Moose - How low can you go ???

[Mooseman]

The wife of a good friend would like to again join her husband on a moose hunt and hunt herself also. She took a bull last year with her 308 at 18 yards but since we are traditional bowhunting only starting next year and she is only shooting a light bow right now, to what weight would you think she has to work her way up to?

I get asked that questions by guys regularly and I tell them around #55 and up but that might not be doable for her.

Here a reminder what the bow has to put that arrow in to:


 

[WildmanSC]

Mooseman,

It would really depend on the design of the bow.  I high efficiency bow could shoot at a lower draw weight and yield the same momentum as a heavier draw weight bow that is less efficient.  Some of the top end recurves or top end D/R longbows could probably do it at 50-52# with a heavy arrow, i.e. 600-650 gr.  Please note, when I say top end, I'm talking price, I'm talking efficiency/performance.  The broadhead up front would also need to be of heavy construction and be scary sharp.

Bill

[beachbowhunter]

Mike, is that from your hunting area???  I'll see you in 2010!

[Kevin L.]

Bill's right.

I'd be happy with an efficient 50#, heavy arrow, a broadhead like a modified Grizzly ala Ashby, and most importantly, the right shot. All the weight in the world does no good if you make a bad shot.

[KSdan]

From a guy who never hunted moose. . .How can you make a bad shot on a target the size of a car door??   Besides- how far apart are the ribs??  I would think a moose would be easier to kill than say. . . a hog!???          

A cannot imagine you would need more than 50# with a heavy sharp arrow.

[Bill Carlsen]

Here's something to think about!


"WELCOME TO MY OUTDOOR WORLD"


GEAR REVIEW

 46" STALKER RECURVE

RODNEY WRIGHT ARCHERY
205 Fulford RD
Fulford, QC
J0E 1S0
 www.rodneywrightarchery.com
e mail [email protected]
tel 1-450-539-1848

 
 click to see  Firehawk longbow Review

VISIT RODNEY'S WEB SITE FOR ALL YOUR TRADITIONAL ARCHERY NEEDS.
LONG BOWS / RECURVES / TAKEDOWN OR ONE PIECE

ARMTEX GLASS / ARROW SHAFTS / BOW BUILDING SUPLIES AND MORE

REVIEW
46" stalker recurve
41# at 28"
Osage/bamboo limbs with Armtex clear glass,
black phenolic and moose antler tip reinforcements .
Bacote riser with Osage accent stripes
Avaliable in weights up to 65#

The 46" Stalker Recurve from Rodney Wright Archery is the smallest bow I have reviewed to date.We often hear that short bows are hard to shoot, have excessive finger pinch and are not acurate. WE did not have these issues with the stalker . I found that the stalker was a great little bow to shoot.The Stalker is not a bow for shooters with a draw length of more than 28". It draws very smooth to 28" and then hits a wall.It does not stack , it stops.
 
With an AMO of only 46" and a strung up length od 40" it is idealy suited for what it's name implies,stalking. This bow is also ideal in any close quarter situation where our normal length bows are hard to shoot.In a blind it is the easiest trad bow to shoot that I can imagine.The typical limb clearence problems with longer bows are not there. In heavy cover it is very manouverable , making clean shots possible where other bows just could not get limb clearence.
The very large brace height makes the stalker very easy to like. This is a factor that I feel helps reduce the finger pinch issue. We all shoot 3 under, and that is an advantage with pinch also.
 
The craftsmanship on the Stalker is flawless. Rodney does not cut corners.Glue lines are perfect,and the finish is impecable.The ARMTEX clear glass is flawless and clear without the streaks and spots we find in other glass laminations today.
 
We shot the bow extensivly before this review was written and have not one complaint with it other than the draw weight. A heavier weight would have been preferred but this is the bow that was avaliable. Shannon liked the stalker so much that he chose to hunt all fall with it even though he had free access to some very high performance bows in draw weights that would be considered a better choice by myself and other hunters. He was concerned with not being able to shoot a heavier bow because of shoulder injury's.  His success story is below.
If the Stalker had been a heavier draw weight I would have been hunting with it,instaed of Shannon, but I chose not to , only because of the draw weight.

  For those that hunt in close quartess, thick bush and blinds the Stalker is an ideal design.It is completely shock free, quiet and extremely manouverable.Turkey hunters will love it. You can even sit flat on the ground and shoot straight ahead without any worry of having to cant the bow to get ground clearence.


 
 
46” Stalker Recurve By Shannon Kuzik
 

 Shannon Kuzik in thick stuff where the stalker shines.
 
 
            I have always been a fan of short bows and when Pete called and told me that Rodney Wright was sending the 46” Stalker Recurve, I couldn’t wait for it to arrive.  When I first saw it, it looked like a kids bow, small and very light.  It is 41 pounds at 28”, a little on the light side for moose and elk but I was up for the challenge. Shoulder injurys have made shooting with heavier poundage bows a problem this year and the Stalker was a bow that I could draw and shoot without any difficulty. It seemed a better choice to drop the draw weight and shoot acurately than to run into trouble with a heavy draw weight that I could not handle properly.
            I had to buy new arrows to match the poundage of such a light bow but once I was able to tune my hunting arrows, the bow shot quiet and extremely accurate, I even had my first traditional Robin Hood.  My hunting arrows weighed in at 497 grains with a 125 grain, 2 blade Magnus Broadhead.
            When hunting season came, I started chasing elk first.  I hiked over 150 km and had some close calls but no success.  In early season the bush is so thick that you could be 5 yards from an elk and not get a shot.  I guess that is why they call it hunting and not shooting.

 Elk hunting with the Stalker
 
            My main goal in 2005 was my bull moose.  I waited 8 years for my draw and I finally got it.  I was looking for a bull moose with at least a 50” wide rack and I was willing to go home empty handed if I did not see one.
            September 24, I started hunting for my bull moose.  I saw 3 bulls the first day; the biggest was a 45” wide.  I even had a 35” bull broadside at 8 yards which was so tempting but just not the one.  I had lots of bulls well within bow range, a 38” at 10 feet and a 40” at 15 yards.
            My second last day, I had a nice 45” bedded at 40 yards… but still he wasn’t the one.  I was starting to think that I had made some bad decisions by not taking one of the many bulls that presented broadside shots.  I walked over 230 km throughout my hunting season, saw 83 moose, 3 bulls over 50”, one at the magic 60” mark that would have scored around 200 P&Y, but no shot.  That bull still haunts me in my dreams at night.
            Only one day of hunting season to go.  I left my truck at 6:00am and started my last walk into the pitch black bush.  I had a 2 hour walk in front of me before I reached the swamps where the moose hung out.  My plan was to still hunt the game trails, just like every other day.  It had worked for me for the last 9 years that I have been bow hunting and I was hoping that it would not fail me now.
            I was still hunting up a steep hill on a game trail, peeked over the ridge and there he was, moose number 84, broadside looking away from me.  Now I would like to say that I made a perfect stalk or called him up from 200 yards away but I didn’t, I was just in the right place at the right time.  I grabbed an arrow out of my bow quiver; it took me 3 tries to put the nock on the string.  When I looked up, the bull was staring at me trying to figure out what I was.  In one fluid motion, my finger touched my lip and the arrow released sinking into the bull’s right side.  He spun 180 degrees and ran into the bush.  I had no clue what had just happened, it all happened so fast.  I knew he was a good bull but the arrow didn’t look like it penetrated enough.  I was shaking like a leaf.  I started to think that I hit a rib or the shoulder blade; I didn’t even know how far he was.  That is when I heard crashing sounds… then quiet.  I regained my composure and walked 10 yards to where the bull was standing.  I made the decision to go in and see if there was any blood on the trail.  To my relief I spotted blood 10 yards in and lots of it, which made me think that I hit a lung or maybe both.

            Then, there he was, only 40 yards away with the arrow  half an inch behind his right shoulder blade.  The arrow hit the far shoulder and bent the Magnus broadhead which is why it didn’t look like it penetrated enough.
 
Recovered BH from far shoulder hit
 
 If I didn’t hit the shoulder, I am positive that the arrow would have gone completely through the bull.  The bull measured 51” wide and scored 163 P&Y.{green}

Stalker and Shannon's  moose
 
            Thanks Rodney for making the 46” Stalker Recurve.  I have been looking for a short bow like this for years.  I just showed that you can take a large bull moose with a short, light poundage bow.  You definitely have to pick your shots and wait for a broadside or quartering away target.  A 50 pound at 28” bow would be better suited for moose and elk .  I definitely would recommend the Stalker Recurve as a hunting bow.  I got a lot of attention from other hunters all asking who makes that bow and the answer… Rodney Wright.
 
SHANNON KUZIK
LICENSED BIG GAME GUIDE
PRODUCT TESTER
Stalker chrono results 41# at 28"
Note  I only used 2 arrow weights for this review because of the light draw weight of the bow.
 
  DRAW LENGTH   
 DRAW  WEIGHT

 ARROW WEIGHT

 FPS   ARROW WEIGHT     FPS   ARROW WEIGHT    FPS    ARROW WEIGHT    FPS     ARROW WEIGHT    FPS
5                                          NA   
6                                            
7                                            
8                                           
9                                            
10                                           
11                                           
12   
  3

                                    
13      6                                       
14     9                                       
15     11                                       
16      13                                       
17     15                                       
18      16                                       
19      18                                       
20      20                                       
21      21                                       
22      23                                       
23      25     ARROW WEIGHT     FPS     ARROW WEIGHT     FPS     ARROW WEIGHT     FPS     ARROW WEIGHT     FPS       
24      27                     NA         NA        NA    NA
25     30                                   NA    NA
26     33     356    139     494    127                    NA    NA
27      37     356    151     494    137                    NA    NA
28     41     356*    159     494**    145                    NA    NA

               * 8.6 gr/lb  **12 gr/lb

 

 

Pete ward / Shannon Kuzik

"Welcome to my outdoor world"

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by KSdan:
From a guy who never hunted moose. . .How can you make a bad shot on a target the size of a car door??   Besides- how far apart are the ribs??  I would think a moose would be easier to kill than say. . . a hog!???            

After I booked my moose hunt, a funny thing happened. It seemed everyone I talked to either knew someone who'd bricked a shot or had bricked one themselves. From what I could gather, two problems came into play:

1) Moose, being huge, often appear closer than they are, especially for those of us used to shooting whitetails.

2) Because they're so huge, and you basically call them in by working them up into a fit, they can be a little intimidating. You have to turn off the part of your common sense that says, "You shouldn't be this close an agrivated animal this big."

I don't think shooting a moose is so much a matter of being able to hit a car door as much as it is about keeping your head on straight while a half-ton 7-foot animal is mad a heck, looking to stomp you into a mud hole.  

[Ken Taylor]

In Quebec the legal minimum poundage for moose is 40 lbs, which is a little too light.

I'm an experienced moose hunter (43 seasons) and I agree with Bill and Kevin L.

A 50 lb (or very close to it) efficient bow, proportionately heavy arrow, good 2 blade broadhead (very sharp), proper shot placement = High odds for success.

[John Scifres]

I've been close to a couple of moose and they are enormous compared to deer. The shock of something that big, if you are not used to it, can be enough to cause a bad shot.

[JohnV]

A moose is a big animal and any bowhunter wants to achieve full penetration, not just 8-10 inches to get into the vitals.  I would say about 50 pounds using an efficient bow with well tuned arrows and a sharp two blade head would be about minimum.  With a perfect hit a lower weight bow will certainly kill a moose.  But not all hits are perfect and the bow/arrow combo needs enough energy to get sufficient penetration when the hit is less than perfect.  With a big animal like this you want to err on the conservative side.

[Shawn Leonard]

I did not read all the responses but ya have to remember her draw length. A 45-50# bow at 28"s gives quite a bit more penetrating power than a 45-50# bow at 25 or 26"s. If her draw is 26"s or so than I would say 55#s would work by keeping them close and getting a good quatering away shot and sneak one behind the last rib and towards the opposite shoulder. If ya hit a rib on a broadside shot it can stop most anything. I know Ken Beck killed a good moose with around 48#s. Shawn

[John/Alaska]

Alaska has a minimum for their state hunts of 50# for moose. So it doesn't matter how efficent or matched your bow or arrow combo is. Its 50# at peak draw weight period. For the Federal hunts the minimum bow/arrow combination required is measured by minimum arrow weight and the cast that your combo can get. Good bow efficiency/arrow weight can allow lighter then 50# draw weight bows to qualify.

Oh yes it is quite easy to miss a moose at 15 yards. Got to pick a spot and not the whole moose which can be hard to do with a mad bull. Yeah I have "research" data accumulated by me on just this question.

[Orion]

I agree with Shawn.  55#@26 or 50#@28 is bare minimum.  Of course, folks will provide anecdotes of moose killed with less.  Not as forthcoming are the stories of animals where penetration was poor due to low poundage bows.

[trapper1]

Before the question is asked, find out the minimum state or provincial poundage to legally hunt moose, then it's up to her to be able to comfortably draw it back and shoot it. THEN you have to be honest and see just how effective that particular set up is. Just because the bow reaches the minimum draw weight doesn't mean that bow is capable of casting an arrow with enough significant force to do the job....some bows are just dogs, they draw heavy and shoot terribly inefficient...just my two cents worth,because these are animals deserve more respect than hoping the minimum setup is "good enough"
trapper

[Mooseman]

Norbert, Yes and It is a bit of a wait for you yet....sorry    
I am more looking for the ethical answer and I think that I hear a minimum of 50#'s at the archers draw lengh???
Obviously good propper matched arrows with razor sharp broad heads are a given.
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Keeping your shots short and using the heaviest arrows possible can help. I have severe shoulder issues which prevent me from shooting heavy bows. i killed a moose last year with a 47 lb recurve. i got great penetration to the far shoulder. But my shot on the moose was from only 6 yards. I used a 600 gr arrow and a two blade head. My arrow went thru the bulls heart. I have killed two Caribou with the same set up, but  I keep all my shots very short.  I wrestled with the same issue but decided I would not take any shot i felt wouldn't kill the animal quickly. There is all ways a risk of wounding an animal regardless of the bow weight. In my opinion it is more of a self control issue rather than a bow weight issue If she is willing to limit her self to that great extent, then i say go for it.

[KSdan]

So-perhaps the better question is: What poundage bow can you still hit a car door with, while having a life flashback simulatenously as you are poopin' your pants?     :D    :eek:

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by KSdan:
So-perhaps the better question is: What poundage bow can you still hit a car door with, while having a life flashback simulatenously as you are poopin' your pants?      :D      :eek:  

[Darryl Quidort]

Nice photo of a nice bull, Mooseman.  Makes my heart pump just looking at it.  LOL  Darryl

[Widowbender]

Hey Darryl...Does that one look familiar to you!! LOL

David