Minimum Draw Weight for hunting ?

[bow_vol]

Is there still a minimum draw weight for hunting ? Seems like there used to be a 40 lb minimum - but I don't see it in the hunting guide ?

Thanks...

 

[Trapper John]

Not anymore.

 

[TNhuntin93]

Yep the guide doesnt say anything about draw weights, just talks a little bit about "arrow devices".

 

[Big J]

Great topic. I let Alexis go with 35 lbs a few years back. Jay gregorys wife shoots a bow set at 43 lbs and shoot rage and destroys deer with them.

 

[BowGuy84]

honestly I think with a head like the blackout a deer could easily be killed at 20yds with a 30 lb. Bow. This is assuming good shot placement from a well tuned bow. The speeds out of todays bows at low lbs is awesome...

 

[backstraps]

My daughter and I have discussed this topic many times. There really shouldnt be a min draw weight... but my daughter will continue to hunt again this year with the crossbow.

I think unless you can get close to 40lb of KE, the shot placement would have to be perfect... less energy on a marginal shot wouldnt be ethical, and even may end up not recovering the deer.

From my studies with todays fast bows... if you can get over 40 lbs of draw weight ( with the new bows) you should have enough energy to make a clean harvest.

My daughter can comfortablly shoot 34 lbs...but that is so borderline. Rather than having her feel terrible if something goes wrong... the ole Horton will be at active duty again this year!

 

[pathfindr92]

The thing to keep in mind, as backstraps points out, is that KE is what matters, not draw weight or speed. You can have a heavy draw weight, but how efficient is that bow at transfering that energy to the arrow? A different bow may transfer the same amount of energy at a lower weight. The same concept applys to arrow speed. Your bow may be "fast", but how much do your arrows weigh? A "slower" bow may be putting more energy in a heavier arrow, making it "slower", but still having moe KE than your "fast" arrow. Obviously, IBO speeds are a good indicator of which bows are more powerful than others, but not many people shoot IBO standard drawlengths, weights, etc, so they mave not be aware how their bow compares to others. They see a draw weight or an arrow speed on a chronograph and assume their bow is better (or worse) than their buddy's bow. Just my two cents.