Poundage required to take a deer

msjjd

Senior Member
This will be me and my sons first year hunting with a bow and was wondering what his bow should be at to take a deer, right now he is at 34lbs. Hoping he will be at 40lbs in a month or two.:pop:
 

GusGus

Senior Member
35-40 pounds is plenty to kill a deer. Most shots while bowhunting are within 18-25 yards so yall should be fine.
 

Stick

Senior Member
40 lbs with a cut-on-contact broadhead and 20 yards or less will be fine. Just hit him right.
 

Rip Steele

Senior Member
Has to be set at 40lbs to be legal. That's what it was a couple years ago anyway.
 

Browtine

Senior Member
I'd look more at momentum and kinetic energy than draw weight. Here's Easton's minimum recommendations for different game sizes/types. You can determine KE by using the formula below, or using a calculator like the one at the link I'm posting... You just need to know arrow speed in feet per second, and arrow weight in grains.

velocity x velocity x total arrow weight (in grains) divided by 450,240

http://bowsite.com/bowsite/features/practical_bowhunter/penetration/index.cfm

Using the formula my Monster shot a 477gr arrow at 300fps. So...

300 X 300 = 90000 X 477 = 42930000 / 450240 = 95.349147121535181236673773987207, or 95.3 ft/lb of KE.

The calculator rounds it down to 95# if I enter weight and fps... That's close enough for me, and enough KE to kill the toughest game on this planet per Easton.

According to the chart, if you can get him shooting at least 25 ft/lb of KE, he's golden.
 

dusty80

Senior Member
Poundage isn't really what you should look at. KE is. Today's 40# bows shoot faster than the mid 90's 60# bows. My wife is shooting 35# 24" draw, with a 240 grain arrow and getting 250 FPS....... Plenty to pass thru a deer with the small fixed blades she shoots. One thing I would tell you to do is set his limit to 20-25 yards. AND NO EXPANDABLE BROADHEADS!!
 

msjjd

Senior Member
Thanks guys. Man you get a lot of great feedback on here. This has truly been an addicting thing for us, my son has really been doing well in 3-d. Hope the confidence spills over to deer season.There is so much to learn about but everyone has been great. Thanks again.
 

Ihunt

Senior Member
My wife shoots an older Matthews 42lbs. 24 in. draw and she has a whopping 28 lbs. of KE.She shot through a big Iowa buck a few years ago.Small,sharp cut on contact broadheads.
 

Browtine

Senior Member
My wife shoots an older Matthews 42lbs. 24 in. draw and she has a whopping 28 lbs. of KE.She shot through a big Iowa buck a few years ago.Small,sharp cut on contact broadheads.

That's critical I think, with the truly lower poundage bows. They also mention it in the article I linked to.
 

satchmo

Moderator
No min draw weight in Ga.

Has to be set at 40lbs to be legal. That's what it was a couple years ago anyway.

There is no min. draw required weight in Ga. The only restrictions is that you have to use a broadhead on your arrow.
I have seen some of the newer bows shooting 30-35lbs that will kill any deer walking.
I shot the first nine deer of my life @ 42 lbs and aluminum arrows. Most arrows passed right through and stuck in the ground.
I would say that if he is shooting 30 plus pounds, he should do fine.
Good luck.
 

deerassassin22

Senior Member
I know to hunt on Fort Benning, You must have atleast 40lbs.
 

UserNameGoesHere

Senior Member
The above is close enough for your needs. Only thing I would add is that you make sure the shooter can shoot a SCARY SHARP fixblade ACCURATELY.
 
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buckslayjay

Senior Member
my nephew killed his first bow buck with a 35# draw, just make sure he's got some sharp heads
 

kcausey

Banned
My wife shoots 47lbs, 280 grains, gets about 260fps....she shoots 4 blade 85 grain standard slick tricks.....while she hasn't shot a deer with it yet, there's more than enough penetration on our 3d targets to burn through any sized deer. I agree with dustin....i would worry more about the set up you have in hunting....i always try and get my wife within 30 yard or less of where i plan on her deer to pop up. He'll get proficient at better distances than that pretty quick and suprise you....but the closer the better.
 

ClydeWigg3

Senior Member
What do you think the Indians were shooting 200 years ago? probably not very much, but they were deadly with it.
 

msjjd

Senior Member
Indians was more of a case of have to eat, you know what I mean. Hey guys thanks for all the replies. MD.
 
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