Effective Killing Range on a 54# Bow
 

My bow is set at 54# maxed out, My arrows drop like 2 inches from 10-20 yards I havent shot out past 20 yards yet but I think my arrows will just be falling. This is an older bow so its not real fast as you can tell. Think I can kill past 20 yards?

RE: Effective Killing Range on a 54# Bow
 

Super sharp broadheads are the key, possibly some thinner diameter arrows. I don't think that some of todays women shooters on TV are pulling much more than that.

RE: Effective Killing Range on a 54# Bow
 

Easily! I've taken 2 different doe's at 21 and 23 yards with my recurve pulling 73lbs. 54lbs on a compound will get the job done with out a problem at the same yardages I shot mine at.

RE: Effective Killing Range on a 54# Bow
 

I bought a Bear Whitetail back in '75 and killed a bunch of deer with it...I had it set at 55 pounds and was shooting 32 inch 2117s with 125 Satellite heads...I got pass throughs out to 25 yards, which was as far as I felt comfortable shooting anyway...

One thing you might try...Set your top pin at 15 yards and the bottom at 25, for 20 hold between...
Seems that most of my shots in the woods come from 12-17 yards or so, so you end up using mainly the top pin...

Down here a 25 yard shot in the woods in Sep/Oct is a long shot anyway, the leaves are still on the trees...

RE: Effective Killing Range on a 54# Bow
 

The effective killing range of your bow is relative to youraccuracy at various ranges. A bow with 54# draw is more than enough to kill a deer.

RE: Effective Killing Range on a 54# Bow
 

Bowtech 360,

Go shoot your setup through a chronograph to find the actual speed you're shooting, weigh your arrow and enter your data here http://www.bowhuntinginfo.com/KineticEnergyNew.htm

Once you know how much KE your shooting, you'll be able get better answers.

Although some(many) may disagree, I would recommend a cut on contact broadhead, not expandables.

RE: Effective Killing Range on a 54# Bow
 

Bowtech360, I used to kill deer with a 43lb JVA Astro bow (think low, low tech) using 580 grain arrows. Inever chrono'd it but my arrows couldn't have been going faster than 160fps. My farthest kill was 28 yards. (my farthest shot on a deer yet)
Yardage estimation was critical.

You have plenty of draw weight. Don't worry about that. Worry about shooting it well at 30 yards before you attempt to take a deer at that distance. Also remember that deer move...fast.A slow arrow can result in a disasterous hit on a deer that jumps the string. Close shots are better.

RE: Effective Killing Range on a 54# Bow
 

It's farther than you can accurately shoot.

Putting an arrow thru the ribcage of a deer, doesn't require much energy. BUT being able to accurately place it there on every shot, requires a good bit of talent. That magnifies when you are talking yardages estimation vs known distance, reaction time of the animal, etc.

Worry about getting the deer as close as you can, instead of worrying about how far away you can shoot one.