Question for low poundage bow shooters
Whitetail Deer
Due to a right shoulder replacement, I can only pull 50lbs. My setup is a Mathews Ttraverse set at 51#, 28.5DL, Easton FMJ-400's at 27" & 125 gr heads. Total arrow weight is 445gr & it shoots 245fps. Bow is super tuned.. Im only going to hunt whitetails with this setup. Thinking about using either a 125gr Slick-Trick-Viper trick or 125gr Stinger two-bld. I have killed deer with the Stinger 2-bld in the past and always got a pass-through but the blood trails on a double lung hits were nonexistent. Heads were shaving sharp. Prior to the shoulder replacement I was pulling 65# & shooting 125gr SlickTricks-Viper tricks and all blood trials were great What broad heads are you low poundage guys/girls shooting? What weight are you shooting & are you getting pass-throughs on white-Tails?
If you can swing the money I’d go with the Iron Wills with the bleeders. Should zip through like butter.
245fps and 445gr arrow not to shabby. I was excepting a lot less when I saw your thread title. For whitetail only I would not be afraid to shoot your Viper tricks.
My daughter is pulling 40# at 23.5” and has had good luck with slick trick standards. She hasn’t had a pass through as it usually stops in the offside shoulder but she’s had blood trails Stevie Wonder could follow. I’ll sacrifice a pass through for great blood trails. On her kills you could see blood flying out a plugged entrance as the deer turned to run.
125 gr Slick Trick standards; 125 gr. Magnus Stingers (4-blade) or 2-blade VPA’s.
I have never hunted with a set-up that shoots over 190fps. Usually around 450-500gr arrows. I expect an exit on North American game if I don't center the off shoulder. I shoot 2 blade most of the time but have used 3 and 4 blade as well. If you are tuned and heads are sharp, you are fine.
For what it's worth, Millie (Lady Bowhunter) shoots 50# using Montec 100 or Deadmeat 100 gr broadheads for year. Shot Steelforce 100s before then and has killed a trophy room full of game, 95% have been pass thru.
You're intended set up will work on darned near any game animal you care to pursue .
Good luck
I had a bad shoulder and was shooting my bow at 48 lbs. I put a slick trick magnum 100 gr all the way thru the boiler room of a 3 yr old buck at 28 yards. Arrow stuck about 3" into the ground. Just stay off the shoulder.
I still have some old slick tricks but a lot of people say the new heads under current management aren’t the same. I also like musacchia as a 4 blade and get the same results as the old ST.
I’m actually up to 62# now, with a 26” DL, but the past few years I was only able to shoot 57#. With 125gr Viper Tricks my total arrow weight is 436gr and I was getting nearly 10fps less than what you’re getting. I get pass-thru’s on elk so I don’t think you’ll have any issues with whitetails.
I think you will be absolutely fine. For weather below 20 degrees I shoot a 50lbs Bowtech Revolt with 390 grain arrow at 260 or so and zipped right thru a 1.5 year old doe and stuck in the ground. 25 yard, tree stand shot.
Good hunting!
Ken, for deer and with your set up I would recommend the 100 gr 1.25” Wasp Jak hammer. My sons shot a ton of stuff with their light set up and the “mini” Jaks!
My last several deer have been shot with 50-55 pounds and 125 and 150grain Magnus Stinger 4 blades and NAP Hellrazors. My blood trails have been decent. My pass through rate has been about 50%. I did spine one deer. My arrow weights are similar to yours but my draw length is 29.5". I took a frontal on a doe last fall and buried to the fletching she dropped right there. Had a pass through on a mulie buck broadside.
I think you're good to go whichever head you choose.
Have killed some stuff over the years with bows from 45# to 60#, trad bows, with 4-blade Eskimos and almost always pass throughs. I will not add mechanicals any time, just something else to fail.
I've shot Elk, Bears, many Whitetails, hog with 45# thru 55# recurves back in my early days. 3 Blade heads mostly. Your 50# compound for sure out performs all them. My Daughter killed a Cow Buffalo at 25 yds a few years back with 48#s & a 500 gr total arrow weight & 3 blade head. 25" penetration a dropped in 60 yds. Your fine with any good 2 or 3 blade head..
Thank you-all for the above info. I now feel confident with either Slick-trick viper tricks or a 4-bld suffer I'll be good.
Thanks again!!
Attn Mr link. Outstanding pictures of the kids.... priceless!!
Low poundage guy here, in the last 2 years, 10 of 12 critters have been passthrus and all died in sight using a 2 blade. Some of my blood trails are so short I don’t even look to see what the blood trail is like. My moose went maybe 20’. 47# recurve, 552g arrow.
FWIW, i’ve shot a pile of critters with everything from a 2 inch mechanical to a two blade fixed. The determining factor for blood trails is NOT the BH……but a high or low shot…or low exit.
High shots especially with one hole and most of the blood pools in the animal. Any shot with a two blade mid body or lower almost always gets an exit so you have 2 holes. I typically see a lot of blood on those shots with a two blade even though as I said I can see the animals fall. The big advantage to a taper or two blade is if you do your part most animals don’t even know they’ve been hit.
The other fact about blood trails in general is when they know they have been hit, which certain Broadhead designs will do, the animal runs like their tail is on fire and that gives you a sparse blood trail. On the other hand when they are just walking its more blood per foot.
I did have one shot through a Coues deer quartering away that went through him center body lengthwise where I had to track that buck for about 45 yards. Not the best shot for a blood trail as it entered in the guts and exited through the off shoulder with the BH sticking out.
He went from zero to tail on fire in one leap but with 2 holes there was still enough blood to track him.
c5Ken, I have had both my shoulders replaced, funny I shoot the exact same bow at 52#s and draw 28"s. I shoot a 175 grain VPA with a VAP stainless?carbon arrow in 400 spine. Total arrow weight is right around 500 grains. I shoot through most whitetails even through both shoulders. I would pick the Vipertrick if I had to but the VPA is a far sturdier head!! Shawn
What Rocky said.
I don’t know from mechanicals, but the arrow that you described is one that guys are seeing blow clean through deer with their stickbows - and yours is moving 50% faster.
And FWIW… Thunderheads, man.
Those things have been around almost as long as compound bows, I think, and people who’ve been doing this for a very long time keep on buying more of them.
Stingers seem to be very good as well, but sharpened trailing edges are not too friendly if you’re in the habit of using the back of the broadhead against your knuckle to let you know when you’ve hit full draw….
Link your daughter is a HUNTRESS for sure I never have shot anything close to hers keep it up girl.
I was going to say stick with your setup and don't overthink it, but it looks like you're already are leaning that way.
As others have said your setup is plenty. I shot 55# for years with a 27.5" draw and shot many broad heads with passthrough results. I put Rocket Steelheads through both shoulder blades of multiple deer with that setup. arrows were close to 470 grains at 230fps. But your run of the mill FB work too obviously
A modern compound, at 35lbs with 80 percent let off, has more power than most recurves over 45 pounds,,,,,, think about that,,,,,, lots of good heads out there,,,,,, I shoot a Hoyt, at 48 lbs by choice,,,, its my sweet spot,,,,,,,,,,,,, I hunt alot of cold weather and need a smooth draw,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, elk, bear, deer, no issues,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I like the Ram Cats, but have used STs, Wasps, Magnus Stingers etc,,,,, they all worked well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, you will have no issues, as long as you tune the bow well, to your choice of arrow and bh,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, good luck
I shot this Mature Eland 3 weeks ago with a 48# recurve 27” draw
560 grain Valkyrie arrow and BH. Hard quartering away angle. BH buried in the off shoulder.
