Bow set up for Moose
Contributors to this thread:Moose
From: Buckmster
02-Jul-17
I'm going on a bow hunt for Moose in Maine this October. I'll be using a Mathews Z7Xtreme 70# 29.5 in draw. Using a Victory archery RIP xtreme velocity Gamer V3 300 arrow wieghing 300 grain plus 100 grain spitfire broad head. Speed is 314. Does this sound like a good set up for Moose?
From: Pope125
02-Jul-17
Killed my moose with about the same setup , but I would not use and expandable . Speed means nothing , IMHO . Good luck .
From: BullBuster
02-Jul-17
I have shot 3 archery moose. I'd go heavier. Big target that won't jump string. Personally I shoot 565 gr for moose. 1 pass through and 2 with fletching hanging out back side.
From: BullBuster
02-Jul-17
I have shot 3 archery moose. I'd go heavier. Big target that won't jump string. Personally I shoot 565 gr for moose. 1 pass through and 2 with fletching hanging out back side.
From: t-roy
02-Jul-17
I've killed 2 moose with 100 grain Wasp Boss heads. Total arrow weight was a little over 400 grains I believe, and had no issues either time, but I would agree with BBuster and go heavier and I also wouldn't shoot one with mechanicals either. They would probably work, but seems like there's more potential for failure vs a good coc head IMO.
From: Buckmster
02-Jul-17
I've been shooting spitfires for as long as I can remember and work amazing on deer and they shoot so good for me. My buddy has killed elk with them. But I am doing research on fixed blade broad heads
From: t-roy
02-Jul-17
Check out VPA heads in your research.
From: jtelarkin08
02-Jul-17
my moose arrow was 505 grains with a GK silverflame. After cutting one up no way i would shoot a mechanical
From: BullBuster
02-Jul-17
175 gr single piece VPA for me.
From: Scooby-doo
02-Jul-17
I have several friends who have killed moose with recurves from 45-62#s arrows weighing about 9gpp and even the 45#er killed just fine. Ken Beck(Black Widows past owner)killed a couple with 47# recurve and an arrow of around 440 grains. Scooby
From: Ambush
02-Jul-17
Up your total arrow weight to about 450 or a little better and shoot your Spitfires. I killed two with Spitfires and one with a Slicktrick. All died the same. My partner has four bulls with Spitfires. And a Maine moose is not a giant Alaska/Yukon moose.
I'm always amazed how adamantly people can advise against using something that they have no experience with. Must'a saw it on the internet, I guess.
And I've field dressed and cut up likely north fifty moose and they are made of hair, hide, bones, meat and organs, just like all other animals. Moose have a thicker, tougher hide than all the other deer, but it is easily penetrated with any good head.
From: bigkev42
03-Jul-17
Do not shoot A mech on moose! I know they have been killed with mechs but why chance. The hide on a moose is unbelievably tough and bones are big. I couldn't believe how tough the hide was on my bull when I was trying to push a very sharp knife into the skin. Spitfires are good heads too but over the top mechs which robs some KE. Also agree arrow weight is a bit light. Shots during rut tend to be closer anyway so speed is not as important.
From: wackmaster2
03-Jul-17
No mechanical here.. Muzzy 100 g works for me.
From: Ace
03-Jul-17
Use what you feel the most comfortable with. They do have some big bones compared to a Whitetail.
From: LONEBULL
03-Jul-17
I'm all about shooting what you have confidence with but they are no whitetail !! The hide, the bones, the sheer size. There are better choices than that broadhead design and arrow weight. I will say they don't seem as tough as a big bull elk though. Good luck with whatever equipment you choose.
From: APauls
04-Jul-17
"...but over the top mechs which robs some KE... this has to be the biggest bogus piece of advertising Rage and other rear deploy heads have used. After shooting many many critters with Rocket Steelheads and some with Grim Reapers and other friends using other OTP expandables, and opening them in my hand I can not physically see any measurable loss of KE happening. They flip back so flippin fast with such little energy it may honestly take more KE to "break loose" a rear deploy head.
From: kota-man
04-Jul-17
I'm a fan of mechanicals, but haven't/won't use one on a moose. Mine have fallen to VPA 100 and G5 Montec CS 100. My most recent was 26 yards quartering towards, shot hit in the pocket behind the shoulder with the arrow traveling lengthwise and exiting the offside rear hip. My setup: 62 lb. Hoyt Spyder Turbo, A/C Injexion 390 Deep Six tipped with a collared 100 gr. VPA 3 blade with a total weight of 435 grains. Moose went about 60 yards and tipped over.
From: carcus
04-Jul-17
I've killed 4 moose using a 485 gr fmj arrow tipped with a exodus, 485 includes the bh, i personally wouldn't use a mech and i love mechs!
From: Ermine
05-Jul-17
On a moose I would shoot a fixed blade but that's just me. A head like the Ironwill head would be a perfect moose head
From: APauls
05-Jul-17
I 2nd using fixed heads, I just had to rant a little on the over the top subject ;)
From: JimG
05-Jul-17
I've killed six bulls in Ontario. All with 125 Thunderheads on old style XX75 2216 at about 525 grains. I shot a bull at 8 yards with a Carbon and 125 Thunderhead and had no penetration. Watched him walk away with my 28 inches of arrow sticking out of his side. Three passed through. Two at seven yards, one at nine yards. I shoot 65 lbs.
From: JSH
05-Jul-17
Agree with what others are suggesting; my bull last year was shot broadside at 20 yards through the heart, complete pass through and buried in the dirt behind. Shot a 545 gn FMJ 300 from a 70# Hoyt Carbon Spyder 34; arrow tipped with 125 gn VPA. Bull went 30 yards and was down in seconds. I've had very similar performance on elk with this set up.
From: Elkwhisperer
07-Jul-17
To all of those who think that expandables have the same Kinetic Energy that fixed blades have I recommend doing a simple test. Take a stretched animal hide with hair on and place it tightly over the open end of a bucket. Place the hide an bucket on a bathroom scales. Now take an arrow with a sharp broadhead attached and push it down through the hide. Be sure to try it with several styles of broadheads; cut on contact, chisel tip, and expandables. Document the force required to get the broadhead through the hide and then decide what is the best broadhead.
From: LesWelch
07-Jul-17
LesWelch's Link
I would not consider a mechanical. I know there are Moose killed every year with them, but no way for me.
Check out the link. The ideal head for what you are doing, IMO.
From: Ermine
08-Jul-17
From: carcus
08-Jul-17
Nice broadheads but pricey, now convert that to canadian!
From: rattling_junkie
08-Jul-17
Looks like a Steelforce Phathead.
From: APauls
18-Jul-17
x2 David. Looks like a phathead, which are great heads.
elkwhisperer, that test is completely different than having them hit the skin at 250fps. Pushing a head through slowly or at 250fps are completely different.
From: Buck Watcher
19-Jul-17
Plan for a perfect shot....prepare for a poor one. A 400gr arrow is to light for Moose imo. My arrow is 584gr with a QAD Exodus BH.
From: Trial153
21-Jul-17
Last years moose fell to a 450 grain BEA Rampage with 100 grain Solid out of an Elite Spirit set 28/67. Double lung pass through. Stick to a stout fixed blade head with an arrow over 400 grains and you will be just fine.
From: Spiral Horn
22-Jul-17
Took mine with about a 430gr total weight arrow including a Black Eagle Rampage and 100gr fixed blade head. Shot from a 70lb Bowtech Experience -- was a pass-through on my bull. I was a bit worried about being a bit light and upon hindsight feel I would have been better equipped with 125gr heads and a total 455gr setup. Moose are big, and I'm convinced that the pass-through only happened because it was a pure broadside chest cavity hit. Anything else might have not worked out as well.
From: Ishy Isomer
31-Jul-17
Highly recommend Alex "moose man" Gouthro's moose madness video... not only great for calling but a great section on anatomy... the comment on what cuts a moose hide would give you an idea what makes sense to use.... although large animals, one could argue the kill zone can be smaller than an elk, the heart is low and forward and there are a lot of big bony structures a gnat's eyebrow from where you need to hit... I used a 65lb Elite synergy with a 560g grizzstik arrow and a 200g masai single bevel broadhead on my yukon moose.... blew threw bone
From: carcus
01-Aug-17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnXXxQfdTxo&t=3s
From: Bou'bound
16-Oct-19
From: APauls
21-Jan-20
Assuming you don't have some kind of super lighweight arrow, that is plenty fine.
From: t-roy
21-Jan-20
Agree with APauls assessment ^^
From: ScumFrog
21-Jan-20
What KE are you getting from your set up?
https://www.goldtip.com/Resources/Calculators/FOC-Calculator/Calculator-Descriptions.aspx#kinetic Kinetic Energy Hunting Usage < 25 ft. lbs Small Game (rabbit, groundhog, etc.) 25-41 ft. lbs Medium Game (deer, antelope, etc.) 42-65 ft. lbs Large Game (elk, black bear, wild boar, etc.) > 65 ft. lbs Toughest Game (cape buffalo, grizzly, musk ox, etc.
Until you see a Moose lying on the ground its hard to fathom just how big these creatures are. Big target yes, but as mentioned thick hide and big bones.
From: Kurt
21-Jan-20
Trax, You are good to go. Hope you get a nice one!
From: GF
21-Jan-20
There are guys who’ve killed good moose with #45 longbows. Do you have ANY concept as to how much more KE you can deliver with a semi-current Compound at # 60????
You’ve got plenty to work with. Just go too light on the arrow or too aggressive with the Broadhead. Like maybe 8-9 GPP and something with fixed blades at a more relaxed angle.
And it helps to shoot good.
From: Shiras42
21-Jan-20
I killed a Yukon moose with a HeliM. 70lbs @ 28" with Easton ACC Prohunters cut at 29.5" tipped with 125gr G5 Montecs. Nearly a complete pass-thru at 45yds. Your set up is more than adequate. Have fun!
From: JRW
21-Jan-20
I killed mine at 11 yards with a homemade recurve shooting 500-grain arrows with Ace Standard two-blade heads about 190 fps. The first arrow blew straight through his chest. He trotted about 20 yards, stopped, and turned broadside. So I sent a second clean through him too. He walked a few more yards and tipped over.
From: APauls
21-Jan-20
Trax both those heads are great heads. Using an FMJ you should have 100% confidence. As many have stated much wimpier setups get it done. That sounds like a fantastic moose package
