Which bow should I take elk hunting?

[Mikewarren33]

Which bow should I take elk hunting?

I have a 54# @ 27" centaur that I draw to 28 inches probably. I shoot 460 grain arrows out of it. They are bare shafted and fly perfect at 190 FPS. The downfall of my centaur is I feel like I should shoot heavier projectiles out of it if I am going after elk.

I also have a Wes Wallace Mentor that is 64# @ 28". I shoot close to 700 grain arrows out of it. They are bare shafted and average about 165 FPS. The downfall of my Wes is that it is kind of slow and for some reason kind of loud.

Thanks for any responses.

[JR Williams]

I personally would feel better with the Mentor and those heavy arrows.

However you still have time to put together some heavier arrows if you were leaning towards the Centaur. The lights arrows there would be my main concern.

 Just me.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Which bow is prettier?      :p    

Personally, I would take the bow I am most accurate with at the moment.

[Phillip Fields]

I would work up some heavier arrows and take the Centaur. If you don't want to do that take the bow you're most accurate with.

[highlow]

I know a lot of testing in regard to penetration has been done comparing faster, lighter arrows to heavy, slower ones. The results offer no definitive conclusion as to which is better. IMO, the lighter arrow at 190 fps, 25 faster than your 700 grain would produce better results. I have no statistics to back this up but just feel the lighter, faster arrow, with a really sharp broadhead, will get the job done quite nicely. An added positive would be the flatter trajectory with the light setup as you will probably be taking longer shots on the elk than you would on deer. Not as much drop to figure in before taking the shot. And, I agree with JR about being able to put together some heavier sticks for the Centaur if you want. Regardless of your choice, either one will suffice. Good luck.

[The Night Stalker]

I would rework the centaur with different arrows. I am sure the centaur is easier to carry.

[Mikewarren33]

Quality info thus far. If I put together some heavier arrows for my centaur what would be a good target weight for them?

Originally posted by Mikewarren33:
Quality info thus far. If I put together some heavier arrows for my centaur what would be a good target weight for them?

I would say 550-575gr. 57#, with a 10gpp arrow, will kill anything in North America!

Bisch

[Sam McMichael]

Either bow will kill an elk. Go with the one you have the most confidence in.

[Stixbowdrew]

Make sure your heads are razor sharp and take whichever bow you feel most lethal with

[M60gunner]

I see you are from Texas. Not a bad thing but not as high up as Col mountains. If you are doing any amount of hiking in the thin air you will be tired. That heavy bow may be to much to shoot accurately when you are short of breath. I would take the advise of fixing up some 530 grain arrows for that Centar.

[Amberjack]

Originally posted by Stixbowdrew:
Make sure your heads are razor sharp and take whichever bow you feel most lethal with

Yep, this.

You're throwing a knife blade, not looking for shock power...unless you hit bone, either one should cut tissue just fine.

[overbo]

My horror story about the herd bull and the 420gr arrow. 65lbs bow w/ a Snuffer tipped 420gr arrow. 35yrds broadside, hit middle of ribcage and got 1 lung penetration. Bull was killed 2 days later by the rancher.

Next bull was w/ the same bow but 580gr arrow. 30yrds trotting past me, centered a rib going out and a 50yrd recovery.

Agree, the one you have the most confidence w/.

[DarkTimber]

To me 165 fps with a 700 gr arrow is not slow at all.  I wouldn't hesitate to take the Mentor.  With that said, take the bow you have the most confidence shooting with.  To me, confidence in the bow is way more important than the numbers.

[Panzer]

I have never hunted Elk, but when I look at them I think "Bigger Is Better."

[Biathlonman]

I'd go Mentor with the current set up.  My brain is wired for about 165 so I have all my bows shooting about that speed.  Shooting 600 ish grain arrows off the centaur would be an outstanding option if you decide to go that route.

[Mikewarren33]

Thanks for all the input! My broadheads will no doubt be razor sharp zwickeys on whichever bow I chose. I've got a lot of confidence in both bows as I have had my fair share of misses and kills with both. M60gunner- Dont worry about my health... I workout zero and have a poor diet but I've got heart and youth and that's all I need.

[tracker12]

Lots of elk have been killed over the years with a 460 grain arrow flying at 190 FPS.  Pick what ever you have the best confidence in.

[Orion]

Current arrows for your Centaur are quite light, IMO, about 8.5 gpp.  I'd shoot for arrows in the 10-12 gpp range, about 600 grains plus or minus.  Will slow it down considerably, but plenty of punch and you can probably handle the lighter draw weight better.

[Gehrke145]

I'd shoot the Centaur just the way it is.  You have about 50 grains on my elk rig arrow