I would really appreciate if any of you would posts your 45#ish and under harvest photos and even the stories that go along them with bow and arrow info. Thank you in advance.

My brother took a nice Michigan buck this year with a 42# Firefly Messenger, 1916 arrow and Cutthroat single bevel broadhead. The buck was dogging a doe and he shot it while it was moving. Went through a rib going in, took out the lungs and sliced a rib on the offside, but did not pass through. 100 yard recovery.

D.P.

I took this doe with a 41# Greenstrip Bear Takedown with Grayling limbs. I was still nursing an injury and couldn't or didn't want to shoot heavier. I was using a heavy 687 grain arrow with a Grizzly singlebevel broadhead. My arrows were spined for a heavier bow, and didn't fly all that great, but got the job done on this on.

I might have let this one walk, but it was the first morning, and I had already been picked off by another deer. So, I shot quickly at this one, and didn't realize it was not that big. I made a pretty lousy shot, but still recovered it without too much trouble.

I killed this one, later the same day in the evening, first day of the season. I switched bows, because I wanted better arrow flight, same heavy arrows, and shooting my Black Widow 45#. I had to lean around the tree trunk, of the tree I was in and shot poorly, again, and it way too far forward and hit a lot of bone in the shoulder. The arrow almost made it but didn't get a pass thru. It's a wonder I recovered this one. It went probably 275 yards mostly downhill. Whether I am right or wrong, I do give credit to the heavy arrow, and long singlebevel broadhead for getting the penetration, I did get.

Low pondage bows will get the job done, but I do prefer a little heavier bow, and I am now back up to 50-55 pound bows. I have no doubt a 35# bow will kill deer just fine, as long as you shoot well and don't take long shots, and use the right arrows.

My eight point 198 pound (tape measure live weight) was shot November 13th in west central Illinois at my buddy's farm. The shot was at 22 yards from a treestand. The buck had been drinking at a waterhole only presenting a frontal shot so I waited for the buck to move and when he started to give me a broadside shot he saw me and started to lunge forward at the same time I released the arrow. The deer went down immediately at the shot and then I realized that the shot had gone high and cut the spine. He was still alive facing away from me so I shot again and put an arrow through his back that buried up to the fletching. After that arrow, he moved slightly giving me a quartering away lung shot. I used a 43 pound Black Widow PMAII bow with a 100 grain Magnus Stinger Buzzcut 4 blade on an Easton 6.5mm arrow weighing 400 grains. I was very impressed with this broadhead. Though the broadhead in the spine was severely bent and broke at the ferrule I was impressed with the power behind the shot to cause that broadhead to take on that shape. The other arrows penetrated very well. This was my first trad harvest with a 4 blade having always used two blade Magnus, Bear or Ace broadheads. Not worried any longer about using a 4 blade instead of a 2 blade with a 43 pound bow.

I took this buck last November with an Al Kimery R/D longbow. I'm getting about 42# at my draw. Arrow was a Beman MFX w 125gr stinger 2 blade with a total weight of just over 400grs. Shot was very close and I watched him pile up less than 70yds away. Great blood trail on this one as entry severed the main artery above lungs and proceeded down.

^^^above doe^^^38# Bear Kodiak Hunter. 653 grain arrow....Magnus 2 blade zipped through, stuck into ground other side

I took this doe in October with my 62" 10X Toelke Whip that I'm getting 36# @ 26". Arrow was a black eagle vintage with a 3 blade 200grain VPA for over 500grs. Double lung with arrow exiting through opposite shoulder (meaty part no bone). Great blood trail and pretty short. I do put my time in tuning, practicing , and sharpening.

Yep, 36# at 26" has worked for me as well. Deadly if well placed at 20yards or so.

#40 for me. 560 gr arrow. Stinger 2 blade

Shot this hog at about 20yds with 44@30" Thought Imissed as I could clearly see my arrow sticking in the dirt like I missed. It didn't go very far. Due to shoulder issues have now dropped to 40lbs and will confidently draw on any animal in range.

Doe with a 43# Northern Mist longbow, wood arrow with a stone point double lung and she went about 40 yards.

My wife shot her one and only deer with a 32# long bow, 1716 aluminum arrow with a 2 blade Black diamond hunting head.

38# Black Hunter. Black tail buck two years ago.

Looks like there's plenty of evidence to show that light bows can get it done.

Congrats to everyone. It feels lately that I am more comfortable shooting 42-44 lbs. I am hoping to make up some elk arrows for 44#

https://leatherwall.bowsite.com/TF/lw/thread2.cfm? threadid=206096&category=88#2721782

Link didn’t work for me.

Search 35# enough

40# BW KBV, one of two last year.

40# pull 48"super kodiak, 6 yd shot went 50 yds with a double lung shot.

My nephew killed a nice doe, with my 45# Black Widow, today. I think he used a Simmons Swamp Shark on about a 500gr arrow. Distance was about 22 yards. He put it right in the rib cage about half was up, from a tree stand on the entrance, but did not get an exit. The entrance hole was impressive, however. It bled a lot and was easy to track and find.

This year 8pt

This years doe

These are heavy bow kills 47#

Great thread!

My first traditional bow kill was with a 45# Browning Explorer II. I shot her from the ground at 10 yards with a GT 35/55 arrow, Muzzy Phamtom 125 with 100gr insert. I got a foot of the arrow to pass through the off side shoulder. She ran a big circle and crashed right at my feet. It was over in 15 seconds.

Yes, this a great thread. Good pics and good info. Congrats everyone.

49# Bushman bow. mature Eland in top condition and weight. Some deer with 40- 45# self bows and traditional bows.

Shot a big doe in Michigan last year with a 46@28 Thunderstick Mag that measures 44lbs at my draw length (27"). Quartering away shot through one lung, liver, and heart. It stopped in her off side foreleg and she went about 60 yards. I actually prefer bows in the 50-60 range at my draw but I just love that bow and it worked great.

Michigan doe in October 9yd shot from treestand 39# Northern Mist Baraga. Easton 1816 with 125gn Magnus1 head Total wt. 452gns.Insane blood trail

Let’s see if I can post pics. Couple years ago I had problems with ulnar nerve in my right elbow and couldn’t draw any bow for a month. I went to Texas javelina hunting with a new 43# longbow. Killed 2 with a bow I hadn’t shot before getting there.

I figured out how to resize pics.

I'm guessing I still have some things to figure out about pics.

Great pictures & stories good thread.

Bob lee 40lb

Judo tips,forgot to mention

Nice shooting Jeff!!

38# Bear takedown Cedar arrow Bear razorhead 10 yard shot

Used a Zipper Nitro about #45 and a 30" 2016 tipped with an MA3 3 blade to shoot through a fair sized black bear last spring. Arrow weighed about 500 grains and didn't look like it slowed down going through the lungs.

I haven't bow hunted with under 55# since 1973. 1971 I missed one doe and a few days later I killed a doe with a 45# Bear Green Fox fiberglass bow. And in 1973 I killed this buck with a 45# 1963/1964 Black Hawk Warrior recurve. Both with cedar arrows and Bear Razorheads,

Missouri 11, 38# Bear LE TD. 10 GPP ish. I was on a deep dry creek bed when he decided to walk by. He managed to get behind me and get into a deadfall. The wind shifted, he caught a whiff of me and bounded out to roughly 30 yards and stood broadside. He broke of a sticker and his G4,,definitely a bruiser.

Missouri 13. Redtail ASL at 38#. I called him in on a rattle/grunt session and he was kind enough to stand broadside at under 15 yards.

Upper Peninsula bear. 42# NM. Woodsman heads, he went down within 25 yards.

44# fall turkey. I believe I made those arrows out of DF.

Bear 59 right at 40#. Arrow shattered the femur on the exit. Great hunt with my dad.

Late season doe. Bear TD of some sort. 38-40#

38# ASL on a doe.

Great 6 (for my land in the heart of wolf country). First buck I’d laid eyes on in 2 years up here. That’s is a 37# Satori with Morrison Max 6 limbs.

Wow!

One I took this past November. Stalker Coyote, 56", 45 lbs.@28". 11 /32" DF arrow w/125 gr. Snuffer, 540 gr.

Michael

No. 2 in November. Taken with a Wagstaff LB, 60", 47 lbs.@28". 5/16" DF arrow w/125 gr. Snuffer, 490 gr.

Michael

Good topic and nice pics congrats to all for your success.

2022 Bull. 40# Bear TD 15yd shot While not a passthru it was double lung. Approx 40yd recovery, died in sight

Last years P&Y class Bull 43# Bear TD 13yd shot Again no passthru Went maybe 100yds total

That's big

2023 Wisconsin buck. Hoyt Satori with 44lb. Uuhka SX+ limbs. Magnus 125gr. Snuffer SS three blade broadhead, total arrow weight 435gr. Penetrated to the opposite shoulder, recovery about 125 yards.

Good stuff, awesome pics and stories.

Gun, what broadhead were you using?

Treadway Black Forest 46@28 , Easton carbon and 175 VPA 3 blade head 490 gr total arrow weight. Two holes but not a total pass through,

Treadway Black Forest 47@28, same arrow as above. Complete pass through

45@28 Canadohta customs Marauder

Those are some great pics and some outstanding bucks. It's interesting that now bows in the mid 40# range are considered low poundage. Back when I first started in archery most guys were hunting with that and bows from 40 to about 48# were commonly seen for sale in bow shops. It's pretty funny that once in a bow shop in those early years I saw a bow marked 60#. I figured there must have been some mistake in manufacturing that bow as I had never seen anything over 50#. LOL

40 is the new 60.

2023 P&Y Bull 43# Bear TD 190gr Cutthroat single bevel BH 100yd recovery

Great Bull! Congrats! Pass throughs are overrated IMO.

It’s because we have become weaker

Weaker? Yes, but not necessarily by choice. Most of us are over 65 and have physical issues from slight to severe.

The truth is there was never a reason I needed to shoot 65# bows for ten or fifteen years. 40# will kill a deer just as dead with a lot less wear and tear on my body.

Weaker or smarter? What phil said is smarter.

The problem I have going lighter is after a few days the lighter bow “feels” the same as the heavier bows I shot the week before. There is no free lunch for this one.

Yes if we are weaker we have to go lighter. I dealt with with a shoulder surgery and now with this neck surgery.

What about a mature bull elk

Elkpacker, I won't hunt elk with anything less than low 50s at my DL. I'm sure someone will say they dropped a herd bull with a 42# bow, but that's the exception and not the rule.

Eland and Moose are much larger than Elk.

I get smarter everyday. It comes with age :)

Did you notice that bull moose Gun took with a 43# Bear TD?

I'm not set on "weaker" but rather "worn". Unfortunately we all are not genetically the same or even more so, have had a job that was not taking a toll on our body day in and day out.

That makes a HUGE difference in how long you are staying in the game.

When you start hearing built in clickers going off in your shoulders when you exceed a certain #age.......time to back off and shoot smart.

As Phil stated above, unless you are chasing after really big game there is no need to shoot a heavy bow, unless you want to, and that's AOK also, but necessary, no.

I say shoot as much weight as you can comfortably handle and keep your focus on the target without making a face and you will be good to go!

Good Shooting->->->->Craig

And our lighter bows are soooo much easier to draw all the way on a very chilly morning and make the shot. A more accurate shot too.

I would not hesitate to shoot a Bull Elk with my set up now. I have increased about 3# now with new limbs. I hunted w 75# in my prime many years ago. Shoulder surgery 3 yrs ago. At 70 yrs old, takes a bit longer to recover.

I hunt close. Last years Moose called in to 13 steps. My farthest shot has been around 16 yds on Moose. Killed five members of the deer family last season. Moose was my farthest shot.

Technology now that wasn't known when I started and until recently is front loading arrows.

I shoot 45 to 50 lbs on all of my bows and have taken deer cleanly. My favorite is my longbow. FF strings really add some extra horse power. Search the thread "lets see some light bow kills." A lot of beatiful animals taken with low poundage.

Shot this one Nov. 18th with a 44# Black Widow longbow.

That’s a very nice buck deer. Talk about being in his prime.

I wouldn’t consider 45# light by any means. I would consider 35# and under to be light. That is just my opinion.

Beautiful buck Curlis!

It's all relative, RayJ.

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