Longbow Elk weight??

[TonyW]

Forget about draw weight for one minute.
David's elk has other requirements.

Remember carry weight?

Unless you plan on leaving it, it would take a lot of average size guys to pack out that monster if they aren't fit enough.

That is one reason that Ishi, with his 40 pound bow, was the last of his tribe. He was barely surviving before he moved to San Francisco. His tribe hunted as a tribe, and fired arrows into their elks as a tribe. Their favorite method of killing large bears was firing arrows into the open mouth so it would bleed, starve, and weaken.

I would not want to hunt elk with a marginal set up unless I limited my shots to marginal elk.

[Chad Lewis]

It's obvious experience is falling on deaf ears. You've asked, and haven't gotten the return you were favoring and simply want to ignore the fact an elk is a huge animal.

You state perfect conditions. What is that in elk country? Depending on where you're hunting strong winds could be the norm (above or at treeline). Your bow in such conditions will have little if any power behind it, not to mention horrible range due to heavy arrows.

I hope you're willing to pass up alot of elk due to "bad conditions" (which wouldn't be the case with a heavier bow) when in reality, getting in on one or two elk for a first timer would be an accomplishment.

[Mike Burch]

I wouldn't bank on 47# bow with a 2 blade penetrating better than a 60# bow with a razor sharp big snuffer either.

If you are using the same design bow and same gpp for each bow...the 60# will have lots more energy and momentum. Just a thought.

If it were me, I'd go with a heavier weight bow(if I could shoot it accuratly) and a good sharp 2 blade or a good sharp Wensel Woodsman 3 blade. The WW is a penetrating machine.

Mike

[DeerSpotter]

" It's obvious experience is falling on deaf ears. You've asked, and haven't gotten the return you were favoring and simply want to ignore the fact an elk is a huge animal."

 Is there anyone here that has gone elk hunting and shot an elk, and hit a rip, what kind of penetration did you have ?  What poundage and grain of arrow did you do it with ?

And the real question is would somebody else's bow at the same poundage do the same thing under the same conditions ?


It seems like getting hung up on poundage of the bow and the weight of the arrow, is almost a fine line of " my wheels are better than your wheels"

I would think that everybody's bow is going to function differently, especially if they are custom bows, sure they're all going to cast a arrow, but the energy from each of the bows will be different.  But then again maybe the difference is not to be that much, to make that difference.

If you look at my signature line, I have two 43 lb. bows, but I know that one is faster than the other one.  The recurve his 13 fps faster.  This is just one example of what I'm talking about.  Custom bows being different.

My first thought would be, do I want to spend all that money for a license, travel, lodging, and everything else that goes along with a trip, and then not have the best possible poundage in a bow to hunt with.

You're putting the three to five seconds of your opportunity for a shot up against questionable odds if you don't do it right.

In my uneducated opinion, I would think 47 lbs. would be enough, but you would have limitations, and if you have the discipline to honor those limitations, you also will have the courage to accept empty hands at the end of the hunt.

But what if you're wrong.

That becomes a pretty big question !


Pastor Carl

[WidowEater]

Irregardless of what is said from hence forth.  Everyones mind here is made up as to which bow and arrow and shooter combination is going to work.  There is no advice good enough and no reasons sound enough to change minds that are already made up.  

I am singling out no one in this.  We all think we have the right idea but no one really does.  Exceptional circumstances be darned and just go hunting.  If you cant live by someone elses experience then live from your own because in the end it will be the only experience you trust.  

Should I hunt elk with 47#? Should I hunt deer with 25#?  I guarantee that these animals have been taken with less at one time or another.  Did the animal deserve it?  

StringCutter, go to elk country and stump shoot to your hearts content.  If you get that shot at an elk while out there you have been warned by some encouraged by others and.......

If a tree falls and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound??

[laddy]

I have seen a BW recurve out shoot a Bear recurve by 25 fps, The Widow was 42 and the Bear was 57. Both bows were drawn to 29''.  We should never over look the actual performance of the the individual or the individual bow.  More power plus accuracy, is always a benefit.  I wonder though if there is a realm where a good hit would give adequate penetration and a bad hit would give a bounce off.  Not the best scenario, but it is a possibility.  Pass throughs are always better in my opinion.  Perhaps string cutter , you could check how you are drawing your bow to see if there is something you could do to draw more weight without hurting your shoulder.  One of the local cops here found that by swing drawing with the bow coming up quicker and reducing the straight part of his draw it hurt less on his fresh shoulder surgery.

[SL]

Shoot all the bow you can. If you don't double lung an elk you will probaly never find it. An elk with one lung can and will cover miles. They won't go down like a deer.
SL

[Lone archer]

I think Ken Beck from Black Widow killed a trophy bull with a 47# bow.

[String Cutter]

Lone Archer you're right he did..... But I went ahead and ordered a 55@28 (52@27)Bighorn 1pc recurve and a mid 50's @ my draw Dwyer Longbow. If'n this ain't enough horse power I might have to start using my throwing stars???  

[Cherokee Scout]

I know of people who have killed elk with 41#, 46# and 48#.

[Gordon martiniuk]

Elk are hard to kill there ribs are very curved I think if you dont shoot 55 to 60lbs you are setting yourself up for failure and probably will only wound the animal Elk are far harder to kill than Moose or deer or  Bear also stay at least 600gr arrow scary sharp as if you hit a rib you will still claim you trophy  

[Diamondback59]

ok tommy  il give ya my 2 cents  i ran elk camps for 28 years befor i got out of guiding  iv killed elk with bows from 46 all the way to 90 #   iv seen several guys wives kill elk with a 45 pound bow also  now im not telling ya it ok and not ok but to be honest a 45 # bow will kill anything on this earth with 1 well placed shot !!!keep in mind  if you use that bow it will work  but you better be very well decplined on ur shot s and shot placement id personally say 25 yards max  and you better be shooting a woodsman or a snuffer the only other blade id even consider is a black diamond eskimo   now keep in mind  thses  ideas come from  over 200 elk kills in the last 30 years from what i have perosnally seen i wont lie to ya  a big arrow with a snuffer will get the job done   if you can handal a 60 #  bow so much the better good luck  and  just do it wiseley  the elk deserve it !!

[DeerSpotter]

I have never seen them talk politics on these threads,  but this is about as close as it gets to it    

Whenever you bring up a subject like this;

It's like throwing gas on a bonfire, every once in awhile someone will come along with the bottle water, but most to time, you won't get the answer that you're looking for because it's in your mind and your hand, wrapped up with your discipline, and your attitude.

What's going to be the best poundage for Elk, is totally up to you and the state that you're hunting in.  If 47 lbs. is the bow you have and it is legal in that state, that's the one that you hunt with.  And that's the one that will give you the experience to answer your question.  And hopefully you have the discipline to keep your shot placement good and close.


Pastor Carl

[Bjorn]

Kingwouldbe you lead a charmed life!

[sagebrush]

I'm going to use a 50# @30inch Acs CX this year on elk. I chronographed it the other day and it was only five feet per second slower than my 60# @30 inch recurve. That is with 620 grain arrows. I have always used zwickeys and magnus. I have killed about 15 elk(lost count). If I had your setup and wanted to hunt elk I would use a smaller two blade like the zwickey eskimo. Penetration will be the thing you need the most. I don't think elk are any harder to kill than a big mule deer. You just have to hit them right. Just my opinion, Gary

[always89s boy]

I've never hunted elk but i read a letter Howard Hill wrote to the gov. stating that you could effectivly kill a elk with a bow that is 40# a long as you use an arrow over 400 grains

[Alex.B]

Originally posted by always89s boy:
I've never hunted elk but i read a letter Howard Hill wrote to the gov. stating that you could effectivly kill a elk with a bow that is 40# a long as you use an arrow over 400 grains

sure, 'cuz I read on cave walls that people used to push Elk over cliffs or club them to death    

alex

[String Cutter]

Well, I'm going with mid 50#s at 27 inches. and a STOS or Grizzly. If'n that wont take down an elk, Guess I'm just not man enough to play da game.

[DBerrard]

G'luck String Cutter. Opinions aside, I bet you have a great time.  

[Kingwouldbe]

Thomas, your man enough,      I can tell that you have taken to hart what everyone has said and came up with your own conclusion, Right on and have a great time Trad-Bowhunting the American wapiti.

Alex to funny man