Experienced elk hunters

[The Night Stalker]

For all those who have shot elk, how many used a bow under 50lbs of draw.
What was the poundage at your draw?
How heavy was your arrow?
How was your penetration and did you hit a rib?
I was trying to determine a weight for my next longbow.

[elknut1]

I'd love to help you out Sir but have not used a longbow under 55#. I will say that's about as low as I'd go personally with 500grn arrow.

  But this will bump it up! (grin)

  ElkNut1

[Ragnarok Forge]

Accuracy is a lot more important than bow weight and there is a lot of difference between 40 lbs drawn to 30 inches and 40 lbs drawn to 26 inches.  My wife hunts with 42 lbs drawn to 28 inches with a 516 grain arrow.  She keeps her shots inside 20 yards.  That is pretty light but it is what she can draw and shoot accurately.  I shoot 55lbs drawn to 30.25 inches with 584 grain arrows.

[scedvm]

I think you should shoot the heaviest bow you own that you can shoot accurately and comfortably with for elk.  I killed my bull this year with a longbow at 57# at my nearly 31" draw with around a 520 gr. arrow and it did the job just fine, however had I been in good enough shape to shoot 70# that would have been my preference.  Lesser weights will undoubtedly get the job done but use the extra power if you can....Shawn

[The Night Stalker]

With this past camp, the elk were taken with bows that were less than 50lbs with heavy  arrows.
I wanted to know some actual numbers and percentages as well as failures.

[The Night Stalker]

Lowell, How many has your wife shot with that set up?

[Desert Hunter]

I shoot 60lbs for elk but have seen many killed with 50-55 lbs. Keep your shots close and use a heavy setup. It can be done but as said before, a little more poundage is what I would want. I would say 50lbs is about minimum for elk. Just my .02

[Bugle1N]

I shoot 53-55# with 500 grain port orford cedar works just fine.  I am sure that you could hunt 45-50#, it seemed fairly common back in the 60's and 70's.

[Steve O]

If you do a search and look for "elk" in the subject line, you will find dozens of threads asking this same question.  Some are quite interesting!

I used 53#, now I am up over 60 fwiw.

[PAPA BEAR]

i prefer 55 plus for elk just for one reason.if you hit a rib dead center it takes a lot of your arrows energy away.a faster moving arrow means more energy which means more penetration.just take two bows,one at 60 and one at 50 with the same arrow.shoot them both into a foam target and check the difference.of course if you have a super fast 50 pound bow and an average 60 pounder the difference will be very little in penetration.there are a lot of variables to consider.i think you pretty much have to count on hitting a rib.i personally would not use less than 50 on an elk.

[IdahoCurt]

I'm sure people will say no problem but my question to you is why??

[The Night Stalker]

Next Season, I was thinking about getting an A&H around 48lbs. I know they shoot hard. That set  up will probably shoot as fast as some 55lb bows. I was thinking of what would happen if you have a direct hit  a rib. I really do not want to shoot more than 50lbs because of my shoulders.

[B/W lvr]

I have killed one elk with my current set up. It is 45# at 28" and that's what I shoot. The broadhead is a razor sharp 160 Grizzly with a 100 gr adapter on a 31" axis 500. The arrow is bareshafted to shoot just a hair weak and with it at  4" and  4 fletched it shoots like a dart. As I remember the total arrow weight is 537gr.I believe arrow speed was 175 or 180 fps. Arrow went all the way  thru on a broadside  shot with a rib  cut going in. I shoot this combo really well and have no fear of wounding an elk. Frank

[fnshtr]

I killed a 2 1/2 year old bull this fall shooting 47# at my draw length (27 1/2"). My arrow weighed 630 grains. I used a two blade BH.

Shot placement and a razor sharp BH are important. I hope to be shooting a heavier bow next year... and will stay with a heavy arrow with a razor sharp BH.

Wayne

[Ragnarok Forge]

The wife hasn't shot an elk yet.  I shot three elk with a recurve that pulled 45 lbs at my draw length way back in high school, using lighter arrows than she shoots.  Her modern R/D longbow shoots heavier arrows at close to the same speed.  Tricia is 6' tall and has a long draw length. I got full penetration on two elk with the arrow hanging out the other side.  The third elk had the broadhead hit the offside shoulder with the arrow staying in the elk.  All three shots were inside 20 yards.

I am expecting to see her put her first elk on the ground this late season.  I will post pics and do an autopsy of the wound channel if she does.

[snag]

In Oregon it is illegal to hunt elk with anything less than 50lbs. Just something to check on when hunting in other states. If things work out as far as distance of shot, no wind, you don't hit a rib, etc. then yes you can shoot less poundage. But if you can go up in weight I think it is prudent to do so. They are a large animal. You definitely want to honor them with a clean swift kill.

[Ragnarok Forge]

Washington is 40 lbs minimum for big game.  Everyone who says use the most bow you can shoot accurately is spot on.  If you can only shoot 40 lbs or so then use heavier arrows and get real close. Hit an elk wrong and they will run a long, long ways

[mambashooter]

Shoot straight is what I say!!!  

[joe ashton]

I've killed 3 elk with 55# long bows and arrows in the 500gr range. Two of them I got 27" of penetration but not passed through (shot out of a tree stand Elk are thick from above) 1 125 thunder head, 1 mag 2 blade, and 1 with a woodsman.  All dead....

[ShadeMt]

While not under 50 lbs, I shot a 5x5 with a 54 lb at a 26" draw length Toelke Whip longbow.  I was shooting a carbon shaft with a 2 blade Magnus head for a total weight of 640 grains.  The bull was quartering away at 23 yards and the penetration was to the fletching and struck the opposite shoulder.