Longbow Elk weight??

[Killdeer]

Tommy, did you steal my arrows?
You can't use them, you know. They are right-handed.

Killdeer  

[String Cutter]

Illy I know. That's why I'm shooting them backwards.  

[Alex.B]

Originally posted by String Cutter:
Well da bow is marked 50@28 so, I guess I would be legal in most states.. Unless the DNR man checked my draw??? Even then I think I could squeeze an extra inch of draw for him...        
Anyone else out there hunt with 50# or less for elk??

this comment sounds like you really don't care about finding out what is enough for a worst case scenario shot on a beautiful American treasure like Elk.

[myshootinstinks]

I'll leave the poundage you use up to you but here is my experience with heavy vs lighter bows. This is not 100% accurate but it is close. If you are shooting 10gr arrow weight per pound of draw, the 62# bow will shoot a 620gr arrow about as fast as a 52# bow will shoot a 520 grainer.  Of course there are many variables but the point is that heavy bows will shoot heavy arrows better.  
   To me it boils down to whether or not you can accurately shoot a 60#+ pound bow, COLD. That is to say, you don't generally get warm-up shots while hunting. Also, can you shoot a 60#+ down-hill, from a setting or kneeling position and so on.
  Surely a 600-700gr arrow will give you better penetration if shot at a similar speed than a 520gr arrow will but if you miss the heart/lungs it doesn't matter.

[Kingwouldbe]

String, With all due respect, this is not fishing where we try and use the lightest tackle we can.

It's Bowhunting and your talking a big animal, We have people who have done it and done it with lighter tackle, WHY?    

If you have a physical disability and this is the absolute max you can pull keep your shots short and make only high percentage shots.

If you start now and work out for the next 5 months I know you could shoot a 55-60lbs Bow.

When you Elk hunt your not shooting a 3D round where you might shoot 100 arrows, in 10 days of Elk hunting you might only get a few chances.

IMHO shoot the max you can shoot accurately, the Elk deserve it.

[String Cutter]

Well, The reason I'm shooting such a light weight bow is I like to shoot alot. With anything more then 50# after afew days I have to go to the Doctor to  get a shot in the shoulder. And yes I'm going to shoot atleast 50 arrows or more aday while out there. Love to let the arrow fly stump shooting. .
Alex, I have no problems with da DNR man. Check what I do for a living. But after years of setting in courts like I have you come to realize that laws were made by lawyers. And Can be twisted and turned to mean just about anything you want them to mean..
Now is a 49#bow going to do that much less  then a 50#bow??? Is going 56mph in a 55mph speedlimit going to change the course of history??? What about differant bow scales weighN differantly??? Differant radar guns the same thing??? I've never written a ticket for 3 or even 4 miles over the limit?? World ain't black and white.... Got to have some wiggle room..

[myshootinstinks]

By the way, I hunt elk with bows in the low-mid 50s draw. Using the same criteria stated in the above post, I don't shoot a 60+# bow "cold" consistently enough to hunt with it. If I can warm up w/ 3-4 practice shots I do fine with a 60+ pounder but like I said, you don't get to do that will hunting.

[DeerSpotter]

If we only had records of the poundage of the early bows of the 1700 and 1800s, I wonder how we'd evaluate them.  I know were not there, today is today, were so fortunate to have those fellows setting at their desk in the Legislature, to let us know what will kill elk and other animals.  Otherwise would be up a creek !

Light tackle    

A lot of states frown on it.  And the State of Minnesota we just dropped our poundage to 30# for a legal hunting bow.


Pastor Carl

[centaur]

Trust me on this, Stringcutter; elk are LARGE. If you are used to whitetails, when you get lucky enough to see a big bull within good bow range, you will be happy to have a little more bow. Under perfect conditions, you can kill an elk with a light bow, but you can also kill an elk with a .22 under perfect conditions. That doesn't mean that it is a good thing to try if there are other options.Use the most bow you can handle,and give yourself a little wiggle room. You owe it to the elk, which are great animals that live in wonderful country. My two cents.

[Longbow rookie]

"IMHO shoot the max you can shoot accurately, the Elk deserve it."  Well said!

Why risk it and use a borderline set-up?

I agree that a high respect for the animal should drive you to use a higher poundage bow.  

Just my opinion.

[Doug Treat]

On the other hand, the elk "deserve" the best shot you can give them and that may be with a lighter bow, it is for me.  I don't know String Cutter but it sounds like his shoulder problem is like mine.  I know I can't "work up" to a heavier bow by Sept. because I've spent the last 4 years trying that.  I used to believe the "experts" opinion about needing at least 60# for elk until I had the experience of shooting heavy arrows through them with 45-50#.  It's a bit funny to me that none of you guys that say that String Cutter should use a heavy bow on elk use any examples of bad experiences you have had shooting light-weight bows at elk.  Do you have any?  Have any of you tried it, or are you also going on the "experts" opinion?  String Cutter, It sounds like you shoot your bow well without hurting your shoulder.  If you shoot well with 600+ gr. arrows, don't be afraid of throwing those at an elk.  It will work!!!! Just my (experienced) opinion.

[Gehrke145]

I think it on a low end but will work.  I like mid 50s oh and I also know what your saying about lawyers lol I have a mess of court coming up as well.  Got to love it when it falls on your off day!  

[WidowEater]

I have never hunted elk though I have tried to vicariously through TV.  But I would think all the bow weight you would need would be the bare minimum for being able to bust through two rib bones on an elk.  I suppose this would be more of a kinetic energy thing though so you would need the bare minimum energy to get a pass through having gone through tough old elk ribs on both sides.  

Maybe though it can be modified to be said you need enough energy to get through a shoulder blade.

Just uneducated thoughts.

[Kingwouldbe]

Originally posted by String Cutter:
QUOTE] And yes I'm going to shoot at least 50 arrows or more aday while out there. Love to let the arrow fly stump shooting. .
 [/QB]

Thomas, I'm sorry, I thought you where going   Elk Hunting it sounds like your going stump shooting in Elk country.

Elk will not tolerate that kind of horse play in there living room.

Do you think you could shoot 50 arrows and expect to even see a white tail in the same woods?

Your 47pounder will be great for your stump shoot-n- elk country trip.

Thomas please don't be offended if you don't get the answer you where looking for.

  I have a mild R/D longbow that I shoot 47@27. If I stick with 12-13 grains per pound, use a sharp 2 blade and have good arrow flight??? Is this enough for Elk??
NO, with all do respect, Elk are big.  

     

[String Cutter]

Yep, I've seen lots of deer while stump/ Squirrel/deer hunting. I'm out there to have fun shootin and enjoy nature. If all I wanted to do was kill, I'ld break out the old 300 mag.
Please don't think I'm not taking what you guys are saying... I am... Just upped the poundage on a bow I have on order to 55@28... But it's still only going to give me 52@27... Going to attempt to shoot that?? If I can??? But , If I can't shot the heaveier one as well as the 47#er I might have to stick with  the lighter one??
King,  Beautiful critter... Tell us the story.

[SteveB]

I have a mild R/D longbow that I shoot 47@27. If I stick with 12-13 grains per pound, use a sharp 2 blade and have good arrow flight??? Is this enough for Elk??
 

Use good hot selection and it is fine.
Whether or not the game targeted is "noble" has NO bearing on whether the chosen setup is good to go.

Steve

[Longbow rookie]

Doug...my apologies.  I should have said in my "unexperienced" opinion.  Won't happen again.

Kingwouldbe looks to have a bit of valuable experience.  I'll stick with him and the many other "experts" who have recommended a heavier set-up for elk.  That is my choice, correct?

Sorry...string cutter I was by no means trying to comment on your set-up as if I was some kind of authortiy.

Good luck.

[DeerSpotter]

This question has been asked a number times, I don't think we are going to get the right answer for every individual.  I think that the poundage is different for every individual that's on here that wants to go elk hunting.  I would think that the importance would be on the heaviness of the arrow, the most important part, would be shot placement.  I don't think elk are any tougher than a Whitetail deer in proportion, if you hit Bone, you're going to need to be prepared for it.

When you ask a question, is it enough poundage !  You need to be prepared to get answers from people that you may not expect them to shoot a 65 or 70# bow, but from what I have seen on here in the last five years, the average I would say would be 55 lbs. with a 600 gr arrow or more.

I haven't heard anybody mention, relax when they come to the shot opportunity present itself.  I would think that that falls into shot placement, I know that there are perfect shots, and that is what should be striving for on every shot rather be elk or Whitetail.

We practice all year long for something that takes three to five seconds.  Is there a perfect poundage?  Is there are perfect arrow weight ?

It is what it needs to be for that particular individual.  Me trying to dictate what somebody else should shoot because the " elk deserves it" doesn't quite cut it, that would be like me trying to change the rules of church, or dictate how you handle your relationship with Jesus Christ.  It's not going to happen.

The best piece of equipment that you have is setting right on your shoulders !  Use it !

Pastor Carl

[String Cutter]

Let me stir the pot even a little more??? If 47# isn't enough for a 2 blade with a 600grain arrow??? Then How much poundage do you need to use a 3 blade like a lot of folks use??
In my thoughts a 47# w/2blades will penitrate better than a 55-60# with a big old snuffer strapped on...
 Not trying to start a fight... Just trying to learn... I ain't never even laid eyes on an elk before. I 'm judgin by what size I think they are and I'm guessin about the size of a med. Size horse... Something that I've seen and touched before..

[laddy]

I have spoken about this with a very fine bowyer that uses bows in the mid fifties with a 26'' draw with bows that have no glass and cedar arrows.  They have shot a number of elk and reported no lack of penetration to me.  With your longer draw and faster bow, you are probably in the same power and penetration range as they are.
When one considers what Art Young had for cast and foot pounds on moose, as seen in his Alaska footage, you may be in that range as well with your ash shafts.  He used a 64'' osage broom handle and birch shafts.  Heavy bow poundage for sure, but still those broom handles did not have the cast of your bow.