I'm considering getting my first longbow. Thinking about a Northern Mist Superior , 68". I would like to shoot the bow often, comfortably. I shoot primary 3d and backyard recreational. I hope to deer hunt this fall. I've been trad recurve shooting for 3 years, and have a half dozen recurves from 33# to 52# at my 30"ish (29.5 -30"?) draw. I like , and shoot well, draw weight in the 42-45# range (45++ is the edge of my "comfort zone" for shooting 60 to 75+ arrows for a practice session).
I'm not sure how the performance of a longbow has compared to a recurve. The only longbow shooters I've seen at local 3d shoots are shooting longbows with 52 - 60+ lbs,; not comfortable for me. I just don't see many longbows under 50 lbs, and I was wondering if there is a performance issue that needs 50+# from a longbow design.
Will a 68" longbow, with a 45# draw weight @ 30" be "a dog"?
I've read the tradgang thread about 40-45# bow weight harvest results ( read it several times, one of my favorite threads)-so I know 40-45# non-compounds CAN take a deer, I I was curious if 45# @ 30" 68" longbow design with a bit of reflex is a sound option for my goals.
Perhaps I'm answering my own question that 45# is 45#, but does a longbow design, with just a touch of reflex, (not a high-performance R/D longbow, not a recurve) at 43-45# @ 30" meet my needs?
I want enough performance for deer, and comfort for long shooting sessions. Wish there were some local 40-45# longbows to test drive. Thanks in advance.
On a good deflex/reflex longbow you won't loose a thing. And a 68" with a good design will be smooth at your draw length. If your looking at a straight Hill style you won't match recurve performance.
I think what will determine if the bow its self is a dog or not is the design and boyers ability. Ive got a 42 lb maddog long bow, and its anything but a dog. Ive also got a 45lb in the same model and its a screamer too. Im thinking with a reputable bow make, speed will not be an issue. With todays bow building technology, only a few fps seperates any of them. There was a thread a while back that showed this using several bows,and several guys....i cant think of the thread name though. Stop worrying and just enjoy!
A 68" longbow at 45# will be smooth on the draw, and you should easily be able to shoot it many times before fatigue shuts you down. All my longbows are 68" long, but only one is less than 50# draw, because I just prefer heavier bows. You should find 45# to be quite adequate for deer hunting as well as 3D. I believe it would be a good choice. I have both R/D and straight ASL bows. Both are good designs. I believe that most longbows from reputable bowyers do fall into the "if it feels good, do it" category without too much need for concern about getting a dog. Check with the sponsors here on Trad Gang as well as the comments from so many of the people using their bows.
45# will be just fine .
Will not match your recurve but with a 30" draw it will be comparable to the same bow at 50# with a 28" draw. I shoot 43-46# at my 30" draw longbows and recurves and hunt with both. Probably the key is your arrows may be physically lighter.
Do a search on 45 lbs kills there is a awesome thread on under 50 lbs kills . It is in my opinion one of the best hunting threads I've read on tradgang.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=149034;p=1
Seriously, you should know from going to 3d shoots or the range and seeing what those bows can do. It is actually quite impressive. And with your draw length, you should have no problems with deer. One of the easiest animals to kill, penetration-wise, with a trad bow.
You will likely want different arrows for your 3D shooting and hunting...given nicely matched arrows you are golden...I kind of got hung up at the 45 pound draw weight level for a while when I got into Trad shooting...now I shoot another 10 pounds easily (I am 64), those 60 to 75 arrows you speak of...much of deciding your max draw weight is cognitive rather than physical
DDave
QuoteOriginally posted by Graps:
45# will be just fine .
This^^^^^^^^
Bisch
I might think heavier in a self bow, but any "modern" longbow with glass will be perfectly adequate. I hunted for years with a mildly r/d longbow pulling 50#@ 28", which is the equivalent of 45#@30" or close. No problem.
You'll be just fine
Before the compound most used 40-45 lbs.Why because it works,Oh yes we did have a few heavy hitters but never out shot by them.
Keep the shot reasonable and you will be fine. Priority is not the bow but rather the arrow flight, broadhead sharpness and location of hit.
Stop worrying and start doing. Post pictures.
ChuckC
45# @ 30" is vastly different from a 45# @ 26". Just saying..
You should do fine at your specs. Accuracy kills...