Question for hunters of the bigger animals (elk,moose,etc.)
Question for hunters of the bigger animals (elk,moose,etc.)
I want to know what you guys who hunt big animals a lot use for bolts. After hunting with a recurve and crossbow I have had less than desirable penetration on elk with lighter arrows/bolts. Recurve arrow weight was 475 gr. and crossbow bolt was 500 gr., 3 elk and one mule deer doe hit- None hit heavy bone, yet none of these shots penetrated well nor were the animals recovered. In contrast, I have had full penetration on all my hits with heavier arrows (4 elk and 2 mule deer taken with 575-590 gr. arrows and the same recurve bow and 1 elk taken with a 575 gr. bolt and a crossbow- all with 2 blade BHs). I have come to the conclusion that I like a heavy arrow or bolt for elk and bigger animals, and it has also been impressive on mule deer too. I am thinking about increasing my bolt weight to 700 gr. next year for elk. What do you guys think? I don't really want theories from whitetail hunters about what their setup will do on an elk. I want experiences from those who hunt bigger game on a regular basis with a crossbow. Thanks. Grndhntr.