50#'s...

[HartHeart]

I'm curious what your opinions are on the capabilities of a 50# longbow on all of North Americans big game animals. Does it have enough "juice" to ethically take down even the largest moose or bison?

[Fletcher]

With the right arrow and broadhead, absolutely.

[ron w]

YEP...... Sharp broadhead, good shot placement = dead critter !!!!!

[stagetek]

All of them ? not in my opinion. The perfectly executed shot is often not perfect. In a "perfect" world it might be... We don't live in a perfect world. Moose, big bears with 50# ? Good luck !

[GCook]

If that is all I could draw and I had the right shot then I'd use it.  But if I go moose hunting it won't be with my 50lb trad bow. (Well 51)  because I have options and I don't think that is the best one available to me.

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[pdk25]

It can be, but might not be.  How is that for vague?

I know of a particular hog that it probably wouldn't have  been enough on unless you had a long draw length, but that is the exception to the rule.  50# at my draw length, just under 30, and I wouldn't hesitate
, but I probably won't chose that option very often until I have to drop down in weight.

[hybridbow hunter]

A Howard hill LB will shoot a 10 gpp (500 gr) at 28" arrow in the 160-165 fps. A centaur triple carbon, the same 10 gpp @ 28" arrow in the 185-190 fps.
Both are " longbows"

[frassettor]

Yes!
Any doubts listen to Marvin Clyncke on the podcasts. He has also contributed in several  TBM issues.  He’s killed them all with a 50# longbow.

[wapitishooter]

The first man who did the super slam with a recurve shot all his animals with a 54lb bow and 450 grain arrow so I would say absolutely yes. I really never understood the super heavy arrows I like my bow to shoot flat Ive killed all my deer with 52lb at draw bows and 420 grain arrows.

[TradBrewSC]

I agree with all of the above statements..

Will 50# get the job done? Yes.

Are all 50# bows created equal in terms of energy? No. If 50# is your threshold I would make sure that I had the most performance that I could get out of my equipment in terms of foot lbs of energy, and of course a super sharp broadhead. I too would be shooting a 3:1 single bevel broadhead on those critters, but that boils down to personal preference that can open a whole other can of worms.

On large critters like moose or bison, your shots are generally closer with a much larger kill zone. I would much rather shoot at much weight that I was comfortable with even if that means my groups grow a little due to the weight. Like others said, it is never a perfect world, and can't count on the 3"@20 groups that I shoot in my backyard in the field.

[Sam McMichael]

I agree that with a good shot and well tuned and very sharp arrows, 50# will do the job. However, if I were going after this game, I would go heavier. I would take my 65# Wesley Special.

[durp]

the only thing i would add to the above is your arrow shaft material...im a woody shooter but have
come to realize that carbon shafts far out penetrate wood (my personal testing)

shot distance matters too

[Orion]

Tradbrew x 2

[pdk25]

Then again, there are the times when a quartering away animal suddenly becomes a quartering toward animal.  But I guess I am the only one this ever has happened to.  This hog was shot at dusk last night.

[GCook]

No it I've had that occur. 
Nice pig though.  Congratulations!

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[frassettor]

Then again, there are the times when a quartering away animal suddenly becomes a quartering toward animal.  But I guess I am the only one this ever has happened to.  This hog was shot at dusk last night.

nice pig
what was your setup

[pdk25]

TT Stickflinger, around 58#@29.5".  Used a black eagle instinct shaft with 100 grain outsert and 200 grain vpa 3 blade.  Angle not as bad as it looks.  Pulverized the bone, so it was sitting in there pretty loose and is flipped over a bit.

[Todd Cook]

I would want more pounds than that. Moose and elk are mighty big critters. Big hogs are mighty tough too.

[KeganM]

One of the first hickory selfbows I ever built pulled about 55#@26". I had to aim a 27", 525-ish grain arrow in the trees to hit a target at fifty yards. Last week, I tillered out an Imperial (composite D/R longbow) with some carbon in the limbs that pulls 38#@31". With it, I only have to aim the full-length, 500 gr carbon arrow about 20" over to hit my target at fifty yards. Oh, and I shot the hickory stick split-finger and the Imperial 3-under! Which would you say would be more lethal?

Draw weight is a very poor measure of performance. Draw length, bow design, shooter input, and about a hundred other details come into play. I would feel more comfortable hunting local whitetail with this little composite bow, and would never suggest that 55# hickory bow would be enough for anything bigger than a groundhog, let alone moose. However, I've seen some modern carbon-limb recurves at 50-55# that put out as much power as some of my early 70# straight limb composite bows, and those things had some thump to them. Some of Clay Haye's videos have high-performance selfbows that are faster than some composite bows. Hard to really compare lethality based on draw weight without the other details included.

[Maddog20/20]

My 50# Bear TD flings a 485gr arrow right at 194fps.  I can’t think of any animal I wouldn’t shoot at with that.


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