Poundage Question
03-10-2013, 03:07 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Australia
Posts: 34
Poundage Question
gday all,
Just a question on poundage with a compound. In australia at least where I'm from bow hunting is very small and there isnt a lot of info around so I've had to learn pretty much everything myself.
What I do hear though is that I'm undergunned with my poundage. I have a bear mauler at 26.5" DL and 62DW which I think is fine for red deer (a bit smaller than your elk for anyone who doesn't know them) but some people tell me I'm stupid to go out without 70lb DW and a bow doing 350fps IBO. I really don't agree with it because it doesnt feel right but I'm no expert so I was wondering if anyone had any advice?
Cheers,
SB
Just a question on poundage with a compound. In australia at least where I'm from bow hunting is very small and there isnt a lot of info around so I've had to learn pretty much everything myself.
What I do hear though is that I'm undergunned with my poundage. I have a bear mauler at 26.5" DL and 62DW which I think is fine for red deer (a bit smaller than your elk for anyone who doesn't know them) but some people tell me I'm stupid to go out without 70lb DW and a bow doing 350fps IBO. I really don't agree with it because it doesnt feel right but I'm no expert so I was wondering if anyone had any advice?
Cheers,
SB
03-10-2013, 03:38 PM
#2
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 96
Keep your draw weight where it is. You could even back it off 10 pounds if you wanted to. Here in the 'States, minimum recommended draw weight for elk is 40 pounds.
More important than draw weight is that you are using sharp broadheads. I mean SCARY sharp. Do some research and find a good fixed blade broadhead. I'd stay away from mechanicals. But that's a topic for another thread...
Next would be practice. And then more practice. Probably ought to get some more practice while your at it. You can't kill what you can't hit.
Keep in mind that people were killing animals with bows long before arrow speed even approached 200fps. You'll be fine with your current set up.
Good luck and good hunting!!!
More important than draw weight is that you are using sharp broadheads. I mean SCARY sharp. Do some research and find a good fixed blade broadhead. I'd stay away from mechanicals. But that's a topic for another thread...
Next would be practice. And then more practice. Probably ought to get some more practice while your at it. You can't kill what you can't hit.
Keep in mind that people were killing animals with bows long before arrow speed even approached 200fps. You'll be fine with your current set up.
Good luck and good hunting!!!
03-10-2013, 03:53 PM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Australia
Posts: 34
Keep your draw weight where it is. You could even back it off 10 pounds if you wanted to. Here in the 'States, minimum recommended draw weight for elk is 40 pounds.
More important than draw weight is that you are using sharp broadheads. I mean SCARY sharp. Do some research and find a good fixed blade broadhead. I'd stay away from mechanicals. But that's a topic for another thread...
Next would be practice. And then more practice. Probably ought to get some more practice while your at it. You can't kill what you can't hit.
Keep in mind that people were killing animals with bows long before arrow speed even approached 200fps. You'll be fine with your current set up.
Good luck and good hunting!!!
More important than draw weight is that you are using sharp broadheads. I mean SCARY sharp. Do some research and find a good fixed blade broadhead. I'd stay away from mechanicals. But that's a topic for another thread...
Next would be practice. And then more practice. Probably ought to get some more practice while your at it. You can't kill what you can't hit.
Keep in mind that people were killing animals with bows long before arrow speed even approached 200fps. You'll be fine with your current set up.
Good luck and good hunting!!!
I pull the weight comfortably and its a 60-70lb bow so cant go much lower but that makes me feel a whole lot happier to know that. We have titht restrictions here though, our chital which are just a little bigger than your coues whitetail requires a minimum draw weight of 45lb and red deer is 55lb, thought it was over kill!
I practice as much as I can out to 50 metres but limit shots to around 40m (~45 yards) as thats the distance I know I can comfortably hit something right every shot. I've shot mostly foxes and hares so far only just having got my first fallow buck a couple of weeks back.
Thats what I figured too, I mean I see a lot of deer get slocked with a recurve in the US and they aren't exactly jets!
I have mechanical and fixed blade broadheads, I've found both really great but I know theres a bit of debate between it all.
Cheers for the help mate!
SB
03-10-2013, 05:59 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,902
Your biggest limitation for your bow is yr short draw length. While your bow might ibo at 300+ with a 30"' your short draw length is really robbing you of kinetic energy.
What speed are you currently running with your bow, and what arrow weight? Any bow that can stick an arrow into the heart of an elk will kill one, but having a bow that will push a 2" punch cut mechanical head on a 425grn arrow clear through an elk to the other side is a lot more comforting for my use.
What speed are you currently running with your bow, and what arrow weight? Any bow that can stick an arrow into the heart of an elk will kill one, but having a bow that will push a 2" punch cut mechanical head on a 425grn arrow clear through an elk to the other side is a lot more comforting for my use.
03-10-2013, 06:40 PM
#5
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Australia
Posts: 34
Your biggest limitation for your bow is yr short draw length. While your bow might ibo at 300+ with a 30"' your short draw length is really robbing you of kinetic energy.
What speed are you currently running with your bow, and what arrow weight? Any bow that can stick an arrow into the heart of an elk will kill one, but having a bow that will push a 2" punch cut mechanical head on a 425grn arrow clear through an elk to the other side is a lot more comforting for my use.
What speed are you currently running with your bow, and what arrow weight? Any bow that can stick an arrow into the heart of an elk will kill one, but having a bow that will push a 2" punch cut mechanical head on a 425grn arrow clear through an elk to the other side is a lot more comforting for my use.
No idea what weights I have, I use Easton powerflights 340 spine with 2" blazer vanes, lumenoks and 125 gn two blade rage broadheads. I agree with what you're saying though. I'm still not sure I have my draw length set right but don't have anyone to show any different. I use a release aid, so im guessing that takes a couple inches off?
Cheers
03-10-2013, 08:05 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,902
How tall are you? Or rather how wide is you wingspan? Wingspan in inches divided by 2.5 is pretty close, usually within a half inch one way or another.
Your draw weight won't hurt you much assuming you scale your arrow weight accordingly. Say you shoot 6grn per pound, your bow with a 360grn arrow will be about the same speed at 60lb as it would be at 70lb with a 420grn arrow. But your killing power will obviously be better with the heavier arrow.
Release aids don't really change your draw length if you are anchoring your arrow/string the same either way. I never shoot fingers, but I do shoot three different releases, my anchor point for my arrow/string is always the same, but my knuckles anchor against my face differently for each release. If you change how you anchor your string/arrow and anchor your hand the same with any release, then yes, it will effect your draw length, but I personally wouldn't play that game.
Your draw weight won't hurt you much assuming you scale your arrow weight accordingly. Say you shoot 6grn per pound, your bow with a 360grn arrow will be about the same speed at 60lb as it would be at 70lb with a 420grn arrow. But your killing power will obviously be better with the heavier arrow.
Release aids don't really change your draw length if you are anchoring your arrow/string the same either way. I never shoot fingers, but I do shoot three different releases, my anchor point for my arrow/string is always the same, but my knuckles anchor against my face differently for each release. If you change how you anchor your string/arrow and anchor your hand the same with any release, then yes, it will effect your draw length, but I personally wouldn't play that game.
03-10-2013, 08:34 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,834
You will be fine at what you have and as was said earlier, a SCARY sharp BH!!! I shoot 64lbs with a 29DL at 290fps with a GrimReaper expandable and have dropped 2 elk. Both dropped under 75yds. Pass through on one, shot at 31yds, the other lodged in the far shoulder, shot at 39yds. My arrows weighed just at 415grn.
03-11-2013, 03:57 AM
#8
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Australia
Posts: 34
Nm448 ive tried that and it came out at 27 1/2 or 28, I just haven't had the right guidance to be honest in setting up. Now I've got habits that in not sure are correct or not. I want to get into finger shooting but am hesitant to for that reason so we'll just see how I go!
SC cheers mate, reds are a bit smaller again so if it can handle elk I should be ok. Sambar are another story very stocky deer and in between a red and elk but I'm getting the impression that with correct placement and good range you should be right!
SC cheers mate, reds are a bit smaller again so if it can handle elk I should be ok. Sambar are another story very stocky deer and in between a red and elk but I'm getting the impression that with correct placement and good range you should be right!
03-12-2013, 08:08 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,902
It doesn't take much to kill deer with a SHARP head, well placed. I just tend to want as much KE out of my bow as I can handle efficiently, so if I can comfortably draw the weight, I do.
There are several reasons that I would NEVER fingershoot a modern compound bow. I started out finger-shooting traditional bows when I was a kid, then when I bought my first compound, I didn't know any better, and stayed with it. A local competitive archer loaned me a release and my 20yrd groups went from a palm sized ~4" group down to stacked sticks with 2 broken shafts. Finger shooting a modern compound bow can also be a dangerous game, it's all too easy to torque your string as you draw and cause a derailment. Creep up on your cam and a compound can rip the string right out of your hand (you couldn't pay me enough to fingershoot my Bowtech Destroyer). I fingershoot traditional bows, no go for compounds.
There are several reasons that I would NEVER fingershoot a modern compound bow. I started out finger-shooting traditional bows when I was a kid, then when I bought my first compound, I didn't know any better, and stayed with it. A local competitive archer loaned me a release and my 20yrd groups went from a palm sized ~4" group down to stacked sticks with 2 broken shafts. Finger shooting a modern compound bow can also be a dangerous game, it's all too easy to torque your string as you draw and cause a derailment. Creep up on your cam and a compound can rip the string right out of your hand (you couldn't pay me enough to fingershoot my Bowtech Destroyer). I fingershoot traditional bows, no go for compounds.
