new stick hunter

[hooflander]

Ive been a bowhunter for a while now but returning to my roots with the stickbow.  Pops handed down his old Browning Wasp 56" 40# probably too light to hunt but good enough to start shooting again(i hope)  I came back to trad bows b/c i wanted to make it simple and fun but have no clue where to start.  need some help with buying arrows dont want to make my own like i have read many do. I'm about at 25-26 inch draw  didnt see any forums for newbies (didnt look thru all 40+ pages yet.  Little guidance dont wat to intrude amongst you pro's

[Dirty Bill]

Welcome to tradgang.You will get all kinds of help here. Just post your questions and we all will be glad to help.  

[DannyBows]

Wood arrows are nice, but can be costly to buy ready to shoot. Any of the sponsors here that sell them will help you decide what spine etc. Aluminums are good, and easy to tune because they come in so many different spines. They are not as durable as carbons, and will bend or crease if you hit one with another arrow or such.
I like carbons. They are easy to tune since it's easy to add weight up front. They come very straight in my experience if you get good ones, and are very durable, especially if footed with a short section of aluminum from an arrow. They are expensive, but I feel that they pay for themselves by lasting a long time if you don't lose them.
   Someone more knowledgeable than me will have to help you choosing the correct spine. I shoot mostly Carbon Express 4560's. All the bows I shoot are around 50-53 lbs. and I can use them with all my bows cut to same length by just changing the weight up front.
  Once you decide what material shaft you want the guys can advise on correct spine, or the dealer can help you.

[Dirty Bill]

Are you sure your draw length is only 25"? That seems awful short to me. You should find out what it is by going to a dealer and getting measured. Hopefully with a recurve bow,and by some one knowledgeable about archery.Just my 2 cents.  

[Migra Bill]

I would not say that a Browning Wasp 40#er is too light to hunt. In my home state of Maryland, it MORE than meets the minimum required for deer hunting. My trad bows that I wll use to hunt are all 45#ers. A well placed arrow with a sharp broadhead will definately kill deer sized game at 40 pounds.

[Dirty Bill]

Originally posted by Migra Bill:
I would not say that a Browning Wasp 40#er is too light to hunt. In my home state of Maryland, it MORE than meets the minimum required for deer hunting. My trad bows that I wll use to hunt are all 45#ers. A well placed arrow with a sharp broadhead will definately kill deer sized game at 40 pounds.

His bow is 40# @ 28" though.What is it at 25"?

[Gatekeeper]

Welcome to the site Jonathan.

You stated that you have been a bowhunter for a while so what I have to offer might not be what you are looking for.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the draw weight of the bow right now. A light draw weight is a good thing to have when you are starting out, it will allow you to concentrate on your form.

The formula that I was told to use for arrow weight is 8 – 12 grains of arrow weight per bow draw weight. Anything less than 8 grains may be damaging to the bow. A heavier arrow will help quiet the bow and you will get better penetration when hunting with a heavier arrow.

For example I shoot a 45 lb bow and my arrow weight is 580 gains. 45 / 580 = 12.89 grains of arrow weight per bow draw weight. The 580-grain arrow weight includes the 125-grain tip. This combination works great for my set up. A 45 lb bow is plenty of bow to humanely kill deer, bear, small game and most of North America’s game animals. The key is in the shot placement.

The arrow type that I use for hunting are Carbon Express, Heritage 250 and I use Carbon Express, Carbon Rebel 6075 for target practice. I do this because the Rebels are a little less expensive.

Hope this helps in your quest. Good Luck.

Tom

[Chortdraw]

I have a 25in. draw on a good day    
  I shoot 42-50# bows (at my draw length) and have had no trouble taking game so far. I shoot 1816 and 1916 alm. Keep your broadheads VERY sharp
and the arrow in the right place and you should have no trouble taking game. You will probably be able to increase your draw weight,the more you shoot. Play for a while and try different bows if you can before you buy a bow for hunting,cause you will probable do like the rest of us and make or buy a few bows        


Chort

[Tom]

Now is the time to work on form and learning distance perception.Different ballgame not using pins.
 What part of Va? I'm in the Valley and while not the best out there would be glad to help if I can.

[hooflander]

Originally posted by Chortdraw:
I have a 25in. draw on a good day    
  I shoot 42-50# bows (at my draw length) and have had no trouble taking game so far. I shoot 1816 and 1916 alm. Keep your broadheads VERY sharp
and the arrow in the right place and you should have no trouble taking game. You will probably be able to increase your draw weight,the more you shoot. Play for a while and try different bows if you can before you buy a bow for hunting,cause you will probable do like the rest of us and make or buy a few bows            


Chort

chort what kind of bow are you shooting Im npot too worried about the draw weight im recovering from a shoulder injury an dthats why im at 40 my cmpd is usually 65 but hey it has a let off.  these stickbows have a terrible let off  :D  i figure once im back i will be pulling 55 or so then ill need a new bow!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hooflander]

Originally posted by Tom:
Now is the time to work on form and learning distance perception.Different ballgame not using pins.
 What part of Va? I'm in the Valley and while not the best out there would be glad to help if I can.

im stationed at ft belvoir, but prob hunting over in the staufford area on public lands

[LEOPARD]

Welcome to the gang!          Feel free to ask any questions or advice. There are loads of  great people on here that would be more than happy to give advice or help!