Roskoe

I recently got some NAP Spitfire expandables - for turkey hunting. I am absolutely impressed with how well they shoot. I don't doubt that, out of my 55 lb Hoyt, they would work well for deer and antelope. How about elk? Could I get a pass through on a broadside rib shot? Thx. Roskoe

Howler

why risk it? Elk are big and thick! It's a known fact that several mech. broadheads, including spitfires, use some energy to open thier blades upon impact. You'll want all the energy you can get for penetration WITHOUT wasting energy opening blades. Stick with a quality fixed blade broadhead on elk, and you won't be sorry!

KodiakArcher

Sure, if you're shooting a log of an arrow to generate adequate KE to open that head. I have complete confidence in the NAP Spitfires on any game, but I'm shooting them on a 500 grain total weight arrow at 71 lbs. draw.

HuntingBry

I love Spitfires, but I would look at a fixed blade head, or at least a mechanical that requires less KE than Spitfires for elk. They are big thick animals and with a 55 lb. bow I think a fixed head would be better.

iamyourhuckleberry

Roskoe,

My younger sister shoots a Hoyt set at 52 lbs. She tips her 2013s w/ 75 grain Rocket Mini-blasters. To date, she has bow hunted elk for ten seasons. She has killed 4 bulls and 3 cows . It would be a tough sell to convince her that mechanicals have little effect on elk. I'd be willing to bet she tells you to risk it!

http://hunting.sendphotos.com/SlideShow.aspx?p=Pages/FKV259&f=0015.jpg

Where do you hunt in Co.?

Campo

I wouldnt risk it man...especially pulling that little weight. True, others have done it, but others have also jumped off bridges and survived...doesnt mean it is a good idea.
I would stick with a nice, cut on contact head.

huntingson

Huck, I thought CO had a minimum draw weight of 60 pounds for elk. Was that ever true? What is it now? I am pretty sure that at least at one point it was 60 pounds because I had to increase my draw weight to go out there the first time, but that was 13 or so years ago. Thanks for the info.

Trembow

I shot spitfires for a few years. All 4 of the deer I shot with them died in short order, but the only passthrough I got was a bone-head-shouldda-missed-overshot-picked-her-head-up shot through a doe's neck. The rest all failed to pass through for one reason or another.

If I was going elk hunting, I'd use something else, probably a Muzzy phantom or Magnus Stinger.

bigbulls

I shot a very large bull one year a little too far back with a 100 grain NAP shock wave (which open up much easier than the spitfire) broadside probably through the liver out of a 70 pound compound. I did not get a pass thru and being that the arrow didn't fully come out the other side the exit wound was plugged by the arrow and being a mechanial i doubt there was much of an entrance wound.I lost that bull even though I searched for miles and two consecutive days.

I will be the first to admit, now thatI have hind sight, the shot was too far back but still in the ribs for a liver shot and i did begin the search too soon. It was my first truely large bull and I got way too excited and began the tracking long before I should have. Having said that, had I been using a good, strong fixed blade head I have no doubt that the blood trail would have been much better with a full size entrance hole and a full size exit hole and tracking that bull would have been much easier. I did back off when i realized that he wasn't hit nearly as well as i initially thought but the blood trail was very sparce at best.

I will never use a mechanical broadhead on anything again.

I don't know what it was 13 years ago but it is 35 pounds now.

iamyourhuckleberry

Huntingson,

Our minimum draw weight is 35 pounds and the max. letoff is 80%.

When it comes to hunting elk, you definitely must know your limits.

Bigbulls,

I personally won't use anything but a mechanical unless forced otherwise.