Is cranking your Hoyt to 90lbs actually worth it for elk? It sounds impressive at the range, but when you run the real numbers — kinetic energy, momentum, speed retention, and what happens to your shoulder after a hard stalk at elevation — the answer is more nuanced than most people expect. Here's the full breakdown.
The Hoyt Lineup at High Draw Weight
Hoyt is one of the few manufacturers offering draw weight options that push toward and beyond the standard 70lb hunting ceiling. Here are their key platforms suited to elk hunting at high draw weights:
Note on 90 lbs: Most production Hoyt compounds max at 80 lbs. True 90 lb setups typically involve custom limb orders or specialty configurations. For the purposes of this article, we've included 90 lb data to show the full curve — but 80 lb is realistically the ceiling on production models.
The Kinetic Energy Numbers
Using a 450 grain hunting arrow — a typical elk setup — across draw weights on the same platform:
| Draw Weight | Est. Speed | Kinetic Energy | Momentum | Elk Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 lbs | ~270 fps | ~73 ft-lbs | 0.539 slug-fps | Adequate |
| 70 lbs | ~290 fps | ~84 ft-lbs | 0.579 slug-fps | Good |
| 80 lbs | ~310 fps | ~96 ft-lbs | 0.619 slug-fps | Excellent |
| 90 lbs | ~325 fps | ~105 ft-lbs | 0.649 slug-fps | Overkill (if you can hold it) |
Minimum recommended kinetic energy for elk is 65 ft-lbs. Every draw weight above clears that bar. Going from 60 to 90 lbs adds about 32 ft-lbs — real, but not game-changing at typical hunting distances.
Visualised
KE vs Momentum — Which One Actually Matters for Penetration
This is the part most hunters skip, and it changes the entire conversation.
Kinetic energy is the explosive force that punches through initial resistance. Momentum is what keeps the arrow moving once it's inside the animal — through heavy muscle, rib cage, and on exit. For bowhunting penetration on tough angled shots, momentum is the more useful metric.
Here's where it gets interesting. A 70 lb bow shooting a 550 grain arrow at ~275 fps produces:
- KE: ~92 ft-lbs
- Momentum: 0.671 slug-fps
That's better momentum than the 90 lb setup shooting a standard 450 grain arrow. Same or less physical effort on the draw. Better penetration on tough shots.
The takeaway: Arrow weight does more for penetration than draw weight does. You can reach elite momentum figures at 70 lbs with the right arrow — you don't need to crank to 80 or 90 lbs to get there. This is the argument behind high-FOC heavy arrow builds.
The Case For Running Heavy Draw Weight
- Steep angled shots — a bull standing directly below a treestand at 20 yards requires the arrow to punch through significantly more tissue. Extra KE helps on worst-case angles.
- Margin on deflections — if your arrow clips a branch or hits an unexpected obstacle, extra energy gives you a better chance of still reaching the vitals.
- Long-range confidence — speed retention at 60–80 yards is meaningfully better at higher draw weights. Western elk hunters taking 70+ yard shots benefit from the speed advantage.
- Some archers shoot better at higher draw weights — the increased resistance gives a more consistent anchor and follow-through for some shooters. Counterintuitive but real.
The Case Against
- After a hard stalk at elevation, drawing 80–90 lbs quietly while your heart is pounding and your legs are burning is genuinely difficult. A blown draw at close range on a bull is a season-ending moment.
- Cold weather tightens tendons and makes high draw weights even harder to cycle smoothly. September mornings in elk country can be brutal.
- String jump — elk have exceptional hearing and react to shot sound. A slower, heavier arrow from a 65 lb bow that arrives before the elk moves beats a 90 lb shot the bull hears and ducks.
- Injury risk — shooting 80+ lbs through a full practice season plus a hunting trip compounds on your shoulder and rotator cuff. Injuries have ended more hunting careers than missed shots.
What the Numbers Say You Should Actually Shoot
| Setup | Arrow Weight | Speed | KE | Momentum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 lbs, light arrow | 400 gr | ~310 fps | ~85 ft-lbs | 0.550 slug-fps |
| 70 lbs, heavy arrow | 550 gr | ~275 fps | ~92 ft-lbs | 0.671 slug-fps |
| 80 lbs, standard arrow | 450 gr | ~310 fps | ~96 ft-lbs | 0.619 slug-fps |
| 80 lbs, heavy arrow | 550 gr | ~290 fps | ~103 ft-lbs | 0.709 slug-fps |
The 70 lb heavy arrow setup outperforms the 80 lb standard arrow setup on momentum — the metric that matters most for penetration. The 80 lb heavy arrow setup is the elite tier for anyone who can draw it smoothly under pressure.
The Real Answer
Optimal elk setup: 68–75 lbs shooting a 500–550 grain arrow. You get 85–100+ ft-lbs KE, 0.65+ slug-fps momentum, and a draw weight you can hold steady after running 400 yards at altitude.
If you can handle 80 lbs: Run it with a 500+ grain arrow. You're now in elite territory on both KE and momentum with genuine margin for tough shots.
90 lbs: The numbers support it if you can draw it clean every time. Most hunters can't — and a shaky 90 lb shot hits worse than a calm 65 lb shot through the vitals.
Bottom line: Add arrow weight before you add draw weight. It's safer, more consistent, and the momentum numbers are better.
If you change arrow weight chasing momentum, your sight tape changes too. Use the Sight Tape Gen to dial in your marks after any setup change — and check the Shot Solver for angled elk shots where the horizontal distance is significantly shorter than your line-of-sight yardage.