Hog hunt with 40# bow?

[Boognish]

Would it be a bad idea to hunt feral hogs with 40# bow?

[dragonheart]

That is too lite in my opinion and experience.

[BOHO]

Swinestalker has killed a ton of them with bows in the 40-45# weight. He does draw longer but as long as your tunes well and the broadhead is sharp and you do your part you shouldn’t have any problems.

[pdk25]

Depends on the size of hog you plan on encountering, as well as your draw length.  For an average draw length and average to smaller hogs you should be fine.

[Jerry Russell]

Originally posted by pdk25:
Depends on the size of hog you plan on encountering, as well as your draw length.  For an average draw length and average to smaller hogs you should be fine.

Perfect answer.

[nineworlds9]

With a sufficiently quick and powerful 40# bow at 28" draw or greater with a sharp head placed right, why not?  For an average medium or smaller pig.  For Hogzilla? Id prolly add 10 or so #.

[JohnV]

Small hogs (less than 100 pounds) are easy to penetrate.  You are definitely too light for a nasty boar hog with a developed shield.

[texbow2]

40#.......the 243 of bow weights

[Schmidty3]

I'm hardly an expert. I've hit 2 that were 130-150 lbs. One with a 475 gr fmj out of a 50 lbs bow. One with a 630 gr arrow out of a 60 lb bow. I wasn't pleased with either honestly. Shot placement issue though.

The hog shot with the 50 lb bow was a broadside shot. Behind the shoulder Just over the centerline of the hog at 12 yds. A bit high. You need to keep the shot as low as possible. Penetration wasn't the best. No luck finding it. Just above the centerline of the hog is about where the ribs combine with the spine. It was Grizzly head I think.

The one I shot with my 60 lb bow was at 3 ft. Strong quartering to me. I shot it as it wheeled to run. Admittedly a somewhat self defense shot. Arrow went in the center of the shoulder and angled back and got liver. I may have caught scapula. But Penetration wasn't what I was expecting. I may have gotten 8", and didn't get 2 holes. Trailed him 400 yds and lost him. This was with a cutthroat head.

Now neither hog was hit in a good spot. But I was still expecting better penetration.

That being said, I think a 40 lb bow could do the job. A perfectly flying arrow with a narrow head placed in the armpit will be lethal.

I'll disagree with the 600+ gr comment. I think your past the point of diminishing returns with that heavy of an arrow and a 40 lb bow. (At least that was my experience at a 27" draw). Out of my mild performing 43# spirit r/d longbow a 500 gr arrow flies mucj much better. Its not necessary, but micro diameter arrows and narrow heads are your friend.

I've shot, literally, a truck load of pigs with 41 to 45# and shoot thru virtually all of them.  I shoot shoats, gilts and sows.  I stay away from boars.  They're a different critter and to my notion need more horse power.     They're not fit to eat anyway.    

[tracker12]

Have shot a few Georgia hogs with my 43# RER with no problems.

[Sus Scrofa]

Originally posted by Schmidty3:
I'm hardly an expert. I've hit 2 that were 130-150 lbs. One with a 475 gr fmj out of a 50 lbs bow. One with a 630 gr arrow out of a 60 lb bow. I wasn't pleased with either honestly. Shot placement issue though.

The hog shot with the 50 lb bow was a broadside shot. Behind the shoulder Just over the centerline of the hog at 12 yds. A bit high. You need to keep the shot as low as possible. Penetration wasn't the best. No luck finding it. Just above the centerline of the hog is about where the ribs combine with the spine. It was Grizzly head I think.

The one I shot with my 60 lb bow was at 3 ft. Strong quartering to me. I shot it as it wheeled to run. Admittedly a somewhat self defense shot. Arrow went in the center of the shoulder and angled back and got liver. I may have caught scapula. But Penetration wasn't what I was expecting. I may have gotten 8", and didn't get 2 holes. Trailed him 400 yds and lost him. This was with a cutthroat head.

Now neither hog was hit in a good spot. But I was still expecting better penetration.

That being said, I think a 40 lb bow could do the job. A perfectly flying arrow with a narrow head placed in the armpit will be lethal.

I'll disagree with the 600+ gr comment. I think your past the point of diminishing returns with that heavy of an arrow and a 40 lb bow. (At least that was my experience at a 27" draw). Out of my mild performing 43# spirit r/d longbow a 500 gr arrow flies mucj much better. Its not necessary, but micro diameter arrows and narrow heads are your friend.

You lost two pigs and disagree with my comment?
Ok

[Schmidty3]

Yep. Yes I do. That's my experience.

15 gpp is gonna be a tough arrow to throw. A 600+ gr arrow at 120 fps isn't a good option. Trajectory will be steep and my experience is that penetration will remain wanting. As trad archers we tend to prefer momentum calculations over Kinetic energy. Which is fine and I agree with. But you still need velocity to make momentum. Many polls have shown that most hunters are shooting 9-12 gpp.

I gave the heavy arrow, high foc, 43 lb with 27" draw longbow a chance because the internet said it would work. Did not work for me. I didn't even get two holes in a doe at 5 yds. And I know I didn't hit anything hard. That was with a tuffhead and surewood shaft Douglas fir at 650 gr.  The next year I switched to a micro diameter arrow at 510 grains but never did hunt with that combo. On foam it penetrated much better and trajectory was acceptable but not great. The 650 gr arrow had an unacceptable trajectory after 17-18 yds. It just fell off of the map. I tried a shot at a 3d shoot on an elk at 40 yds. I was aiming in the trees and still never hit the thing. Thats not a hard shot to hit an elk with an arrow in the 9-11 gpi range. I've got a nilgai hunt coming up (small elk size), and I'm actually planning on being able to shoot my 10-11 gpp arrows at 165 fps to  40 yards (under ideal circumstances... But I'm shooting really well at the moment. Also my chrono is kind of suspect, my arrow may be faster then that)

That was my experience.

Feel free to share yours.

Now a big man with a 30"-32" draw may be a different story. I ain't that.

[RC]

I have killed a few pigs with low poundage bows. Sows and shoats as someone else said are really no different than deer killing maybe even easier. The Boar 150 lbs and up is kinda tough. You have to hit them good. Low in the pocket works for me.  Right now I`m shooting 45 ish pounds @ 27 with a 600 grain arrow. I would not hesitate to shoot a 250 lb boar and feel very good about killing and finding him. To be honest if there is a 200 lb boat standing there and a 50 lb shoat. I`ll kill the shoat. Far better eating.
   I don`t shoot 40 yard shots but do know that a 600 grain arrow from a 45 lb bow will work and work good. I killed a nice 7 pt last week with a 42@27 Recurve with a 600 grain arrow he was steep going away and I had about 22" penetration with a Simmons broadhead. From just in front of the hip to the heart. You will never see me hunting with an arrow less than 575 grains from my 45 lb bows.  RC

[Terry Green]

Make sure to take a good look at the shot placement thread featured at the top...pics AND vids....then you will have a better idea.

If those big boars aren't rank...they make a TON of sausage...and me loves sausage.  Of all the boars I've killed only one was rank....the rest made many a fine companion to my eggs.  

That's the way to start your day!!! ... Boar Sausage!!!

[Chuck Jones]

I've taken a few pigs with a 45# longbow and got good penetration. I took a boar with one of my 52" recurves, 41#@27". A straight flying arrow helps a lot.

I shot this boar with the 41# bow at 25 or 30 yards. He had a sheild that was almost 1 inch thick. Penetrated one side and just poked through the other side.

   P3120519 (2)  by  okawbow , on Flickr

[Chuck Jones]

Forgot to add; I used a tuffhead broadhead on a fir shaft. Total weight 650 grains.

This boar made lots of great tasting breakfast sausage.

Chuck

[dragonheart]

I never know what I will see when hunting.  I like to have the opportunity to shoot a big boar if he presents a shot.  I just don't want to have a question on my set up.    

I have never shot thru (2 holes) even on small boars with longbows (Hill style) and wood arrows with bows in the high 40-low 50 pounds.  I have a shorter draw shooting longbows.  

I like two holes on a good shot on a hog.  That is my criteria which might be different than just killing the hog.  Did I kill hogs in the past with less bow weight, yes.  

When I began shooting a 60 pound Damon Howatt with 2117 and heavier Woodsman Elite BH over 600 grain arrow I shot completely thru a big sow.  It was a short track, lots of blood and 2 holes increased my ability to recover the animal.  
 
I really cannot image any bow hunter saying I got too much penetration on an animal.

[David Mitchell]

Quite impressive, Chuck.  

[BlacktailBowhunter]

I have to shoot a 45# Bow to achieve 40#, and I believe 40 is plenty if you hit them in the right spot.