Tell me about your set-up.

[njstykbow]

Let me hear from the Dark Continent "veterans" about your different set-ups and how they performed.

1-Bow weight
2-Arrow weight
3-Broadhead
4-Penetration/blood trails
5-Any negative issues or things you would change

I'm in the planning process for my first safari in 2008 and would like to get some feedback from those that have been there and done that.

Thanks,
Joe

[Greyfox54]

Joe , I have been there a few times and used a 66# Black Widow , a 73# Quillon Patriot and a 80# Quillon Longhunter . I use heavy wood arrows , at least 10-11 grains per inch . I have used Simmons Interceptors with great success also some Wensel Woodsmen . The only other head I used was a 190 Ribtek that bent over on a shoulder hit Bluewildebeest By far my favorite head is tje Simmons , mostly pass through or at least they stick out the off side . I had a huge Eland and a good (48") Kudu both of which only went about 50 yards . Shot placement is critical as their lung area is very far forward and they have no shoukder blade so keep your arrows up tight to the shoulder as possible , hope this helps , Fred

[T-Bell]

Joe;
 My set up was a 58# Bighorn Recurve. I used hickory shafted arrows and Zwickey and Magnus broadheads weighing in at 700gr

I had pass through shots on impala, red hartebeast and zebra.
I had good penetration on a large cape eland with the broadhead lodging in the opposite leg bone.

 My shots on the impala and Red hartebeast were a little far behind the front leg. The Impala was the furthest tracking job and blood was sparse but my trackers did an excellent job and found him. The Hartebeast went down within 40yds and in sight. The Eland and Zebra were heart shots and I heard them crash in the bush.

Greayfox is right on the button on shot placement as being most importiant- Straight up the front leg and low in the body.

I am planning to go back to SA in a couple of years and as of now plan to use basically the same set up - 58# bighorn Recurve or 57# pronghorn longbow and 680-700gr hickorys with Zwickys and Magnus.

Good Hunting and Regards;

T-Bell

[njstykbow]

GF54-was the Simmons a 2-blade?

T-Bell-same question, did you use a 2-blade or 4-blade and did you use the Eskimo/Delta and Magnus I/II?

[doctorbrady]

Used a 70# Rick Welch Longbow with Carbon Express arrows weighted up to 700 grains with weight tubes.  200 grain (160 + insert) grizzlies.
Passed through 2 heartebeast, 1 duiker, 1 baboon, and 1 warthog.  Got into the opposite shoulder of an oryx.  Shot 1 warthog and 1 impala with improperly reshaped grizzlies and got only a couple of inches of penetration on each.
My blood trails were pretty slight on everything except for the baboon, warthog, and duiker.  Fortunately, the trackers didn't seem to mind.  All mortally wounded animals were recovered.  The warthog was no worse for wear and the impala was killed 3 months later.

[John3]

Joe, I am taking my first Africa trip the end of July, 2007. Too Short has been hunting in SA I think 15 or 16 times and this is the set up he told me I needed.  60# draw with at least 600grn arrow for plains game and ONLY a cut on contact Zwickey / Magnus "type" broadhead. More of both for the big game. I set up my gear before last deer season to practice and test my set up. This has been deadly on deer and I will test this on black bear in May. 60#  PSA Widow shooting 12 grn. per inch my alum arrows (with 100grains added inside) finished after dipping and cresting at 720 total grains with a Zwickey Eskimo.

John III

[ncsturkey]

58# DAS Hunter, Carbon Express 350s', Eclipse broadheads, 680 grain total weight.  Complete pass through on Blesbuck Impala,and Warthog.  Through the off shoulder on Kudu, Wildebeest, and Gemsbuck.  I was sucessful on all of the shots I took with no wounded animals.  The blood trails were good but not necessary as all animals were recovered within 80 yards.  I will use the same bow,arrow and broadhead in  September 2007

[paleFace]

66# Silvertip TD - 2216's w/wensel woodsman. complete pass through on a blesbok

56# Morrison Dakota TD longbow - carbon express 250 with brass inserts w/wensel woodsman.
complete pass through on a blue wildebeest & impala.

eventhough the wildebeest was a chest hit he still went a good ways. they are just tough animals and have a strong will to live. the trackers are unreal and until you actually watch one in action it's hard to imagine.

[Greyfox54]

Joe , Yes I use the 160 amd 135 Interceptors with 2 blades , a little tough to sharpen , I use the sharpemer that Alaska Bowhunting Supply sells and it works fine . Fred

[njstykbow]

Very good info...keep it coming if possible.  My reason for asking is that I had a chance to speak to several PH's at an outdoor show last week and some of them seemed to believe only a 2-blade b/h and 60 ft/lbs of KE would do the trick.  I don't necessarily disagree on the 2-blade theory, but I can't imagine too many guys reaching that kind of KE without some cams attached to the end of their limbs!  

I've spent a lot of time shooting game in the U.S. with 2, 3 and 4-blade b/h's.  It seems that I've had some minimal blood trails and a few arrows that seemed to "deflect" on angled shots with 2-blades.  I've also had some of my quickest kills with them.  The 3-blades usually result in great blood trails, but I've had some penetration issues on elk with them.  I guess if the blood trails are minimal over there, the abilities of the trackers come into play.

Joe

[Greyfox54]

The trackers are great but don't count on that , I'm currently wrestling with which broadhead to use in an upcoming Cape Buff hunt . I beleive in the Simmons but the 190 grain Grizzlies might be better , still checking . I have killed some good sized animals with the Wensel Woodsmen , even a Bison , I prefer the 2 blade heads and concentrate more on shot placement . Fred

[duncan idaho]

JDS3,
     what did you use for extra weight in your alum. arrows? thanks.

[BUFF]

Last time I used a 66# PSAX and 1-1/2" Snuffers
I had penatration problems on an Eland. every thing else it zipped right through. This year I will be shooting 74# PSA111 with 2 Blade Zephyer 1-9/16 cut. I have taken several hogs with this setup and have been very pleased with it

[Thicket Hunter]

Buff,
 Get back over on texasbowhunter where you belong!    

Mark

[T-Bell]

Joe - to answer your followup question - I used all 2 Blade Heads - Magnus II and Zwickey Eskimos

Cheers;

T-Bell

[Bosveld]

Joe.
All things are great when everything goes right...BUT, when they go wrong....!

I'd say stick to 60-70lbs, and make your arrows 10-12grs/lbs. Magnus and Zwickeys are exelent, but keep them razor(X2) sharp.

I use as 45lbs longbow with 550gr arrwos, magnus 2 blade, and keep my max distance to 15yards, on all my deersize game.


Goodluck.

[COOCH]

Joe, My personal set up is a 74# bighorn recurve shooting xx75 weighted 2216's and a razor sharp magnus 2 125 grain broadhead total arrow weight is 720 grains. I've had complete penatration on warthogs,blesbuck,impala,kudu,and zebra.My blue wildebeest was quartering hard away burried 30" arrow to the fletching same on the cape elend all animals went less than 80 yards most fell in sight.Blood trails were very slight african animals dont seem to bleed like our beloved whitetail.I'me going back august 08 taking the same set up. The only thing I'll do differently is cut my fletching down slightly I tend to shoot to much feather I feel the impala especially are very spooky near water I had two completly swap end before the arrow arrived 18 yards away I beleave they hearb the arrow in flight.Hope this helps good luck.