The other post about 50# or less got me thinking that there has to be more of us out there than I think. I shoot my Bear Custom T.D. 70# a little but usually shoot my 80# longbow for 90% of my shooting and hunting.
I shoot between 70 & 80# for 3Ds & for garden practice, but for hunting I prefer a lighter bow around 57-60# The lighter bows I shoot are, pound for pound, better performers than the heavyweights, so the trajectory out to 25yds is virtually the same. I'd rather have abow I'm 100% at ease with in a hunting situation, rather than something I may inadvertantly short-draw.
I shoot nothing under 75lbs..................
And if I were to shoot a bow less than that my accuracy and confidence would suffer. My go to hunting bow is a 60" 75lb Silvertip. Squirrels or Whitetails are all getting the same thing.
It's what I shoot
It all is a matter of what works for you.
Tim
Tim,
I couldn't agree more. I tried a couple of years back to shoot 60# but I had no confidence in the bow and I couldn't hold still enough to shoot and hit anything. Like you, I've never had a single animal complain that I wasn't shooting enough bow from bunnies to bear. I know the contingent is the old accuracy thing but I just wondered if there were others who have trouble with accuracy shooting light.
I do normally. I'm at 60# right now since I just started hunting again. :campfire:
Yep, I like shooting a bow in the 70+ range, it just feels right !
QuoteOriginally posted by NorthShoreLB:
Yep, I like shooting a bow in the 70+ range, it just feels right !
Yeah it does,and I'll be back there by spring. :campfire:
I shoot and hunt with a Fred Bear t/d with 65# limbs but am looking for 70 to 75# newer limbs; my hunting longbow is 73#.
all i got to say is yall are buff my longbow is 58 pounds ....even though id like to get a hevier one thats what ive got so
I like bows in the 70-75# range and haven't had any problems in hunting situations with them. I will probably drop poundage as I grow older but for the time being my confidence/comfort zone is around that point. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot whatever weight I was comfortable with, however, and I don't see any particular virtue in any personal selection of weapon or method. GY
I shoot whatever I feel like shooting and depending on what I'm doing. From 55 to 75 lbs or better. I simply cannot understand healthy men insisting on hunting moose with a 40 lb bow. It is a total lack of respect for the game and for the sport to advocate that in any way. If a person is disabled or young or simply not strong enough to shoot a bow that is adequate for the game being hunted then perhaps they might consider hunting something else. When I can not shoot at least a 50 lb bow. If that day ever comes then I will stop hunting elk and hunt deer. I mean it. My wife even worked up to 50 lbs to hunt elk and I never said a word to her about it. When she hurt her shoulder in a car wreck she stopped hunting with a bow and took up a rifle. Lord forbid that we think about something other than ourselves. Like a bull moose running around with an arrow hanging out from his rib and the effect those thing have on the animal and on the sport.
The guy asked a simple question,,, keep on track. Don't turn this back into a "my ethics" thread.
As for me,,, I wanna work my way up to at least 65# by the years end,,, I can shoot 58# with good form. I'm shooting a 52#@25" (59#@28" but scales as mentioned on my scale) ACS CX for now,,, I'd be happy getting a set of 60# limbs later on.
I used to shoot 60-78 pounds. I only have one 70@28 right now and it's on loan from a buddy of mine. If we can come together on a price I'll buy it.
70 lbs meant I had to take two shots! Busted my bow elbow as a kid. Much over 50 hurts after a few shots over that. More power to youse guys....geesh!
I hunt with bows between 80# and 90#...the past season I hunted with a french 87#@28 recurve...for this hunting season I have used a 80# silvertip and for the next it will be a 90# hexV black douglas...
I'm comfortable with up to 75 lbs.
That means I can shoot a 30 target 3-d shoot without wearing out at that weight.
Trouble is, I'm always gettin' the hankerin' to build another osage selfbow. Sometimes they don't make weight but are a pleasure to shoot or they're pretty or I just like the new one for some reason. So..., I often hunt with less as long as it's got umph enough to shoot through a whitetail.
Then I'll find a reason to trade it or give it away and start another bow build with the intention of ending up over 70 lbs.
It's a vicious circle. I think I have issues!
:help:
I apologize, I am new here and this is the first time I have ever seen trad shooters advocating shooting moose with a 40 lb bow. I guess it shocked me. Again I apologize to the forum. I did not consider whether it was personal ethics or not but you have a point. I should have just simply said I shoot 70 lbs. We should all just say I shoot 70 lb. and then everyone on the thread will be happy.
Sixby,,, you NEED to be starting threads showing the bows you've bulit!!! (if'n you're the same sixby from the wall)
Everything I own is between 63-73# at my drawlength. I don't honestly see much difference in accuracy, on paper and at the range, between 50-75# so I stay with the heavier bows for hunting. If I get much above 75# I do notice a drop in accuracy so I know my comfort zone. I guess I've always believed to stick with the heaviest weight you can accurately handle.
Chris
The longbow I shoot is 75#, not a big deal if thats the weight you shoot all the time.I belive if you stick with one bow or at least bows in the same weight range its not a problem.Like Chris said shoot the weight you can ACCURATELY handle.
Mike
I would love to post pics of some of my bows but I am not a sponser and don't want to start out here violating any rules. I just found this site and its pretty neat. My compliments to all here. Oh and Hello. Steve
For years I have shot my 90# Hill and 94# Schafer. Anymore, because shots on whitetails are almost always under 20 yards, I rely soly on my 85# sinew backed osage bow. It's short, it's fast, and it's quiet! It's also not for everyone. It's all in what ya get use to. Handshock and stablity may mean more to some folks, but a bow is a bow and this is what I shoot best.
justin
I would like to build up to shooting a 70-75# bow. This may be a silly question, but do you find a difference between a 70# longbow and a shorter 70# recurve?
-Links
links0311,
I think that is going to depend on the bow mainly. 70# is 70# but how the draw cycle builds can really affect how it feels. A nice smooth bow will make increasing in weight easier than a bow that starts to stack up towards the end.
One thing I prefer about a longer bow at higher draw weights is less string angle on the fingers. I owned a nice 58" recurve that was fast, smooth, and quiet but at my draw it tore my fingers up. Other bows I owned that were longer and heavier did not, so that may be a consideration in selecting a bow.
CS
I have a few bow that are 70 to 75 lb'ers....and I shoot them just fine. Hunted for 20 years or more with that weight. Since I started building wood bows, and getting older, though, I find myself liking around 65 lbs. Don't see a whole lot of difference, and since I don't shoot marathon sessions anymore, I can still shoot the heavier bows fine.
I'm most accurate with a 72-74#. Much below 70 and I need to think too much about having a smooth release. Much above that weight and I have to think too much about pulling the bow back.
I appreciate all of the input from you guys. It's obvious that I'm not alone in my shooting. Several comments mirror my own findings in my shooting. There is a physical limit to what anybody can shoot. I can shoot all day or shoot after sitting in the cold bundled up with my 80# longbow. Give me 85# and I can work into shooting it but it literally eats me up. As for getting old I guess we all have a definition of what that is. I'm in my mid 50's and I'm sure when I start getting old something will change that won't allow me to shoot the weights I've grown used to but until then I thank God for my health. And that one guy who said we're all hulks (or something to that affect) you're right about me any way. Both my son and I shoot the same weights and we tip the scales at a whooping 145-155 resepctively. It's just what you want to shoot and what you want to work in to. Anything less doesn't make it bad.
I shot 70+ for quite some time, but all the years of baseball and racquetball have taken a toll on my bow arm shoulder. I don't know how much the archery contributed to the problem. I am now bone on bone and have to take cortisone shots every four months. I don't know if I will ever get above 60# again, but at least I can still pull a hunting weight bow.
Dave
I also like heavy bows. For some years my bows where 70-80+ lbs. Now at 62 years I find my 65lb. longbow and 60lb. recurve enough. I do agree that a heavy arrow from a heavy bow is a winning combo on game.