I'm new to recurves and i want to do the right thing and not wound any Whitetails. so i was wondering with 60lbds limbs and a full draw what distance would penetration begin to fall off, probably keep it below 25 yards for my first year . assuming i even see any deer.lol
IMO, you should be OK with what limitations you are using. Any bow can wound if the shot is not in the right place. Not knowledgeable about the "ballistics' of archery as to velocity/energy. Good luck!
To give you a better answer, we would need to know things like arrow length, total arrow weight (TAW,) forward of center (FOC) weight percentage, and type of broad head. But 60# is pretty heavy draw weight for a trad bow and you should be fine inside 25 yards assuming you are skilled enough to make a good shot.
Provided the shot placement is "in the boiler room" you should be good to 35 - 40 yards ... maybe 45 yards with your setup, using good fixed blade cut on contact broadheads.
I pull 47# on my recurves. arrow weighs about 470 gr. I don't hunt with it any longer but about 15-17 yds was my max range. And I practiced a ton. 60# is a hell of a lot of weight for a newbie. and 25 yds is a poke as well. think about going lighter and closer, my advice is to practice a lot, and when you think you have practiced enough, practice some more
#60lb limbs are heavy limbs by most standards. That being said, if you have good form and practice to where you can keep all your shots inside a paper plate ( the center not the fringe) you are good to go at that range. Move back and continue, what you may find is the 16 to 22ish range will be your sweet spot. The key to stick bows is to learn to get the game in tight, at this range pass thrus are never a problem. Leave the long range shots to the moviestars.
I used a 45#Kodiak recurve and my first kill was 20 yrds . Not a pass through but a good lung shot and the arrow just sliced and disced him with each bound. Trailing was a bit difficult. Placement is key.
