Anybody ever hunt deer with their longbow? I have a bow that is 69 pounds at 28 inches draw. I have been messing around with it and am finally getting what could be called a group at 15 yards. I clocked my arrow at 140 ft per second. Is that fast enough to get full penetration up close at 20 yards or less? How do you determine the foot pounds of Kinetic energey at different distances? I understand it takes approximately 40 foot pounds of energy at the deer to (on average) to get complete penetration. For elk this number goes up to 50 foot pounds. Any info? Comments welcome?

Where's Bigshark ... I know he's shot many a deer and elk with a longbow.

I'll see if I can rouse him ...

Hi brassonbrass

Yep, I'm guilty of the deed. 140 ft per second sure sounds slow for a 69 lb bow even if you are shooting really heavy shafts. I'm not sure where the 40 lb 50 lb numbers you are suggesting have their origin. However, in most states a 40 lb draw weight is required for it to be a legal weapon for deer and 50 lbs for elk.
Are you going to shoot wood or metal arrows?
Broadhead design is important. My experience leads me to believe that bleeder blades are very important if you wish full penitration. Some don't like these multiblade heads and prefer a simple two cutting edge blade that will stay in the vitals. I prefer a hole on both sides and the bigger the better. As the sport has changed over the years with tech advances, some like to keep it simple. The fun part about the old stick is that it takes more of your skill than with other equipment. That said,
it takes lots of practice to make those groups tight at different ranges. What has helped me the most is a simple broom handle sprayed with red paint. We call it a wand target. Put that broom handle out there at about 25 yards and get that right left business down to a very slight miss to a hit. The up and down will fall in line with shooting on uneven ground.
Welcome to the world of traditional archery and the pure pleasure that comes with it.
Deer and elk are both easy prey with the stick.