I'm trying to figure out that perfect balance of draw weight. I am perfectly capable of drawing a 65 pound longbow no problem, but I love shooting light bows. So here is the question those of you that use light bows. I am only hunting deer and small game what is the draw weight you find best for these purposes?
I like 50#. Just fits me well, and performs awesome on critters.
I also believe a guy should hunt with the most draw weight he can shoot well! I guess once you go over about 60#, it really don't make any difference though.
Bisch
I understand that liking the light bow thing. I picked up a 34# recurve this evening and realized what a pleasant break it was to lighten up a bit.
Shooting light bows at big game, imo also means having to make up for momentum loss in lower velocity, with arrow mass.
Having said that, I shoot 44lb and 45lb bows @ 28", and they will zip an arrow right through a deer.
48 -50 pounds is my favorite weight. More than enough for deer and when I'm 60 my shoulders won't be give out.
I am 64 and shooting my age in draw weight...every individual is different
DDave
I shoot 50 @ 30.5. After neck surgery my doctor told me I could shoot as much as my body would let me but never over 50#.
It shoots a 600 gr arrow clear through a Alaska Yukon moose. Well at least John did. My turn this year.
Mike
I'm shooting 46#; don't know what you consider light?
I have quite a few bows in the low to mid 40's that I bought or had built. Due to some shoulder issues I thought I needed to drop some weight. But I've found I get a much cleaner release with 50-52 lbs and I'm okay as long as I don't over do it.
Choose the draw weight you can draw and hold for 60 seconds. It's not enough to to draw a bow you have to be able to dominate it.
I shoot 45 to 50 lbs bows and they work great on deer. Especially if you shoot one of the many higher performance bows available today.
After taking 15 years to work up to 65#, then another 15 years to get back down to 45# I am at a draw wt I'm comfortable with. I have killed small game, deer, and a hog at my new "old man weight".
The lighter you can go and live with the better the shooting. That being said if hunting game is important you have to triangulate . Things like center shot. Fast flite and bow design all comein to play.
As for myself 45 is the magic number & I shoot ASL Hill style bows.
As I am getting older I keep thinking about 40 lbs
Might be more quality shooting experience. Thanks.
64 years old. I like 50 to 55 lbs. I hope to stay in that range.
Starting to shoot longbow some and have been shooting a 50# Liberty and a 53# Rampart. I don't want to go below 50#.
I have taken a deer with a 40#, just want more oomph.
45-50 lbs has been doing it for years before I was even born .
All my hunting bows are 45#. My target bows are 35# and 55# respectively. I have no issues with a 45# bow doing it's job on deer sized game.
I believe in shooting the heaviest bow I can shoot well. For me that's a mid-40# bow. Would like to shoot heavier, at least for hunting, but my arthritis at age 75 is setting my limits for me. They work fine. Got total penetration on a 200# hog with my 43# RER and a good, sharp 2-blade.
Almost all my bows are 52@27 BUT when I have a form issue come up I go to my training/form bow that is 10 pounds lighter 42@27 after a few days I'm able to return to the higher pound bows shooting them much better. I also use this lighter bow for winter 3-D shoots
I currently use a vintage Bear 50# recurve for everything. I gave my 57# longbow to my son. It is still at my house and I shoot it as my "workout" bow from time to time. It makes the 50# feel real light and easy. I have no problems with penetration with either. I shot a 63# recurve for a while and there is a difference in on game performance, but the ability to shoot all day for fun makes the lighter/mid weight bows my choice today. I really like 50# @ my 28" draw these days. I have plans on buying a newer bow before next year. It will probably be a 50# Bear SK with modern performance string capability.
Thanks everybody.
QuoteOriginally posted by dahyer:
Thanks everybody.
You all are giving me a lot to think about for my next bow.
I prefer the heaviest bow I can handle, but as I get older, that weight is dropping. I think 40 - 50# would be the lighter weights I would prefer. I started out at 45#. I know a lot of people have killed a lot of game with bows even less than this.
I shoot a 40# longbow...and I only draw 27". I have killed many deer with that weight. Havent hunted anything bigger....might bump up a few pounds if I did.
42 pounds. Sharp 2 blade and well placed shot has yet to let me down. My form and accuracy increased exponentially when I dropped bow weight awhile back. All you need for our big farm raised whitetails. Of course the added bonus is I shoot longer and more often-- to me that's what it's all about. Of course everyone is built different and to some 60 pounds will fill the bill... Find what is comfortable for you and have fun.
shot from 43-56lbs and settled on bows around 47-50lbs. Perfect give and take for me.
For me, I like 40# for targets and 45# for hunting. I find that if I go much under 40# for targets, I have trouble finding arrows that work well at the distances I need to shoot. I would love to shoot more than 45# for hunting, but I know at my age that weight offers the best compromise between accuracy and penetration.
I dropped in weight from 55@28, to anywhere from 42@28 to 50@28 two years ago. All will do the job on deer size animals. I probably shoot better in the mid 40 range. With that said, I'll be hunting with my 47# Bear A mag riser, with #3, 45# limbs, making a 47@28" hunting rig this season. The 47@28" weight is not for deer so much, as the occasional hog that might venture my way. I have no doubt that any of my bows will do the job on whitetail deer when coupled with a sharp 2 or 3 blade head on my arrow of choice. :campfire:
One thing to consider;
It's one thing to hunt with a bow that has enough FPS/KE to give a clean pass-through and humane kill. But all the so-called 'experts' tell you that you need to practice with the same tackle you intend to hunt with.
This is where it gets sticky for me.
I can get off a nice shot with my 55# Sage even in full cold weather gear, but practicing for an hour or more will tear me up. 45# is a compromise between my super-accurate Tamerlane at 35# and my Sage at 55. If you want the higher DW hunting bow, sometimes that means limiting your practice session times and # of shots, or practicing with a lighter bow. I find the 45# to be easy on the body for practice, yet possessing enough KE for a clean kill most of the time.
My 70 year old body likes 40#...but I increased my draw length by an inch thanks to Joel Turner's Target Panic Seminar @ the PBS Banquet this past spring.