Elk and Moose "Bow weight"

[Gator1]

I know this is a generic question.

I'm just looking for some experiences, with Bow Weight and Elk or Moose hunting???

Minimum weight, with razor sharp broadheads, and correct shafts..

[Ray Hammond]

Gator, you are going to get answers from 40 lbs up to 95 lbs.

Bottom line, YOU can only shoot whatever you can handle and be accurate.

On large animals, shoot the highest poundage bow you feel comfortable with and couple that with heavier weight arrows (heavier arrows limit downrange 'spot on' - in other words, your point of aim or distance beyond which the arrow begins to drop significantly gets closer to you)but the benefit is its like adding poundage to your bow because you get greater momentum downrange..in other words, resistance to stopping the arrow goes higher with more weight.

Shoot what you CAN well, and add arrow weight to get  up around 10-12 grains lb of draw weight, a cut on contact broadhead that is extremely sharp, and put it where its supposed to go.

Everything will then take care of itself.

[wifishkiller]

Well Said

[Longbowz]

Wow!  That is a pretty good answer.  But I would still shoot at least a 50lb. bow of some reasonably efficient design. More is better though.

Have fun

[Steve O]

Ray has pretty much said it all.  I will add after skinning both big rutting elk and a big rutting yukon moose, I would not hesitate to use the same gear on the moose...they may be twice the size, but seemed less "arrow" proof.  The gear I will use again for either is between 53-55 lbs with Wensel Woodsmen.

[Jeremy]

Some states have a min # for moose.  NH is 60#.

[Gator1]

Thanks guys...

The reason for my question more than anything is I am going to order (2) Kohannah Kurves.

1 @ 58" and 1 @ 60", I sold my blacktail, so I'm putting the money into two bows.

The replies make a lot of sense, and I want to thank all ....

[bowdude]

I had a pssthru on a 4x4 elk with a 54# SunDog.  2 blade zwickey.  Never even knew he had been hit.

[CMR]

For those who have pass thru's using a 55#-ish bow, what is your arrow setup? (arrow, weight, point, etc..)

[Huntrdfk@Work]

What Ray said, but, as Jeremy said NH has a minimum draw weight for moose, "..draw weight of 60lbs at 28" of draw or less...".  Think about that for a second, what it is saying in essence is that if you draw over 28" you must draw more poundage by default, because the bow must be 60lbs at 28".  In other words, according to the law, a hunter with a 26" draw while hunting with a 60lb selfbow would be legal, while a hunter with a 29" draw but hunting with a 55@29" glass recurve would be breaking the law. Makes sense doesn't it?    

With all of that said, what Ray said makes absolute sense.


David

[juneaulongbow]

Interesting article by G. Fred in Traditional Bowhunter Dec/Jan 05 about draw weight and how a lot of guys try to pull too much.  A woman he wrote about killed a Kudu in Africa with a 45# bow.  I'd like to hear more about kills with light bows if anyone has any.

[centaurshooter]

my son blew through into the opposite shoulder on a russian boar that weighed about #100.  not to impressive until you realize 1)he draws #29 at 22" of draw. 2) was shooting a 405gr arrow. and finally, the hog went less than 10yards.

jim neaves of centaur archery killed a boar that was nearly #200 and the arrow that blew through was a 500gr arrow and completely passed through the opposite shoulder and gristle plate with a wide simmons interceptor on it.  i know poundage wise it's smaller than an elk but to make it through the shoulder blade AND gristle plate on that hog it's penetrate completely through an elk or moose as long as you didn't try and get a pass through their shoulder blades.

btw, he was drawing #50 @ 25" draw.

[B.O.D.]

Here in Ontario it is 48.5#'s, and we have some big moose!
BD

[bowdude]

The elk was a 2117, around 550 with the broadhead I believe.

[Robert Honaker]

centaurshooter,I've killed alot of pigs and deer,and I can tell you that a 100lb hog is bigger boned than a 140lb whitetail.MAYBE THAT'LL give some an idea of what to compare to.