bow hunting

[josephlys]

i see you guys are into bowhunting too. How many years have you been hunting with a bow.? i occasionally go to an archery range to shoot. im not very good at it at all. Was thinking maybe when i get better at archery i'll get a 30lbs recurve to hunt. Will this reliably bring down racoons.
In your opinion how does the accuracy of a recurve match with a hand-operated ball valve airgun / one of your trigger operated ball valve AG

[josephlys]

I find the hand operated ballvalve AG quite accurate at 25 feet it will hit a crow size target quite consistently. When i shoot a recurve bow at that distance i be happy if it groups within the red circle. How long does it take to be accurate enough to place all my shots in the yellow circle

[Pellethuntr]

Well to answer your first question ive been bow hunting my whole life...[not that im old hahaha] around here it's not a passion we have, it's a way of life...As far as the recurve goes it should have plenty of power for coons but you will probably get frustrated quick as arrows go a good $30+ for a half dozen and as you im sure have seen they break easy

[Forum Admin]

I bowhunted a bit in high school and did a lot of practicing. I shot a compound bow without sights, so I relied on instinctive shooting. I could keep my arrows in a coffee can sized circle at 25 yards after a couple months practice. Check out this guy's youtube channel for some homemade arrow ideas as well as a slingshot modified to shoot arrows: http://www.youtube.com/user/wildernessoutfitters Might save you a bit of money, pellethuntr isnt kidding about the price of arrows.

[josephlys]

Yeah, they sell for$70 for a dozen. But the owner told me carbon arrows can last a life time, is he putting on a sales speach. They also sell aluminum arrows but they are quite pricey. Are alluminum arrows bettr than carbon arrows. Maybe the owner meant carbon will last a life time if it doesnot hit hard surfaces like walls etc.Right?
in your experience will aluminum arrows break

[Pellethuntr]

alluminum actually breaks easier...they bend very easy

[Forum Admin]

Like PH said, aluminum arrows are horrible about bending, one miss and the arrow is as good as trash. Carbon arrows can stand up to a lot of abuse, I wouldnt say a lifetime, but I've hit stumps with them, shot them into the ground, etc and they survived quite well. You'll occasionally have to replace the fletching or a nock here and there, but you will be much happier with carbons than aluminums.

[Pellethuntr]

agreed

[josephlys]

Just wondering, what -?-lbs recurve bow can drop a full-grown racoon quickly/instantly? is a 20lbs bow enough or 30lbs etc... im a beginner and am having a hard time choosing a right bow.
Im afraid that if the draw weight is to high it might affect my accuracy, i need a balance of accuracy and power. thanks in advance

[josephlys]

in short- what lbs recurve bow will anchor a racoon almost instantly.So i can collect it with ease.
i dont want it running away with an arrow through its body and dying an hour later. Know what i mean. ;)thanks

[Forum Admin]

I'd say a 30 lb bow should do the trick, they are still pretty easy to draw, have enough power for small game, and should be easy to shoot accurately. A good heart/lung shot or head shot with one should nail a raccoon sized animal down pretty quickly.