bow setup for this year

[johandre]

whats your bow setup for Africa this year?

I'm shooting a 45lb longbow with 600 spine GT traditionals 100gr insert and 125 gr 2 blade BH.

total arrow weight 465gr

for kudu and blue wildebeest same bow with 500 spine  easton powerflights 100gr insert and 225gr African pathfinder Bh total arrow weight 570gr

[MEsquivel]

If I do make it...

Im taking a 55@26 recurve and maybe a 59@27 longbow.
I only draw 26, so I'm in the 55lb ballpark with both.

I shoot wood arrows, but I'm considering smaller diameter shafts just for this trip. Either full metal jackets or the new micro diameter goldtip traditionals.
I may take some wood arrows too.
I got some at 550gr and another set at 600g.r

[johandre]

Love wood arrows i started of my trad hunting with tonkin bamboo arrows

[MEsquivel]

I use douglas fir and cedar.
Both have been good to me.
But Im seriously thinking about taking carbon arrows to my trip. I've never been to Africa, but have taken a few critters with wood arrows.

[hybridbow hunter]

I am blessed with 2 hunts booked for me this year: Aussie water Buffalo with 67# @31" high performance recurve bow with 800 grain arrow and second in Namibia for plains game Wiith same recurve but 61# @31" limbs and 680 gr arrows. This 2016 safari will be my 10th African Safari with traditional bow only. I already went in South Africa (5), Zimbabwe (2) Botswana (1) and Namibia(1). I killed there a couple or more animals as you guess.
Johandre, although in some circumstance your set up may work , you are very marginal for big plains game like mature trophy wildebeest, gemsbok, zebra, waterbuck, eland...
Let say any game in the 200+ kg class. Except kudu as it is quite easy to kill.
Some guys will tell you it is fine as they done it with light set up well under 50# at their draw length, but if you plan to hunt big stuff you will quickly get some bad time.
In 2012 I shared camp with a fine gentleman from Florida, very experienced with plenty white tail deer and feral pigs kill over years as he showed us pics. He was shooting a nice longbow from a well known bowyer in the low 50's at sub 28" DL. I remember he was shootings 2 blades classic broadheads. He was a good shot on the range and did very well on a couple of springbok and a nice kudu. He lost a mature big trophy blue wildebeest and a eland cow with very poor penetration on both despite a good shot arrow placement for both as we saw on video took in the blind. On the eland cow as I remember well, arrow seemed to fail at entrance rib in the high lung area. He was really disappointed and said if he had to come back he would work out a heavier bow.
On an Internet forum you will never hear about low # bows failure. Only wins. Try to speak with bowhunting PH in your country to hear the other side of the stories.
I hope it will work for you though.

[MEsquivel]

You got me thinking there hybridbow.
Mine will be 55@26. I'm going for plains game.
Eland, Wildebeeast, Zebra and Gemsbok are some of my targets.
Would you recommend going up in weight?

[johandre]

Hi hybridbow hunter. Im well aware that im on the edge with this bow. I know how tough bluw wbeest are. I grew up on a game farm in the northern region of south africa. My father owns a game farm. We also farm cattle. I did take a bluw wbeest with my all wooden bow. I alo have a 55lb recurve bow. I feel that with a well tuned bow and sharp bh this bow will do the job. Will also keep my shots in 15 yard range. But my next longbow will definetly be 60lb. I will never shoot eland with this light bow. Thanks for all the tips.

[hybridbow hunter]

Manuel,
If you can shoot accurately more than 55# at your draw, it is better. If you can't, if your bow is in the fair performance average and you are accurate, shooting close from the ground could be ok, but on a mature eland you are marginal, unless you use a high performance bow.
600+ grain well tuned modern arrow with sharp BH flying in the 170 and more fps will be secure. That is a good landmark to reach. What recurve do you shoot?
The game you plan to hunt are tuff. My opinion for what is worth is to go with the most performing set up you can. # of bow doesn't mean much as it is the arrow that kill and you can find a lot of difference between different bows of same poundage.
All  those trophies are really expensive and cost mostly more or close to a high performance bow, and it is worth the money when that life time $2000+ eland trophy will come...

[johandre]

Totaly agree with you that a heavier well tuned arrow wil do the job beter. i shoot a recurve from a local bow builder. I think my biggest plus point is that i dont have to pay for the game on my fathers farm. as i said i will never shoot an eland with a 45lb bow and ould rather use my rifle or a better preforming bow. and if i do make a bad shot on any animal i will go after it until i get it even if it takes me a week with my fox hounds and a rifle.

[MEsquivel]

Thanks for the advice!