Stone point draw weight

[Scott E]

I'm thinking about hunting with stone points and I know the whole minimum draw weight thing has been    

But I read on Gills Primitive Archery that hunting with a bow lighter than 50lbs and stone points is not recommended.  

The set up I want to use is a small obsidian point that weighs around 100 grains on a doug fir shaft and a 45 lbs longbow. Largest game would be a deer.

Stone point experts what are your thoughts?

[Retnuh Wob]

I am not a stone point expert. But, I just read Saxton Pope's "Hunting With a Bow and Arrow". They used 65# and 75#  long bows made of Yew and Osage. No fiberglass in those days! Pope said that with a "light" arrow a 65# would get 150 fps. Later he said he preformed some tests and determined that he was getting 25 ft-lbs. K.E..  This equates to an arrow energy to draw weight ration of 38% at best.  Even the klunkiest modern fiberglass laminated bow will close to double that. Both Saxton Pope and Art young killed huge animals with these setups with steel points. Pope also did a penetration test comparing steel with obsidian heads with the same bow and weight of arrow and the obsidian out penetrated the  steel by a substantial margin.

In Ryans recommendation he mentions a 50# min in relation to primitive style self bows. If you are hunting with a self bow then you should probably follow his recommendation. If you are using any of the bows in your signature they will generate way more than the 25 ft.-lbs. that Pope and Young relied on to kill some very large animals with their inferior steel points.

[Pheonixarcher]

I agree with retnuh. Not to mention your power stroke/draw length is about two inches longer than 'average'. I think you'll be fine. An obsidian head will get sharp on the molecular level, meaning that it is far superior in sharpness compared to all other materials. Good luck, and post pics of your success!

[Hopeful-Bowyer]

I was looking into hunting with totally primitive gear all made by myself and I wanted to use material in my local area(at the time NE Wa.) and luckily lived right beside a rez. so I went and asked around, they said most of their traditional bows pulled 45# max, and they confirmed the whole smaller arrowheads thing. Less then 2 fingers wide, and almost as long as the main knuckle in your index finger to the end. They hunted deer, elk, moose, all that with those bow/arrow combos. Shot placement is the key and the lighter the bow the way more accurate you can get. And obsidian and chert are much sharper then you can get steel to. Just in my experience it helps to knap your own points because they break much easier. *sorry for the late reply, currently deployed in Afghanistan

[Blaino]

this might help you out a little:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsqrlaIef2o&list=TLAqT0pDv_Um4zM9c48WsBA8eepUh8m3Wv

40 pound pow and 300g arrow.....

[legends1]

I have never seen a test video using stone points. That was very interesting.

[RAU]

yea Blaino that was cool thanks!

[ChuckC]

They work, no doubt.  Be a bit wary of the sharpness claims.  Yes, they can get sharp enough, but the "sharpness exceeds" is on a single break, a flake.  We do not normally use flakes for arrow heads.

Also, be careful and read your state regulations.  Many states have a minimum size limit on broadheads used for certain big game animals.

shoot straight
ChuckC