Arrows Suitable for Big Game or not Good Enough?

[KS Shooter2021]

I am not a bow hunter but reading between the lines it appears that you are trying to be prepared for a shtf situation. If that is the case do exactly what several members have recommended and got to a pro shop hand have them help you set up everything.

As far as predators, you are more likely to be confronted with 2 legged ones than 4. Lions if they are attacking will jump on your back from a tree or behind a rock. They are ambush predators. You won't have time to draw your bow on a charging bear. Get a good fixed blade knife, and a pistol or revolver, but make sure you have the ammo for it first or it's worthless.

And also buy books on how to process game and store meat without refrigeration. You can kill something but if you can't use it , what's the point. YouTube is fine until the power goes out, books are essential.

If you are really interesting in learning to hunt (assuming s does not hit the fan) get professional help to start and practice, practice, practice.

 

[one3]

Cheechako76
thank you for the excellent advice. As a newbie I am starting to think to myself is archery worth it when considering all the work regarding the fine details and tools and effort and expense versus the simplicity of the recurve crossbow? Thank you again.
Best regards
James

Yes, archery, is really worth it. Once you have the right set up, you will do just fine. Been shooting bows since 1969. Started with recurve, before compounds were invented. It is not rocket sicense. Not hard to learn, yes it will be at first. The more you learn, ask questions , read you will see, archery is fun. It is a whole lot differnt than shooting a gun. For a gun you need to keep buying or reloading bullets. Archery, one you get set up, you can shoot, and shoot thost same arrows over and over , and it will not cost you more money. My bow is set on 50 lbs. Shot many deer with no problem. The main thing with any thing is, SHOT PLACEMENT. In Ohio, where I live there are no hogs, if there were a 50 lb. bow would do just fine. OK, so keep at it, learn all you can. soon you you will be able to tune and do what ever you need to do. Please, let us know how you are doing, Rich

 

[Samesaw]

Hi to all the respected, experienced members.

As a total newbie I was hoping to ask for some advice. Due to covid there is a shortage of arrows that I can source.

Do the experienced members here think the Carbon Express Maxima Red 350 connected to the Magnus Stinger broadhead 150 grain are good enough for hunting big game or do you think this is out of date/not adequate for big game?

I have read conflicting opinions whereby some say the weight/kinetic energy is more important than using a light carbon fast traveling arrow. Then others showed figures that beyond a certain distance it all evens out, irrespective of whether you use a heavy slow traveling aluminum arrow or a fast light carbon arrow.

Sorry, I should also clarify that this is not the Maxima Red SD arrow. It is the Maxima red 350. Thank you.

As I mentioned I am totally new to both the conventional compound bow, as well as the crossbow (I recently bought both). Then I am also new at this site and not sure if it is against the rules to also post this same question at the forum: "Bowhunting"?. If so, then I must sincerely apologize (I was unsure whether I must post this question under "Bowhunting" OR "Hunting Big game"?

Many thanks again for your kind understanding.

Best regards

James

Dear James, you will find that at about 50 paces the slimmer carbon arrows will fly in less on a ballistic arc at about 2 or 3 feet higher if shooting off the same pin as your zeroed aluminum arrows. They simply fly faster and flatter with less wind resistance.
Carbon arrows also make less noise when being drawn on metal arrow rests. As far as kinetic energy goes nothing beats a high velocity bullet being launched by a stick of dynamite. I'd be more concerned about velocity and Broadmead design for penetration. Your skills as a hunter also plays a part, as even a spear will do if you can get close enough to your prey. Good luck.

Cheers,
SE
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[coopersguide]

All good info.
arrows and braodheads you are talking about are fine provided poundage / fps is acceptable
FAR more impotant is being able to prived perfect shot placement and knowing you max. effective range. With a vertical bow pracitece is very important and required (usually many trips to various differnt ranges). As soon as you can prove to yourself that you can hit a pie plate 8 out of 10 times at any given range you should be ok -at that range or less. Remember that your shots in the field will be much more challangeing than the shots taken at an indoor or backyard range. Add the excitgement of being close really adds to the challenge. Please make sure to take ONLY ethical shots and ranges you are capable of realistically making.
Good luck!

 

[D$tring]

Your question of light and fast vs heavy and high kinetic energy is the right question. Every year that I don't draw a controlled hunt tag for elk, (every year of my life so far), I elect to hunt them in a local general OTC archery only unit. I have been on both sides of this debate and I have harvested many bulls both ways. However, the two I have lost were both with light and fast arrows, that don't penetrate as well, especially at extended ranges that the west often requires. I learned the hard way that I needed an arrow "with a higher BC".

FOC (front of center) is the archery hunters equivalent heavy for caliber high BC/SD bullets. There is a sweet spot that is totally dependent upon draw length/weight, arrow weight, broadhead selection, desired/expected shot distances, style of hunting (stand vs spot and stalk) etc.—Just like there is a sweet spot for bullet weight/BC/SD for a given caliber, barrel length, desired range, desired terminal performance etc.

You can kill with either philosophy just like you can kill with energy retaining monolithics or frangible. Honestly there is nothing like experience to develop your own personal preferences, but you are asking the right questions to get a good head start. There are a lot of articles and forums like this one there, with every opinion under the sun, but as you read more you will see a trend—shorter known ranges like stand hunting or in heavy cover=fast and flat is your friend. Longer ranges with more open terrain where you have to buck the wind = heavier arrows with higher FOC.

 

[Gone Ballistic]

From some of your questions I am thinking that you are 1. Very young. 2. Very naive. 3. Have never hunted anything. 4. Have a huge imagination about what happens when hunting wild game. 5. Need to go to an archery shop with a range, get some of the basics of shooting a bow and get one. 6. Practice shooting your bow for hundreds and hundreds of hours. 7. Learn to judge distance to a minimum of 40 yards. 8. Practice shooting stumps in the woods at various distance. Learn kill zones for various types of animals that you might hunt. 9. Practice shooting targets of the animals you might hunt and determine what range is the maximum distance of your comfort zone. 10. Join a bow shooting club and learn from other shooters. 11. Practice, practice, practice and practice. 12. Go to bow hunting websites that share information. 13. Get out and try hunting some small game animals. 14. Learn how to take care and field dress a dead animal. 15. Now, if you've successfully completed the last 10 items I listed, it is time for you to go hunting large game but, you should read about the characteristics of the animal that you are going to be hunting first. This will give you a better idea on how to hunt it. Good luck, bow hunting takes many skills just to make the shot lethal and you don't want to end up wounding an animal!

 

[longrangebob]

Depending where you are Crossbows may or may not be legal during bow season unless you have a disability; unless your setup is atypical - crossbow Bolts the correct choice and not your Arrows; I cannot speak to your choice - but if you have the correct spine weight & good broadheads Tune it, sight it, &PRACTICE (I used to use similar weight field tips then change to Broadheads)
U were being teased about Fred Bear - he was probably the most famous when I was a Lad and my first bow was a 30# - when I was 10 or 11 and I hunted every small game animal I could find BUT primarily Grouse & Pheasant - Firearms took precedence till I was 21 - then my 50# Full Recurve until 1980 & 20 years with Compound - then in 2000 my PSE & Crossbow went to my son & I went back "Ole School" and returned to my Recurve - I use Old 420 Gr. Aluminum Arrows w/5" Fletching; 190 Gr. 1.75" wide Single Blade broadhead (where the installed arrow tip is interior to the "Leaves" of Broadhead) I now shoot "instinctive method" Again and limit myself in distance - ever since the Grazing 70+ yd. Moose took one long stride between when arrow was released and when it arrived — instead of boiler room I got a hip - I never saw that arrow again; although the Moose was fine a week later (arrow is somewhere in Black Spruce/ Tamarack Swamp - but that is part of why I use Aluminum - big critters don't bite thru it when pulling out - now I limit to 30 Metres & my shots on Elk go to the Fletchs (only had 1 Pass thru back with compound)
im heading further back and making broadheads out of Obsidian-
find a comfortable set-up, a style you like and enjoy, I have for more than 6 decades...
It is ole fashioned BowHunting - or Black Powder Cartridge - or Precision Rifle (6.5X284, 280AI, 340Wby have stood me in good stead),,,, and yes this Long Range RIFLE - Forum, some of us do more than, but expect some teasing -
I wish You Success

 

[Treeslug]

You should be able to rotate your nocks to whatever position you need them by the method you described. Unless by some chance they have been glued in. But they shouldn't have been done Some are very tight though. I've got no experience with the arrows that you're using. But I have used the magnus stingers quite a bit . They shoot very well when tuned straight with your cock feather . You can achieve this easily with a small rubber o-ring slid up on the broad head .
As far as the crossbow you really need to get crossbow bolts for it . In my opinion instead of shooting full length arrows I've never seen where shooting full length arrows through a crossbow is a good idea. Not saying it can't be done , just don't see a good reason for it . Crossbow bolts vary from 20-23 inches in length and are built specifically for the stress that a crossbow will put on them.

At first, I thought you might be trying to pull someone's leg with those questions. Then I remembered back to when I was a Newbie and I remember asking some rather goofy sounding questions of the folks trying to help me. Because there are a lot of unknown factors going on here, I would suggest going to a competent store or arrow range and asking for some help. You are going to have to know your bow's draw weight and arrow length and a myriad of other things to get the right stuff to make you a responsible hunter. You owe the animals you hunt, and yourself, the trip. Without good help and information, you may never be as good as you could be.

 

[Marc Gauthier]

short range around 5 verges, maximum range around 30 verges. Pecision first. Le reste est secondaire.

 

[Wv shooter]

The arrow Broadhead combination is fine the Maxima 350 the 350 stands for the spline of the arrow unless you're shooting heavy poundage on your bow then the arrow would be fine but under 60 pounds it may be a little over splined 150 Broadhead also reduces the spline so you also may be OK with the 350 as far as orientation to your whisker biscuit there should be some black bristles underneath of your brown inside of the whisker biscuit that arrow should ride on those black bristles The black bristles are stiffer than the brown ones that means the cock vane or the odd colored vein should Be shot up you also should be able to turn your Nocks or orientating with your fingers their is a small datem mark on the left or right of the nock try to turn them all to same side happy hunting

 

[Wv shooter]

Not a good pic but if you have questions about any of the above PM me and I can call you with maybe fair Answers To some of you questions

 

[MASH]

I have been hunting with Carbon Express Maxima's for a long time now. They are great arrows and tuff especially with the camo wrap on the forward portion of the shaft. I also use the Magnus Stinger 100grn broadheads for deer and elk and will only use a fix blade cut on contact broadhead for elk. The Mule deer in my avatar was taken with a bow this January while on a archery Javelina hunt this Jan, We can archery deer hunt at the same time. Since I was pig hunting I screwed on some Schwacker mechanical broadheads for the hunt and they actually worked really well on the deer. He only went about 40yds and piled up. Elk / Bison are big, muscular and heavy boned and have seen too many bad results from mechanical's to use them for that. With four Cows, one bull elk, three Coues and two turkeys that have meet there demise with a CX 350 and a 100grn Magnus Stinger, Ill keep using that combo. Especially for my Archery Bull hunt coming up in a couple weeks. Remember Archery is absolutely about getting close, shot placement and waiting for the right shot.

 

[Whelmag]

Hi to all the respected, experienced members.

As a total newbie I was hoping to ask for some advice. Due to covid there is a shortage of arrows that I can source.

Do the experienced members here think the Carbon Express Maxima Red 350 connected to the Magnus Stinger broadhead 150 grain are good enough for hunting big game or do you think this is out of date/not adequate for big game?

I have read conflicting opinions whereby some say the weight/kinetic energy is more important than using a light carbon fast traveling arrow. Then others showed figures that beyond a certain distance it all evens out, irrespective of whether you use a heavy slow traveling aluminum arrow or a fast light carbon arrow.

Sorry, I should also clarify that this is not the Maxima Red SD arrow. It is the Maxima red 350. Thank you.

As I mentioned I am totally new to both the conventional compound bow, as well as the crossbow (I recently bought both). Then I am also new at this site and not sure if it is against the rules to also post this same question at the forum: "Bowhunting"?. If so, then I must sincerely apologize (I was unsure whether I must post this question under "Bowhunting" OR "Hunting Big game"?

Many thanks again for your kind understanding.

Best regards

James

Hi to all the respected, experienced members.

As a total newbie I was hoping to ask for some advice. Due to covid there is a shortage of arrows that I can source.

Do the experienced members here think the Carbon Express Maxima Red 350 connected to the Magnus Stinger broadhead 150 grain are good enough for hunting big game or do you think this is out of date/not adequate for big game?

I have read conflicting opinions whereby some say the weight/kinetic energy is more important than using a light carbon fast traveling arrow. Then others showed figures that beyond a certain distance it all evens out, irrespective of whether you use a heavy slow traveling aluminum arrow or a fast light carbon arrow.

Sorry, I should also clarify that this is not the Maxima Red SD arrow. It is the Maxima red 350. Thank you.

As I mentioned I am totally new to both the conventional compound bow, as well as the crossbow (I recently bought both). Then I am also new at this site and not sure if it is against the rules to also post this same question at the forum: "Bowhunting"?. If so, then I must sincerely apologize (I was unsure whether I must post this question under "Bowhunting" OR "Hunting Big game"?

Many thanks again for your kind understanding.

Best regards

James

At one time Colorado required a minimum of 45 lb for deer and 55 lb for elk or larger. For deer I like a 1 inch 100 gr. broadhead and elk I go with 1.25 with 125 gr. (Dont know if Colorado rule still stands on bow weight.) Above those bow weights the broadhead weights were based on combination of what bow requirements are and cutting diameter. Recurves used to be flat heads that sometimes had a cross blade inserted. Many still prefer primitive like that. Do what respects the animal. Practice. Be sure to try for the best placement. Carbon weight looks fine. 150 will work.

 

[Pwbergen]

There is a wealth of information on arcHery gear, arrow construction, arrow tuning (to your bow), and the FOC ("Forward of Center") concept on YouTube. (See the excellent videos by "Ranch Fairy".)

I changed back to a recurve this year after 35 years of compound bow hunting, and I'm shooting arrows weighing over 700 grains (includes a 300-grain 2-blade broadhead) from a 50-pound recurve. This combo will completely penetrate an Asiatic Water Buffalo, so it will be adequate for anything in the Northern Hemisphere. While a full compound outfit will run close to $2K, my bow was $139 on Amazon and arrows are $125/dozen from 3 Rivers Archery.