Hi guys I'm new to archery and bow hunting, just got my first compound bow for Christmas and I'm loving the sport so far. The bow I got goes from 40lbs to 70lbs, I started low at 45 and now I'm at 60, I want to know if it's ok to max out the bow at 70, I'm wondering if that would wear out the bow faster or if they're made to be maxed out without problems. Also I have a whisker biscuit rest, does anyone hunt with those or do I have to change it out to a drop away rest to keep it quite enough to hunt. And lastly I'm using some Blackout X1 pro arrows, at 360gr, I'm wondering if that's too light to hunt some hogs down here in South Florida. Any advise you can give would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance for your help.
1st. welcome.... yes, the bow is made to handle 70#. many hunters prefer the wisker biscuit over a dropaway, no need to change. arrows are a little light but will work, heavier would be better though.
Welcome from ohio. I would say it won't wear the bow out any faster maxing it out. Shoot at what your comfortable holding back for up to a minute. Your friendly neighborhood Bow Hunter Shed Hunting Team 3 Excalibur Phoenix Carbon Express 380 grains Rage Hypodermic 125 grains
Welcome to the site! Work your way into upping the draw weight on the bow. I suggest being able to hold your bow at full draw for at least a minute before increasing the poundage. When hunting, you rarely get to draw and release quickly. Learning to draw and hold and then make an accurate shot will be necessary for hunting especially deer. I have never hunted hogs with a bow but I would think that at 360 grains your arrow is too light. I hunt with my arrows at 425 grains for elk and deer. I am told that shooting a hog with an arrow is comparable to shooting an elk in that hogs are bigger animals than deer and harder to kill because of it. I doubt that 360 grain arrows will allow the arrow enough penetration to kill a hog quickly, especially if you hit that thick layer of fat covering the vitals, often referred to as the "shield."
The WB on your bow will work just fine, there have been many, many deer shot using that rest. Don't get caught up in speed.
Welcome I agree that 360 gr is on the light side however you first concern is the spine of the arrow. The higher the pull weight of the bow a stiffer spine will be needed. Go to any of the arrow web sites and they will have a chart that will show you the correct spine based on the arrow length and the pull weight of the bow. I shoot a 28 inch arrow at 70 lbs and need a 350 spine at 420 grain. For a good read for this go to Hunters Friend and read the arrow school article
I also shoot a whisker biscuit. Personally, I prefer an non-moving rest; less moving parts. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Welcome! You'll love it here. WB is a fine rest. I shot one for 12-13 yrs and switched to a drop away not because it was necessary though. Sometime debate going back to one. If at 60# I wouldn't be super concerned hog hunting with 360g arrows, you're at 6g/lb and that's my minimum for a hunting arrow, although at 60# I would prefer to be around 380gr. I shoot 61# right now and shoot a 433g arrow. The X1s are a fine arrow, they're basically GTs I think. The only concern I would have is since you started at 45#, what spine arrows did they sell you? If they sold you 500 spine you were good at 45#. If they are 400 spine you were good at 45 and 60. At 70# I'd think a 340 spine might be in order. A lot of variables in spine - arrow length, draw length, draw weight, etc. Post your bow and all your measurements and I can run it thru OT2.
Thanks for all the replies, they definitely makes me feel better about the WB and maxing out the bow in a few months after some more practice, and a little exercise to build up my strength to be able to hold it for an extended period. And I will have to upgrade to a stiffer arrow whenever I do that, I have 400s right now, but will need to get some 340s once I max out the bow.
My draw length is 29" and the arrows I have now are 400s, the chart on the box says I'll need 340s at 70#, but if I want a heavier arrow I think I might need a different brand to up the grains.
Welcome to the site, great people on here, very smart!! I have only shot whisker biscuits and love them, never a problem, ever!! Best of luck to you.
practice shot placement and you'll get there been bow hunting for 19yrs now love it Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530A using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
Ok here's another question, I've noticed that out of the 6 arrows that came in the pack, I can get a nice tight group with only two specific ones, and the rest go wherever they want, is this normal or are the arrows just not straight enough?
Welcome to the site! A lot of knowledgeable guys here - Browse through the different threads and you will learn a lot. The bow is made to handle 70lbs. Shoot what is comfortable to you. My bow maxes out at 70lb, but I shoot 62. As others have said, that rest is perfectly fine, especially for a beginner. I'm sure most of us started with a biscuit when we started. I do not have experience in hunting hogs but that seems a little light from what I've read. Equip yourself with a solid fixed blade head and it should help.
shot placement and good broadhead behind the front leg up inside the lungs. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530A using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
Welcome, the enthusiasm only grows as specially when you move into the hunting side. Everyone has their own preferences on equipment with there own good reason. I prefer the WB and have had good success hunting with it. I think there was a post on rest preference you could look back on. No problem setting bow to 70Lbs.
