Hunting Moose with a Crossbow??

[AJ01]

Okay...I'm sure that somewhere back in the ancient files of this forum, this question has been ask before, and has been answered just as many times.
However, never one to beat a dead horse...too much!!


Having never fired a bow of any type at a Moose, I was wondering what broadhead and arrow set-up does one need to poke a large gaping hole in a critter of such a large and healthy dimensions?
I hear tell that an average weight for a male Canadian Moose is about 1200 pounds.
Sure puts an Elk to shame!!

That's a lot of muscle, hide, innards and bone to navigate.
SO...what do you Moose Hunters use??????

[lituani]

Following

[longbow joe]

I only remember that a giant moose ,perhaps a record moose was killed with a vixen. Maby someone will share the article.
Most people opt for a fixed blade for better pennitration
Many a moose has been killed by sub 200 fps longbow and recurve and a zwicky type 2 blade broadhead .As with anything shot placement is critical.
.

[nchunterkw]

I used a 16" GT NItro Pro arrow, 60gr brass insert, 50gr weight, 125gr RamCat, Blazer vanes and a NuFletch Igniter nock and got a complete pass through on a Bison. Total arrow weight was 500gr, bow was my Micro 335.

Having since learned more.....from The Ashby Foundation and The Ranch Fairy on Youtube (his name is Troy and he is part of the Ashby Foundation), I would now use something like......

16" GT Nitro Pro (it's the heaviest carbon I can find at 13.9GPI), 60gr brass insert + 50gr weight, 200gr single bevel (something like a Tuffhead), Blazers and a Lumenok for 0.285" ID. Bring you in around 532. Maybe even bump up the front end some more by 50 or 100gr. Moose bones are tough....you want an arrow that will get penetration even on a "less than perfect" shot. Ashby has done a ton of research and testing on real animals in AFrica and has developed 12 Penetration Enhancing factors. It is mostly for long bows etc, but all of the principles apply. Here is a link.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d0443b188b6c900011e0ccc/t/5e9378b48f4a085e431232d4/1586722996915/2019+Terminal+Arrow+Performance+Update.pdf

Troy has a bunch of videos on Youtube talking about the same things. He calls setups like above "Adult Arrows" .

IMO you won't go wrong with a very heavy arrow. It will go through bone so you will kill the animal on a bad hit, and of course it will do just fine on a "ribs only" type of hit. A light arrow with a large cut BH leaves the door open to poor penetration and a wounded animal.

Good Luck!! I'm jealous.

[Bones]

Look up , Foundation for the recognition of ontario wildlife" ( frow ) Article and picture is there in the crossbow category . 5 yard head on shot with a vixen. My set up for moose is a 400gr. total with a stout fixed head launching at 360 fps. Over the years our group has taken moose with various different heads, a number with bolt cutters.

[AJ01]

I used a 16" GT NItro Pro arrow, 60gr brass insert, 50gr weight, 125gr RamCat, Blazer vanes and a NuFletch Igniter nock and got a complete pass through on a Bison. Total arrow weight was 500gr, bow was my Micro 335.

Having since learned more.....from The Ashby Foundation and The Ranch Fairy on Youtube (his name is Troy and he is part of the Ashby Foundation), I would now use something like......

16" GT Nitro Pro (it's the heaviest carbon I can find at 13.9GPI), 60gr brass insert + 50gr weight, 200gr single bevel (something like a Tuffhead), Blazers and a Lumenok for 0.285" ID. Bring you in around 532. Maybe even bump up the front end some more by 50 or 100gr. Moose bones are tough....you want an arrow that will get penetration even on a "less than perfect" shot.

I have watched several of his (Troy's) videos. Quite the entertaining guy!! Also the guys from "The Hunting Public". Good stuff.
Seems "heavy" would be the correct method. I have always felt, that after the initial "launch" of the arrow, it was the kinetic energy of a heavy broad head that "pulled" and arrow thru a "target" rather than the arrow shaft "pushing" the broadhead.
Seemed like simple science to me.

And Keith...anybody shooting Buff''s has my attention! Always wanted to do it, just haven't.

[nchunterkw]

I used a 16" GT NItro Pro arrow, 60gr brass insert, 50gr weight, 125gr RamCat, Blazer vanes and a NuFletch Igniter nock and got a complete pass through on a Bison. Total arrow weight was 500gr, bow was my Micro 335.

Having since learned more.....from The Ashby Foundation and The Ranch Fairy on Youtube (his name is Troy and he is part of the Ashby Foundation), I would now use something like......

16" GT Nitro Pro (it's the heaviest carbon I can find at 13.9GPI), 60gr brass insert + 50gr weight, 200gr single bevel (something like a Tuffhead), Blazers and a Lumenok for 0.285" ID. Bring you in around 532. Maybe even bump up the front end some more by 50 or 100gr. Moose bones are tough....you want an arrow that will get penetration even on a "less than perfect" shot.

I have watched several of his (Troy's) videos. Quite the entertaining guy!! Also the guys from "The Hunting Public". Good stuff.
Seems "heavy" would be the correct method. I have always felt, that after the initial "launch" of the arrow, it was the kinetic energy of a heavy broad head that "pulled" and arrow thru a "target" rather than the arrow shaft "pushing" the broadhead.
Seemed like simple science to me.

And Keith...anybody shooting Buff''s has my attention! Always wanted to do it, just haven't.

Thanks AJ. The 12 factors article is a good starting point. Troy and the Hunting Public guys also have a podcast episode where they are talking with a guy you used to work for the Army designing projectiles to penetrate tanks/tank armor. There they started with the target and figured what they needed in a projectile to penetrate it and worked backwards to the delivery method. With us it's the same logic. What arrow do I need to pass through X animal? Momentum, broadhead integrity, and drag through the animal are key to putting an arrow through something....which is our goal. But you have to consider the worst case scenario where you hit a heavy bone, and design your arrow to succeed in that case. Just my humble opinion. Also, heavy high FOC arrows definitely calm the crossbow down and are much quieter.

[Boo]

I have only killed 2 moose and it was with a 180 gr Bonded Bear Claw out of a 300 win mag. I am amazed at how quickly they loose steam on the shot. I think a deer is much more tough and the elk that I've shot even more tough. I've been around several other moose kills and they all make me think the same. I would moose hunt with a crossbow, I'd want to put a moderate sized broadhead through both lungs with a good weight arrow starting around 500 grains and get as close as you can and most importantly keep quiet after the shot.

Here is the Ontario record moose info and story by the hunter http://frow.ca/moose/crossbow-2/

[Driftless hunter]

Having never fired a bow of any type at a Moose, I was wondering what broadhead and arrow set-up does one need to poke a large gaping hole in a critter of such a large and healthy dimensions?
I hear tell that an average weight for a male Canadian Moose is about 1200 pounds.
Sure puts an Elk to shame!!

That's a lot of muscle, hide, innards and bone to navigate.
SO...what do you Moose Hunters use??????

I think you may have answered your own question by how you worded it somewhat. I can only speak as compound bow hunter, & I have never killed moose. A moose is a big critter. I would want a cut-on-contact broadhead that flies out of my bow or crossbow well. You want to hit your target (moose are bigger ones), & you want your arrow to penetrate!

I have been fighting some shoulder pain the past couple years. That's why I visit here. I will be owning a crossbow sooner rather than later.
I had to reduce the poundage on my bow set up some time ago. Along with that, I decided to change broadheads. I shot fixed broadheads (mostly 3-blade Muzzys) for decades. I decided to try Slick Trick Viper Trick, & my search was done. It may not be a true cut on contact broadhead, but it's surely the next best thing. I really like this broadhead. Blades are easy to remove and sharpen. You're not going to shoot one through a moose & probably use it again, but it flies very well & it does what it's designed to do quite well. I don't have experience shooting a Viper Trick from a crossbow, however.

Slick Trick has a 150 grain X-Bolt broadhead, but the 125 grain Viper Trick may offer superior penetration. I am not saying this is the best broadhead on the market. I do, however, feel it's a great broadhead for the money. It surely slices through a whitetail even though I have reduced my poundage on my bow. I have to believe a 125 Viper Trick place in the vitals of a moose would be deadly. A sharp broadhead that penetrates well is hard to beat. Would a 2" wide Rage kill a moose? Sure, if it passes through the vitals. The "if" part would bother me.

If money is of no concern, I would look at the Iron Will X Series Crossbow Broadhead. It's expensive, but it also has a "lifetime warranty". As long as a critter doesn't run off with your arrow, you will have that broadhead or a replacement one to use.

[CT.HNTR]

I am doing a moose hunt next year in the Yukon but am using a 340 Weatherby mag. If I were to use a crossbow I agree that extra weight would be very beneficial and would be looking to be in the 500-600 grain total weight range and I might sleeve the front end of my shafts for extra FOC and stiffness. For broadheads I would probably look at the German Kinetics Silver Flame in 180 or 210 grains.

From what I have seen a lot of bowhunters bowhunting in Africa for large game like cape buffalo use the Silver Flames as they have a reputation for phenomenal penetration.

[munch]

I’ve shot 3 with a crossbow 100 grain slick tricks with 93 gr brass inserts zombies and gold tip arrows

[Carnivorous]

You guys are killing me! I need hunt Newfoundland to get me a Moose!! Lol