I would like to know what the ladies out there are shooting with? I recently got a Bear Apprentice 2, which I really like, but I'm afraid it's not big/fast enough for deer hunting. I've tried several other bows (Siren, HomeWrecker, Razor, Mission), but I haven't found one that I like as much. I see that Bear has a new one called the Outbreak, but I can't find it in stores yet to try it out. I only have a 26" draw, so it's a little harder to find something that fits. I'd like to work up to about 55 lbs pull weight, but currently, I can only do about 45 lbs....
We have two killer ladies here, both Christine and Lady Forge continually lay down venison... they can give insight on their set ups...
45#s is plenty of bow to kill a deer out to 40 yards if you are shootin' straight...My sis has been bowhunting for 15+ years and she only pulls 47-48# max for hunting and honestly she has missed/wounded/lost less deer than I and a heck of a lot less than her husband!
my wife uses the mathews passion at 26.5 and 47 lbs draw. Has taking plenty of game and hopefully a B&C next year in wisconsin.
Hi Robin Like Rob said, I am sure Christine and Lady Forge can give you way more insight than I can...but looks like we are pretty much right on when it comes to DL and weight. This is my first year hunting and I just got my first deer on New Years Day. I picked up my first bow in early spring and have been hooked ever since. I tried out quite a few bows and ended up with the 2011 Bowtech Heartbreaker. I love it! I also have a 26" DL and my weight is set at 45 and I had absolutely no problems with getting my deer. My goal for next season is to be at 55 as well! Keep us posted about what you decide on.
Robin - welcome aboard! It's nice to see some additional contributions from the lady bowhunters out there. As for bows, there certainly are more of them out there specifically designed for women. When picking out a new bow you really owe it to yourself to shoot as many as possible and pick the one you prefer the best. Just like getting a new car, test driving can be the best part! One bow you may want to look into is the Mathews Jewel. It just came out this year and from what I can tell looks to be the best of the bunch when it comes to women's bows. http://mathewsinc.com/product/jewel/
My girlfriend shoots a Bear Apprentice. Shes at a little less than 40lbs. Which is plenty for deer as long as your broadheads are sharp to get nice easy penetration. On the one bowhunt or die recently they guy shot a deer right in the shoulder from pretty close and he didnt get much penetration at all and I'm sure he was pulling more than 45 so it isnt all about DW. You may not get passthroughs with less than 50lbs, but you will put deer down.
My wife shoots the Bear Homewrecker. She loves it. Low price as well. she's shooting at around 50lbs with a 23in draw.
Not just PW... I know I'm not only worried about my pull weight, but also the speed rating on the bow - the Apprentice 2 is only IBO rated for 265 fps. When I put that plus the other stats into a kinetic energy calculator, it comes up as only fast enough for small game: http://www.stickemarchery.com/stickemcart/archery-calculators.aspx. According to this one, as 265 fps, with a 45 lb PW, 26" DL, and 330 grain arrows, it only produces 22 ft-lbs of KE ("The general consensus is that 22 ft-lbs. is enough to harvest small sized game - 25 ft-lbs") and it lists the minimum for deer at 25. It would take a 52 lb PW to achieve that with my bow, according to this particular calculator ("The general consensus is that 26 ft-lbs. is enough to harvest medium sized game (Deer, Antelope, etc.) - 25-50 ft-lbs"). Thoughts?
I think you could go alot lighter on your arrow, pick up some speed. 5 grains per draw pound is adequate.
Hey and welcome to the board. My wife shoots also but she shoots an older Bear Buck Master BTR. She has been looking at bows and I have been looking for her as well. I am way more into them than she is. Look at and shoot a lot of them. As many as you can. Look at: Mathews Jewel, Botech's Heart Breaker, Bears Home Wrecker, if you can find one a 2011 Hoyt Vixcent and althogh this one is not a "Ladies" bow check out the Bowtech Assassin SD. The SD stands for Short draw. It is blazing fast for a short draw and it is worth looking at and shooting before you buy one. All the ones I have listed have IBO's of 300fps.
First, I wouldn't go lighter on the arrow to pick up speed. In low draw weight situations you want momentum more than KE. Heavier arrow = more momentum. Think of it as trying to stop a ping pong ball going 30mph vs a train going 3mph. Second, I think that the chart you are using may not be accurate for your bow. I think your bow is probably measured for IBO at a shorter draw than what the chart is using. The chart does not seem correct for my bow which is rated at 27.5" rather than the standard 30". My primary deer bow is a Bowtech Equalizer. 40lbs draw, 26" draw length, 368 grain arrow. They don't make the equalizer anymore but it's still probably one of the best all-around short draw length bow that was made. Has a 7.25" brace height which I much prefer to the Jewel's 6 3/8". Your Bear has a very short brace height so you may be more comfortable with the jewel than I would be. Like you, I'm looking at new bows but can't find anything I really like. Even though my bow is set at only 40lbs it does the job just fine. I've killed five deer this season and all dropped in sight. The 3.5 year old buck I shot was a complete pass-thru and the buck didn't even make it 50 yards. I do limit my range to about 25 yards but the way I look at is, if you can't get within 25-30 yards of deer, you don't need a better bow, you need to be a better hunter. I used to pull more poundage but I now have burger for a shoulder joint. (but it sounds more like gravel) The only real downside to the lower weight is the increased arrow drop due to slow speeds. You really need to know yardages. Not guessing... knowing. :D So, don't worry so much about the chart. Make sure your arrows are flying straight like darts, get a good non-mechanical broadhead, keep your shots under 30 yard and be accurate. That's what counts.
Haven't looked at the assassin. I'll check it out if I can. Being a lefty limits the bows I can try out to about none tho'. For a new bow, I'm looking more a smooth/gentle draw cycle more than speed. Trying to find a smooth, fast, light, short draw bow is like hunting for unicorns. :D
I haven't tried it. I have shot the assassin though and it is nice. Pretty smooth bow. Not sure what the difference would be in an SD version. Short draw and lefty, I can imagine. it may be easier to fins a unicorn.
My girlfriend is big into the bowhunting. She loves it. She shoots a PSE Chaos at 50lbs with a 26.5 inch draw. She got the bow this past summer and killed 2 deer with it this year. Both deer fell in sight. She shoots Easton Axis 500's tipped with 100grain G5 Montecs. Glad to see more women getting into hunting.
