Is 40# enough for whitetails?

[creekwood]

Originally posted by kagross:
I have a 48#@28 Bear Alaskan (1959), but I only draw 26", and on a scale, the bow is 40lbs@26".  Is that enough for whitetails?  I can draw just about any bow made (shoot a 92lb compound w 50% letoff), so I can get a heavier bow if needed.

Since you are asking for opinions, here is mine. Don't do it.  Even though many deer have been killed with that weight, many many more have not.
Those who may hunt with a light bow are probably doing so out of necessities that you do not have. Get the heavier bow and practice, practice and practice some more.

[Steelhead]

I have seen deer wounded and lost with heavy bows and heavy compound bows as well and thats just my personel experience around alot of hunters for many years.

Its mostly about shot placement,clean flying arrows with no porpoise or fishtailing and very sharp strong broadheads.IMO 40#s is enough if you have these things on your side for deer.

I have killed deer with traditional bows from 42 to 70 #s.Its all about shot placement,a well tuned arrow and sharp broadhead.I do prefer a moderatly heavy to heavy arrow as well with a smaller diameter and take quality shots at well positioned game.

[creekwood]

Steelhead, I agree with everything you just said. However, I have never heard of anyone that felt that pulling a 40 lb bow is superior to pulling a heavier bow when one is capable of the higher weights.  Just saying.  Remember the OP stated he is currently pulling a wheelie bow that is set at 92 lbs.  I've never heard of a hunter wishing that he used a lighter draw weight bow because he was trying to limit penetration.    After reading the OP's original question "is 40# enough for whitetails?" the short answer is YES.

[oldbohntr]

It is enough, but 70# is NOT enough if you put it in the wrong place!  Surely, most everyone would want to shoot a few more pounds for a bit more assurance of a quick kill.  But, if 40# is YOUR limit on THIS day of hunting, then use it to shoot your deer in a good spot!  That's all you can do.  

No one else can tell you what you should do. Be the judge.   I am a fan of improving my capabilities, including draw weight.   There's no substitute for practice and stretching our capabilities.  But, when a season opens, your die is cast for that period.  Shoot what ya' got and make it count!

[Fattony77]

Do you shoot it well, with little effort in a stressed or extreme temperature environment?

If the answer is yes (assuming you have well tuned arrows with sharp broadheads), then I think you are good to go! The equipment is plenty adequate to get the job done cleanly, as long as you can consistently do YOUR part.

A lot of people believe that you should try to hunt with the maximum weight that you can draw and shoot COMFORTABLY and maintain a high degree of accuracy. I think that is a sound practice, and adhere to it myself. However, I would not hesitate to use a lighter weight (that is legal and well tuned) should the opportunity present itself.

That is MY opinion but, feel free to completely disregard it, since I am by NO means an expert. (Hell, I haven't even killed any big game with my bow, yet! Lol.) That's just what seems most logical in MY mind.

[sweet old bill]

now 73 I now shoot a checkmate firebird with a set of 40 lbs at 28 inch and draw 29 inch. JUst right for this older archer and sure will take down a deer or two...

[Steelhead]

Creekwood.I agree.Definatly shoot as heavy as you can that your very comfortable with and accurate.I used to shoot heavier bows.It was no problem.With age and a concern with joint health I have gone down alot in poundage.

Frankly I am personally surprised at how well a lighter poundage high performance bow can cast a relatively heavy arrow hunting arrow.

[Cootling]

I've never seen objective evidence that wounding loss rates for deer are related to draw weight.

However, I've seen several deer shot with lighter draw weights than 40#, draw lengths of 20-21, heavy arrows, and cut-on contact heads.  Penetration to the fletching in each case.

I've also seen few cases where extra "oomph" made the difference when shot placement was poor.

Have fun and place your shots carefully.

[BWD]

This past year, shooting a bow that scales 41#, at my 26" draw, with a 500gr. arrow, and a sharp magnus 2 broadhead, I got a complete pass thru on one and had as much arrow sticking out the exit side as I had in the entrance side of another. First shot was 12 yards, second was 17 yards.
I don't know about 40, but 41 seems to do pretty good. Given about 98 more shots, I should know for sure.

[Son of Rooster]

Originally posted by pdk25:
Yes it is, and plenty of deer have been killed with less.  The reference about Indians and buffalo is probably not relevant, unless you will be hunting by horseback with a lot of your friends and tracking the pin-cushioned animal across miles of open prairie.  Just sayin.

I fixed my irrelevant post about Indians and buffalo...evidently, I don't have enough experience here yet to give an objective opinion...

[Fletcher]

Obviously, the short answer is "yes", and it's not with you hit them with, it's where you hit them that counts.  That being said, I like 50 better than 40 and liked 60 better than 50 when I was able to shoot it well.  As long as you can handle it accurately, there is no reason to not shoot at least 50 lbs for deer size game.  More energy allows heaver arrows and more broadhead.  It is almost always easier to deal with too much than not enuf.

[bear1336]

You will be fine with well matched arrows and shape broadheads and limit you shot range to 15 yds or so you will have no problems... I used 41# limbs on my Bear t/d with no problems.

[Traxx]

I fixed my irrelevant post about Indians and buffalo...evidently, I don't have enough experience here yet to give an objective opinion...

I didnt read your post concerning this subject,before you edited it,but based on the response,i can speculate at what you posted.I can assure you,that your speculation is as valid as any that contest your theories.It has been my observation,that all the writings and Hollywood movies,concerning Native Horseback hunting of Bison,fall very short of the Mark.My statment is based on my experience with these animals,both horses and Bison and i can tell you that most "Expert" theories have holes in them and tell me,that they have never had experience with either.
Sorry,if this offends anyone,but it is somewhat of a sore spot with me.

[Son of Rooster]

Traxx,
My point was that 40lbs was enough for deer, buffalo have been taken with bows of a similar pull, some heavier. But a 1000lbs pull was not required, as TG very own thread points out...
  http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=089639

I don't get offended...but I do respect other's opinions.

[pdk25]

For what it is worth, I don't disrespect your opinion Son of a Rooster.  I just reject the idea that how the Indians hunted bison with bows is remotely similar to how most of us hunt whitetail deer.  Your opinion regarding whether 40# would be enough for whitetail deer I agreed with.  I don't think anyone in this thread said that a 1000# bow was needed, unless I missed it.  Your level of experience here has nothing to do with any of this, as I told you via pm.

As far as experience with horses and bison, I have experience with both, even though I am not a farrier.  I probably should not have implied that the only buffalo hunting was done on horseback, but I think it is pretty clear that the majority of bison hunting was not done from a treestand or ground blind with animals recovered less than 100 yards from the shot.  Please let me know if I am mistaken and, if so, where the references for that are.  In that circumstance, I will gladly revise my opinion

There are two types of hunting accuracy.  One, deliberated and analytical.   Two, automatic, reflexive. What works for one, May not work for the other.  If you can force yourself to shoot pie plate groups with a heavy bow through much deliberation, but at that same distance shoot six inch groups with very little conscious effort with different or lighter bow, always go with that automatic accuracy.  The inversion of this would be this,myself included, while I can stack them tight with a lighter recurve at a target, my shots taken at game with that deliberation are not as good.  For that a moderate resistance with a forgiving longbow, puts the first three arrows on the spot with much less thought and deliberation.  A quicker recurve may very well have as much power as a 50pound longbow at your draw, and a faster bow may not produce the same casual accuracy that you are getting with old Bear.  My wife fired two arrows through a six pointer this year before it could fall down with a 38@26 NAT this year, the arrows were 420 grain tapered cedars with Zwickey Eskimos.  She has had just one deer not have an exit wound, that deer jumped on the shot.  The arrow entered the right rump, grazed the hip bone and stuck in left scapula.  Getting the arrow to fly straight behind the broad head is the key to good penetration, regardless of how much work went into pulling back the bow.
Forgive my typing, this is relayed through my cell phone.

[BuckeyeGuy]

Kurt,

I feel that your equipment should be sufficient.  However, if you have concerns with your set-up then by all means trade up for something a tad bit heavier and only "up" to where your accuracy is not affected with the increase in weight.  No sense in going into the woods second guessing your current equipment.  

Good luck,
Mike

[Jaydogk9b]

My dad hunted for years with a 40# bear recurve. He is one of the best hunters I know. Rest assured if you have a good shot, you will not go hungry!

[Traxx]

Traxx,
My point was that 40lbs was enough for deer, buffalo have been taken with bows of a similar pull, some heavier. But a 1000lbs pull was not required, as TG very own thread points out...

I do not disagree with this statement at all.In fact there is plenty of  evidence to back that claim.

For what it is worth, I don't disrespect your opinion Son of a Rooster. I just reject the idea that how the Indians hunted bison with bows is remotely similar to how most of us hunt whitetail deer.
I do not dispute this either,in fact i hail this opinion.It is one of the main contentions i have with the accepted versions of what is written of how it was done.For example....

They used their bows and arrows to shoot Bison,at point blank range,while riding along side the animal...

They filled the animal with multiple arrows and tracked the animal and retrieved it later.
They rode their horses in among the herd and discharged arrows...

They chased the herds while hoseback,for long distances and were able to kill many in the process.

These are stories i hear repeated constantly and i can shoot holes in everyone of them.Actually,i think the early native people,had a higher kill ratio and success with the Jump method,but had more opportunities at hunting the animals after acquiring the horse,for the simple fact,that they could move with the herd more easily.I also think the horse was used in conjunction with the jump method more than thought.
Its not that im directing my comments at you personally pdk25 ,it was more directed at the authors of past publishings,that keep getting handed down as the gospel.I guess i should have made that more clear..

My being a Farrier has no bearing on my knowledge of Horses or Bison and the use of them together.I know farriers,this day n age,who know next to nothing about a horse  above the fetlock region.Its a scary thought,but a reality,unfortunately.

[Traxx]

Traxx,
My point was that 40lbs was enough for deer, buffalo have been taken with bows of a similar pull, some heavier. But a 1000lbs pull was not required, as TG very own thread points out...

I do not disagree with this statement at all.In fact there is plenty of  evidence to back that claim.

For what it is worth, I don't disrespect your opinion Son of a Rooster. I just reject the idea that how the Indians hunted bison with bows is remotely similar to how most of us hunt whitetail deer.
I do not dispute this either,in fact i hail this opinion.It is one of the main contentions i have with the accepted versions of what is written of how it was done.For example....

They used their bows and arrows to shoot Bison,at point blank range,while riding along side the animal...

They filled the animal with multiple arrows and tracked the animal and retrieved it later.
They rode their horses in among the herd and discharged arrows...

They chased the herds while hoseback,for long distances and were able to kill many in the process.

These are stories i hear repeated constantly and i can shoot holes in everyone of them.Actually,i think the early native people,had a higher kill ratio and success with the Jump method,but had more opportunities at hunting the animals after acquiring the horse,for the simple fact,that they could move with the herd more easily.I also think the horse was used in conjunction with the jump method more than thought.
Its not that im directing my comments at you personally pdk25 ,it was more directed at the authors of past publishings,that keep getting handed down as the gospel.I guess i should have made that more clear..

My being a Farrier has no bearing on my knowledge of Horses or Bison and the use of them together.I know farriers,this day n age,who know next to nothing about a horse  above the fetlock region.Its a scary thought,but a reality,unfortunately.