No other gear question is as important as this one. I covered miles and miles only to come across more wolf sign than elk sign. A little extra force and penetration can mean the difference between a successful kill and watching your prize elk get away. The weight of the shaft largely depends on its material and size. No other factor has as much influence on penetration, which is everything in elk hunting. Christian Berg talks with T.R.U. They have a bad habit of bending, breaking, or just pulling out the arrow. Before fletchings, we've got an arrow that weighs 589 grains and has an FOC of about 20 percent. Joe looked at me and said, "I'm going to use my tag on this bull!" You'll be packing meat in short order. Elk Arrow Weight? | Hunt Talk Further, new, out-of-the-package heads should be shaving sharp, but touching up used heads is a chore. They can easily shoot through a mattress and leave the fletching unharmed. On many occasions, I made a hunt end in my favor by being aggressive on my feet and closing the gap while a bull was talking. Required fields are marked *. Second, test different fletchings to see which is quietest (Ive had good results with AAE Max Stealth vanes). Stick with the 100- and 125-grain models for elk with their 1 1/8-inch cutting diameter and option to re-sharpen. "Yes, I can see them fine but they are always facing me," I replied. Another valuable lesson I learned is when to be aggressive. But best of all, you sometimes get to be the hunted because bull elk can respond aggressively to a call. Hunting elk with a bow and arrow is among the most exciting experiences a hunter can have. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sign up for our email list for entry to win an RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler. Their field-point profiles make them easy to tune. These midday still hunts can be so deadly if you are willing to do them patiently. Idaho - 40-pound minimum with a maximum 85% let-off. That means the vanes are slightly bent like a propeller which causes the arrow to spin in flight. The Trident continues T.R.U. to get through that extra mass of hair, hide, bone and flesh. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. My eyes got about as big as many of yours are right now, and I said, "WHAT? [Bull & Cow Harvests Explained], How Much Does Elk Weigh? Thats a tragedy if it happens when you shoot an elk and really annoying even when it happens at the range. Heavy arrows also have some other benefits that make them a great choice: Awesome, so why not shoot the heaviest arrow possible? People fight about helical vs offset but honestly youll see great results with both. The ideal combination of these factors can result in deep penetration, maximizing the chances of a quick and ethical harvest. Of course, each hunter will prefer a specific weight, so heres the real question: What draw weight are you comfortable with, and how much control do you have at that poundage? Lastly, how about a hybrid? The bull was slightly quartering to me, and the arrow passed through the scapula and exited the back lung. I'm just as obsessed about bowhunting elk as you are. For archery hunters, our biggest fear remains that we wound and/or kill an animal but never find it. This comprehensive guide to shooting covers: how to get started in archery, the costs involved, choosing and using equipment, and the basics of shooting; setting up your equipment and initial tuning; the biomechanics of shooting; the tactics and preparation work involved in archery competitions; physical fitness, nutrition, and psychology; arrow selection and preparation; making bowstrings; and shooting techniques, improving performance, and the fine-tuning of equipment., The best way to hone in on your perfect bow hunting setup is to get out there and start shooting! Then I add 200 grains of weight up front including my broadhead along with about 30 grains with the . The best draw weight will differ from hunter to hunter, but draw weight will typically range between 45 and 80 pounds. For elk at least 50 pounds draw weight at 28 inches, arrows must be at least 24 inches long tipped with a metal broadhead, with at least two sharp cutting edges, and have a cutting diameter of at least 3/4 inch - unbarbed and have fixed blades. Best Arrows and Broadheads For Elk | Outdoor Life I like to move quickly to close as much of the gap as possible without letting the elk see me. If an arrow goes too slow, it drops very quickly which can lead to less margin for error for range estimation. The Best Arrow for the Money: Gold Tip Hunter XT. Once shunned at elk camp, mechanicals now firmly hold a place in the hunt for big backstraps. Matching the right amount of fletching surface area to your broadhead is important. I just thought I would get some opinions on what grain everybody . Mechanicals have been known to fail, nick vegetation and deploy in flight, or fail to deploy totally upon impact. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. More on this in my guide to building arrows (coming soon). That makes maximum, and hopefully two-hole, penetration more important than on just about any other North American big game animal. Read on. Until you can shoot at this draw weight, I would consider another hobby. Q: I am an avid reader of Bowhunter Magazine, and I look forward to each issue and the information and hunting stories you and the other writers contribute! This is essential when hunting large game like elk, as you need to ensure your arrow can reach the vital organs to ensure a quick and ethical kill. Recommended Don't Be Afraid to Change Your Plan Read Article How to Kill an Antelope When They Won't Come to Water Read Article 16-Year-Old Arrows 428-Inch Arizona Bull Read Article Why Deer Tactics Help With Elk-Hunting Success Read Article Bows have more energy and transfer it more efficiently than ever before. Over the years, I've had the privilege of hunting in some of the most beautiful and rugged landscapes this world has to offer. Personally I would find a way to add a heavier insert system. You can choose the best bow for your hunt and hunt by joining now and asking . Both sides have merit, but overall arrow selection again comes down to your draw weight and draw length. Subscriber Services. You have the rutting action that compares to peak whitetail season. I was gearing up for a Montana hunt but also had a few antelope tags I was trying to combine with my road trip. Everything You Need to Know About Scent Control, 10 Land Management Strategies for Small Whitetail Properties, Untunable Bow? If your draw weight and arrow speed is average (under 280 fps), your total arrow weight should go up. Despite this, a five-grain arrow weighing less than 550 grains is not uncommon. With the new Buckskin and Stone color options, bowhunters can customize their hunting rigs to match up with many of today's most popular camo pattern options. All Petersen's Bowhunting subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. To top it off, the mountainous environment they live in can lead to long shots, windy conditions, and difficult shot angles. Try many different draw weights and, EatElkMeat.com is dedicated to elk meat and elk hunting. Thats especially true for smaller diameter arrows since more of the insert has to move out of the inside of the arrow as it gets smaller. Ball's continual push to design award-winning accuracy for archers in the field and on the competition range where big bucks and gold medals are the goal. A broadhead doesnt work without the stick thats behind it and your stick should be stout. FOC is simply a measure of how much of the arrows weight is in the front half of the arrow. Elk are very different animals than deer: theyre far bigger, their hide and bones are tougher, and theyre strong enough to go long distances when wounded. I hope this write-up was informative and cleared up your priorities in your quest for deciding the best draw weight for your upcoming elk hunt. A bow for all ages and skill levels. KE = (Arrow Weight x Speed^2) / 450,240. Theyre critical because you could build the best arrow for elk hunting on the planet and it would be worthless if your inserts were misaligned or broke easily. That thickness means durability and strength when you need it most, Less wind resistance also means less arrow drop over distance. If you want to shoot it as a fixed-blade, simply tighten a set screw and the head. Use a small fixed blade broadhead (< 1 inch) and you should be find with most commercial Bohning or AAE fletchings work fine, Helical/offset makes a big difference in stabilizing your arrow and is only available from custom builders or if you build your own arrows, The only way to know what works is to test options on your setup. No matter how precise the components, youll still have to mark + align outserts (by rotating them) before you glue them into the arrow. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
My guide, who was a veteran elk hunter, then asked me, "Can you NOT see the bulls when they are coming in?". You can re-sharpen and use these tough broadheads over and over again. Draw Weight for Elk 2023 Guide [State Minimums + Best Gear] - Eat Elk Meat Major arrow manufacturers offer roughly three different diameters of arrows for hunting purposes: While plenty of elk have been killed with standard diameter arrows, small and micro diameter arrows offer some pretty distinct advantages: The downsides of smaller diameter shafts are that they tend to cost more and the components can be much weaker and difficult to align (more on that in the next section). For elk hunting, my optimal total weight of an arrow is somewhere between 450-500 grains but this will certainly depend on your setup. However, if you can achieve higher KE while maintaining accuracy, its always better. All you have to do is spin the arrow, mark the end to cut, and voila, youve made a .006 or .003 arrow into a .001. I experimented a ton with FOC and concluded that I had great results with standard 125gr points on arrows that ended up in the 10-15% FOC range. Scott Cool, via e-mail. Many times, I would start to question whether there were even elk around, but then I would come across fresh elk sign. One way to overcome this is to quiet your bow but it turns out that arrows also make a lot of noise traveling through the air. A little extra force and penetration can mean the difference between a successful kill and watching your prize elk get away. My total arrow weight with the 125gr. Since the elk weren't talking at all, I focused on still-hunting. In many ways, elk are like turkeys. Theres a term for that retained energy: momentum. This let-off makes it easier to hold the weight longer while you are at full draw. For fans of giant blood trails, most mechanicals can deliver. A heavier arrow carries more kinetic energy, which translates to increased penetration on impact. A well placed shot allows a 398 gr arrow at 82 yards on a cow elk, a 70 yard shot on a muley to pass thru. Being aggressive on an elk means you will likely need to make some noise. Try many different draw weights and broadheads to find combinations that work for you. Bowhunting geeks love analyzing gear. I can achieve this weight by choosing an arrow that weight approx. Hi! Messages. At 70 pounds, youre in pretty good shape, but if youre only shooting 55 pounds know that a portion of energy is being used to expand those blades. This setup makes for a great beginner bow. The bull charged in on a rope and I drew my bow as I saw his legs approaching. The bull went 28 yards and tipped over. Rage has been leading the way with mechanical success for much of the mechanical revolution and the Hypodermics one-piece ferrule strength holds up to elk physiology. Thats half the energy and the speed of a .22 rimfire cartridge, which is better known for killing for squirrels, not elk! Otherwise youll have a straight arrow shaft that still has a wobbly point! How High Can Elk Jump? As an example, my 2019 setup was a 549 grain arrow, 67lbs, 8.2 GPP and 258fps it worked flawlessly on an elk and practicing out to 100+ yards. Leg bones stop nearly all arrows and the scapula ranks equal to body armor, but most well-constructed broadheads can navigate the ribs to dart into the heart-lung area. Most experienced bowhunters recommend a minimum arrow weight of 400-450 grains for elk hunting, so a 500-grain arrow should provide enough kinetic energy and penetration to take down an elk effectively. However, noises such as sticks snapping, shale sliding or pinecones crunching are OK.

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