Answer a crazy question....
01-22-2003, 08:21 AM
#1
Boone & Crockett
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia USA
Posts: 13,672
Answer a crazy question....
In Va. the following two restrictions apply to hunting deer with a bow:
1. Arrowhead widths must be at least 7/8 inches wide or expand upon impact to 7/8 inches.
2. Bows must be capable of propelling a broadhead arrow at least 125 yards.
Okay here is the question, using the above criteria what would you think would be a minimum poundage for a bow to shoot the lightest legal broadhead the minimum distance?
This to me seems really weak, but I am no physisist. I know darn well my 70 lb Browning ambush exceeds the minimum by a mile.
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
1. Arrowhead widths must be at least 7/8 inches wide or expand upon impact to 7/8 inches.
2. Bows must be capable of propelling a broadhead arrow at least 125 yards.
Okay here is the question, using the above criteria what would you think would be a minimum poundage for a bow to shoot the lightest legal broadhead the minimum distance?
This to me seems really weak, but I am no physisist. I know darn well my 70 lb Browning ambush exceeds the minimum by a mile.
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
01-22-2003, 09:06 AM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Greenville SC USA
Posts: 656
RE: Answer a crazy question....
Several factors here I guess. (bow design, arrow weight, usual stuff) Is that all the regs state about 125 yds? Get on top of a good hill in VA and it'll go alot further! But on level ground, I guess 30 lbs would be near the minimum. It may bounce off the target, but it traveled the requirement. The rule doesn't seem to make much sense to me. But who am I.
01-22-2003, 09:11 AM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,175
RE: Answer a crazy question....
It makes some sense to me. Looks like they're trying to avoid putting a minimum draw weight on the books and have gone for a performance standard instead. After all, which has more energy... A 400 grain arrow out of a 40 pound selfbow or the same arrow out of a 35 pound hatchet cam compound?
It wouldn't make sense to have a 40 pound minimum and say the selfbow was legal when the compound shoots harder, but is not legal.
Edited by - Arthur P on 01/22/2003 10:13:46
It wouldn't make sense to have a 40 pound minimum and say the selfbow was legal when the compound shoots harder, but is not legal.
Edited by - Arthur P on 01/22/2003 10:13:46
01-22-2003, 09:57 AM
#4
Boone & Crockett
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Location: Fredericksburg Virginia USA
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RE: Answer a crazy question....
Arthur I see where you are coming from, but I really do not feel that this reg is a good one, at best it is some what confusing. I just wonder how many folks are wounding deer due to being underbowed and not knowing it. I can see a novice bow hunter either going to Wally world or mail ordering a 30 pound bow thinking well it will shoot the minimum size arrow the minimum distance so I am sure it will be all I need for deer hunting.
I know there needs to be some sort of standard set as a minimum, and in Va. that is established with the 2 restrictions I copied from the regs, it just surprises me it is that low.
Do you or any one else feel that with a well placed 20 yard shot this would be sufficient to efficiantly harvest deer in a humane manner?
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
I know there needs to be some sort of standard set as a minimum, and in Va. that is established with the 2 restrictions I copied from the regs, it just surprises me it is that low.
Do you or any one else feel that with a well placed 20 yard shot this would be sufficient to efficiantly harvest deer in a humane manner?
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
01-22-2003, 10:39 AM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,175
RE: Answer a crazy question....
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Do you or any one else feel that with a well placed 20 yard shot this would be sufficient to efficiantly harvest deer in a humane manner?
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>
Absolutely. I've done it. And with a 1 1/4" wide broadhead to boot.
But that was in the days when most people avoided passthru shots. Accepted wisdom back then was that it was an advantage to keep the broadhead inside the deer's vitals and causing more damage as the animal ran. Now, 40 years later, thinking runs that you must do everything possible to blow completely thru the deer's ribcage. I have to admit that I prefer passthroughs, too. I'd rather have the blood trail than a huge mess to clean out when I find the deer.
By contrast to a setup that meets the minimum requirements, your 70 pound Browning Ambush is cranking out a good bit more KE than the recurve that Fred Bear used to take a 5-ton elephant at 40 yards. Do you need all that energy to make an efficient, humane kill on a 200 pound deer at 20 yards?
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>
Absolutely. I've done it. And with a 1 1/4" wide broadhead to boot.
But that was in the days when most people avoided passthru shots. Accepted wisdom back then was that it was an advantage to keep the broadhead inside the deer's vitals and causing more damage as the animal ran. Now, 40 years later, thinking runs that you must do everything possible to blow completely thru the deer's ribcage. I have to admit that I prefer passthroughs, too. I'd rather have the blood trail than a huge mess to clean out when I find the deer.
By contrast to a setup that meets the minimum requirements, your 70 pound Browning Ambush is cranking out a good bit more KE than the recurve that Fred Bear used to take a 5-ton elephant at 40 yards. Do you need all that energy to make an efficient, humane kill on a 200 pound deer at 20 yards?
01-22-2003, 11:50 AM
#6
Boone & Crockett
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RE: Answer a crazy question....
Good points Arthur and well taken.
Fred Bear....... man what an archer, what a hunter, in my opinion no one today could touch what he accomplished with the same gear he had. The best thing about the man was his ethics and how he represented the sport.
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
Fred Bear....... man what an archer, what a hunter, in my opinion no one today could touch what he accomplished with the same gear he had. The best thing about the man was his ethics and how he represented the sport.
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
01-22-2003, 12:07 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Heaven IA USA
Posts: 2,597
RE: Answer a crazy question....
Fred Bear was a terrific hunter! What he has done for our sport speaks for itself.
However, if Fred were alive today and took the shots he took at game "back in the day", he would be shamed off of this forum and labeled as an unethical hunter.
...Oh boy, where did I put my fire extinguisher??!!
However, if Fred were alive today and took the shots he took at game "back in the day", he would be shamed off of this forum and labeled as an unethical hunter.
...Oh boy, where did I put my fire extinguisher??!!
01-22-2003, 12:09 PM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia USA
Posts: 13,672
RE: Answer a crazy question....
Good points Arthur and well taken.
Fred Bear....... man what an archer, what a hunter, in my opinion no one today could touch what he accomplished with the same gear he had. The best thing about the man was his ethics and how he represented the sport.
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
Fred Bear....... man what an archer, what a hunter, in my opinion no one today could touch what he accomplished with the same gear he had. The best thing about the man was his ethics and how he represented the sport.
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
01-22-2003, 02:29 PM
#9
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,175
RE: Answer a crazy question....
True, Antler Eater. But thank goodness we had men like Fred Bear, Howard Hill, Glenn St Charles, Ben Pearson and all those other pioneers out there hunting, taking game and proving the effectiveness of archery gear back then so we can enjoy bowhunting today. We're also fortunate that those men wrote and spoke freely about their experiences so that we could learn from them and develop our code of ethics... whatever the heck it might be these days.
