# lightest draw weight for deer???



## goathollow (Jun 18, 2008)

Well I saw a post in the Bowhunting forum this morning where a young girl (9 yrs I think) went on Safari with her father and killed an Impala (pass through) and a female Kudu with a 36lb bow. My wife shoots a smidge over 40 and gets near pass through on nearly every shot.


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## kevoswifey (Feb 14, 2012)

I know a few girls that hunt with their bows set at 35 lbs in Louisiana. There is no minimum draw regulation here either. I hunt in Arkansas too, and there is a 40lb minimum there. I have my bow set at 50lbs now, but started hunting with it at 38 lbs.


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## jessejamesNY (Dec 12, 2009)

35lbs limit here in NY. Id really not suggest anything under 35lbs and make sure to use a cut on contact broadhead.


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## MnJewelHunter (Aug 4, 2012)

Minnesota is now 30lbs I believe. Fix broadheads are normally recommended. It does allow some women and kids to get involve that can not pull 40 lbs.


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## artimus_jr (Aug 8, 2012)

in Al we have a 35# requirment. thats what i used last year since i had just started shooting and i used a cut on contact broadhead. i have only shot a racoon so far, but went right through him. hoping to get a deer this year. oct 15th not getting here fast enough.


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## NYSBowman (Aug 21, 2012)

Keep the shots short...at very low draw weights.


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## sweet old bill (Apr 21, 2003)

over the years when I had my own pro shop I sold several compound bow setup for 35 to 50 peak weight. The youth or women would start out at 35 lbs and a lot of them had not a problem with taking a deer. IN today setup the carbon arrow, current fixed blade BH in 100 grains, I see not a reason they can not be used . I had one women come in with her husband, he had a 70 lb old iron PSE bow from the 70's that he want to see if I could get it shorten the draw and weight so his wife of about 110 lbs could use it. I told him no way, his wife said forget it and then left. About two hours later she called and said I will like to be measure and order a bow for me like your wife is shooting for 3D. Well she came, got her a 35 to 50 lb bow, in 27 inch draw. JUst liike my wife bow, only in camo and not blue riser and black limbs. She picked up the bow, I help ed her sight in a 3 pin sight with carbon arrows. Well opening day came, and about 8 pm she called and said she would drop off her photo of a 8 point buck that walked into her ground blind at 10 yards to eat some apple at noon....by the way for the next several years never heard of her husband getting a buck, seems the deer loved to walk on by his wife on sunny, warm and noon days...


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## doegirl (Sep 22, 2004)

This isn't a easy question to answer.
There's a huge disparity in the performance of different bows. As an extreme example, why would a longbow at 40lbs be OK, but not a compound bow with an ibo rating of 350fps set at 35? Makes no sense. 
And then you throw short drawlengths into the mix
A quick way to gauge penetration is the bucket test. It was developed by my husband a few years back. A 5 gallon bucket is a fairly close approximation of an average deers chest cavity inside diameter. The sides are pliable and about the same thickness as ribs.
Fill the bucket with water before shooting. If you can get a broadhead to poke out the other side, then you're good to go. It would be awesome of you could completely clear the bucket, but we are talking bare minimum here.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2


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## MN Huntress (Nov 27, 2011)

doegirl said:


> This isn't a easy question to answer.
> There's a huge disparity in the performance of different bows. As an extreme example, why would a longbow at 40lbs be OK, but not a compound bow with an ibo rating of 350fps set at 35? Makes no sense.
> And then you throw short drawlengths into the mix
> A quick way to gauge penetration is the bucket test. It was developed by my husband a few years back. A 5 gallon bucket is a fairly close approximation of an average deers chest cavity inside diameter. The sides are pliable and about the same thickness as ribs.
> ...


I like the bucket idea!


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## cgarn4276 (Sep 10, 2011)

My daughter killed her first whitetail with a 35 lb draw weight, with a pass through. Just depends on shot placement


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## akkiller (Jul 8, 2012)

maryland legal limit is 30 lbs


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## DapperDan (Jul 31, 2011)

doegirl said:


> This isn't a easy question to answer.
> There's a huge disparity in the performance of different bows. As an extreme example, why would a longbow at 40lbs be OK, but not a compound bow with an ibo rating of 350fps set at 35? Makes no sense.
> And then you throw short drawlengths into the mix
> A quick way to gauge penetration is the bucket test. It was developed by my husband a few years back. A 5 gallon bucket is a fairly close approximation of an average deers chest cavity inside diameter. The sides are pliable and about the same thickness as ribs.
> ...


Interesting. I'll give that a try. Curious as to what my bow will do.


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## Ray Ray (Aug 1, 2005)

I know several young people that have shot deer with PA's state minimum, which is 35 lbs. Use COC broadheads & keep the shots under 25 yards & you should have no problems.


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## woodsbaby (Aug 10, 2009)

Depends on the bow too...

not only do I shoot low poundage but I shoot a short draw of 25"

I had a parker sidekick at 49lbs and never never ever got a complete pass thru. I killed plenty of deer with it tho. 

Now I have the Bowtech heartbreaker set at 43 lbs. I get complete pass through and sticking in ground on every deer I've shot thus far.

btw... I shoot mechanicals too. G5's


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## Reelrydor (Jan 5, 2010)

Me too!! I only shoot 40# so I feel very important for me to have the most efficient bow possible to be responsible, along with shot placement---We can't get by with a bad shot like the guys w/ heavy poundage and big/ heavy mechanical broadheads. Also, I am coming to believe with my poundage now at 40, fixed broadheads seem to be more efficent too. Too much energy burned opening mechanicals that are lightweight.


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## SaltyFLgirl (Aug 23, 2011)

Minimum is 30 in FL.


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## tdawg21 (Sep 11, 2007)

Legality on this subject obviously varies from state to state, but my wife started at 35lbs and it was sufficient out to at least 25yrds (furthest she actually killed one at 35lbs) on whitetails. She now shoots 41lbs and, with 100gr Slick Trick Magnums, she routinely gets complete pass-thru's at 35yards and in.

Dawg


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