Do you need more then #50?

[ESP]

Will it work yes.  Will it work for worst case scenario, probably not.  There are too many things that can happen once the string has been let go.  I would work up to the extra poundage for that reason.  Just do not give up accuracy.

[Barry Winner]

A 50@28 bow is the .30-30 of bow hunting! Perfectly fine for most situations, but lacking respect.

[md126]

Is 50# enough? Probably. Depends on arrow weight, draw length, etc...

Shoot the heaviest weight you can shoot comfortably, accurately, and without injuring yourself. Why wouldn't you?

Whatever weight that is is up to you

[maineac]

I have a couple of bows at 50# and a couple at #56ish.  I am planning on using one of the heavier bows on my moose hunt this fall.  I am not sure if they are any faster than my 50# whip, but I shoot them well and the extra poundage gives me a little more piece of mind.

[md126]

That being said, I shoot 46@29 and wouldn't hesitate to use it on almost any big game with a heavy arrow and sharp COC broadhead

[LBR]

http://www.safarituff.com/trophies.html  

Follow the advice at the bottom of the page and you will pick up a lot more performance than you can by dropping strands in the string, maybe even more than going up 5# of draw weight.

If 55# is a struggle, you are doing more harm than good.  Elk, moose, and bear have been killed with bows under 50#.  My best friend's daughter has killed a few whitetails pulling around 25# on a recurve.

[tracker12]

Originally posted by pavan:
Some 50 pounders can out preform some 60 pounders. I have seen slower 60 pound Hill style bows shoot no faster with the same arrows than a faster 50 pound Hill style bow.  Now if you add a curve or two to the limb design, anything can happen. After a few run ins with moose on canoe trips, I lost my desire to shoot one, but if I did ever go for a moose I would pick a faster bow and a tougher arrow.  I have no trouble shooting heavy bows, but I still do most of my shooting with bows in the low to upper 50s.  As a ground whitetail hunter, shot accuracy and timing and shooting versatility come first. Every so often I take out a heavier bow and shoot a few hundred arrows, being able to do so with a heavy bow makes the bows under 60 shoot better for me.

I am with Pavan on this one.  There is a lot more to a set up then the # marked on the bow.  Arrow weight, speed, BH design and sharpness and most of all ability to hit the mark on the first arrow.  Go with ever gives you the best combo of the above and you will not have any regrets.

[Michael Arnette]

Yes...It's a macho thing        I shoot and love bows in the #60 pound range but have shot lots of animals with #70 bows too. I would definately shoot over #60 if elk were in my backyard but with whitetail having maneuverability is the name of the game with tree stand hunting.

[59Alaskan]

Hunt with the heaviest you can comfortably shoot in hunting conditions....hunting conditions here include:

Sitting for hours in freezing cold before having to draw
Having to hold at draw or half draw as you wait out that deer who turned to look at you at exactly the wrong moment

I freely admit that I feel I have made errors in both directions (low and high). Only you can judge for yourself

[Chromebuck]

Originally posted by ceme24:
Hunt with the heaviest you can comfortably shoot in hunting conditions....hunting conditions here include:

Sitting for hours in freezing cold before having to draw
Having to hold at draw or half draw as you wait out that deer who turned to look at you at exactly the wrong moment

I freely admit that I feel I have made errors in both directions (low and high). Only you can judge for yourself

I highly respect this gentleman's comment.  It is a comment we have all seen Terry and Rob make over the years.  

50# minimum is the law for moose in Alaska so if you bring a 50 @ 28 bow you better be sure your drawing to 28".

One thing I will never forget reading in Pow Wow just recently is you don't find a good bow.  It finds you!  Once you've gone through enough bows and that one has finally found you it is euphoric!  It is an extension of your body.  It is grabbing that bow from the rack and taking the first shot by just looking at the spot and watching the arrow fly exactly to where you were looking....If you can do this with a bow over 50#'s I would say you have added advantage.

~CB

[JEFF B]

yup that would be fine. i use a 45# bow for everything down here from target to deer.
      so 50# no problem

[59Alaskan]

This is that bow for me CB...by some theories I shouldn't shoot this bow well...my draw is 29".  It's an old 58" Grizzly with a Bear weather rest.  I can pick it up after not shooting it for a while and "hit" with a 620gr arrow.  It's marked "45x" but scales at 53# at my draw.  For some reason I just naturally gravitate toward it come August....

Did I need 50# for this shot?  Nope, but I needed to "hit"....

It doesn't hurt that it's from my birth year and my cousin gave it to me!

   

[Shane H]

no

[Tajue17]

last couple years my highest poundage was 56#  after pulling 50# for years, my thinking was to go back to hill style bows and heavy woods then up the poundage a bit..

well last september my shoulder started hurting and I was in pain all last year everytime I drew back a string...

a month ago I bought 44# recurve, 2weeks ago I got my first cortisone shot and finally no pain.

I'm going back to mid 40's to 50 max and selling all my other 50+ bows one by one.

im not even worried a tiny bit about shooting 44# with 540gr total weight arrow,,, 250gr abowyer broadhead that bareshafts perfect the bow is super quiet with hush wraps and the arrow hits perfect for me out to 20yds.

[hitman]

All my bows are between 45-50#. My next one will be closer to 40#. Arthritis causes a lot of problems.

[Babbling Bob]

Seems like it depends if you are shooting large hogs, bears, or going to Alaska to shoot really big game. For deer, Graps brought up a great point above.  That point has been discussed six times per year since I have been on this forum and the answers are always based on set up, shot placement, and personal preference.

For me,unfortunately, most of my shooting is paper or foam targets nowdays, so about anything that is comfortable is my pick for draw weight, but If I were to go out of state, hire a guide and go after moose, I would probably want to work on shooting a bow 55 to 65 lb at my  draw length, and somehow, I would be determined to find the money or means to get one.  However, that bow would sit around a lot and just collect dust after the trip.  Many bows now for sale 55 lb or greater so I would say more people are shooting weights greater than your mentioned 50 lb than not.  Before I would go after something big and dangerous, whether its buffalo or grizzly bear, I would get a bow with as much draw weight as I could handle and have a guide with some backup. For most deer, the majority of experienced people have concluded in similar discussions that about anything that people shoot daily will work with good shot placement.

[RC]

I enjoy shooting lots of arrows. Every day if I can and shooting over 50 lbs really causes me pain in my neck and shoulders. I dropped down in poundage a few years ago and can now shoot without hurting. Shooting over 50 pounds is not an option for me.
  Here is the kicker. I always thought I had about a 27.5 draw. I found out I draw 26. So for the last 7-8 years I have killed all my criters with bows around 45-47 at 26. I tried to count them up but its near a 100 deer and hogs. Most with Simmons or Magnus I heads and 500 grain arrows.The other 2oo+ were killed with only around 5 pounds more in earlier years. I shot a 59 @28 Jeffery recurve for years before that drawn to 26. It would be the heaviest bow I have hunted with I believe. So in short I would feel purty good shooting 50 pounds on deer and pigs.RC

[pdk25]

Hi RC.  You are the man.  Don't be a stranger.  We can learn a lot from you.

[rolltidehunter]

After shooting a elk with 53lbs I will never shoot a heavier bow than that. No need

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

47 lb bow

Shot placement shot placement shot placement!