Draw Weight

[Deeter]

What would be a good draw weight for deer hunting?  Would 50# be good enough?

[LBshooter2]

Plenty, deer are taken with 40lb all day, I hunt with 43lb,just make sure that your arrows fly well and bh's are sharp. Oh, and you hit the vitals.

[ISP 5353]

50 pounds is plenty for deer.  What draw weight do you usually shoot now?

[Shedrock]

Originally posted by LBshooter2:
Plenty, deer are taken with 40lb all day, I hunt with 43lb,just make sure that your arrows fly well and bh's are sharp. Oh, and you hit the vitals.

X2  

[Sam McMichael]

50 is plenty. Although I prefer heavier bows of about 65"#, there is absolutely no real need to go that high. As others have indicated, 40# will also work very well. Just be sure to get comfortable with the weight you choose. Make sure your form is good and that you are handling the bow rather than the other way around.

[Broken Arrow 1]

I've killed many deer with my bows ranging from 45-55. So plenty

[twistedlim]

As others have said 50 is more than enough.  I had a complete pass through this year with a 48 lb longbow.  As most of the experts here have imparted on me, arrow weight and a sharp 2 blade broadhead are the key factors.  Even though I am only shooting 48 lbs my arrow weight was 650 grains.

[Charlie Lamb]

Not sure I'd recommend that weight for a starter bow, but if you are experienced, then the 50# will work great.

[Surewood Steve]

Deeter, check your state regs, in Oregon the minimum for deer is 40# and 50# for elk.  But my opinion hunt with the heaviest bow that you can comfortably shoot accurately.  I will be 65 in June and still hunt with 60#.  My draw length has gone from 29" to maybe 12", but I still shoot 60#.  Well maybe I'm exaggerating a little.  SS

[pruiter]

50 pds will kill a moose,  Depends alot on what style broadhead,
 Charlie is dead right, start, light, light, light  See guys over bowed up north here all the time, Ive guided guys with 110 pd bows.  Lol fun watching them draw in sub 0 weather

[Deeter]

Originally posted by Surewood Steve:
Deeter, check your state regs, in Oregon the minimum for deer is 40# and 50# for elk.  But my opinion hunt with the heaviest bow that you can comfortably shoot accurately.  I will be 65 in June and still hunt with 60#.  My draw length has gone from 29" to maybe 12", but I still shoot 60#.  Well maybe I'm exaggerating a little.  SS

Here in good ole Indiana the requirment is a whopin 35#.  But hey thanks.

[DennyK]

The poundage depends on wheather or not you can shoot it accurately when you are dog tired, fatigued, too hot, too cold, motionless for hours...etc. This follows the same theme as being over bowed. 50# is more then enough.

[Deeter]

Originally posted by pruiter:
50 pds will kill a moose,  Depends alot on what style broadhead,
 Charlie is dead right, start, light, light, light  See guys over bowed up north here all the time, Ive guided guys with 110 pd bows.  Lol fun watching them draw in sub 0 weather

Sounds like 50# it is.  I started shooting dad's 1966 Kodiak at 42# and it was very easy and comfortable.  I have shot a Kodiak Magnum @ 50#.  The Kmag felt great and I was able to control it and hold it with no problem.  The guy at the local archery shop told me if you cant draw the bow back and hold it for a few seconds comfortably then your pullin to much.

[Stumpkiller]

Using identical broadheads a 45# bow properly tuned with a well spined arrow will likely penetrate much better than a poorly tuned 55# bow lobbing an arrow of the wrong spine.  Extra arrow gyrations rob speed in flight and add resistance in tissue.  You can see this in target bales as well.

Extra weight does give you added "margin for error" but there are other factors.  Better to hit vitals with a 45# than wound with more weight.

I like the 50# range.  Have hunted higher but, on whitetail deer, have not noticed an improvement.  I limit myself to 25 yard shots so the added cast doesn't add that much; though I tend to like recurves of good design to begin with.  Not all "50 pound bows" come off the blocks at the same speed.

[Bowhunter4life]

Draw weight is a very personal thing... but, as far as the deer is concerned 50# bow with a properly tuned arrow and a sharp broadhead will end up with backstraps for dinner if you do your part and put it where it belongs.

[Steve Clandinin]

Howard Hill use to say "Take a 40# bow with the proper arrows and you can kill anything in North America".Kind of sums it up.