agree with Fred… I'd use a heavier arrow, of course, but if I could get to my full draw at #88.... I would Fear No Evil.

"...Fred Asbell said in one of his books that a well-designed #50 recurve can shoot clear through any critter on North America...

Not looking to get sucked into an argument, but there is a big difference in 'can shoot clear through' and 'will shoot clear through'.

To me it is all about improving your odds and having confidence in your setup getting the job done under suboptimal conditions. Everyone has their own idea of where that level falls. Some opt for a little overkill. Some on the other end of the spectrum, with a whole lot of people basing their decisions on small sample sizes and other people's experiences. I don't really care what others choose to use, but it is offensive when people make comments like "..There's no need or reason to every use anything over 50#. ..." in much the same way it is offensive when people say it is unethical to shoot less than a certain number of pounds just because that is what they choose to shoot.

Pat - I'm with you 100% on that, and while I don't have the reference available, I believe Mr. Asbell did actually say "will"...

Which is a pretty tall order for #50, IMO, but I already did the math on that once today..

I'm with Roger.... it depends.

With my straight standing, moderately efficient selfbows and hickory arrows at 10 gpp, and my 29" draw, I wouldnt hunt moose or big, dangerous bear with less than 60# @ 29"... but in reality, would likely use between 65 and 70 pounds... and said 10 gpp.

He's not talkin 15 yard shots, he said long shots. PLus if you ever hunt moose in Vermont 60lbs is the minimum. I still say 50 is bare minimum but I like to have a little above minimum so I'd still go 60+.

If you split the difference between what Lon recommends and what I recommend you come up with 52.5 pounds which just happens to be the median point for everyone who said 50 to 55 pounds and is really what all of us meant...that is of course why I am going hunting moose next week with my Kodiak Deluxe that draws a whopping 46 pounds at 31 inches...great arrow flight from a bow that I can shoot easily and accurately when I am cold and tired trumps pure draw weight every time

DDave

Hmmmmm... I wonder if that #60 minimum was put in place at the behest of the wildlife managers... Or the crossbow companies who figured that about half of the market would be more likely to get a medical exemption than pull that much weight...

Funny. #60 for a Moose... Personally, I wouldn't care to hunt them with any less, but it does strike me as being pretty damn high as a minimum requirement goes. Or is it #60 only for non-compound shooters? That makes MORE sense, but not as much as I'd like...

Camodave, I have to use 60#s @ 27" to equal the performance your getting with 47#s @ 31"s. You guys with the 30" + draw lengths don't need as heavy a bow!

Just a few more push-ups away from hunting the Big River Longbow. Sure feels good test drawing that beauty. 63# MOAB is still on tap.

Just had an odd thought...

Since the only way to have too much of a good thing here is if you're over bowed to the point that you can't hit anything, then the ONLY draw weight that can be considered "best" - or even just Adequate as an all-around proposition is a weight which is entirely adequate for the largest animal you intend to hunt.

So for me, the best "all-around" weight would have to be into the low 60s, I suspect. Maybe higher, just to achieve parity with the standard 28 inch draw length at around 50 pounds.

Fortunately, I don't need an "all around" bow for deer hunting, and I can get away with a good, solid deer-weight set-up....

And even more fortunate (you might say), that means that I still have a logical reason to want another bow..... Just ONE more, Honey, REALLY!!

She'll go for that, won't she????

I would say 60# and up. 60# will give you a quick clean kill on anything in North America which is owed to the animal. plus with the heavy weight bows you can more easily get a pass thrus which means bigger blood trail. So many benifits to to heavy bows.

Forgot to add that with heavy bows you can be more accurate at longer ranges with the flater trajectory.

Well, I think you are gonna open up a can of worms there. The best long range shooters I know shoot lightweight bows, but that is at distances that nobody will reasonably want to take shots.

I'm talking like "hunting long range shots" like 25 yards plus. That way your Confident that you will still get good penitration With the flatter arrow and more energy going down range.

The brand of bow and its design will also affect the amount of draw weight one could hunt across the board with. My 50lb Covert Hunter will take anything in N. America, shoots flat and out performs almost every recurve and long bow I have owned even when the other bows are 10 lbs heavier in draw weight - 76 bows to be exact. The only thing it won't outperform are the other Covert Hunters that are heavier and some heavier Black Douglas bows in the stable.

Only way for a higher weight bow to have a significant flatter trajectory is to go way lower on the gpp arrow weight.

"Only way for a higher weight bow to have a significant flatter trajectory is to go way lower on the gpp arrow weight. "

You mean like maybe 8 or so GPP vs 10?

#50 X 10 GPP = 500 grain arrow

500 grain arrow / #60 = 8.3 GPP

Draw length being equal, the heavier bow will indeed put more smoke on the arrow.

Or… having established that 500 grains at let’s say 185 fps is Plenty Enough KE/momentum/penetrating power/whatever-you-wanna-call-it… If I, as a short-draw guy, can get a 500 grain arrow up to 185 fps by launching it out of a #60 bow, then I’ve leveled the playing field, so to speak, by working 20% harder than the bigger guy.

So what else is new? Smaller engines gotta rev higher.

And 500 grains is 500 grains, whether you achieve it by shooting 6 GPP out of #82 or hobbling a #30, state-minimum draw weight for deer recurve with 17 GPP.

Of course, I’d rather use the faster arrow myself….

And that’s why I jumped into this thread by saying that draw weight is irrelevant in the first place.

You’re either shooting ENOUGH mass at ENOUGH velocity to ensure complete penetration of your biggest game….or you’re still short of what you need….

Just adding the qualifier to Outlaws statement.

"...Fred Asbell said in one of his books that a well-designed #50 recurve can shoot clear through any critter on North America..."

Hopefully my friend, Tucker, will see this thread. He's shot through bull moose with draw weights in the low 40's and has a short draw length. It never ceases to amaze me how many feel you must go the magnum route to consistently kill game, but whatever.....Oh, and last that I checked, there are no pachyderms on this continent - pretty sure moose is as big as it gets around here.

This is getting WAAAAAYYY over thought. Hunting with a bow is not new. Hunting with a recurve or longbow is not new. People have been killing critters with recurves and longbows that were far less efficient than the bows we have now and they did it just fine with bows in the 50lb. range for a long time. AND, they didn't worry about draw length at all.

As long as the arrow is flying as straight as it can fly, and as long as the pointy thing on the end is as sharp as you can get it, and as long as you put the pointy thing in the right place, you are going to kill critters.

It is fun to debate these things.....but it proves nothing that hasn't been proven for 10,000 years.

I have been doing well with 48#er Bow, heavy arrows, and very sharp 2 blade Zwickey and good shot placment.

Roger - I'd LOVE to know what your buddy's arrows weigh and how fast they're moving... One mo' data point to chew on...

I am so glad to know there are no elephants on this continent. I guess I'll sell my heavier bows. Thanks for the heads up Roger. Oh, never mind. We do have some large boars that I can use them for.

(addressed to original question) what weight do you shoot well... not just ok but well... that's the weight, right there

Fuzzy....that's the point isn't it? I agree.

GF, it's Tucker Grose and his handle is "Tucker" here on the wall. His kills have been well documented here over the years....Look him up; I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. But, for me anyway, it comes as no surprise at all.

Guys, maybe this will help some........to put draw weight in to perspective, you will net about 1fps of arrow speed for each 1# of added draw weight. Yep, that's what it ACTUALLY amounts to - squat.

I've done a huge amount of experimenting over the last few years in gaining performance, sans adding draw weight. By merely switching to better bow strings I've netted 12-15fps. By utilizing lighter weight string silencers I got another 4fps, tie on nocks produced 2fps, using an elevated rest got me +3fps over "the rug". All of that equates to a significant gain in downrange arrow energy. I have no earthly reason to bump up draw weight and am totally baffled why some get so hung up on it when it means so very, very little in comparison to other factors.

Roger... my 71#@ 27" Bob Lee gets 181fps with 775 grain arrow. Are you saying that a 55# @27" Bob Lee is going to push that same arrow at 165fps? That would be nice but it ain't happening...

Tucker has been very succesful on Moose with his equipment. Now a moose is nowhere near as difficult to penetrate as a hog with a tough shield. Anyone who says that a 50# bow will 'shoot clean through' the tough shields on large boar (which do happen to exist in North Americal) doesn't have any clue what they are talking about. I am totally baffled why they would state things like that, whether they are GFA or anyone else. I can show you plenty of pics of hogs with arrows sticking out of them. Granted, that your average hog doesn't pose that much of a penetration challnge.

Flash what I'm saying is what I said......Please don't put words in my mouth. You net about 1-1.5fps per 1# of draw length. That's not conjecture on my part either, it's well documented. You don't need to justify to me or anyone else the weight of bow you prefer.

Okay, now at 1.5 GPS we are getting realistic. That would get the 55# bow to 157 fps. 71# 181 fps. That is substantial in my opinion.

It depends entirely on the bow and the individual releasing the string, but yes, I've shot too many bows that only netted 1fps per 1#, and so have many others here over the years. Btw, I never stated that 16# wouldn't yield a significant benefit, it should, because there is no doubt that is a huge weight gain. In my world it just isn't going to do anything for me.

In fact, here is some evidence that even a 65# bow won't always do that. Even with a somewhat smaller shield.

Dead animal though, so in this case it didn't matter. Nice shooting on this one by Jacques Bonin.

I do agree with you Roger, 55 is enough for hunting most animals. I have a 53 that I'm shooting 585grain arrows. Will be deer hunting with it in 30 minutes!

IYAAYAS I tend to agree with ya there. Not that pictures prove everything, but definitely carry some clout.

Don't know if it's a coincidence, self fulfilling prophecy or otherwise, but multiple different guys on this stie that kill a lot of game seem to have pretty similar thoughts and feelings on hunting tackle.

Here is where things get interesting "That would get the 55# bow to 157 fps. 71# 181 fps. That is substantial in my opinion."

In order to gain 16% in performance, we are doing approximately 30% more work. Nothing about that is efficient.

Kind of my point, fdp.....Thanks. ;^)

Guys, in so far as hawgs go, we really don't have them here in PA. That said, I can't discount the thousands of pictures some are so hung up on, of pigs killed with 45# bows and short draws. That said, any time someone does share a pic of a fully wild boar killed with a lighter weight bow, some here find it necessary to declare war on the poor sob......That is very telling.

Fdp, if I wanted efficiency I'd shoot a 70 pound compound with a 700 grain arrow.

Funny....I make and shoot LOTS of all wood bows. My goal is to make them as efficient as I possibly can.

I recall Earl Hoyt having told me the same thing. He strived to make every bow design as efficient as possible. Along with Dan Quillian, Harold Groves, Jerry Hill, Steve Gorr.....makes one wonder why they were worried about efficiency.

Give me a break, Bob Lee bows are as efficient as any bow you mentioned. I like two holes in an animal, that's why I've gone up in bow weight.

Then that's what needs to be communicated. That's your choice. I shoot a 76lb Groves all the time. Doesn't make it the best all around choice for hunting. Just happens to be what I like.

In spite of that. I'm not going to tell someone else that 50-55 won't do the job because it will and it has. And will continue to. Even Hill said that a person should be able to effectively kill games at a distance of 1 yard for every pound of draw weight with his example being a 40lb.bow.

By the way...no one said Bob Lee's bows aren't efficient, but that doesn't change the physics and YOU are the one who said (or at least made it appear) you weren't worried about efficiency.

...any time someone does share a pic of a fully wild boar killed with a lighter weight bow, some here find it necessary to declare war on the poor sob...

Yep. An unfortunate thing. Many more hogs have been killed with relatively light tackle than the other way around, and the vast majority of hogs will be amenable to light tackle. Some of the larger ones too.

It is also an unfortunate think that when someone opts for a more energetic setup some people feel compelled to jump on them and espouse why they don't need that tackle, no matter whether they have any personal experience on the matter or not.

Hey Flash and fdp, no worries. Improved efficiency can be had no matter whether you chose relatively lower or higher energy setups. No big deal. We always tend to get off topic on these things. I think the OP just wanted opinions on what would be ideal if you could only have one bow, and there seems to some small degree of variation. Alot of it depends on what you will be hunting and where you feel comfortable. It really doesn't matter at all. People can chose to hunt with whatever they want. If I was limited to a 45# bow, I would probably impose some distance restrictions on large game and wouldn't try to go through the shield on a large boar. You can bet, I would still be hunting. Pretty sure you could get the job done on most things, but it might not be ideal, IMHO.

I just wanted to see some weights. I consider a long shot 30-35 yards. Thanks guys.

Personnally I like mid-60's get a bit sloopy release with weights much below that.

Superman. The problem with the internet is that most posts leave a lot of room for mis/interpretation. When you talked about reaching out on a long shot, I started thinking 50-60 yards, for that's what I consider a long shot. Obviously, not everyone else does, of course. Regardless, a review of the large number of posts suggests that 50-55# will be good for just about anything on this continent, maybe upping it a bit for moose. Good luck in whatever you choose.

Well said pdk25, I would hunt with 45 as well. Distance a shot selection would be more limited.

"It is also an unfortunate think that when someone opts for a more energetic setup some people feel compelled to jump on them and espouse why they don't need that tackle, no matter whether they have any personal experience on the matter or not"

That being said, I have actually never read an example of that happening here. I mean, where is the example of a guy using heavier weight and someone else actually tells him he shouldn't do that?

I'm just saying that a heavier bow can shoot a heavier arrow and shoot faster. And soke of you may believe that speed doesn't matter, but think of it like this. What hurts worst getting run over by a car at 30 mph or being hit by an 18 wheeler at 25 mph. That's just simple physics more mass means more punch.

Roger, you must have selective memory regarding this topic, because I have seen it in lots of threads. In the same way that people interject about bows being not heavy enough, others constantly chime in and tell people they should be shooting lighter bows because they would be more accurate or that they will damage their shoulders. You honestly don't recall ever seeing posts that say that people shouldn't be or don't needto beshooting heavier weights? How about in this thread?

You don't recall sparks4pay saying " There's no need or reason to every use anything over 50#".

How about this one that I pulled up in two minutes using the search function.

"

Not sure what weight you are shooting, but just keep in mind that you will most likely be able to shoot a lighter bow more accurately, and with a good heavy arrow, a sharp cut on contact head, and good shot placement you can kill any animal in North America with a 50 lb bow... "---unsolicited advice from bowhunter on 10/14

There are tons of examples out there unless you choose to believe that it is only those that shoot heavy bows that are telling others what they should be doing.

IYAAYAS, Rick Welch shoots a light arrow but his draw length is 29"s and he is a ridiculously good shot. There seems to be exceptions to every rule... His hunting bow is 64#s useing 480 grain arrow. I don't know his fps but his arrows are flat shooting for a recurve. I asked him what he would do if he was to go hunting for cape Buffalo. Response was, I'd make up some 800 grain arrows but I don't need it for deer and elk. I went to his class and tuned my bow for light arrows, worked great for deer and pigs under 150. I've had to go up in bow weight and arrow weight to get the penetration I want on larger pigs.

"... with their arrows of light and velocity."

DAYUM! I gotta get me some o' those....

And here I was thinking to switch over to cedars.... ;)

Personally, I believe bowhunters who believe that a very heavy arrow must be used are overcompensating for their poor shooting skills and inability to hit the broad side of a pachyderm at any distance farther than they can spit into a headwind by hobbling their bows with excess weight in hopes of powering through an animal through sheer inertia.

Fdp, I just compared the two bows momentum. The heavier bow is getting 30% more momentum than the lighter one. So, even though the arrow is only 15% faster, the penetration is increased by 30%. Hope I put that clearly guys.

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