55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I found this interesting after the 60# - 70#bow debate. I read article today by Dwight Schuh(editor of Bowhunter Magazine) on his Yukon moose hunt Aug/Sept 2007. His choice of equipment is a Mathews Switchback @ 55Lbs. This just shows what a well placed shot will do.
Now I not saying that you should not shoot 70#, I’m saying that you don’t have to. And should not feel like less of a hunter because you don’t have a heavy weight bow. A 45# well placed shot works better then a bad 70# shot or miss. Feel good about what you shoot and don’t over bow your self.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I am not advising others to overbow either. But I would advise to shoot as much poundage as you can COMFORTABLY AND ACCURATELY SHOOT. Lets face it not all shots are going to be perfect and I will take every advantage I can get when going after these critters on their turf. More pounds is just a little bit of insurance for those shots that might not reach the vitals otherwise. And a pass thru will give you a better blood trail than the arrow sticking in the hole or just an entrance hole.

Right now I am comfortable with shooting 70#, but I may have to drop that some as I get older and cannot comfortably shoot that weight.

Not bashing, just giving my opinion and reasoning.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Well said imbuckhunter!

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I agree more poundage is extra insurance as long as you can shoot it comfortably and accurately.

The other day I watched a guy spray arrow all over a target. He draws pointing toward the sky and looks like a wrestling match. After less then 12 shots could not break the cam over. After talking with him for awhile, it turns out that he believes that he need the speed to kill a deer (shooting 70#). Another guy was having problems with his rt/lt shooting. He did not use a peep, so I told him if he got a peep this should help him. He said yeah, but they slow your bow down. So I told him yes you may lose a few 3 fps but I don’t think that it would affect his 70# maxed 29” draw trykon. Luckily the second guy after thinking about it for awhile and watching me drill Xs on my 5 spot with my 60# bow. Decided that shooting better was worth the few fps lost. This is why I posted this, because there are a lot of people that get bad advice about shooting that dose not help them. My point is that your 1st priority should be accuracy. With out accuracy nothing else matters!!!

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I'm all for using the highest poundage you can draw and shoot comfortably. However, when I see guys draw for the sky it bothers me.

If they want to shoot heavier weight the first thing they should do is either hit the gym, buy some free weights, or start doing a ton of push-ups and towel resistant exercises.

Start off by shooting at the lower weight and then turn the bow up a turn every few weeks if they shoot a lot.

If you can't hold on target to shoot well then you should turn it down. If you can keep it up.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I like to challenge someone with a high poundage bow to point the bow directly at the target and draw it back in slow motion - like 6 or 7 seconds to get it back - as if an animal was looking your way and there was no "wait for him to go behind a tree so I can draw unseen" option. A lot of folks shooting 70 lb. bows can't do it.

A couple of weeks ago, I was playing around with some light arrows. I normally shoot carbon arrows that weigh a total of about 400 grains with 100 grain points. I tried some carbons that weighed only 320 grains total weight. They shot great. And my speed went up about 25 fps. The increase in trajectory was barely noticable until you got past 40 yards. At 60 yards, however, thefaster arrow shot about 6" higher. Not much to hang your hat on here for hunting situations. You would have to go up in pull weight at least 10 pounds to get this much velocity increase. And I wouldn't shoot past 40 without using the rangefinder anyway.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Remember that even if you are comfortable and accurate with the heavier poundage.You will wear your shoulder out over time with it,especially if you shoot alot.


I suggest we shoot more moderate setups so we can enjoy this sport longer with less pain.;)

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Words of Wisdom . . . . . . .

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

You wear out your shoulder from overdeveloping certain muscles and ignoring the other muscles that support that joint. This applies to every motion that develops muscles.

If you over develop 1 muscle and ignore the muscle that counters it you are going to tear something. The stronger muscle will try to contract as far as it can. If the opposing muscle is not strong enough the bone will try to move out of the socket and you get an injury. It's that simple.

I have bad shoulders from genetics.If I work all of my muscle groups that support my shoulders they feel great. When I ignore certain muscles they hurt.

Shooting my bow at 70#'s doesn't bother them and I can draw back slow if needed while still on target.

Make your body happy and exercise. :D

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Wait till you get to age 55 . . . . .

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I didn't say I would never reduce my draw weight. I'm saying that right now I do not need to and hopefully won't for a long time. And if I do reduce the weight it will have more to do with strength of muscle than a worn out joint.

However, if we're still on here in 19 years I'll let you know.;)

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I dropped my poundage down to 65. The shoulders were feeling the effects from hours and hours of shooting. I am curious as to why Dwight chose a 55 lb bow. He is in great shape and can handle heavier. I will probably see him at our bow club banquet at the end of this year and I will ask him.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

elkcrazy8
If I’m not mistaken a few years ago he had surgery on his shoulder. I think he was shooting with one armed and teeth until the shoulder was better. I might have him mixed up with some one else, but I don’t think so. I’m trying to find that issue of bowhunter. If I find it I'll post it.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Feb/mar of 2000 he had an article where he talked about having problems with arotator cuff and is endorsing bowfit.

I have experienced issues with mine and have bad pain if I stop shooting. I know that continual shooting wont help much with the problem, but it helps for now. I guess that you could say that I am shooting for medicinal pourposes.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Most of us aren't able to get good and warm before shooting in hunting situations so a more moderate poundage should be considered by most.


AND,most of us definately don't excersize enough and maintain a certain level of fitness.


We can't neglect our bodies and then go out without any warmup and start pulling the heavier poundage and expect our bodies to hold up to it over time.Even if we think we are comfortable with it.


I actually would shoot my 3-d rig with 2#'s more than my hunting rig.I was able to shoot both very accurately for long periods of timebut the hunting bow was set up for the cold and the 3-d was setup to shoot with warm muscles.This was after I realized what was happening to my body.



My stepdad is shooting a crossbow now because he struggles to pull a bow due to tendonitous in his elbow.May have something to do with shooting heavy poundage for years.


Not telling anyone what to do,just food for thought.I am only 37 and have arthritous in my shoulder.Wonder why?[&:]

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Anyone have any tips on different excersises to do to strengthen other muscles? I've been shooting for 5 years and I want to for a lot longer. I can't even think of not being able to bow hunt so any advice would be great.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

exactly. I can pull 70# without a problem, but with my short draw length its hard to achieve 70# especially whenmy bow goes to 60# lol. anyways..my point is ive never NOT had a pass thru on a deer andevery shot has been with 58# or less.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

For the shoulders:
Shoulder shrugs, pull ups, front and side raises.

For the chest:
push ups, dumbbell flies, dumbbell presses, bench press (flat, incline, decline)

For the back:
rows, pull downs, pull-ups

for the triceps:
push downs, 1-arm triceps overhead extensions, push downs, & kick backs

Overall upper body:
dips, push ups and pull-ups

That's just a short list and when i state pull down or pull up for each body part the exercise is diffrent for each.

Tfox,

I agree with your points on why people get injured. If you do not work a muscle group and then all of sudden try to do something with weight that your body is not ready for you are going to get hurt. I still don't agree though that just shooting is the reason people have injuries that they blame on the weight. It falls back on total body maintenance. And that's up to each individual to take care of themselves. I myself get lazy and don't work out for months at a time. So, I can't preach that I'm perfect when it comes to that. However, when I started shooting again i also started working out again.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Pull your bow from a sitting position . If you cant pull your bow from a sitting position comfortably , with the bow in front of you , not jostling up and down , and let the bow down smoothly , you are overbowed , and one day it will cost you and animal , or your shoulder

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Not a problem to pull from a seat or twisted from a seat.

Ihave hereditary shoulder (and other joint)problems and have talked to doctors a great deal about what to do to slow down the effects. i wouldn't shoot at that weight if i couldn't control it like it was 50 lbs.

I follow the lifting theory for shooting. If you can't dso it in a controlled manner you're using too much wieght.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Just my humble opinion here, but if you're not drawing at least 55#, you have no business bowhunting any kind of big game.

Sure, a 50# bow can deliver a lethal blow to a whitetail. So can a .22 Hornet, but you don't see many guys out there toting .22's on opening day. Why? Because it's ridiculous.

I just get so sick of hearing guys talk about taking their 11 year oldkids/wives out bowhunting with 40 pound bows, then talking to them 4 months later and getting the sob story about how Billy Bob Junior plugged an arrow in a doe's shoulder, or how Misses Billy Bob bounced an arrow off a scrub buck and couldn't recover it.

Bowhunting isn't a sissy sport. Sorry. IMO, if you can't man-up and draw enough bow to cut through some bone or generate significant penetration, you should stick to lead projectiles or playing with Barbies.

Face it, people get old, bones get brittle, joints go bad, most women aren't She-ra, and your kid isn't Little Hercules. There's a time to hunt and a time to hang it up. When you feel like you're having to bend the rules or cut corners just to meet the threshold physical requirements, then it's probably time to admit defeat and focus on rifle season.

Just my .02.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Back to the draw weight issue... My wife's bow set at 42# is shooting faster than my old PSE (circa 1990) did at 60#. The arrows are roughly the same weight. Times have made needing a "heavy bow" a thing of the past.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I'm actually surprised that some people are shocked that a 55# compound did the job on a Moose. I'm surprised that's it's an issue at all.

My personal setup for my upcoming moose trip will be my 70# longbow with a 2 bladed head and a grizzly stick. My backup will be my 60# Schulz longbow.

Currently my son is working his way up to his 40# longbow (he's still 12 and shooting 30#'s comfortably), in two years though, I'm pretty sure he'll be ready to hunt deer with it ground level up to about 20 yards. That is as long as I can get him away from hunting chip monks long enough.:D

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Not really worth that;)

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

OK Quick, riddle me this... Do you think that it is fine for someone to hunt with a 60# recurve? If your answer is yes, then your argument has no merit and you are simply flexing your muscles.

And bowhunting is a sissy sport. We sit in treestands designed for comfort and shoot bows that "eliminate hand shock". How much more sissified can you get than worrying about the recoil on a bow?

edit: If by "significant penetration" you mean a pass through, I did that 16 years ago with a 45# compound. Only non-pass through I have ever had was with my Mathews at 64#. Got stuck in the far shoulder. Think that today's bows aren't faster?

But don't let the facts get in the way of your opinion.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I agree and disagree at the same time. For deer...i believe 35# at the very minimum. My girlfriend shot her first deer with a bow using 39#. I've heard of a girl 12 years ago (think...a lot less FPS than bows today) and she shot a 6 pt using 29#. A good sharp broadhead mixed with a very accurate shot is the lethal combination, not necissarily how much weight you pull.

BUT..

On the big game part (not including whitetail), i pretty much agree. We're talking big game. Thats why theyre called big game. I think thats great someone shot that moose with 55#...i definetly wouldnt doubt that story at all. But like quiksilver said, a minimum of 55# should be considered for stuff like Buffalo, Moose...etc. Like you said about no one using .22 for deer, why use a slingshot for moose??

What my point is, is that i think that unless you can comfortably draw the huge draw weights, it really isnt that neccessary for DEER. But for a lot bigger game, more energy shots should be considered.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I completely see your point, but for well over half of the big game species in North America, a 45#-50# bow would be plenty. Caribou are easier to kill than deer and those two alone are about 1/3 of the species, then you have antelope, black bear, etc, etc that all could be hunted quite ethically and lethallywith those poundage bows.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

You have to wonder if we don't get to the other end of the macho spectrum with using a light bow for big game. kind of like using a knife to tackle lions. A guy gets a rush out of using a light set-up to shoot a big aninal?

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

...yeah, and I read about a few guys who were headshooting deer with a .22 long rifle. Should we all start buck hunting with .22's? Maybe BB guns? Slingshots? Maybe we should just throw rocks at them, b/c a well-placed brick to the head could be lethal.

Huntingson - I think you're grosslyunderestimating a 60# recurve. 55# KE isn't too shabby.
http://www.bowhunting.net/evaluation/GrovesBows-Mag2.html Besides, the number of people actually successfully shooting deer with primitive weapons is abyssmally low. That argument is like peeing into the wind.

...and anybody who would ever let a child hunt deer with a 29# bow should permanently be stripped of his license. He'd never hunt with me, that's fo' shizzle. Matter of fact, if anybody ever thought they were hunting with me with a 45-pound peashooter, they'd have another thing coming. Stay home and play with your Cabbage Patch Kids.

The key here is shot placement - and I've been hunting long enough to know that there are a lot ofclueless idiotsout there who are lucky to hit the deer. Hitting the vitals -Ha - that'sa bonus. Next thing you know, you've got some poor schlep in rifle season shooting a doe with gangrene in its hind quarter from where Mrs. Billy Bob pinwheeleda Muzzy 4" deep,square in the steaks.

Seriously, if you don't have enough physicalstrength to draw a 55# bow, you probably won't have enough strength to catch yourself if you'd slip from the stand. I really wouldn't want that on my conscience.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I agree with what most people are saying that you dont need the heavy bows to take down north american game species. I would think that 55 pounds would be able to take down anything no problem. I still cant believe what a little tiny broadhead can do to an animal when shot well. With that being said, if you can shoot a heavier bow as accurately as the lesser weight bow i think that you should. In the real world, we all know that arrows dont always go where you want them to and that little bit more weight and power might be what it takes to blow through a shoulder or any other bone that might be encountered. Why not have alittle more power behind you if you can still shoot it accurately.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I havesomequestions.

What would shoot better? A well tuned arrow, tuned for a well tuned bow at 55#'s or an untuned arrow not tuned for an untuned bow at 70#'s?

What percentage of bowhunters do you think make sure their bow and arrows are tuned and tuned together?

Here in my part of southern MD we have one "pro shop" (not a big box sports store) and I am familiar with their bow "expertise" and the bow "expertise" of their patrons and you can bet that the large majority of bowhunters down here are their patrons. Now, I honestly don't know if it is better for a part-time bowhunter (get the bow out a couple of days before hutning season shot a few arrows to verify the sight) to pull 70# or 55#.

Do some of you more experienced bowhunters think it is better for a part-timer (as described above) to shoot 70# or 55#?

My personal (inexperienced) opinion on DW is that if you practice often and know how to tune your arrows and bow then 50#-60# should be plenty fast enough for any North American big game.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

If you are not going to shoot at all until the season starts thanI think you should keep the weight down to what you can manage. If you are strong enough ot shoot 70# then use 70#. A poor shot is a poor shot. However, the higher poundage may allow you to recover the game better.

That whole thing about people only shooting during the season really burns my a$$. I live in an apartment andI can get to the range at least 1 time a week to shoot.I quit archery hunting for a few years becauseI couldn'tpractice. It was a moral decision based on the concern with wounding game taht I wish more people would follow.

If you are not going to put in the time to learn how to use the equipment or draw it properly, or spend the time at the range to be proficient then you have no business being in the woods with a weapon. If you want to watch the birdies and squirrel do it without a bow. I can not see wounding an animal just to say you fling arrows at game.

Personally, I'd rather be in the woods with a well tuned 70# bow than a poorly tuned 55# bow any day. The tuning issue should be kept seperate from the poundage discussion. A poorly tuned bow is poorly tuned bow no matter what the poundage.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

I personally know several people who take deer with 50# longbow, including myself. Quik, you sure you actually hunt and know people that hunt?

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

First question is why are you so disrespectful? Yes, 55ft-lbsis plenty of KE. Thank you for helping my argument.My wife's bow at 41# (and it will be at 50# by the time season rolls around) is shooting 48 ftlbs of KE. That is plenty, especially with fixed blade broadheads. She also will only be shooting 20 yards and less. That bow at 50# will havealmost the sameKEas the 60# recurve, and that is with a 24" draw length!

My bottom line is that the draw weight does not have to be what it used to be for most big game species. Restrictions on KE make a lot more sense. If your argument were that no one should hunt with less than 50ft-lbs of KE, then at least I could see where you were coming from.Your current argument is like saying "If your biceps aren't X" in circumference you shouldn't be able to hunt." A rather weak argument indeed.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Sounds like y'all need to start eating your wheaties. Maybe then you'll be able to draw bows with the big kids.

Truer words have never been spoken. I think some people get their jollies just saying "my son bow hunts, and he's only 3 years old," or "my wife is a big-time bowhunter." Pads their ego or something. They leave out the important details that you could throw the arrows harder than their bows are shooting, or that they've crippled 12 deer in 3 seasons.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

huntignson,

I commend the way you are going about archery hunting with your wife. If you limit the range the lower draw weight bows are acceptable. And you are having her shoot the highest weight she can comfortably shoot.If more people would do that we wouldn't need this argument.

The problem comes in when people start flinging arrows at animals at distances their skills do not allow. I'm not going to recommend any minimum weight. Our ancestors were killing animals with weapons that were nowhere as lethal as what we have today.

In the same token I believe that you should use the highest weight you can in case of a mishap. Today's 45# definitely are more lethal than the 55# bowI started off with andI think if a person is using new technology that's just fine. I just hate the idea of an arrow sticking out of an animal due to insufficient energy. That's why I go as high asI can comfortably shoot.

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

OMG this is the finniest thing I have read. My 6 year daugher can catch her self better than me. Has nothing to do with just peer strength.

I have hunted with 4 or 5 youth hunters with bows set a 40 lbs. We are4 for 4 on deer. I would rather have them shoot less pounds accurately
than shoot heavier pound bow to be macho to their buddies.

Those are some big assumptions;)

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

Here you go guys. With all this supreme marksmanship, I'm sure you'll get a perfect pass-through at 3#draw with a well-placed lung shot. This baby carries a whopping2 pounds of KE, which is plenty for fawn whitetail, especially if you use a cut-on-contact broadhead.

If you're using more bow than this, you're probably just overbowed, which will hamper your chances at success.

FYI - Boscov's has Get In Shape Girl Gymnastics sets on sale for $9.99. You guys could work on yourflexibility and core strength for the upcoming season.

http://www.boscovs.com/StoreFrontWeb/Product.bos?assortmentDepartmentNumber=6172240&amp ;assortmentId=4&itemNumber=37266&type=Prod uct

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

You sure know how to go over board[8D] You are going to make a great lawyer someday;)

RE: 55# Takes Yukon Moose!!!
 

OMFG!!! I about busted a gut on this.