Best bow# and arrow weight for hogs?

[MikeP in WV]

I have a friend going to S.Carolina on a guided hog hunt this year and shoots a 45# takedown recurve with CX arrows and 125 buzzcuts.  I told him I believe it's too light of a setup for the 350# +/- hogs that are advertised on this ranch.  Can I have some feedback on what is too light of a setup for the "European" hogs that are becoming popular in the south?
Thanks,
Mike

[**DONOTDELETE**]

If you can kill a deer with it... You can kill a hog with it.

[MikeP in WV]

Thanks Sal...I just wasn't sure due to their thicker hide and heavier bone structure (especially shoulder-blades).  I'm from WV so I've butchered quite a few farm hogs but never shot one with a bow.
Thanks,
Mike

[George D. Stout]

Bow weight doesn't tell all,  mysticguido is correct.  If you have never hunted a big hog with a 45 pound recurve and his arrows, you really don't know what they will do.  He will be fine if his arrows are flying straight, and his broadheads are sharp.  A 45 pound bow fully drawn to 28" will do as well as a 55 drawn to 26 in nearly all cases, so you see numbers on a bow don't tell the whole story.  I bet you wouldn't question a guy using 55 pound bow for the same purpose.

[Apex Predator]

I'd put a 100# sow against any 200# deer in the hard to kill category.  A 350# boar would be like shooting a 750# elk, imho.

And yes, a 45# recurve will kill all of the above.  Just pick your shots carefully, and know where to hit them.

[David Mitchell]

Mike, I have killed a lot of hogs--none in the weight range you are talking about.  And I don't have any desire to shoot one that big because the smaller ones taste soooo much better!  That being said, yes, his set up "may" be OK, but if he hits a big ol'boar in the shield he will have a problem.  My son shot one with a 70# compound and just got the thinner edge of the shield and did it ever impede penetration!  It is akin to shooting into a plywood board.  And that hog only weighed around 125# tops.  I guess what I am saying is that after killing quite a few hogs, I would no way hunt with that set up myself on 350# hogs!  Go as heavy as possible, heavy arrows with two blade heads....Dave

[RC]

I`ve killed a hog or two and I would say shot placement is the most important thing.If your hitting a pig in the shoulder your to high anyway. I`ve put the broadhead out the other side of hogs over 250 with bows around 48-52 pounds with BIG broadheads drawn to 27". If I were hunting a 350 lb boar with 45 punds I would shoot about 550-600 grains of arrow with a 2 blade broadhead and shoot that rascal broadside or slighly quartering away. I would shoot him in the "pocket" right behind his elbow....LOW. And I would not hesitate to go hunting with that setup. The very Best hog killer I know shoots 45 lbs out of a 66" longbow with 2020 arrows and bear razorheads with 100 grain adapters in them. He kills lots of stuff.  100`s of pigs.RC

[bmb]

i only draw 25". and ive shot plenty with a 43#( at my draw) hoyt gamemaster....and...i know some wont like this...but i use 386gr arrows, broadhead included( 100gr.). biggest hog ive shot with this setup was 175# and i didnt get a pass thru of the full arrow but i did have about 9 inches sticking out the other side. main thing is hit them low and tight to the front leg/shoulder.

[Brent Hill]

RC is spot on.  Bigger pigs and high shots never mix.  I shoot a 48lb Bob lee with 600 grain arrows and have shot through shields.  I have also hit too high and lost a few also.  With a big pig or any pig over 100 lbs. for that matter, broadside shots and shots to the shoulder should be taken with caution.  I now try to let them get quartering away and if they are broadside, try to shoot em low at the elbow.  It doesn't always work out that way but a low shot will likely get the heart and avoid the shield that has been known to stop arrows.  With high shots, I'm not sure if its the shield or the low set lungs/ heavy bone that cause pigs to go unrecovered, but either way, I try to avoid that shot.  Its hard to do that from a tree stand so I'm  hunting from ground blinds this year to chang things up.

[Plumber]

mr. stout makes a great point I am still learning. lots of great info.on this web site .

[Terry Green]

Click Here - Shot placement and Shield info and video