I am new to the traditional side of archery , and i have a 35# temujin bow was wandering would it kill a deer, and wat size arrows should i shoot,

What is your draw length? A lighter carbon say a Gold Tip Traditional 15/35 should work just fine as long as you are pulling 26" or better. I am sure that the bow is cut to center, so it may work well regardless of your draw length.

Check out stu's calculator. Go up and do a search on it in the search engine located on the top of the home page for the Leatherwall. Type in Stu Miller's calculator and bingo.

Good Luck bro and enjoy the ride. But understand these things are not compounds and some require some real tuning. Alot of help to be found here though so don't sweat it. Nice looking bow BTW. Good day and God Bless.

And yes, it will kill a deer if you do your part and put it where it belongs. Native americams killed every animal in America with a lot of them shooting the same poundgae or there abouts, so don't doubt it and believe in what you got. Keep 'em in the ribgage and keep on eating good!

Pull that bow back 28", use a sharp 2-blade broadhead, shoot an arrow that weighs approx. 400 grains, make a center mass hit with the arrow's path through both lungs.... and yes, it will kill deer. I've done it with 36# @ 26" draw. It was a big deer that went down in the amount of time it took me to mumble the words "wow, that arrow is gonna kill that deer".

As for arrow choice, I would recommend a skinny arrow (carbon). The Easton ST Epic 600 with a 160 to 200 grain point/broadhead. Length of arrow will be determined during your tuning process. Leave the shaft full-length, do not have it cut shorter than it's factory length until you have determined if it needs to be shorter.

I've got one of those Temujins in 35# and I have no doubt that it will kill any Deer in southern Missouri.

Use something like an 1816 Aluminum Arrow with the old Bear Razorhead with out the bleeder blades and you will be alright.

Deer just are not that tough to kill.

Thank you sir , i enjoy the information, i am in my mind wanting to lean toward aluminum arrows is thier many people who still hunt with them,

Psalm 119:68

Stu's calc is great. It will kill a deer, but many states have laws about minimum draw weight for deer. In IL that is 40 lbs.

I love the Gold Tip traditional. You would be fine with a 15/35. Adjsut point weight to get good flight.

Aluminum is still best as far as I am concerned though it all works. Keep in mind this isn't a compound and therefore if at 26 inches you are not getting the marked poundage on the bow. You might be as low as 30; and you are loosing some inches of power stroke; and you do not have as efficient a limb tiller - had the company been making a 26" bow they would have tillered it differently. If you are pulling it back 30 inches the picture improves, though the actual draw length should be what you shoot best.

There is also the question of your accuracy and other performance related chops when shooting in this unforgiving new format. You can't blow through a shoulder blade with a 30 pound bow, if the deer moves, or you goof a shot. With that low a poundage bow you need to be Ishi, and shooting really well, and have the put-a-move-on-the-deer chops well organized.

Also consider that killing deer is not the only issue, there are are other measures like pass through blood trail, performance in less optimal shots etc...

I wouldn't do it. But I also know that guys have nailed deer with hickory self bows in that poundage. Remember that it isn't the bow that kills deer it is the arrow, you need to pull every arrow reliability trick known to man at that poundage. After that it would be mainly a head game. So long as you will not drop the string on any marginal situation, and know yourself 100% it isn't unsporting, but then one might not need to ask this question. Good thing that you di though. Good luck!

I had a customer who came into my shop regularly who killed got complete pass thru on a doe, he was shooting 35# and 330 gr arrow. I shoot light poundage too, but we all agree, you better hit them in the right spot with these light bows.

willa 35# bow kill a deer? NO

but a well placed well tuned arrow tipped with a scary sharp broadhead delivered by the above bow WILL. ;^)

No it won't even scratch the finish! JK Good advice above.

I have two 37# bows a bear cub an browning wasp I draw 27 inches for both of those bows I shoot carbon express predator II in a 800 spine an they shoot great an bare perfect. These are the skinny carbons an take a half out 40 gr insert. With a 30 inch arrow a 100 gr broard head you would at 370 gr for arrow weight. I love the predators tough an good price 49.00 for arrow an 10.99 for inserts nock come with them An the nocks are the best I,ve every used very tough an easy to adjust. they hold up really well. Most of my bows are in the mid 40 but I,m going to shoot the wasp or cub this year for hunting both bow hit pretty hard but I,m shooting them with a d-10 string also.

3 recommendations for carbon arrows with 35lb bows. Silly, silly, silly. I think you need a heavier shaft if you shoot that poundage.

I know from research for a book that the Eastern Woodland Indian bows averaged about 35lbs. They used wooden arrows with stone tips.

You know what we need to do? We need to get into a healthy discussion about what "traditional" means. I don't think it's ever come up here. Well, maybe a few hundred times, but who's counting. It might mean a selfbow, shafts made from materials gathered in the woods, sinew string, and broadheads the shooter chipped from flint. I mean that was traditional before recurve shooters started using the word. Traditional was never a consideration before wheels and cables.

Traditional is relative, I suppose. One thing it ain't, and that's carbon arrows.

Yes! The shooter and many other variables like shot distance must be considered. I would use a 35 pound recurve, and hunt with the limits of that total equipment package. This year I plan on starting with around 50# and drop weight as it gets colder. Last year I ended around 42#. When its 10 degree, and I am set up for a 9 yard shot, 35# sound good to me.

Won't be long before someone side swipes this thread. Remember fellas the guy has the bow already and basically would like to hunt with if it if it's not totaly out of the question. At least that's the way I interpreted the original post.

Yep it sure will. Especially the smaller bodied southern deer. Just make sure you check your state laws. Some states have bow minumum weights that are higher than 35lbs.

Yes it will, but check your local regulations. Most states have a minimum draw weight to hunt with.

Not in Utah Gotta Be At least 40+..35 will do the trick though. Shot placement. Get Close.. and SHARP! SHARP SHARP! Broadheads.

OK, Now I have to tell my experience. I live in Ohio. The law says I have to use a 40# bow to be legal. The DOW and the game protectors tell me that the bow has to be marked 40#. It doesn't matter that I have a 31" draw with a 35# @ 28", making my draw weight over 40#. But it is OK for someone with a 26" draw to use a bow marked 40# @ 28". He is only shooting 35# and a shorter lighter arrow. He is legal and I'm not. Doesn't seem right to me.

My son shoots a 33# Big Jim Buffalo longbow. Killed a doe last year, ran approx.40 yards. Shot placement key factor.

"Aim small, miss small"

my first was with a 35@28 Bear Polar recurve, so I guess a 35# bow will kill a deer. I was less than 10 yard broadside and using a very sharp broadhead.

Yes, it will kill if you hit the vitals with a sharp broadhead but as stated above, many states have gone to a 40# min. for weight.

Yes

I forgot to mention that an Easton ST Epic 600 (carbon arrow) with 160-200 head will finish out around 400-440 gr. depending on length of arrow.

Sure, hit him right and it will.

Nope! Use a sharp arrow instead. If you beat a deer over the head with the bow you could ruin a really nice bow. HaHa

Ohio told me the same thing, it is what is marked on the bow. My bow was 39#@28", I pull 29" and 41#, but it was not legal. So, I sprayed paint over the markings, re-wrote the poundage as 41#@ 29" and it was then legal. After the season I removed the new writing and paint and it was as good as new.

Sipsey,

Now there is a thought. Measure it at your draw if over 28inch, what the poundage is, at your draw lenght, with at sharpies over or under the orignal marking, and put a little water based poly over that to protect it. Compounds do not state what the poundage is set at only its range. You would be doing about the same thing. Or mark it to 30inch draw for example, so it would read 35#@28"-41#@30" if that is what it did measure. DANNY

Shoot the heaviest bow that you can handle accurately.

No bow ever killed a deer....but a properly tuned arrow with a razor sharp broadhead shot out of a 35# bow will do it.

no

Its sure not right Jimbow but its the law in most states with minimum weight rules. They go by marked weight since the game guys got no way of determining anything other than that.

35# will kill more critters than most think. I saw a complete pass through on a giant ferral hog with 35# and heard of many deer taken with that weight.

ULTRA sharp 2 blade head and a double lung at 15 yds will put them down quick.

Nice bow too!!! My mom shoots a 25# Tartar, very accurate.

yes

So how hard is it to Mark your bow 40 lbs? Stupid law that would not stop me.

I went hunting with a midget one year. He had a used 40 pound Bear Kodiak Magnum for $50, the old ladies version, that is all he could afford. We messed around with my stash of old fiber glass target arrows and found skinny ones that flew for him. I had to make some wood adapters to slide inside the shafts. He had a 23" draw, that is all he could muster. We took a few stump shots before we headed out. I swear, he looked taller after every well placed arrow. One day i got a call, 'can you bring me your deer cart?' He put an Escolite tipped arrow through to all but the feathers staying in the deer, until they pulled out, a 120 pound field dressed 6 pointer. Good riddance to minimum bow weights.

NO............but the arrow might.

Yes ! Years ago Traditional Bowhunter magazine had an article about lighter poundage bows.You may be able to find it on their web site.Best of luck !

It's the arrow/broadhead combo that kills the deer. The bow needs to launch *enough* arrow with *enough* speed and *enough* accuracy.

Here the legal minimum is 40 pounds of draw weight but a 35 pound bow with a suitable aluminum shaft tipped with a cut-on-contact head would kill any deer I've ever seen. I'd feel light for bears.

You can kill deer with a .22 short but under very limited circumstances. Same for 35# bow. Poundage alone is a poor measure of effectiveness. Like saing that all people who weigh 140# are the same.

Take pride in what you are doing and develop shooting a heavier bow. At some point ou will not be able to shoot a heavier bow with accuracy needed. But even 43# is a lot better or hunting than 35#

Tim Cosgrove of Kustom King Archery had a shoulder replacement and could only shoot a 35# bow last fall. He took this buck with a carbon arrow and a 2 bld broadhead

Westrayer wadr that is not a good analogy. Bullets don't kill by hemorrhage. Arrox do. Any arrow that drives a sharp blade deep enough into the vitals will kill cleanly. I'd feel more comfortable with measurements of momentum and accuracy than draw weight.

Bow weight is not a good weight to define power since a 35# bow can shoot an arrow just as fast as a 60# bow when matching arrows to bow via grains per pound. Then all is equal except arrow mass. Very few even use the analytical side of the brain anymore, rather they just keep up the biased rhetoric that they have heard from someone else.

How much arrow mass does it take to kill a deer when it's flying straight and with a good cut on contact head. No, no one considers that, they only talk bow weight. Also, if you never killed many deer with lower poundage bows, you really have no clue how effective they are. So rather than keep up with the rhetoric, why not learn how effective a 35# bow can be. Nowadays with a good low stretch string and carbon arrows, they even have more performance/power.

When I was a kid a friend wounded his first with his 250-300 Savage, then beat it to death with his Crossman pellet pistol. Maybe he only had the one bullet. Terrible story. My family was happy to get back West.

This is an old thread but the comments are interesting. I guess as we get older we learn a few things about bow weight. :o)

When compounds didn't exist archery books by experts like Howard Gilleland recommended 30# as the absolute minimum weight required for hunting deer at ethical ranges. Deer are still the same today as they were 50 years ago therefore assuming the shot is reasonably close (25-30 yds max) a 35# bow should be OK even for a person that only draws 26 to 27 inches.

Poacher? Really?? That's like calling someone speeding 5 mph over the limit a reckless driver. Maybe a rather small technical violation.....but a poacher? You show me one guy that has spent any real amount of time in the outdoors hunting and fishing that say they haven't committed any form of a violation and I'll show you either a liar or someone that hasn't spent much time hunting or fishing. We should all strive to do our best, but perfection is not realistic. I have my own property I hunt on. During rifle deer season I'm suppose to wear orange. I don't. Am I a poacher also?

Also, if someone owns a minimum weight bow for their given state, i.e. 45 pound recurve and "shortdraws" the bow which is very common, then MANY have "poached" deer over the years.

Here is every States archery regs.

https://simplearchery.com/is-your-bow-legal-archery-regulations-for-each-state/

If you had a wet chunk of hickory that pulled 50 pounds and called it bow, no-one would get critical. But if you had a 35 pound Robertson Wolfer, people would willingly line up to take shots at you, even though that 35 pound Wolfer can shoot the same arrow faster than many 45 pound ASLs. Many high end light bows are more efficient than very heavy bows. It is quite common that a 30 something bow can shoot a cedar arrow 20 percent over spine. Try that with a 100 pound ASL, most of them prefer a cedar arrow 20 percent under spine. If a person is struggling to get their bow back, if they go along with that old shoot the heaviest bow you can handle thing, but can only d oit from a singular shot position, they will be at a disadvantage when compared to the person that play his bow like a blue grass fiddle in any position. I believe if you can shoot a 100 pound in a perfect stance, you can probably hunt and shoot a 65 pound bow from any position. I would rather see people totally mastering a 40 pound bow than fighting with a 50 pound bow, but if you need to go lower, get real fussy with arrow and broad head selection and it will get the job done on deer size game.

This 8 year old thread proves there isn't much new and interesting on these internet forums.

Thanks for the link Larry.

What Dean said!

Ethics live inside laws, they die outside.

Based solely on my experience--- yes 35# is plenty. A little more weight certainly won't hurt, just shoot what you are most accurate with. Most things in archery are a compromise--- shot placement is the exception.

Native Americans used to kill Buffalo from horseback with those bows too. That is one Big Critter!!

I had two opportunities to shoot domestic buffalo. The first time, i couldn't do it, it seemed more like a pet. The second one was a real mean Sob, he pushed through a fence and got into a corn field after trying to kill its owner. I used a 90 pound bow, a Microflite 12 and a Hill broad head.

Kginrick, do you pick and choose which laws you will abide by? Ever knowingly exceed the speed limit? Seems like most folks think those doesn't apply to them. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, you're right.

Yes with a sharp head and properly placed shot. Ask yourself how an animal dies then you have the answer.

Dan,

I support your desire to make a humane harvest of a game animal. As earlier multiple posts above state, it is possible: if legal, if you have sharp broad heads, have tuned shafts, and can hit your mark with a 20 yard or closer shot.

I don't support your poor grammar or poor spelling. If you are going to contribute a comment with adults, treat your potential readers with respect and use proper writing skills.

yep I do because I will not let someone tell me that the guy shooting 25 lbs because he is short drawing 4 inches when I am shooting 35 because I am not. I don't mind being called a poacher. I also go in the woods before legal shooting light and have been called a poacher for that. We can not let stupid people dictate what we can and can not do. That is what is wrong with this country now.

you are easy K. LOL

And reddog you are right. This stuff doesnt change much.

And reddog you are right. This stuff doesnt change much.

Sorry guys. I meant to say that I am not going to let someone tell me that guy shooting 25 pounds is legal when I am not.

Would a 35 pound cross bow kill a deer? Now, that's a change. With my wife's weakened condition from her broken arm episode, I showed her crossbows and compounds. She has a lower than repeatable opinion of them. She then got very motivated stretching the rubber pt bands and is now shooting pretty good at 30 pounds, with the goal of getting strong enough to shoot her NAT.

So really, you just dug up an eight-year-old thread do you could start a political pissing contest??

Well, I guess you wouldn’t be the first..

About 30# at her draw. Michigan doesn't have a weight limit

You are pushing a minimum and looking for validation for whatever reason.Sure it will with perfect shot placement at the perfect time at the perfect angle without any movement by the animal after release, and providing you get a clean pass through the ribcage without any shoulder blade or rib contact.. Can you make that happen? Everytime?

Lot's of States with no minimums on bows or arrows, weight limits from 30#-40#, etc.. If a poster lives or hunts in any of the States with no restrictions at all, or a minimum of 30#, he or she can hunt with whatever they choose. The State says so. And, no, the deer do not have to be sleepy, slightly at an angle, near leg slightly forward, deaf, closer than 30 feet, or anything else. It's the INTERNET folks, not reality, except in our minds.

Sorry guys. Darn computer. I meant to say should I use left right or right wing feathers?

itsball in good fun. Love you guys.

Brillant, Kevin:)

Yep. Just like the guys that short draw their bow

Can’t really argue with that one....

A marked draw weight means nothing, when you get down to it....

'Looks like for someone you guys gets easier to pick up a pencil and a set of weights.' HUH?

2nd the HUH?

I think that was supposed to be “IT’s easier... THAN to pick up a set of weights”.

I personally don't think you can kill a deer with a 35# bow....... But an arrow launched from one should do just fine if placed correctly.

Must be summer - heat's getting to some folks. :)

My wife draws 23 1/2. She shoots 35 at her draw. Her buck two years ago was at 10-12 yards and I had to pull hard to get the Grizzly out of a tree root after the centerpunch lung passthrough. That deer piled up in about 40 yards and acted like it was never shot. Another buck she buried it up to the feathers quartering away. That one was an easy find also. A few does have been put into the freezer also with her setup over the past few years. All her shots are 15 and under and arrows heavy. File sharpened/strobed Grizzly 170 grn.

Good for your wife. Just curious, what are the arrows and the grains?

Sorry to get serious Max, but my wife is 66 years old and is much weaker after she broke her arm last winter. i am may need to change things for her.

She shoots XX75s in 2016 that are 28 inches long with 175 up front. They fly like darts and that girl can shoot! She is a very cool game shot. She beats me like a cheap drum in our backyard competitions. I wish your wife well Dean.

Eventually you get to the point where a bow simply does not deliver enough energy to an arrow to properly penetrate the game animal that you are hunting...even when you hit it in the proper location. Lots of variables.

Ollie,

At what point might that be? I keep hearing comments similar to yours and have never heard a definitive answer "Yet" when questioned about it. Maximum Max's wife 23.5 inch draw, 35 pound at her draw length, broadhead and shaft completely passed thru the deer. Once that broadhead penetrates the hide on the off side, all the killing potential of the broadhead is done whether the shaft stays in the deer or not. A deer's body is not designed to stop an arrow as a target butt is. So target butt penetration is basically meaningless when it come to a deer's chest cavity penetration with a cleanly flying arrow with a sharp cut on contact broadhead. DANNY

LC, there is no definitive answer. Point I am trying to make is that someone shoots a deer and kills it with a 35 pound bow then we will get people asking if 30# is okay, if 25# is okay, and on and on. Sooner or later you reach the point where you are trying to kill an animal with a bow that simply cannot get the job done no matter how accurate you shoot and no matter how well constructed and tuned your arrow is. It is not okay to take marginal equipment out in the woods if you are uncertain whether the equipment is up to the task. I think my 57# bow may be adequate to kill a Cape buffalo but I certainly am not going to try it to see if it will work. Plus, no PH would let me do so. I will always err on the side of too heavy rather than too light.

Nothing wrong with erring on the side of to heavy. What is marginal equipment though? States have said 35#'s is enough, and as I understand it Michigan has no weight restrictions. We have gotten so wrapped up in heavy draw weights, as I call it Howard Hill Syndrome. Yes I use to have it. Only a few believe/know light weight bows can KILL effectively, more says it can't. Yes you are right, there is a point at which you won't get enough penetration but where is that? Evidently it is a lot less than what a lot of people think. Reread Maximum Max's first post about his wife, "I had to pull hard to get the Grizzly out of a tree root." that was after it penetrated a deer. EVERYONE guesses but no one knows for sure what is to light, evidently 35#'s isn't to light even with a 23.5 inch draw, but many have thought/said it is. Since no one knows for sure, we thus have the comment: Shoot the heaviest draw weight you can handle. DANNY

Ollie. Just write 97 lbs on it and you are good to go. :)

I will repeat one. My wife put an arrow completely through a deer with her 38@26" bow. A compound hunter saw it go down that was hunting across the bottom on the other hill from her. When he saw her tracking the deer, he went over to show her where it was. He field dressed it, hiked to my van and got the deer cart and pulled the deer up the hill to the van for her. A very wealthy land hog, that has a crew come in and fill up the public woods with tree stands, came out of his stand that was a whopping 100 yards from the parking lot declaring that she didn't shoot the deer, because if he never got pass throughs, she could not possibly get a pass through. After all he was shooting a super heavy extra fast custom recurve with arrows heavy enough to kill an elephant and knew everything there was to know about everything. I was hunting a creek bottom trying to get the area dominant buck, that was very shy of woods. A week or so later I understood why the rich land hog never got a pass through, he could not draw his bow to any where near his face, had terrible form and his arrow flew like a drunk porpoise. I doubt he could hit anything to even know what kind of penetration he would get. If someone can shoot a 90 pound bow, good for them, i did that for years, it does tend to wear on you when you get older. if someone can get deadly penetration with a 35 pound bow, good for them. A strong shot from a 40 pound bow will always be deadlier than a weak shot from from a heavy bow.

One time I walked up to a deer I had killed and just to see how much pressure it took to shove an arrow through him I did it and couldn't believe how easy it was and how little pressure I had to apply to put it all the way through his chest. That was before field dressing.

"One time I walked up to a deer I had killed and just to see how much pressure it took to shove an arrow through him I did it and couldn't believe how easy it was and how little pressure I had to apply to put it all the way through his chest."

Exactly! A deer chest is just not that difficult for a sharp COC broadhead to pass through.

"LC, there is no definitive answer. Point I am trying to make is that someone shoots a deer and kills it with a 35 pound bow then we will get people asking if 30# is okay, if 25# is okay, and on and on. Sooner or later you reach the point where you are trying to kill an animal with a bow that simply cannot get the job done no matter how accurate you shoot...….."

I agree Ollie....but the fact is, that weight is not #35. #35 has proven over and over to be adequate for DEER SIZE GAME. My wife got it done with no problem.....and no....she hasn't lost a deer with her bow. She has missed one once but she keeps shots close and like I said....the girl can shoot! If she is getting these results with her short draw, think what the same setup will do for someone with a 28-29 inch draw. I shot very heavy bows for a long time. It took a toll on me. Had I know 35 years ago what I know now, I would have never gone above #50-55. Back in the middle 80's I was at Fred Asbell's shop in Ft. Lupton Co. ordering my first custom bow. I was wanting #75. He tried to talk me out of that much bow but my young 20 year old ego would not have it as I was shooting #78. It was good advice he was giving me......for several reasons. I wish I had heeded his sage words.

"One time I walked up to a deer I had killed and just to see how much pressure it took to shove an arrow through him I did it and couldn't believe how easy it was and how little pressure I had to apply to put it all the way through his chest. That was before field dressing."

Made me think of an article in the NFAA magazine back in the fifties about a guy that shot at a buck on an opposite ridge. He basically made a flight shot and the arrow was free falling due to gravity when it hit the deer in the middle of his back. Went through the spine and killed the deer on the spot. Just the weight of the arrow/broadhead combo. Don't remember the distance, but Dr. Kenagy, who wrote the article, had an engineer measure the shot and included it in the article.

Yep, August 8, 2011. :o)

check out Dalton lewis on fb or youtube. he kills all kinds of stuff with a 40 pound longbow, one of the short omega brands. I started using 45 lbs and am not looking back. My old bear bows are working out great in 45 pounds with aluminum arrows, they really penetrate deeply.

I wonder where the point of good enough penetration versus bounce off begins on a deer. I know that a 38@ 26+ Lost Creek with a cedar arrow can blow through a rib on entry and blow through a rib on exit at 18 yards with a cedar arrow pushing a Zwicky Eskimo. someone sent me 6 Eskimos, still have all 6, but two of them have killed deer. When one considers how deadly a simple Eskimo is, we should respect them like the deadly weapon they are, even out of a bow that pulls less than 40 pounds. Just like the long shot buck I killed with a very worn Hill single bevel that I was intending on wasting on a pheasant or a small turkey. Shot with my 50@26 JD Berry prototype duo shooter, I stood amazed how such thing could blow an arrow clear through two ribs then go glancing off a tree beyond the buck in pieces with the buck dropping on a dead run in a couple of seconds. It was the crapped out broadhead that did all of the work. Last years deer was also with an old broadhead that was meant for a pheasant from a42@26 Hill Big 5, shaved down from a 50 pound bow. The arrow disappeared through the deer to never be seen again. The head was a 7/8" wide Hunter's Head. Again, not the bow or the arrow, it was the crapped out file sharpened broadhead. Years back I gave a 40 pound Red Wing to someone, yesterday they gave it back. My wife says that she is going to use it for deer hunting, so I cannot give it away again. I took a few shot with it at my 27" recurve form draw. If that won't kill any particular Iowa deer, run like hell, you are in danger.

LLC

yes, I totally agree, Limited Liability Company.

I just read in Dick Lattimer`s book *I Remember Papa Bear* that Fred`s father shot a deer with a 30# bow when he was 73 years old.

If the bow is something most of us would be proud enough to shoot, and your arrows are as good as most on here like, and you can shoot straight on a cold day before drinking coffee, I'd say 'bout as good as any other bow.

You can....

But only if you have to.....

Yes.

My Wife's first deer, shot in 1961 with a Bear "Ladies Polar" 25#@ 24", 5/16 cedar with a Bear Razorhead without the bleeder. The deer ran 50yds, stopped and dropped

In those days nobody debated if a bow was adequate, they just hunted with what they had. Shot placement and a sharp broadhead worked as well then as it does now.

"In those days nobody debated if a bow was adequate, they just hunted with what they had."

And I wonder if archery was fully enjoyed more then as well for it's simplicity. I wasn't around in 1961 so I don't know, but I'm guessing friendly banter regarding equipment has been replaced by sharper tongues and more judgmental minds regarding equipment. I do know the smile on that young ladies face is timeless!

That is awesome Ron. I have saved that pic for all my buddies that poohoo my lower poundage bow. I'd say that many of the Native Americans bows were not much more than that.

Hunt with a Atlatl. Now there is a challenge.

RE: atlatl

What is the draw weight of her arm?

Neat picture. Simplicity works.

Max, you weren't around back then but I was and you are absolutely correct. Good post!

Thank you Jack, that was her first deer with a bow but over the years she took several deer with her light weight bows from 35#'s and under and I might add she never lost a wounded one.

As many of you know I lost m y wife Nancy three years ago. She loved her bow from the day I gave her her first one. She was my hunting partner for over 50 years. The sickness that took her got to the point where she was too weak to pull her bow... She cried that day and it broke my heart.

Some people today don't think a person should hunt with a light weight bow. They should realize that there are some who physically can't shoot a heavier bow. Those people love archery and bow hunting just as much as anyone else and have proven many times that even a light weight bow can kill a deer with the right arrow, the right head and good shot placement.

She was a serious hunter. 8>)

I love to hear that Ron. Don't worry she will be with you on all of your trips. My wife wants a bow. I am going to get her started. I found out recently just what you are saying when I had shoulder surgery. I could not shoot from Sept until just about a month ago. It about killed me. I never realized how much it meant to me. I now have to shoot a lighter bow but will get proficient with it to kill animals close. It is neat you guys could hunt together all those years. God Bless and hang in there. Doc

When we were first married, I was constantly pushing my wife to shoot heavier bows, got her a Bear takedown with three sets of limbs. They were referred to as 'the three bears' papa bear, way too stiff, 'mama bear' cranky thing on a bad day, and the just right 'baby bear' . Guess which one got to be the bloody one. My wife stubbornly has always refused to get over bowed. I lifted weights, worked hard and did the manly man thing, with bows from 70 to over 90 pounds, until i tore an arm muscle weight lifting, shot a deer with a 38 pound Hill and hunted with bows from 50 to 64 pounds ever since, I gave away the heavy bows.

Question. My wife is struggling to get back to where she can shooter her 38 at her draw Lost Creek NAT, she may need to go to her old 40@28 Red wing, but she asked me if Bear still makes those for ladies only 52" Kodiak Magnums. Anyone ever see those any more? She dislikes beefy grips, like the Red Wing, and may not be able to shoot anything much beyond 35@ 26" any longer.

Killed several with 37# longbow , so I have no doubt it will. I will probably hunt with a 32# this year.

anybody that thinks a 30# bow wont kill a deer should stand at 15 yds and see if a sharp 2 blade broad head will bounce off their chest from different angles, I believe they will change their attitude toward being shot with a low poundage bow.

Indianalongbows for the win!

I don't like to post much but this is a good topic. First of all, Ron I'm very sorry for the loss of your wife, that would be a tough one to take! I met you at KY Tradfest April before last, I had a cast on my right hand and was shooting a hillstyle a friend and I made. As far as 35 lbs? I've taken a lot of deer with 40-45lbs and one buck that dressed 240 with a 45lb 1970 super k and 1916 shaft. complete pass through! A friend of mine who has been shooting since the 50's always says, I'd rather have a slow hit than a fast miss... Broadhead choice and shot placement is what matters.

To say carbon arrows is not traditional is just silly. Fred Bear manufacture hollow fiberglass arrows way back. Had he had todays technology and materials he would have built, used, and sold carbon. Im betting if any of yesteryears great archers were alive today they would be shooting carbon. And to say carbon is too light is just silly. It is so simple to weight carbons , heavier inserts, added weights, some even glue appropriate sized rifle bullets behind inserts. You can make one weigh way more than any wood arrow if that is what you are after. Too say carbon is not traditional while shooting a bow built of modern materials and glues, and hi tech non stretch string materisls is just closed mindedness, and someone to tune out.

Shot carbon for 5 years, killed a bunch of deer and hogs with them. Switched back to wood and aluminum. What's traditional had nothing to do with it as I was a bowhunter before that label was born. I (and many others) just didn't like carbon. My wood arrows stick in the ground on the off side of the animal as did my carbons. Just a personal preference. Maybe you shouldn't assume that the term trad/traditional means much to a lot of us.

An earlier post claimed they werent traditional, hence my post

The previous poster derided them for being too light, which is ridiculous as carbon shafts are so easy to weight. Much easier than any other type material. .243 bullets snugly fit the ID of Gold Tip carbons, and many other materials can be used as well. Thats a truly weak argument against carbon arrows

No reason they should be light, agreed! The carbons I used were 550gr with standard insert and 145gr broadheads. You can buy heavy carbons so no reason to shoot featherweights and lose penetration. Nothing wrong with carbons done right, just not my thang.;-)

check your state regulations to make sure that 35 pounds is legal. Note, I'm not weighing inn on whether it will or not, I'm just stating that there are laws you should look at.

Yes it will

You must remember the the OP is new to trad archery. If he is shooting the bow he has well, he may be better off simply getting the proper spine aluminum arrow that shoots good out of his bow and made for his draw length, avoiding the required tuning that a specialized carbon arrow would require. I have personally seen quite a number of deer shot with 5/16" cedar arrows and 1816 aluminum arrows. I imagine with a 28 or 29" arrow an 1816 with 145 grains of adaptor and broadhead on the front would work very nicely for his Bear.

Here my son when he was 12 years old. 35# @ 28" bow that he drew to 25-26". It was 30# at his draw, legal in Wisconsin. This doe weighed more than he did. Used a 3 blade baby Snuffer.

Two years later he used a 40# @ 28" Bruin TD drawn to 26" and the baby Snuffer to take this nice 5 point who again weighed more than he did.

Most likely this year I'll be hunting with 35# @ 28" or thereabouts bows. Sometimes I draw 28" but most times 27-27.5" depending whether it is a recurve grip or asl longbow straight grip.

Both my son and I have always used heavy arrows(450-525 grains) out of these light bows and razor sharp broadheads mounted on straight flying arrows.

My first deer shot way back some 50+ years ago was with 42# @ 28" which is what I drew then. Back in the 1960's there were a lot of members of our local archery club using 45# or less bows to take deer and bear here in Wisconsin. If I have to go to 30# to keep bowhunting as I get older I sure will and have confidence my equipment will do the job.

Good stuff as always Kelly!!! I got my first set of custom wood arrows from you many moons ago here in WI. I too am a 42# guy now.Best of luck always...

Scott

What is a baby Snuffer?

A baby Snuffer is probably 125 grains

Back when Roger first came out with the Snuffer they were 190 grains. Way too much head for lightweight bows so he ground some down to 130 grains for my son and Mike Steliga’s son to use. Speaking of which, Joey Steliga shot a near 300# bear in Saskatchewan with a 35# Bruin recurve, wood arrows tipped with baby Snuffers. The big boar didn’t travel much over 50 yards before giving up the death moan.

Where can I get em?

Sorry, nowhere. 125 grain Snuffer, if you can find old stock. Or, the Wensel Woodsman is a good next choice.

Ebay, and sometimes RMSGear. I may have some in my Snuffer pile, I'll look tomorrow.

PM me your address J.R. and I'll send you some.

Don’t know if you guys have seen it or not but Marie Sturgis recently hunted in Namibia with a sub forty pound bow at her draw. She took some beautiful animals including a Kudu bull, a wildebeest, a bull gemsbok etc. Under 40 pound Widow with a 600 spine arrow and a grizzly head weighing 500 grains. Most of the animals went down in sight.

More important than arrow weight, or poundage is razor sharp broadhead ( cut on impact , no conical points) and perfect arrow flight. To get that, bareshaft tune. A 300 grain arrow driving straight in gets better penetration than a 400 grain arrow flying sideways

I used to kill deer with bows in the 55# weights, shooting 500+ gr arrows, 2 or 3 blade coc broadheads, didnt seem to matter, never got pass throughs. Now i shoot high 30’s and low 40’s with pass throughs and 400 gr arrows. Makes no sense right ? The difference is I changed my form. I now draw 0ver 29”, when i used to be lucky to get 26”. Im a firm believer a 40# bow drawn to 29” has more speed, and penetration than a 55# bow at 26”. Assuming both bows are weight rated at 28”. Here is my case. Every inch is 3-5# more than that draw weight, so, the 40# turns into 43-45#. The 55# bow becomes 45_49#. The heavy bow still has a slight weight gain, but that additional 3” power stroke anniahlates it on performance. Also I now concentrate on perfect arrow flight. Nock directly behind point on impact greatly assist penetration, versus one flying side ways. Its just that simple folks. I laugh watching people at shoots that are obviously overbowed, claiming to shoot 60# bows, but actually at their hunched over short draw barely getting 40#, and getting the performance of about 25# ! A good long draw, solid anchor, pull through release and folow through makes a girls bow shoot like a beast !

Everyone with the proper shooting form that they attempt to achieve will have an optimum draw length for that particular shooting method. Drawing or attempting to draw past that optimal point can ruin accuracy, most inconveniently, draw lengths do not come in even inches. I can draw 2" or so further with my former target shooting style, that did not work for hunting for me back then and it will not now. I learned the hard way that live animals are a variable, some of them even get up and fly away with little warning. However, a straight flying wood arrow with a sleek two blade head coming straight out of a 36 to 38@26 bow has proven numerous times to be effective on killing deer in Iowa. My wife's goal is to get at least back to that 36@26 Red Wing Hunter, it has shot arrows through a number of deer in the past for her. Thanks to a video that Jinkster posted, the importance of those last few inches of straight back draw, a light bulb went off in her and it gave her an idea that helped her get her aiming confidence running and her strength and determination followed as well.

No, a 35# bow "Will Not" kill a deer.

Well, I guess you might get close enough to club the deer to death with the bow, but that's kind of out there.

Killed one with a cedar fence post once, and once with a hammer, but like I said - that's kind of out there. 8^)

However, the right arrow from a 35# bow "will" kill a deer.

Rick

Just got in from shooting 50 arrows each. My is at a solid 26" with her 34.5@26" York and shot best today with her 37.5@26 Hill Cheetah, about a 25.5" draw out to 20 yards. Good enough to make some of you guys jealous, within an inch or two or less of the exact spot with every shot. I think that he draw will expand to her standard 26" with the longbow, she is hitting a good anchor every shot, just needs a little work aligning the bow shoulder to the target and keeping it from riding up. When you watch someone struggle little things show up. It seems that she has stronger form with a lower grip bow, both the York and Hill have that low wrist locator style grip, ie push with the palm. I unloaded the 51 dollars and change to my door China 28@26 target bow, it served its purpose.

The bow probably won't. The arrow coming out of it might.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here