Elk questions

[Chain2]

Going on my first archery elk hunt this fall, taking my Wesley Special 50lbs @ 30" I draw almost 32".
 Arrows ? How heavy is too heavy ? I have been shooting GT 75/95's (not TRAD's) with 100 gr brass insert and 250 gr tip. They fly well but I think kind of slow. I can make 55/75's fly good but I need to lighten tip weight. All these arrows are full length.
 I am guessing that max range with a longbow at a heavy skinned animal like an elk is in the 25 yd range. I am talking arrow performance not archer performance. Thoughts ?
 What do you elk guys do for a quiver ? I have hunted elk once with a rifle and I learned every ounce counts that you are carrying ? Thank you for your help.

[Charlie Lamb]

Shoot the arrows you are use to. Sounds like you have plenty of weight and as long as you are accurate with them and your broadheads are sharp, you are good to go.

[MT Longbow]

Yep, what Charlie said...

They can jump the string a bit, I have seen it myself but not to the extent you need to worry about it based on arrow speed unless you take a very long shot...Which I personnaly wouldnt recommend.

Good luck, and there is nothing like calling them in and getting close in the rut.  best times of the year spent in the woods!

[Stryder]

I like heavy arrows when elk hunting.  My go to elk arrows are AD Trads weighing right at 700 grains.  This year I may use some Doug Fir shafts--finished arrows weigh approx 675 grains.

[MT Longbow]

Sorry, forgot to say arrow weight, I shoot right at 600 grains finished weight out of 60 or 70+ lb Bows...

Patrick

[lone hunter]

Shoot the arrow that flies the best and that you have confidence in.

Mine are 655g out of a 62# longbow with a GN adjustable quiver. Good Hunting, Mike

[Bjorn]

There is no need to think that because they are Elk they have to be shot from far away. Wait for the shot you want; Elk are more tolerant of being stalked than deer. IMO

[Bowwild]

I've been on 3 DIY elk hunts. I wish I could add to the conversation but I was mostly just humbled.  

I certainly wouldn't be worried about the potential of your set-up.

Biggest thing I learned -- don't hurry, 5-7 days, AND kidney stones don't work on elk archery hunts.

[4dogs]

Agree with advice above, stick with the arrows you know. No arrow is too heavey if it flies well from your set up. Your set up is good elk medicine. Wait for a good shot but be ready for  the shot when the oppertunity happens in your range...dont wait thinking it will come closer..it may and it may not. I found that a bow quiver works best for me. And for sure, like BW said....dont get kidney stones!

[Jim Wright]

A quiver you might consider is Great Northern's Sidekick. It holds 5 arrows, weighs around i/2 lb. and adjusts with a simple leather strap/buckle to accomodate what kind of pack you use. Very simple and it works great.

[oxnam]

Originally posted by Chain2:
I am guessing that max range with a longbow at a heavy skinned animal like an elk is in the 25 yd range. I am talking arrow performance not archer performance. Thoughts ?
 

Not to start a long range debate, but that arrow is lethal far beyond most of our comfort zones.  If a 500 grain arrow from a 50# bow will kill anything in North America, take that same arrow and fire it from a 60# bow and get even better penetration and flatter trajectory.  I don't really consider elk a thick skinned game and don't see the need for extremly heavy arrows.

In preparation for elk, remember they have large vital areas and do not react like most whitetails.  Most hunting is done from the gound and there is a significant advantage to flatter shooting arrows as opportunities can range from five to thirty or forty yards.  Your own abilities and confidence will determine your max range but I would encourage people to become proficient to at least thirty yards.

Public land hunts are hard and it's difficult to get a single ideal shot opportunity under thirty yards and even more difficult under twenty.  I know everyone wants to get spitting close to the animal, but they only need to be close enough to confidently put an arrow through them.

The last elk I killed was at twenty five yards.  There was a good chance he may have come closer but he gave me a relaxed broadside shot.  I was blessed with the wonderful opportunity and felt no need to challenge his keen senses any further.

I recommend giving some lighter arrows a try and stretch out your practice distances.  You still have plenty of time to experiment before deciding on your elk setup.  

As for quivers, I like a hip quiver for elk hunting.

[twitchstick]

If you shoot your set up good you are fine with it. Quivers are a very personal thing but for me a bow quiver is the only way to go. I like quiver on the bow I feel that your can move though the timber much faster and easier.

[Kentucky Jeff]

A slow arrow that flies well will outpenetrate a fast arrow that wobbles.  Focus on HOW you shoot--not WHAT you shoot.  The longer I do this thing the more I come to understand that good arrow flight is MUCH more a reflection of shooting form that finely tuned equipment.  

I prefer a well made back quiver.  But back quivers take some break-in time and commitment.  You probably won't just throw one on and fall in love with it.  It needs to be well designed.  You need to make a commitment to learning how to use it.  Its not simply a piece of kit most people put on and they fall in love with it.  Like a baseball glove it needs breaking-in.  YMMV

[oxnam]

I am not sure why there seems to be an assumption that you can't get a lighter arrow to fly well.  A well tuned arrow is a must for any hunting situation.  

A flatter shooting arrow makes it easier to make accurate shots at unknown distances, a benefit that shouldn't be overlooked when 20, 25,or 30 yards shots might be possible.

[Chain2]

I am pretty green at this and at times I have to ask myself, Is it the arrow? or The indian (me)? I have been focusing on my release for the last 4-5 practice sessions and I have found that I can make some of the lighter arrows fly well, very well in fact, if I get a perfect (sort of) release. The heavy arrows seem to be much more forgiving. I started treating my release like the trigger pull on my longer distance rifles, this seems to be working towards better arrow flight. I have been shooting farther, not that I would shoot game that far, but to observe the flight of my arrow. I am not a heavy guy nor am I a light guy, so I probably will be in the middle somewhere. I just hope that whatever I get to fly has enough UMMPH behind it to do the job. I appreciate all the help. Thank you

[German Dog]

If your backpacking in or on a horse I'd recommend an Easton arrow tube to protect those arrows until you get to camp or set up to hunt. Then I switch to bow quiver.

[Chain2]

Good thought. I am concerned also about my 70" Wesley Special. I think I will do the PVC Holster by Jim.

[German Dog]

Nothing worse than having the guide say "Man you just busted 3 of your 5 arrows!" as you're making the first climb up the mountain into goat country.

I was on a B.C. mountain goat hunt and had at the time a hip quiver attached to my pack with my arrows. When we broke out of the timber my quide notice I only had two arrows left.  :(

[Missouri Sherpa]

I use a Great Northern quiver.  5 arrows plus one that I slide in between the foam and the leather hood.  I pack them on the horse hanging from the saddlehorn in a plains quiver with my takedown bow. I have on some hunts just used the plains quiver instead of having the quiver on my bow, but once you get used to having a bow quiver I like having it there.  Arrows don't seem to get messed up or lost if I carry them on the bow.

I shoot a little heavier equipment than you are describing, around 70 pound shrew classic longbow and 750 gr carbon arrows.  I have had the blessing of killing several elk and have killed three at distances of 40-47 yards and have blown through them.  While I am a big advocate of more is better I know you can kill elk out to 25 yards with the equipment you have.  Good rule of thumb is 10 gr of arrow per pound of draw weight. Just make sure your set up is tuned, and flies true to where you aim.

[acolobowhunter]

I am about in the same positon inregards to the 5575 or 7595 shafts.  They both seem to fly good.  I think I am in the breaking point, as I shoot a 70lb. recurve.  I opted for the 7595's as I shoot a 31" arrow.  Just use a good sharp broadhead and you will be fine.  Shot placement is the most important thing.  I have been bowhunting here in Colo. for over 35 yrs and the only type of quiver I have used is one mounted on the bow.  Some of the others look OK, but arrows can get caught in limbs and trash.  I personally want my arrows at my fingertips, so I don't have to make much movement to get one out.  I also like the way the bow balances out with a quiver full of arrows in it.  Even when practicing I have the quiver full of arrows.