Which setup for Roosevelt Elk

[Jock Whisky]

I have 2 setups I could use for an upcoming Roosevelt Elk hunt. These guys can be big.

50 lb recurve, 27 inch draw, 570 grain carbon arrow including 160 grain grizzly head, 100 grain adapter and 100 grain insert. (29%foc)

60 lb recurve, 27 inch draw, 650 grain carbon arrow including 160 grain grizzly head, 125 grain adapter and 100 grain insert. (27%foc)

Both arrows shoot close to the same speed. I'm pretty sure the 50 lb would take down a cow but if I have a crack at a good size bull I'm leaning toward the 60 lb bow.

Would anyone care to give me the benefit of their experience please?

JW

[elknut1]

Both will do the job, but I would opt for the 60# bow. During crunch time it is very common to short draw a bow as much as an inch to inch & a half because of excitement, this can reduce the draw wt & penetration.

  It takes as much power & penetration to kill a cow as it does a bull. Razor those heads up & make sure arrows are tuned & have fun!!!

  ElkNut1

[Bowwild]

I have no experience with Rooselvelt elk. However, a friend in Grants Pass killed a bull last year with a 47# recurve and cedar arrows. I was planning to use the same weight but with carbon arrows this year and he said it would be fine.

However, if you shoot the 60# bow as well as the 50, I'd definitely go with the heavier bow.

[L. E. Carroll]

Both of your set up's will work just fine  

[Ragnarok Forge]

Shoot the bow you are most accurate with.  Lots of people recommend more bow weight, I don't. If your highly accurate with more bow weight then it is a good choice.  

Accuracy is the critical factor including only taking good shot angles and close shots at the animal.  Never try for an iffy distance or angle shot.  Hit them wrong and elk will go a long long ways.  Hit them right and they rarely go more than 100 yards.

[flycastr]

I agree with Forge.  I would go with the 50#, assuming like most people you shoot more accurately with lighter weight.  I recall seeing Fred Eichler on one of his programs talk about taking all his trad animals with a 54# bow.  He could draw much more, but I believe said he was more accurate with the lighter weight.  A friend in Texas last year lost a nice 8-pt whitetail with a new 70# Mathews Z7--just hit him wrong.  Lots and lots of big bulls have been taken (and I'm sure lost)  with .270's, too.  But of course this is a debate that will go on forever!

[S.C. Hunter]

I agree if you are equally accurate with the heavier bow use the heavy bow. It never hurts to have that little extra energy with the heavier arrow. Your 50# setup though less poundage is actually around 11.4 grains per pound vs 10.8 grains per pound on your 60# setup. The 50# setup is more capable of taking the elk. You can be the only one to make that choice. Kinetic energy difference in these two setups is probably not more than 2-4 fpe. But these are not rifles so it really doesn't matter.

[K.Morgan]

I would shoot the bow you love the best and shoot the best. A heavy bow will work a bit better if you get excited and short draw. But still I have a buddy that has seen moose hunting and killed with bows in the 40# range. He happens to be a bowyer and lives in Canada. Go with what you feel you can get the job done. Oh and yes they are huge. Elk in the east look like our mulies. Elk out here are more like a horse with horns.