Question for bow hunters regarding boars

I know some guys who have had no problems busting through the "shield" on a big boar using newer compounds. That said, the vitals are a lot lower on a hog and the shield doesn't go that far down in most cases. There are a lot of people who kills boars all the time with bows.
The best advice is go to a bow shop and get professional advice on the right bow, fit, arrows, shooting lessons, etc. it doesn't take long at all to get proficient with a compound bow and the right lesson or two.
You don't need to buy a 1,000 dollar bow either. Any of the mid range $500+/- bows will do just fine for you.
 
Unless you plan to hunt hogs from a tree stand, I think using a bow to take one is dangerous to the point of foolhardiness. I know, people do it from ground level. People do all manner of dangerous things I wouldn't. But I've never been that much of an adrenalin junkie.

Yankee mike mike victor.
 
Add on..

I meant to tell you as well justplainpossum, I don't know what your Wal-mart is like, but I would avoid it for your archery needs, and advice. Try a local pro shop(the little door or counter with the boes in your local gun store.) I think a good pro shop is just as important, or more so to a novice archer, than any brand/product. Look for one that has several different brands, i.e. Hoyt, Matthews, Bowtech, PSE. Never buy a bow without shooting it first. If you have to shoot ten different bows several times so be it. Also feel free to p.m. if you need help.
 
I like the idea of a crossbow backed by pepper spray. If money is not a problem, a suppressed subsonic round from a carbine. Something like this would be at least as quiet as many crossbows.
 
Good advice to find a pro shop that specializes in archery. The better archery tackle is only available through pro shops. Something about how the industry is set up. As a general rule; the more money you spend on your bow will translate into a quieter, faster, more comfortable tool than a cheap one.

Also; a modern compound shoots a LOT harder than a stick and string bow. They are also much easier to shoot accurately with practice. You definitely want lots of kinetic energy when shooting hogs. I use modern expandable broadheads (Rage) and have not lost a hog with them. I DID lose several hogs using fixed blade broadheads. The fighting plate on a big boar will indeed stop an arrow so accuracy and good arrow placement are critical. Still hunting from the ground is an excellent technique and most of the time an arrow shot hog is gonna go the other way.

I shoot a PSE and would recommend one. Look at Hoyt and Matthews as well as many others. There's a tremendous assortment out there and it's best to try a variety to find what works for you best. One of the problems with a newbie bow shooter is they really don't even know the questions to ask. Many go down a bad road before gaining the experience to judge for themselves. As a case in point when I first started shooting I shot a 30" arrow, but with time and experience my arrow length had to be shortened to 28 1/2". That's just developing proper form over time. Take your time and talk to a lot of archers before spending a bunch of money.
 
for mechanical broadheads I like Swacker and Spitfire second. Personally I most always use Thunderheads just because I hunted with them for about 18 years and the are tried and true, they never let me down. I hunt with compounds, crossbow and a recurve. The recurve to me is the most challenging and for that is the most rewarding. Although last year I think I killed either 2-3 deer with a crossbow also. What I may like you may want to do something different. You owe it to yourself to try everyway possible and then go from there. Most beginners will buy cheaper line equipment and start off with a compound or crossbow and the ones who really love it after a couple years will upgrade and the ones who really like to do things primal after a couple years its a recurve or a longbow and instintive shooting. Really gives you a rush. Slightly slower feet per second but very very quiet.
 
I've got the same old 45# recurve bow that I've hunted with for 36 years. It has put tons of pork in the freezer.
 
Ah yes, recurves. Isn't it rewarding? And to have same bow and use year after year. I have had the same recurve bow for about 19 years and still gong strong.
 
Same here.
Compounds are efficient and effective, but they take the challenge out of it.
Besides that, they have too many gee gaws to go wrong.
If I miss with my trusty old recurve, there's no doubt where the blame lies.
I have two.
A thirty five year old Bear laminated wood recurve, rated at 36 lb.
And a twenty or so year old PSE/Hoyt take down competition style, rated at 42 lb.
Great bows, both.
I shoot them instinctive style.
Just like Byron Ferguson, but not nearly so well.
Not the speediest, but very accurate.
Soft drink cans at 20 yds are dead where they stand.
 
myfriendis410 said:
Also; a modern compound shoots a LOT harder than a stick and string bow. They are also much easier to shoot accurately with practice. You definitely want lots of kinetic energy when shooting hogs. I use modern expandable broadheads (Rage) and have not lost a hog with them. I DID lose several hogs using fixed blade broadheads.
Click to expand...

I've used quite a few broadheads over the years and the worst penetrators I've ever seen are the original 2-blade Rage. If I hunted Hogs with them, I'd want a LOT of kinetic energy, I mean a LOT, like 75lbs absolute minimum. More than most women would ever be able to pull and certainly more than most men would ever need if they used a much better broadhead.

From what I've seen, nothing beats a Slick Trick, for accuracy or killing power. Accuracy is king. Frankly, they all kill if you hit them where you're supposed to AND get penetration.... and contrary to their commercials, almost anything will out penetrate a Rage. At least they finally put draw-weight recommendations on some of their products, not that it means anything....

Both of the following bows at 57 pounds draw weight....

Slick Tricks blow through deer with my old 213 fps 37 ft/lbs York bow. I (screwed up) and hit a large doe at 18 yards in the neck (not the spine) using a Rage 2-blade and a Hoyt Katera, 285 fps, making 57 ft/lbs and it DIDN'T make an exit wound. Two weeks later, same Katera, I shot an average 5-point from 18 yards, perfect quartering, double lung shot, and the Rage didn't make it through. Were both deer dead? Yes, though the doe took several hours to get there, but the performance was dismal.

I have a friend who hunts elk with a 47lb Matthews and has never failed to get two holes with a Slick Trick.
 
My two brother n laws use rage, they shoot one deer and the blades are bent to crap almost every time. I've used thunderheads and can usually kill 8-9 before blades get dull. Ferrule is not bent though. You just have to swap blades out and hit a broadside and get complete pass thru almost 99% of time with compound or crossbow. Recurve you'll get complete passes about 85% of the time. Never tried anything else (no need too).
 
I used a muzzy fixed blade 125 grain, with a 10.5 gpi easton fmj on my javelina this year. Not sure if that is an ideal setup or not, I kinda put it together myself. I will say though, it went right through both lungs and stuck out about six inches through the ribs, coming out of a matthews, 70lb, at about 40m. Not sure how similar javelina are to your hogs. This one weighed 61lbs. I know y'all's get a lot bigger.
 
Crossbows are noisy. Almost like a pellet gun. Compound bows are less but recurve or longbows are extremely quiet.
 
Crossbows are noisy.
Click to expand...

Good, modern ones aren't that bad and it rarely matters anyway. If you do the math on the speed of the arrow and a animal's approximate reaction time to sound, nothing closer than about 25 yards will be able to do more than twitch before that arrow get's there.

Anyway, I'd rather have fast and loud(er) than quiet and SLOOOoooowwww.:D


...Muzzy...
Click to expand...

Muzzy broadheads work just fine for killing things. They are neither especially good nor bad. Everything kills, Muzzy is no exception. They penetrate like just about every other similar fixed blade. Their accuracy is acceptable but not as good as Slick Trick if you're an accuracy freak. The average shooter can't tell the difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top