Minimum weight for elk hunting

[Blacktail]

What do you guys think the minimum weight for hunting elk? I have a bow I am working on and it is 55lbs and I am just wondering if this would be good enough for taking an elk. Thanks John.

[Wylden Freeborne]

bring it on down to our tipi village and our amazing outdoor archery range that is currently being destroyed by a lone bull 5x5! Ishi talked about the importance of the arrow over the bow, I believe and i would say it holds a lot of water. Many primitive bows around the world that I have read about weigh in much less than 55# and hunter gatherer folks don't starve!

[vinemaplebows]

45-50lbs

[raghorns]

Killed my first elk with a 50lb. longbow...the first shot was back a little far and the second was in the sweet spot...both were complete pass throughs.

Lyle

[bcbull]

I used to guide and iv probly killd over 30 elk w a bow in the last 40 years bein honest thT 55# will zip clear thru a big bull shot placment and right broad head are the key even a 45# will do the job Brock

[Bryce]

In Oregon the regulations I think say #50

[burn em up chuck]

    it may have changed, a few years back in wash. it was min. 40#@ 28in. draw

                                                                                chuck

[wildkatt]

  I hunt both Elk And Buffalo with a 55 to 60# Bow Have had pass thru shots on Buff at 30 yards. Arrow was real sharp and it went where i put it. 

Katt

[hatcha]

Article in Apr/May 2012 issue of PA mag titled "Bullstick Journey by Russell Thornberry (page 62). 

He talks of his bow pulling 46# in warm July but 52-54# in the cooler Autumn days (Fall) due to being sinew-backed.  He used a 175gn two-blade, single bevel Ashby-style broadhead and took down a bull elk at ten yards with arrow speed of 160fps.

As wylden mentioned - the arrow has more of a part to play that the bow shooting it.

Check out the article, if you can.  It makes for some good reading!


Let us know how you get on too!! 

[coxral]

Got mine with 53# Hickory, and a really sharp Zwickey! She ran maybe 50 yds. total! Arrow placement and sharp broadhead! Not all of us can pull a gazillion pounds, so use a sharp broadhead and put it in the bread basket! My 2 pennies.

[twisted hickory]

I guess 60 is a little heavy for deer  . Maybe if I set up the shot right I could pin one to a tree so I don't have to track it. Seriously though I shot a doe at 8 yds w a 45 lb recurve and 2 blade broad head, the arrow weighed 447 grains and complete pass thru on her.
Greg

[dmenzies1950]

I think most of us think the heavy weights are best, but lots of ladies are shooting big bulls with 45# and less. Shot placement, well spined arrows and razor sharp broadheads are what is important!                  Dale

[JW_Halverson]

And to add to the number of people talking about how important the arrow is to this equation....make sure you have flawless arrow flight!  One of best ways to do that, is to build your arrows without fletching and shoot them over and over.  Yup, that's bare shaft tuning at it's best.  If you can get your arrows cut to the length that the spine perfectly matches your bow at your drawlength, the fletching will impart spin and simply tighten up your groups. 

Now your arrows will fly as straight as possible, not wagging back and forth like an over excited golden retriever's tail.  If you arrow is wagging side to side, or porpoising up and down, and strikes the target at the extreme of the wag, lots of energy and penetration is lost.  Or worse yet, the arrow it turned from a rapidly killing shot to one where the animal suffers for days before dying. 

Arrow placement, sharpness of the broadhead, and arrow flight cannot be over empasized.

[adb]

55-60# for me for elk, with heavy arrows.

[Pat B]

John, the two times I went I was shooting 56#@26" and 600gr to 700gr cane arrows with single blade heads. I never saw an elk so I can't say how well my set up worked but I was confident.