Couple O' Questions

[CherokeeWarrior]

I'll get straight to the point, can I CLEANLY kill a deer with my 38 pound (I draw 26.5") longbow? I would limit my shots to 15 yards, and would only shoot broadside deer with 100 grain Magnus 2-Blades, could I do it? Next, can I shoot vanes of the shelf and expect good accuracy? Finally, I've been shooting for about two weeks, and can group my arrows in a four inch circle at 20 yards, but sometimes, my arrows go everywhere, I just put the bow down, and come back later, and I'm on again, do you sometimes just have an "Off Day"?
-Thanks

[AK]

I wouldn't neccessarily expect passthroughs every time, but your setup will do quite well at killing deer . Just stay away from the dense shoulder muscles and bone, as that will impede penetration. Your choice of using a 2-bld / cut on contact head is key. There was an article written in Traditional Bowhunter Magazine a year or so ago that chronicled the low poundage outfits of several women. They had no problems killing deer and elk with their high 30's to high 40's poundage longbows.

[338-06imp.]

Yes you can expect good results with your outfit as long as your broadheads are very sharp , you have good arrow flight , and confine your shots to the conditions you stated . As far as vanes off the shelf you should not shoot vanes off of the shelf as your arrow flight will suffer greatly . We all have bad days but a good habit to get into insted of putting your bow away when things go bad is to settle down go back to the basics of form follow thur and release and end your practice session on a good shot always !!! ( A great confidence builder )
Good shooting and have fun

[dathein]

Your 38# bow may be able to cleanly take a deer but may be below many state's legal limit of 40#.

Vanes will throw your accuracy off since they do not have the give of feathers as they clear the shelf. I have been shooting recurves and longbows for only 3 years and am finally now getting really confident in my accuracy from about 30 yds on in. But every now and then I have one of those days when I can't hit the broad side of a barn. I was getting so frustrated just a few months ago that I almost switched to compounds. I needed to go back and reassess my whole shot process and really focus on the basics. Now things are going great. You always hear that the first shot is the only shot that really counts. Some days I go out, have a perfect shot and call it quits for that session. Other days I will take shot after shot working on form until the muscles start to fatigue. It's all about practice, patience, and persistance.

The best resources I've found to help improve have been the wealth of knowledge available on this message board, and "Become the Arrow" by Byron Ferguson. Now my next is to join the local archery club.

[Arthur P]

I checked the regulations for Maryland and there is a 30 pound minimum draw weight for bowhunting deer. You're clear on the legal issue. Within the parameters you laid out, your bow is capable of killing a deer, but I feel it's right on the raw edge. Make sure you can hit exactly where you aim at 15 yards and hold out for that perfect shot opportunity.

Forget vanes, completely. You 'can' set up with an extremely high nock point to get them to shoot halfway decent off the shelf, but that arrangement will rob you of speed and energy, and you'll never get decent arrow flight. You simply cannot afford to lose energy with your light draw bow.

I've only been shooting for 49 years and I have those 'off days.' PLENTY of them.

[arrowsmit]

I hear ya Arthur, I sometimes wonder what an 'ON' day would feel like! [X(]

CherokeeWarrior, either swap the plastic vanes for real fletching (feathers) [>:]or add one of those stick on arrow rests to your set-up. []

Some very revered bowhunters of the past have used vanes & a flipper style rest. Hey, it'd have to be very rain-proof wouldn't it? Might be just the ticket for inclimate conditions like, oh say the Canadian barren ground? Hmmm....