Rudder bow for deer

[Shadowhnter]

Does anyone use the Rudder bows to take deer with? Particularly the hickory or hickory/bamboo flat bows? (sorry,not interested in r/d rudder info) Please indicate what arrows,heads,bow draw weight you used please, and how well it did the job. I own one, and am wondering about it for deer hunting.

[nineworlds9]

Assuming the draw weight is adequate, why wouldn't it work??  What are the specs on yours?

[dirtguy]

On their website, they advertise their hickory flat bows for use in hunting big game.  My son has a 40lb draw bow and while it launches an arrow noticeably slower than my #40 recurve, I feel that it would work on deer from 20 yards in.   Beyond that the arrow drops pretty fast.  

I have not actually hunted with this bow.

[Shadowhnter]

Thanks guys. Thats exactly what im getting at. Mine is pretty darn slow, and with that i think lacks punch. That arrow drops a bunch. Thats my biggest reservation on using it on deer. Id hate to have a bad experience mainly for the animals sake. I measured my bow out to be 49 lb @28", but even so its mighty slow. The limbs are just so massive... id really feel better about it if i knew someone was using them on deer successfully. I kinda have my doubts otherwise.

[Shadowhnter]

Anyone hunt with these?

[monterey]

It might be more useful to think your question through in terms of arrow weight, FOC and broadhead design.

[wingnut]

Jason,

You are right to have doubts.  The Rudder bows are pretty average performing selfbows.  At 49 @ 28 it is the equivalent of a glass longbow at about 30 pounds or less in performance.

Could you hunt with it.  ..Yes.  But I'm not sure I would.

Mike

[kybownut]

Wingnut, I too have thought about getting a selfbow. Actually I had thought about going to the tn. Classic and possibly building one. About 45-46 pound is all the poundage I want to shoot these days. At that weight would I end up with a bow that is sub par In performance to a 30 pound glass backed  longbow ? If so I'll pass ! Thanks for the input. Johnny

[PEARL DRUMS]

Since Mike opened the can, I will pile on now. No, I wouldn't hunt with that bow. They are doggy, way overbuilt bows that perform well under average for their weight. Odds are the ingredients used aren't any good either, so trusting it is out the window.  

Food for thought on properly built self bows. My friend Paul and I were stumping on Sunday with our osage self bows. His was a typical 63" flat bow, 43# @ 26. He shot a 500 plus grain cane arrow 175 paces with that bow. That is more than impressive and more than enough to kill any deer. Go to pappys this spring and build yourself a good bow.