BareBack Jack

I put this on the Bowhunting section but no one answered,so maybe some of you guys that bow hunt elk can help me out.

I'm getting back in to bow hunting,I have not been up on it in a few years.I had a PSE Nova that I hunted with for a few years then time always gets short when bow season arives,so I sold it last year.I have a 30 inch draw and I can shoot 70 lbs easy(Last one was set at 72 lb)
My question comes as this,the bow will be used for elk hunting,I'm a experienced elk hunter been hunting these critters for almost 20 years with a rifle.
I was looking at these three bows wich are the best.
1.PSE Thuberbolt 60-70#
2.Reflex Grizzly 60-70#
3.PSE Fire Flight 33 60-70 #
Also what do most of you elkhunter use for arrow Carbon vs Aluminum.I used to shoot easton xx75 game getters II,with bear broadheads 125 gr.
I was thinking of a Carbon shaft arrow and Magnus Rothar Broad heads.
I was looking at using a Trophy ridge 5 pin sight(10,20,30,40,45)
NAP Quick tune rest,and Trophy ridge stabalizer and SLV vibration reducers.
Any suggetions on set-up,or equipment.
Thanks BBJ

idahoelkinstructor

BBJ, first off I know what you mean about posting in the bowhunting form with no response. It seems unless you have a whitetail deer question not many answer. I understand because most there are from the south or back east, thats why it would be nice to have a elk only form! Anyway to your question, I think that both the PSE and Reflex bows are top notch. I know a fellow hunter/shooter who has the Reflex Grizzly and he loves his bow. Are the PSE bows brand new or just new to you? The only reason I ask is I don't think that either the Thunderbolt or the Fire Flight are in the 05 line of PSE. I could also be wrong about that info? Either way it doesn't matter, what matters most is for you to shoot them to find out what feels best in your hands. I realy don't think one is any better than another for a elk bow. As far as arrows go I have always shot aluminum, this year with my new bow (Mathews Switchback) I want to try Carbons as well. I do worry about having enough weight for a compleat pass through. For broadheads, cut on contact are the very best for elk hunting. So with a Magnus you can't go wrong. I have a Nap quick tune rest on my Martin Fury and it works great. I have had mine on that bow for 4 years now and haven't had to touch it since I tuned it back in the spring of 2001. Just like they proclaim they are easy to tune and are a very solid, dependable rest. One thing you also might consider is a drop away rest, I am inpressed after trying a few shot through them, I will put one on my Switchback. The drop away rest I was using was called the Rip Cord, but there are many drop aways out on the market. The Trophy ridge sight and stabalizer, I don't know anything about, but if you like them go for it. I also like the SLV, Limb Saver products, they also make very good stabalizers as well. Good luck and have fun choosing your new set up.

121553

BBJ, you can ask a hundred people that question and get a hundred different answers. Those bows mention are all capable a bringing down an elk or any other big game in North America. Shoot all 3 and find out which one feels the most comfortable and less vibration, length of bow and weather you will shoot fingers or release? Make sure that someone fits you to the bow and that the arrows are matched with the bow weight. I would not recommend buying a used bow at the pawn but cheque out some dealers or archery clubs there in Lewistown and get started out right. Also keep in mind that Montana requires a Bowhunters education class before you get a bowhunters tag. ( In which I am a cerified instructor)
I shoot a 63# TRX compound using 2314 aluminum shafts with 125 grain thunderhead broadhead and use fingers. I want to buy a black widow recurve for next year but they want $1,000, OUCH!!! Good luck and if I can help out in any way let me know. Bobby

gselkhunter

I will be glad to give you what I use BareBack Jack. I have a 1998 XI Force One and a 2002 Parker Hunter Mag, the XI is the better bow! I can't help you with the bow question, but I can tell what I do and why. First I am shooting 70lbs, 30" draw, 26" 2314 XX75, Muzzy 130 4 blade broadheads. I am a release shooter, my finger release isn't good! Now for why I do what I do, I am old school, I am shooting 260ft/sec with my bows. And the hit power of a 490gr arrow with my set up is out the far side of an elk at 40yds. Every time on a broadside shot! You can't do any better than that. Because of my weight forward the front end of the arrow drives and the back guides, that is the way it is suppose to work. Also a heavy arrow is better for your bow limbs, not so much shock going into the bow because the arrow can't absorb the energy. Also a heavy arrow hold the energy better. As for using Muzzy 130, it holds up. And mine are as sharp as I can get them[important with any broadhead], and the blood trail is the best I have seen from any broadhead. My set up is slow by todays standards, but you can't kill them any more than I do. My set up is simple, I don't need all the frills. I just need it to work and it does.
Gselkhunter

idahoelkinstructor

gselkhunter I agree with an heavy arrow. I have used a XX75 2219 30" with a 100 gr. Thunderhead since 1997, when I bought my Martin Fury. That bow is 31" draw with a short overdraw shooting a 30" arrow. The total weight of my arrow is right around 580 grains. I liked how fast the Fury could push a heavy arrow. The Pro Shop owner wanted me to try some carbons and he even gave me some for free to try, but I could shoot the 2219's at 270 f/s with my bow cranked to 83 pounds max. I hunted with the poundage between 75-78#, and still getting around 260 f/s. In 2000 my bow limbs broke and Martin replaced them for free, but I couldn't crank up the poundage any more. The bow is suppose to be a 60-80# bow. But with the new limbs it will only go to 68 pounds max. It slowed me down some, shooting that same arrow I know get only around 250 f/s. I still like my Fury, but it is so noisy compared to all the new bows out now, and the shock that it generates (even with it decked out in Limb Savers) is very noticeable. I don't go through bows like most archers and will keep that bow. Heck if I ever draw out on moose in Idaho I will most likely use that bow. I also plan on keeping it handy with me as a backup bow. If something ever happens on a hunt with my current bow, instead of going home empty handed or waisting a day or two to go get my bow fixed I can pick up my old Fury and go hunting with confidence. I do want to try the carbons (again) in my Swichback but I am worried about arrow weight, so who knows I might be shooting aluminums after all?

BareBack Jack

Thanks guys alot,I'm no expert on this stuff.I have another ? whats the diff between IBO speed and regular speed.
The reason I was asking about these bows is I was going to order thru Cabelas,sine our local shops are so high $.
I have shot PSE 3 diff. bows and they seem to fit me the best,but I like the looks of the Grizzly.
The reason I was going for the Trophy ridge sight is the Vertical pins are easier for me to line up than the Horizantil sight.

I was goin cut on contact broadhead,the Magnus looked to be a good sturdy broad head,if not I will go back to Phantoms or Muzzy 125 gr.
I'm a realese shooter,I shot fingers for years(both recurve and Compound) like the rellease better.
I just wana get my ducks in a row now so when it ever gets above 20- below hear in the tundra or Montana,so I get to shooting.
Great stuff thanks again for the info.
BBJ

gselkhunter

Idahoelkinsrtuctor, If you add some turns on the cable you will increase the poundage on the bow, or you have to go to a longer string. I learned this trick when I was shooting an old XI legacy. I also had the limbs break and when they replaced them, couldn't get the poundage back. Now the bow was out of time, so when I played with the cables I added turns and my poundage was back.
The IBO rating is with a 360gr arrow at 60lbs at 30" draw. AMO rating is a 540gr arrow at 60lbs at 30" draw. Have fun shopping BareBack Jack!
Gselkhunter

bigbulls

If you can pull back 70 pounds you will have no trouble at all with getting an arrow into and usually through the vitals of an elk.

All of the bows you listed are certainly capeable of killing any elk around. Of the ones you listed the Reflex would certainly be my choice.

However, you should shoot as many as you possible can before you buy one. Do not just get a few in your mind and only shoot those three. Go shoot some and then go to http://huntersfriend.com/ and check out their package deals. They have some super awesome prices on bow package deals with absolutely everything you need to hunt.

They have a Parker UL35 package for only $479.00. THis is less than I paid for my UL35 in 2002 for the bare bow. This bow was a dream to hunt elk with. It is very light so toting it around tin the mountains is a breeze. It gets pretty good speed and is pretty quiet as well. This one should definetly be somewhere on the top of your list. http://www.huntersfriend.com/parker_...ite-35-pkg.htm

I prefer to have arrows that weigh 425 grains or more. Preferable 450 - 500 grains. This weight will be a very good ballance between speed, quietness, and KE. I much prefer carbon arrows to aluminum. They are much more durable and given the same weights they will retain their speed to greater distances than aluminum although it is minimal. Carbon also recovers from flexing much faster than aluminum does and this results to more of the arrows stored energy beign directed in a straight line through the animal rather than trying to recover from flexing thus giving better penetration.

The snuffer broadheads are good but IMHO they are much better suited to much slower speeds of 200 fps or less. You should be getting somewhere between 250 and 280 fps depending on bow and arrow combination. Snuffers are not the easiest to get to fly straight at these higher speeds. A much better choice in broadheads would be the Magnus stinger 4 blade, Slick trick, Steel force, Razor caps, montec and others.

As far as sights go, I, as most people know around here, don't like Trophy Ridge sights. IMO there are better sights on the market that hold up better than the TR sights and cost less to boot. I personally use a Montana Black Gold dusk devil and have been extremely happy with it. It has proven to be a very rugged and dependable sight. You will also not need 5 pins. Bows are much faster than they use to be. Set them at 20, 30, and 40 yards. Too many pins can really confuse you when you are ranging the incoming elk and deciding on which pin to choose. Sometimes I choose the wrong pin just shooting at the range. No need to have a 10 yard pin at all as your 20 yard pin will work from zero to 25 yards and at 45 yards your 40 yard pin will also be only a couple of inches low.

I have not use the TR stabilizer but I can tell you that the LORE stabilizer from Carolina Archery Products (Whisker Biscuit folks) is simply awesome. It works extremely well and definetly worth having on your bow. Vibracheck also makes very effective stablilzers.

As far as rests are concerned I love a drop away and use the NAP QT2000. Much easier to get a good tune when you don't have to worry about fletching contact with the prongs of a rest. Another excelent hunting rest is the Whisker biscuit. It is simple and rugged and holds an arrow very securely. It accomplishes the same thing as a drop away but in the opposite way. Rather than droping out of the way it grabs each fletch equally and stabilizes the arrow.

Definetly get the SVL stuff on your bow.

bigbulls

That's only half correct.

IBO speeds are suppose to based on a 350 grain arrow, 70 pound draw weight and 30 inch draw. However manufacturers can sometimes inflate this for marketing. IBO does not have a regulated standard. Some will claim an IBO speed based on 5 grains of arrow weight per pound of draw weight even if the particular bow only goes to 50 pounds or 27 inches draw length.

AMO does have a defined standard at which to rate the speed of a bow which is what gselkhunter posted.

BareBack Jack

So a bow with a faster IBO means overall faster arrows,correct.
I was questioning my thought on the 5 pin sight,I will go for the 3 pin insted.
I have settled on a broadhead Steell Force 125 gr.
I will go with 30 inch Carbons for arrows,what brand works the best,dose price matter?Like Cabelas sell a/dzn for 50.00 bucks,verse Carbon X-press are 85-90 bucks.