Yesterday my son and I had a chance to stump shoot together. I decided to carry my "Girly bow" and as we shot he continued to drill everything while I struggled with holding the little bow still. When we got home he looked at me and said, "Do you think you will ever be "that" old that you need to shoot a bow that light?" I realized years agao that I had created a beast when I kept moving my son up in weight but now he's shooting a 92# longbow just like I shoot my 80# bow. So the little 62# bow goes back up on the "old man" rack until I need to use it!
Relative. Favor heavier draws also. Too many good things if you can shoot w/o physical problems. 55# can kill anything in N America. Think a fellow Texan killed a polar bear w/45# (archives).
80 & 92#.....?....... :biglaugh:
Made me laugh longbowman.
I just started shooting & was happy I could handle the 50#'er dad gave me.
Glad you got out to shoot with your son...
good times :)
I see you're from Meadville, I'll send you a PM...
good to see another local trad guy.
Pork, we all start low. I started with similar weight as you even though my compounds were 80+#. Now I'm very comfortable with bows in the 70's.
I'm at the opposite end of where you are and I started at the end too.
I started bowhunting when I was 14 years old. I'm now 61 years old so that encompasses 47 years. During all this time the heaviest bow, a recurve, I ever bowhunted with came in at 44#.
My first bow, another recurve, I took a deer with was a 36# target bow with white limbs when I was 16 years old. A pass through broadside shot with a 2 blade broadhead which took out both lungs.
If you look at my signature, the two recurve bows I bowhunt with now are 42# and 37#. I'm very accurate with these two bows and they don't take a toll on my shoulders. These two reasons are why I love my "very light" bows.
Of course, I used a very heavy arrow setup shooting 13 GPP arrows and above for both bows, but this year, I'm dropping down in GPP which you can see in my signature since I'm going to bowhunt with my light 2212 aluminum target arrows. Even though the 2212s are light in weight at 8.8 GPI, they're heavy enough GPP wise and that is due to my 30" draw length shooting 32" BOP arrows.
I will tell you right now, I could "not" draw your 62# "girly" bow to my anchor. I doubt I could draw it 20" of my 30" draw length.
Since you're presently shooting an 80# bow, there might come a time where you will have to go down in poundage. "If" that time ever comes, you'll learn to shoot your 62# bow and it just may surprise you in terms of what you and it can do together.
Um, um um...
Embarrassed. I guess I should go hide behind a tree with my 40# longbow, LOL
BUT, it did take a nice 7 point last year and a doe using a wood arrow with a stone head the year before. The deer are the one's that should be embarrassed letting an old guy kill them with a light bow.
62#!! Man, I'm already too old to shoot that weight. :(
My heart bleeds for you and my shoulders ache as well. :biglaugh:
I shoot 90lbs. Just like the old west, two 45"s.
I use extreme girly bows. :bigsmyl:
Makes my 50# look like a toy.
I shoot what my joints allow
hockey pucks....
QuoteOriginally posted by Jon Stewart:
Embarrassed. I guess I should go hide behind a tree with my 40# longbow, LOL
I was thinking the same thing about my draw weight after reading that but, hey, they work for me.
My son draws 72# and he is constantly giving the old man a hard time. :laughing:
I always keep a heavier bow than my keeper bows to stay in shape. I do not want to lose the muscle needed to continue shooting my hunting weight range. The older you get the tougher it becomes though. In my younger years I could be reckless but now I have to be more thoughtful of physical activity. Hats off to the heavy weights!
I have never been able to master the drawing of a heavier bow. I'm on the other side of middle-age and I know there will never be an opportunity for me to hunt something so large/powerful that it would require that type of weight. But, for those of you who can and do you have my respect and admiration. It just took me awhile to realize my limitations and stay within them.
My girly bow loves shooting aganist manly bows,the heavier the better.
I was shooting 80# back 20 years ago but back then I was more into speed & being the he-man that I now know I'm not.
Now I'm very happy shooting 45-55# bows & I'm not quite in the retirement home yet. ;)
Who stoked the heavydraw macho debate? Don't care. Hunt ethically with what makes you happy. The more ethicallier (new word) the better.
Buddy, I'm sure nobody is stoking the macho debate. (??????) My point is that when we both shot at the same stump I hated walking there and arriving before my arrow did! Seriously, I thought I'd just post a comment about my day with my son. I never asked anybody else to shoot what I like.
92#s. Your son must be a Hoss. Sounds like your ready for Cape Buffalo. Have fun and keep shootin.
You don't need 92 pounds for a Cape buffalo, but it is better to have more than you need. My Super Shrew longbow that I had built for my Cape buffalo hunt almost two years ago is 68 pounds, and I am having to build back up to it for an Asiatic (not Cape) buffalo hunt in June. (I never got a shot at a Cape buffalo.) My bow is probably near the bottom end of what is an adequate weight for buffalo, but the highest weight I have ever been able to shoot well is about 75 pounds, and that is really too much for me these days. I am impressed by anyone who can shoot heavy bows well, especially at a more advanced age. I understand Byron Ferguson shoots around a 70 pound bow in his exhibitions, which is really amazing considering his age and how well he shoots it. According to something I read, Howard Hill apparently shot heavy bows until the last few years of his life. I am not in that league in any way.
Allan
sore fingers, that's the cool thing about startng them young building up their weight. My son is about the size of Raging Waters arm! He's 5'11" and 130# soaking wet! While I can shoot his 92# bow at my age 80# is all I want.
Listening to your body and a little moderation may significantly extend the enjoyment of your passion for traditional archery.
We are human and all different and have our own personal limitations. Acknowledging our limitations and adjusting accordingly is a great 1st step.
Im thinkin you must have started him young and fed him lots of wheaties!
80#!? 90#!? Jeez! I'm far from being a dainty guy, but I have enough trouble with my 55# bows. For some reason I've always struggled with heavier bow weights. I say shoot what ya like and don't worry about others opinions, light or heavy. Its all fun! And I'm just up the road a bit in Mckean, PA. Glad to see there are other trad shooters here in NW PA!
:notworthy: I am definitely not worthy....
Good on you for shooting the 80 pounder! Have fun. It's great that you are shooting with your kid!
There is no shame in draw weight.
If you are a hunter, and can hit what you want with a heavy bow, there is NO drawback to it.
There ARE drawbacks to heavy bows while stumpshooting! It is hard on arrows!
Certainly no drawback to stumpshooting with your kid...even if he is outshooting you! :thumbsup:
I shoot 165 pounds...Total,1 longbow @ 50 pounds another @ 55 and a flatbow @ 60 pounds...I'm 39!
Dude, don't take this the wrong way, but if you're embarassed about shooting a 62# bow, then your ego belongs on Mt. Rushmore. I went for a run the other day for 35 minutes, 20 years ago when I was 23, I would cover 6 miles in that time, now I only covered 4 miles. We get older and can do less, it's just how things work. Don't get embarased by it though, 62# is still a hefty bow.
Nothing wrong with shooting high poundage, low poundage, middle poundage; just shoot. Shoot often, shoot well. Most of the better shooters I know shoot girly bows. :D
Just another guy letting us know how "macho" he thinks he is!
Unbelievable, I can't understand this thread is still on. Girly bow, give me a break lol.
Me too.
A gurrrrrlll :p