Wondering who has had a bow's poundage reduced?
If so, how did the bow shoot after?
Were you glad you did it?
chris <><
I was wondering something similar on a Widow I just got last fall.
You can call Black Widow with the serial# and they can tell you if and how much weight they can take off. I think they will shoot fine after they are done.
Would they reduce the weight on glass limbs, by narrowing them? I know nothing about the process but was told by the manufacturer it can be done on a bow I have. Didn't ask how they do it. $250 is the quote. Rusty
$250? Ouch! Wes Wallace took down one of my Mentors by 3# basically for free, all I had to pay for was the refinish job, which was $75. Wes can get that weight off by sanding the glass.
Dangit....I thought you were giving no fail, easy diet tips.
Plus shipping,I asked if 6-8 lbs. could come off. New set of limbs are twice the amount at least. Rusty
I think 75. is unreasonable (low) You are talking about liability if you mess it up. Who pays for that? The bowyer> doing several hours of sanding and retillering. and fine sanding and a complete refinish. 250. is in line IMHO. 75. by Wes was a favor.
check with joe at prairie traditions, who is also a tradgang sponsor. he does this and does an awesome job.
If several hours equates to 3 1/2-4 hrs. $250 is reasonable. If I knew what I was doing and doing it for a living I'd need that much. Rusty
Instead of paying $250 I rather sell the limbs and then I buy a new pair that fit me.
Thats the catch, cacciatore, I'll spend 250 making up the difference if I sold the ones I have Rusty
The limbs I have are 52# which isn't a deal, I'm just getting older and lazier. Thats at 28" and I settle in at 27 1/4 Rusty
I have been told by several bowyers that they can reduce weight by 5 lbs max. I had a longbow reduced by 5 lb and it shot fine. Glad I did it.
A friend of mine took 10% off of a 60lb. TD Morrison recurve. It shoots great. It hasn't been chrono'ed but it seems to shoot just as fast just easier to pull!
I've had it done 3 or 4 times by a couple bowyers but was told 2-3 lbs. was the norm. Doesn't sound like a lot, but if it's the poundage you're used to you'll feel the difference. Bows shot fine and sometimes I've had them retillered for 3 under at the same time. Charges ranged from $35-$100, but it's been awhile since I had one done.
Wes has my Mentor right now, reducing it a few pounds, and I can hardly wait to get it back. I thoroughly love my WW bows. Best investment in hunting equipment I ever made and I've been shooting them for 12-14 years without any problems.
I paid $140 to have 6 pounds removed from a PSAIII (went from 58 to 52# @ 28"). Mine might have been a bit more because I had a "motto" added under my already present name. This price included return shipping. I thought it was a bit expensive but it saved the bow, for me at least. That bow was headed for the block because it was hotter than I care to shoot these days. I am very glad I did it. I can't tell a bit of difference in the bow's appearance because it was as new before and after. It took about 3 weeks because I caught them (end of July I recall) during a down time.
I don't know how they do it though. I figure they jog with it, put it on a treadmill, rub it with grape fruit...
Black Widow reduced my 56", Ironwood 2001 model from 64# to around 59# at 28" of draw by trapizoiding the limbs. They wouldn't take anymore off of it.
check out two tracks bow company they have prices on the site for reducing weight on a bow
I reduced the weight on one of my sons longbows from 80to 62 lb and it was actually faster at 62 than it was at 80. I take it that the weight removed overcame the poundage lost making a faster limb. It sure was a lot narrower when I got through with it. LOL
I've had two different bows reduced. Had 5# shaved off of both. One was a Thunderstick T-Mag, the other my SAIII Widow. Both shoot great. Both cost around $100 each to have it reduced. Very glad I did it.
I inquired about it, was told 5lbs or less was all that could be expected. I think 5lbs would make a big difference if your on the edge.
My son just had BW do his a couple of weeks ago,THINK he said 100 bucks plus shipping.Shaved 4 pounds off his recurve
Do it yourself by taking glass off belly & back and/or wood off the side (either flat or trapezoid). You need to watch the tiller, poundage, and straightness of string down the belly. For just a couple pounds it' a piece of cake. Pending the shape of the limbs you can take up to 15# off on some over built bows. If the tiller stays the same it should shoot as well in the lower poundage.
JMHO, then again I have a lot of bows that I can trash & make knife handles from them :) Doc
I had Jim Belcher reduce my Brackenbury Quest before he handed the Bow Hospital over to Whip. He took off 4-5# and all is good. I think it was right around $100-125 with shipping. Call Whip, I hear he continues to do fine work as well.
This is something I would like to have done to one of my bows. Glad to hear everyone has had good experiences with it.
I recently purchased a longbow and the bowyer reduced the weight 5#. Or 4#, I don't recall. It was a bow that was in stock and maybe wasn't yet finished, so the weight reduction was included in the purchase price. So it was a good deal for me.
Along the same lines, has anyone heard of increasing draw weight a little, by adding another lamination of glass or something similar? Just curious.
Ron
Just had Craig Eakins reduce poundage on a Howard Hill Wesley Special from 55@28 to 50@28. 5 pounds is the about the norm. The original bowyer or someone familier with your bow design would be my recommedation to do the work. As for performance, it has been my experience that a bow that has been reduced in weight performs better than it did before the reduction. Perhaps an increase in draw length is the reason for this. As for price, $125 to $175 plus shipping is the norm. Remember, liability is a factor, but the bow is not only reduced in weight, it also must be refinished. Is it worth the money? If there is a sentimental attachment to the bow, or if you bought it at a good price, perhaps second hand, it might be money well spent. Only you can decide.
ronp,
Check with PV here. He's made several bows where he has two sets of knock grooves By cutting lower knocks you are effectively shortening the bow thus increasing the draw weight...Doc
I had Jim Belcher and Whip work on bows for me and the work was reasonbly priced and they did a fine job. A friend had Chuck from TwoTracks work a bow for him, again, reasonbly priced and great results. All done for $125 or less, per bow. I did have another bow reduced and refinished, over $200, VERY long wait time, poor customer sevice, and I was not happy with the results. Sometimes you don't get what you pay for. Whip and Chuck would be good choices, IMHO.
:thumbsup: on the opinions
I'm getting older too and have been thinking about reducing all of my bows. Dan Toelke did one for me $100 including shipping it back to me. I called Wes Wallace $75 and Great Plains $100. they all said 3 to 5 lbs Dan took off 5 lbs and it shoots great.
Something to keep in mind, reducing means sanding, grinding, etc., which means the limbs will need to be refinished.