Bow setup

jfarmer100 · 01-06-2009, 10:04 AM

I will be as brief as possible. I am new to the huntingnet forum as a poster. Having harvested 70+ whitetails, 2 elk and a mule deer with compounds over the years, I decided to finish off my Illinois "˜08 season with my recurve. I had never shot at a deer with it, and my first evening out, I harvested a doe at 21 yards. The next evening I took another doe at 23 yards. I must say, I felt as much or more excitement shooting those does with the recurve as I did shooting my 2 P & Y bucks this year.
I am drawing 60# with a Custom Bighorn, my draw is 28". I was using a 31" Easton ACC 371 arrows and just used aMuzzy 100 gr. three blade broadheads that I had on hand. Arrow flight is excellent, but penetration was not what I have been accustomed to with my compound. I am sure with the 100 grain broadhead my FOC is nowhere near where it should be and could be affecting penetration. Hunting from one stand about right at 20 feet high, and the other one at about 24 feet high, the exit wound was actually higher than the entrance wound by about 2 inches on both deer. Could this be from not using a cut on contact head or possibly from too light of broadhead/arrow combination? I have not shot through a chrono yet, so I have not gone as far as figuring my kenetic energy.
Could you guys offer some arrow/broadhead combination suggestions for my 60# bow? Although I would like to stay with ACC arrows, I am not opposed to trying something new to gain optimum performance. While I will not set my Mathews down for good,[&:] I do want to continue with my Bighorn, and maybe even hunt for bucks with it in "™09.

BobCo19-65 · 01-06-2009, 10:13 AM

Congratulations on all of your deer.

I'm not sure what your total arrow weight is, but I'd want to be around 650 grains with your setup. Personally, Ihave also had what I would call a penetration problem with the regular Muzzy's. I know people who have had none though. If you want to stay with Muzzy, you may want to look at the Phantom head. They do have rather big bleeders though for my taste (I'd go two blades). Personally, I am sticking with two bladed non-vented heads though with Grizzly being my preference.

jfarmer100 · 01-08-2009, 07:48 AM

Bob,
Thank you for the reply. I am probably wayon the light side, and I am sure that not using a COC broadhead, and the lack of forward weight needs to be corrected as well as my overall arrow/broadhead weight. Right now I am nowhere near 650 gr. As far as a broadhead to use for next year, my long time hunting partner, and only a recurve shooter uses the Wensel Woodsman and has had great success with it. I would copy his setup, but he is an animal and shoots a Widow at 80#.

Thanks again for the info as I am looking to narrow the curve of experimenting and get things right.