Africa is considered one of the best bow hunting destinations in the world by many bow hunters who prefer it over rifle hunting because of the abundance of game, which includes species not found anywhere else.
Prices for an archery safari are reasonable when compared to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, etc. In many cases, the visiting hunter will pay less for a fully guided safari in South Africa than he would pay back home.
Bow hunting South Africa offers the hunter the opportunity to take sought-after species such as Buffalo (Africa’s toughest game), Southern Greater Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Impala, Sable Antelope, Blesbuck, and Cape Eland, to mention only a few.
Because archery is a widely practiced form of hunting, Professional Hunters tend to have a good understanding of what is needed to be successful. Remember that you will need to book for slightly longer than a rifle hunting safari to ensure success.
South African Bow Hunting Regulations
South African bow hunting regulations allow the use of the following types of bows for hunting: compound bow, recurve bow, crossbow, and longbow.
Read also: Hunting in Africa
Types of Bows for Hunting in South Africa
Legally permitted in South Africa are three types of bows: compound, re-curve, and longbow. South Africa also allows dangerous game to be hunted with a bow and also with a crossbow.
Let's take a closer look at each type of bow:
Compound Bow
The compound bow has become the bow of choice amongst most hunters and sportsmen because of its increased accuracy and power.
Where the compound bow differs from the recurve bow is that it has a series of pulleys and strings that give the bow much, much more power and speed when launching the arrow. It is also common out outfit a compound bow with sights.
Unlike the recurve, the compound bow uses wheels or cams. This loads up the power when the bowstring is drawn back. Not only is the compound bow more accurate and powerful, but it is also more customizable.
Read also: African Hunting Literature
Sportsmen and hunters can add accessories to their bows such as stabilizers, scopes, noise reducers, and arrow stands.
Most compound bows are made of aluminum or carbon fiber. These materials make them durable, but light enough to pack in the field or to hold for long periods in a tree stand.
The compound bow is the most popular pick for competition and hunting. The pricing can vary, depending on the brand, year, and features.
The Hoyt Torrex is widely seen as a great all-around compound bow. It has a smooth draw, is lightweight, and a real nice-shooting bow.
Recurve Bow
Dating back to thousands of years, the recurve bow is a survivalist best friend. Crafted with a 3-point shape, the ends of the recurve point towards the target with the string attached.
Read also: Hunting in South Africa
The recurve is a light and simple bow, which makes it great for teaching people how to use a bow, as well as any shoot or practice that will require walking long distances with the bow.
The speed at which the arrow travels when shot from a recurve is dependent on how far the archer can draw back the bow, the design and tension of the bow, and the bowstring used.
For the traditional sportsman, mastery of the recurve bow is a work of art. It takes patience and an immense amount of trial and error to become accurate with the recurve. Nonetheless, it presents a challenge for those who like simplicity. It’s also an inexpensive option.
The Galaxy Sage is a good example of a basic but fun recurve bow, the kind that is intuitive to use and a good value for what you get.
Longbow
Longbows (or straight bows) are similar to recurves in the sense that they are both a type of traditional bow. A longbow has a slightly different design, where it has a D-shape whereas the recurve makes a 3-point shape.
During the time when longbows were used in wars, they were effective weapons up to 300 yards!
For hunting and competition, the modern longbow can be accurate from 60-80 yards.
The longbow doesn’t seem to hold the same power as the recurve because of the recurves capability of loading power in its limbs.
You can purchase a quality longbow for under $200.
The SAS Pioneer is a classic longbow design, and a good option for those who want a bow that looks the part of the wild west.
Crossbow
A crossbow is an interesting bow that has a design that is mixed with a bow and a gun.
Unlike, the recurve and compound bow, the crossbow isn’t held vertical. Even though the crossbow may seem like new technology, archeologists have actually found it over 2,500 years ago.
Crossbows shoot arrows at fast speeds up to 400 fps, they are also capable of shooting the farthest at ranges up to 500 yards.
Since they are a mix between a rifle and a bow, it is common for crossbows to be equipped with a scope.
Compared to the compound bow, the crossbow is heavier, not making it ideal to pack around on a hunt.
The Ten Point Turbo S1 is probably our favorite combination of value and performance. A good all around crossbow at about half the cost of what you could pay.
22 Excalibur Crossbow Shots on South African Plains Game
Equipment for African Bow Hunting Safaris
Over the past several years, we have seen some great improvements in bow equipment, with bows becoming faster, quieter, and more efficient. On a bow hunting trip in Africa, you will likely be targeting several species of regular game.
Minimum Bow and Kinetic Energy Requirements for Compound Bow
A bow that produces around 70 ft/lbs of energy will be perfect. This would require an arrow weighing 450 gr traveling at a velocity of around 270 ft/second. A quality bow from manufacturers like Hoyt, Matthews, and Bowtech will do all that is asked.
Try to choose something with a forgiving brace height of around 7 inches that has a draw weight of about 55 - 70 lbs. Draw weights of between 65 and 75 lbs will work best for Africa.
Suitable equipment for targeting Big Five species including Buffalo, Elephant, and Hippo will need to produce a minimum kinetic energy of 80 ft/lbs. Make sure that you use a final arrow combined weight of at least 750 gr to achieve good penetration.
Here is a table summarizing the minimum bow and kinetic energy requirements for hunting different types of game in South Africa:
| Type of Game | Kinetic Energy (KE) | Arrow Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Small Game | 35 ft. lbs. | 300 grains |
| Medium Game | 50 ft. lbs. | 400 grains |
| Large Game | 60 ft. lbs. | 500 grains |
| Dangerous Game | 80 ft. lbs. | 750 grains |
| Plains Game | A bow that produces around 70 ft/lbs of energy will be perfect. This would require an arrow weighing 450 gr traveling at a velocity of around 270 ft/second. | |
Dangerous Game Equipment - Big 5 Bows and Arrows
The ideal bow hunting setup is what you need for dangerous animals. When hunting Dangerous game a fixed blade broad head with two cutting surfaces is essential.
Mechanical broad heads are too fragile and will break up when they encounter the large bones that these animals have. Do not use mechanical broad heads on these animals excepting Lion they will let you down and result in wounded game.
Grizzlystik manufacture excellent quality arrow shafts and broad heads specifically for large game and offer excellent performance on Buffalo these make great Big 5 arrows.
Dangerous Game Arrows
Archery hunting African game can be really tough on your arrows. Use an arrow shaft that is consistent and has a good spine to match the draw weight of your equipment and your draw length.
Arrow shafts from Easton, Gold Tip, and Carbon Express will give you great consistency and are tough enough to stand the rigors of a safari and Buffalo.
Broad heads
Choosing the wrong broad head for Africa can have far-reaching consequences. You pay for all wounded animals in Africa, not only that but valuable time is lost tracking wounded game.
Mechanical broad heads should have a cutting diameter of around 1.25 to 1.5 inches. Mechanical broad heads that we have had success with include Rage and Grim Reaper
Fixed blades broad heads will cause a change of impact if your equipment is not perfectly tuned and require more care and time spent on tuning. The benefit of fixed blades broad heads is that they cut on impact and often penetrate deeper than mechanical broad heads.
Top choices for regular game include Muzzy and G5 Outdoors.
Hunt with a Traditional Bow
Bow hunters can hunt in Africa with traditional archery equipment. Normally shooting distances will be slightly shorter, and shots taken from 15 - 30 meters.
Many archers that use traditional archery equipment shoot instinctively and without any kind of bow sight. This type of archery requires much more practice to make accurate shots and clean kills and you need to be comfortable with the equipment.
Long Bow or Recurve
Both Long bows and Recurve bows can be effective for archery hunting in South Africa.
The recurve has some advantages over the long bow. The recurve bow offers faster arrow speed, is often slightly more accurate and has less hand shock and vibration when releasing the shot.
Many ground blinds in Africa are built to accommodate modern compound archery equipment and do not have the ceiling height for long bows.
Arrows
Arrows for Africa with traditional archery equipment can be manufactured from carbon fiber or the more traditional Cedar and Hard wood. Carbon fiber arrows are often the more durable and will last a bit longer.
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