Against my better judgement, I'm comptemplating my next bow. It'll be several months to a year atleast, but pondering these things is fun.
Living in Alaska, moose, black bear, caribou, and the like are pretty high on the menu. My ultimate dream is a Trad bow grizzly. So...by those figurings, it makes perfect sense to shoot a bow that's at least 60-65 lbs. at my draw length.
That's what I'm currently shooting. One of my bows is pulling a shade over #65, the other one right at 60 lbs. I shoot the #65 lb bow every day for two and a half hours a day while I'm at work for three weeks at a time. When I'm at home, I'm shooting the 60 lb. bow just two or three days a week. I hate to say it, but I do seem to shoot the slightly lighter bow a bit better, even though it's not as nice as my other.
So...my thoughts are that I shoot every day for about 3/4 of the year. I'll hunt for a week or two a year, total. It almost makes sense to go with a lighter poundage...say...55 lbs. I don't suffer any....issues with weakness that I know of, but I have suffered alot of shoulder trauma. It hasn't been an issue since I've started archery, but I'm always nervous about the issue rearing it's ugly head, and...well...I just don't know how I'd live if I had to quit shooting!
I also lean towards the heavy bows because I try to eek what power I can out of my short 27" draw.
On the other hand...It aint gonna be often I can buy a custom bow, and I'm in my late 30's, and not gettin' any younger.
But then again...it seems the body will eventually adapt to whatever I shoot. Before I started shooting the 60+ pound bows I was shooting 45-50 lb bows with the same amount of strain. Awright...maybe a little less, but not much at all.
So...there's a fine balance to maintain, between having enough horsepower for hunting, and being able to shoot daily.
Anyone else flirted with these notions and come up with a satisfying, workable solution?
Thanks for your thoughts!
I'd say mid 50's and a two blade BH for the big burly stuff.
27" isn't that short.
There are some bowyers out there that'll customize the limbs to be at peak performance at your draw.
Not just the right pounds...the right limb design for your draw.
Sixby (eaglewing bows) and Kirkll of Bigfoot bows are just a couple.
I'd think "performance" over "poundage". In MOST cases the two go hand and hand, but some bow designs out perform others. Well tuned bow/heavy arrow combination with a good broadhead, reasonable shot distance and proper shot placement, 55# should be plenty. I have issues with my bow shoulder. Dropped my bow poundage and it helped some, but going to a lighter mass weight bow helped it the most.
Oh, I have killed black bear and two caribou with 55# and 600+grain arrows....complete pass thrus! I haven't had a chance for moose yet, but I hope to!
Good luck! Mike
Hey let's face it we all like the way an arrow rips off the shelf of a heavy bow but it looks like you have drawn the same conclusion I have.Back off a few pounds and enjoy the benefits.I shot a 38#er last year that could hang with my 45.Awbowman's made a point ask others about designs that produce 60+ perfomance in a bit lighter package.
You're talking about a custom bow. Do a lot of research. Find a bowyer who will optimize the bow at your draw length. The real key is to shoot the bow that you can hit most accurately with. Fred Eichler killed the grand slam with a 54 lb recurve. Look into bows using carbon / foam limbs, use skinny FF strings, use optimized arrows. All of these things have the effect of increasing your arrow velocity, and or penetration to match a heavier bow, without having to shoot a heavier draw weight.
Don't get all wrapped up in draw poundage. If you optimize your arrows and use a bow with a skinny FF string you can shoot a 55 lb bow that will out penetrate a 65 lb bow with standard arrows. Take the time to read thru the Ashby reports on Trad Gang and understand them. They open a lot of options for increased pentration that does not include a heavy bow.
I shoot 55 lb R/D longbows with EFOC arrows. I am willing to hunt anything short of Elephant, Hippo or Rhino with my set up. Bears are not nearly as tough as people think. The real problem is making a bad shot which can lead to a long and dangerous chase. Accuracy is what is vital. Put a sharp head thru the heart or lungs and a bear is going down quick. Hit the shoulder and your out of luck with a heavy or light bow. I would put Moose at the top of the tough animals on your list. 55 lbs will do the job just fine for Moose. Get close and shoot straight. Instead of shooting so much, focus on your form and making each shot perfect. Perfect arrow flight and a razor sharp broadhead are the two most important factors in penetration.
Excellent thoughts on the lighter mass weight. One of my closest friends recently bought a Super Shrew that I fell in love with, except that it almost seemed like it could be too light in weight for my tastes. The lighter mass weight brings up the side to that coin I hadn't considered. (I never shot it because he's a lefty) In retrospect I almost wish I'd dug out a thumb ring and went for it, accuracy be damned.
There's a pretty interesting article in the latest Trad Bowhunter about considering poundage vs. accuracy and the ability to hold at draw. It isn't anything revolutionary, but I thought it was thought-provoking.
As my Drill Sergeant used to tell us..."No matter how bad it sucks, you had better LOVE practicing, because the game is way to short and the consequences are VERY severe".
If you can shoot the 60# and are happy with it's, and your, performance then why change? On the othr hand, if your trying to talk yourself into a lighter weight bow (it already sounds like you have) then get the 55# bow, and utilize the FF string, and optimum arrow to increase your odds of not failing.
Though I've not owned one the performance over poundage is described on the A&H archery site. They are the makers of ACS bows. Might be helpful to you to read their testing info.
Why not take Performance and poundage???? I shoot a 64# carbon backed long longbow. 60# is not really that much to pull if A person can shoot it just fine then thats what they should shoot. I had a 55# bow and could not shoot it as well as my 64 # bow. and I do not belive that shooting a 60 to 70lb bow is going to hurt anyone if thats what you shoot and shoot it all the time or for years that is what your body is use to and it will not hurt you. I know a man that is 83 this year and he has a 68 # bow that he has shoot for years.
I'm actually leaning towards staying at 60 lbs. or so. Considering my limited experience I'm doing pretty awright with it.
Right now my favorite bow is a Kustom King Raven- 64" R/D long bow with Fast Flight string. So far it's given up nothing to an 80 lb. hybrid, nor to many custom bows around the same range that cost twice as much. I've definitely become a believer in fast flight strings, and proper tuning.
Right now I'm torn between a few different ones. Thunderhorn Heart Stopper 3 pc, Super Shrew, Pronghorn, Cari-Bow or a Bama Bows Expedition...
It's mind boggling how many breathtakingly beautiful bows are out there...all with stellar reputations!
Well a lower poundage bow that is faster is a good solution to the problem.
Your shooting 65# and can get a bow that at 55# shoots the same arrow at the same speed.
Too me it's a no brainer.
Mike
QuoteOriginally posted by wingnut:
Well a lower poundage bow that is faster is a good solution to the problem.
Your shooting 65# and can get a bow that at 55# shoots the same arrow at the same speed.
Too me it's a no brainer.
Mike
Gotta go with Mr. Westvang on this one.
Good thread.
x 3.
Mr.Westvang nailed it!
I am not going to jump on the band wagon if you can shoot 65 just fine and there is a bow that shoots just as good at 55lbs then other bows at 65 why would you not get that bow in 65lbs??????
Don't lose site that the 55#r must still be a personal fit.
I say get what you want. You are not married to it. I shoot a lot, every day. Today, I shot about 75 arrows with three different bows. A 45 lb "Barta" , a 57 LB Widow longbow, and the majority with a 70lb Hill. Tomorrow it will be a different mix of bows. I like to shoot. If you like to shoot, get a bunch of bows. I like the idea of shooting a "faster" bow as well. I have a ACS, but its 66 lbs! I keep it for any rampant Chrysler Imperial.
i thought about this same subjuect alot. and i too tought it would be better if i shot higher weight. i did alot of research on this topic. i asked alot of questions. i started several topics on this on this site and others asking guys to give there opinions. i posted one topic for guys who had actualy taken these animals with 50-55lbs stickbows. i did this b/c i was going to do elk hunting in the fall.and i was concerned about what weight i was pulling and that it might not be enough. the bow i took is rated 53@26inches. on a good day i might draw 26. i actually draw right under 26. so 25 3/4! i had my bow pulled on a scale and at my lenght it showed 52lbs. i took 575 grain arrows with me on my elk hunt and sharp 2 blade broadheads. i shot a elk at 15 yards. i made a damn good shot and my arrow buried up to the feathers. the bull ran less than 200 yards and died. i am very confident in my arrow set up. i would hunt moose, elk, caribou, bear with it. arrow placement is the key. not how much yor pulling. thats my 2 cents
(http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a411/johnwhitten/elkhuntingpics260.jpg)
Nothing wrong with shooting the highest weight you can shoot well. What a lot of folks don't take into account is that the gains you make in added bow weight are fairly small percentage wise. The higher a bow weight gets the less efficient it becomes. What you gain by going up in weight can just as easily be gained thru modern bow design and materials at a weight that will not destroy your shoulders over time.
roll wow nice
congrats thats a bunch of sweet meat n antler there.
I have a belief, probably BS, but I feel if you can with effort shoot a 90 pound bow with reasonable control and accuracy, you can hunt with a 75 with confidence. Is it possible that you shoot the somewhat lighter bows better because you shoot the 65 pound quite often? Then as the logic goes if you only shoot a 55 you may find that you shoot a 50 a bit better? If you are young and healthy you could try a 75 pound bow that is similar to whatever 65 pound bow you like and perhaps your control will improve with the 65 pounder. Whatever, they all work as long the arrow is working for you.
I think what Ragnorak forge said in his 1st post is spot on.Make a smart choice in a high performace bow and then maximize its effeciany with the best arrow of good grain weight and a quality head and a quality high performance string.Making sure your arrows are tuned as perfect as they can be will go along way as well.
Another option you might consider if its not cost prohibitive is the versatility of a 3 piece TD with 2 sets of limbs.Gives you the poundage options you desire for any application your confronted with.
Chose a weight you can hold comfortably and match that with the proper arrow and broadhead,there is no need to injure your self just shootd what feels good.
Mike, I always read with interest these poundage threads, and living where you do, Alaska, I've shot everything except a dall with the same bow, 50 at 30 widow. Got my bear 3 years ago, shot 5 caribou and a moose this year, sprinkled with a couple blackies over the years. Not saying you shouldn't shoot whatever you can handle, but don't think you HAVE to shoot heavy weights to effectively hunt anything we got up here. Guys will say "well if you are hunting you won't be shooting all day long so you only have to draw it back a few times",,,,,well I probably shoot a hundred shots a day while hunting. And while you are young, shooting heavy bows won't seem like an issue, but it will catch up to you. some day. Just sayin...
Where in Alaska are you?
I like what Rag Forge said. Get a bowyer that builds specifically for an archers draw length. Make him tell you how he does it and why he feels it is efficient. I'm not talking about just changing the bow length but adjusting the limb build so that the bow maxes its efficiency out at your 27 in draw. If they cannot tell you how to do that shop until you find one that can. Then have him give you reccomendations of people that he has built bows for that have shorter or longer draws.
Finally if you can get a 55 lb bow that will shoot as hard as most 65 lb bows then you are way ahead to start with.
God bless you and Merry Christmas, Steve
I personally shoot heavier better. It's probably a issue with my crappy release, but my #80 longbow that I made and missed weight on (was supposed to be #65) is more forgiving for me than my #60 at my draw widow recurve.
But if you want a new bow I totally understand. I'd get a Bigfoot with Pao ferro and Bocote if it were me...
I would go for a bow in the low/mid 50#`s (52-56#)
there are several bowyers on this site that makes bows that will give you that extra "umpfh" even with lower poundage.
And as written before, the bowyers will customize the bow to your drawlength.
btw I read somewhere that an easy way to find out if youre overbowed is to go to full draw and hold for at least 10 seconds. If you can do that without starting shaking yourè inside your comfortzone... might be true or not but I`ll bet you can hold still longer with a 54# bow than with a 65# bow :confused:
Margly
I doubt you shoot the lighter bow better because it is lighter. Sounds to me like you shoot the heavier one too much. Shooting too much can be a problem and more than likely to cause injury than shooting more weight. You have to be honest with yourself, are you really comfortable with the weight? or are you looking for a reason to shoot less? Repition is far more likely to wear out the joints.
Whatever you decide to do, that will become your max comfortable weight. Your muscles will atrophy to what ever you are willing to work too.
Yes, lighter weight bows are capable of doing the job and so are ugly women and old slow cars, but heavier bows just feel better (if you are comfortable with them)
If you are truly comfortable with the heavier weight, you can easily find a bunch of people here to tell you that you can't do it! After all, taking the work out anything is the american way. Don't do that extra work, you can surely find some way to get out of it.
You have lots of years ahead of you to slow down. You are young, and god willing, you will live to be old. Slow down now and you will be less for the rest of your life (not just draw weight* be honest with your self about that and quit listenting to popular belief).
I have broken my neck, shattered my rist and forearm, shoved my thigh bone through my hip socket, damaged my rotator and am still here. I am 43 years young and have no intention of slowing down until I have no choice. I will slide in to my grave as a worn out, broke up mess weather it be tomorrow or 50 years from now.
I am honest with myself about what I shoot for weight (what others think makes no difference to me) I love the feel of the power and the force of a 800g shaft crashing through a critter. I shoot whatever broadhead I like and don't ever worry about if I had enough!
I have now used up my alotment of typing for a given week. Good luck to you in whatever you decide, but do it for the right reasons.
Bigjim
Oh yeah, this bow order won't likely be your last. If you enjoy this sport, there will always be another.....you are young and bows are not women. We don't have to pick one to spend the rest of our life with.
awesome Jim!
Pain fades, chicks dig scars, and glory lasts forever!
We all know how too much weight can diminish accuracy, but I have found that too little also isn't good. I shoot my 52 lb bow much better than my 49 and 50lbers. What happens to me is if I don't have enough weight in my palm at full draw my bow arm wonders or doesn't hold as steady. With a couple more pounds it seems to set everything more solid.
i love these "what should i do?" threads. for the most part, yer gonna hear what OTHER people will do, and tell you to think about doing the same thing. however, if yer a rational, common sense, thinking adult, which you probably are, you will read all this stuff and come to your own sane conclusions over time. and take yer chances on making good decisions. time is your best friend. that and the classifieds. :D
I think 55 is plenty but if you can comfortably shoot 60 with good form I'd stick with that.
Years ago I gave a longbow to a friend back east. It shot nice enough, but it turned out that it was not the fastest horse in the race. The fellow developed a most irritating habit of sending me his yearly pictures of game and cedar arrows that were bloody from the about an inch behind a muddy broadhead to the matted down feathers. He was talking about going to an archery shop and testing bows through a chronograph to find something that shot as fast as possible. I told him he was nuts, and if he wanted to get a new bow just to get a newer and perhaps sleeker version of what has been working for him these past ten years.
I chased the higher poundage and faster bow thing, but ended up where I started with what I found worked the best for me. I also know a man that never seems to miss deer, he shot a medium weight Super Kodiak for thirty years. When he got a new bow, he got the same weight Super Kodiak and he still never misses. I was always jealous of his commitment to just shooting one bow.
QuoteOriginally posted by BigJim:
I doubt you shoot the lighter bow better because it is lighter. Sounds to me like you shoot the heavier one too much. Shooting too much can be a problem and more than likely to cause injury than shooting more weight. You have to be honest with yourself, are you really comfortable with the weight? or are you looking for a reason to shoot less? Repition is far more likely to wear out the joints.
Whatever you decide to do, that will become your max comfortable weight. Your muscles will atrophy to what ever you are willing to work too.
Yes, lighter weight bows are capable of doing the job and so are ugly women and old slow cars, but heavier bows just feel better (if you are comfortable with them)
If you are truly comfortable with the heavier weight, you can easily find a bunch of people here to tell you that you can't do it! After all, taking the work out anything is the american way. Don't do that extra work, you can surely find some way to get out of it.
You have lots of years ahead of you to slow down. You are young, and god willing, you will live to be old. Slow down now and you will be less for the rest of your life (not just draw weight* be honest with your self about that and quit listenting to popular belief).
I have broken my neck, shattered my rist and forearm, shoved my thigh bone through my hip socket, damaged my rotator and am still here. I am 43 years young and have no intention of slowing down until I have no choice. I will slide in to my grave as a worn out, broke up mess weather it be tomorrow or 50 years from now.
I am honest with myself about what I shoot for weight (what others think makes no difference to me) I love the feel of the power and the force of a 800g shaft crashing through a critter. I shoot whatever broadhead I like and don't ever worry about if I had enough!
I have now used up my alotment of typing for a given week. Good luck to you in whatever you decide, but do it for the right reasons.
Bigjim
Oh yeah, this bow order won't likely be your last. If you enjoy this sport, there will always be another.....you are young and bows are not women. We don't have to pick one to spend the rest of our life with.
I saw the man shoot.
He does shoot what he shoots because he likes it, no doubt! And he does it well.
I am lucky to have 2 bows of the same exact specs but with a 5# difference.
I shoot the heavier better and draw a tad longer with her, so I pick her every time
Good luck,
Manny
Wow.
That might be the most Big Jim has ever said here. And well said too.
I hear he builds most excellent bows....I might need one, or three.
Thank you Big Jim, I enjoyed your post sir.
I say shoot a bow in the poundage range that you can shoot the best. regardless of the size of the game, it is arrow placement and a sharp head that puts them on the ground.
e-mailed
Pm'd
Lots of different perspectives to consider.
I do believe I'd like to stay at a minimum where I'm currently at. The strength to pull the heavier bows isn't really...a consideration. If I'm currently unable, I know that I can work into it. If I went down in weight, it would be due to concerns regarding my shoulder trauma, which..has not been an issue yet.
But, as Big Jim eloquently pointed out, I'm probably at more risk due to repetitive motion than I am from heavy poundages. As strange as it seems, a heavier bow may be helpful in form development. Also, since I've started shooting, I actually think my shoulders have been better over all, except for the ocassional bout with arthritis, but that wracks my wrists, knees, ankles, etc. also, so that doesn't really count.
I AM very happy to read of so many people successfully using lighter bows to get the job done, and it gives me heart comfort to know that's a viable option, if and when that day comes when I need to be pulling less.
Now the notion that I'm shooting too much????
That's a troubling notion, but a different thread altogether.
I'm happy I asked the question and got so many different perspectives to consider.
I hope y'all have a good one!
Mike
I practice with my 42# Brushbow and hunt with my 52# Brusbow.
I noticed that most guys that I shoot with are way over-bowed. Their first 10 or so arrows are decent and then they can't seem to make a good shot to save their life.
I can shoot 42# for an hour with my friends, but I can't shoot 51# for an hour without suffering the effects of the extra 10# of weight.
For me it is all about good form. The only difference between my 2 bows is the weight. I always take both bows to the range. However, I shoot the lighter bow 90% of the time.
Also, the best shooters that I practice with are shoot 40# bows as well. That was a big part of why I went light.
You may want to try a take-down for the next bow, that way you can buy many sets of limbs and experiment. Enjoy the ride!
The newer hybrids will in some cases shoot an arrow 20ft per sec faster at 10. Lbs less bow wt should be a. No branerbut I still like my strait bows l would say if you like shooting those heavy wts do it while you can youonlygo around once.:
Some really good thoughts here.
I've wondered lots of times if you can have a bow that is too light. I can hold my bow at full draw over 20 seconds. When I miss it is usually because i have a wobble (or roaming) in my bow hand/arm and I'm thinking if I just went up just 5 pounds it would help me stay steadier. I mean, draw weight could be the equivalent of a bull barrel on a rifle, right? (Or would it be more like adding weight to the riser, like Bob Lee is doing with phenolic?)
But I worry a lot about tendonitus in my bow arm elbow which is from an old injury. I shoot a lot, but per advice on here I try to put as much time between shots as I can.
I love to shoot my bow though. It just feels good. But a little more THWACK! wouldn't be bad, either.
I guess I better just buy another bow.
I think Big Jim is spot on. Here's my 2 cents...
I shoot heavy bows compared to most, but not as heavy as some....anywhere from 60 to 80 lbs. Here's the thing...I've been shooting since I was 7, and this poundage since I was 18. I can shoot a heavier bow now, than I could 20-some years ago! It's all in how you practice. Too many of us, I feel, shoot too many arrows per session, without rest between sessions. It messes with our muscles, our joints, and our heads (since accuracy is 90 percent mental, this is important). If your gonna shoot 3-d targets all day, by all means go lighter. But heavy does have advantages.
The "trend" these past couple years has been to say "modern" advancements makes it OK (to shoot lightweight for hunting)....but modern bowmaking really is not that much better than it was three decades ago....a few FPS doesn't mean SQUAT! There are SO MANY other variables that affect how efficient your shot is (notice I did not say bow)....and the truth is, the lighter you go, the more responsibility you have to make sure those other factors are dead nuts right on! You guys shooting 40lbs are setting yourselves up for wounding and losing a lot of critters, IMO over time....there is no way you can CONTROL all the variables. That's why it has always been a kind of unwritten rule to shoot as much poundage as you can shoot accurately. When I hunt, I don't shoot hundreds of arrows...really?!! I've got other things I'm concentrating on.
If you go lighter, you will be shooting lighter weight arrows, weaker spined shafts, more subject to cleaner form issues, and your accuracy, under pressure, has to be spot on...while you are likely breathing like you just ran a block into the wind! Break it all down and examine it. It's not as simple as just improving accuracy at the target butt, shooting groups....its reducing your "fudge factor" in arrow flight at impact, in the efficiency of your broadhead, in the momentum of your missile, in the unpredictable crosswinds that will cause the back of your shaft to drift....there is just too much that has to go right, with a lighter settup, to work every time. Extra poundage allows you a heavier arrow, a stiffer spine, a cleaner release, overall a bit more momentum....and that extra "umph" peace of mind thing.
Too many of us are using the "modern" material and design thing as their excuse to drop weight IMO... Make the decision to differentiate between targets, and hunting....and educate yourselfs about your responsibilities to the game, to the pastime we enjoy, to the way in which you practice. There is a lot there.
I'm 52 next month, and I can shoot heavier bows now than I could when I was 30...even with both elbows having tendonitis, and arthritis in my right hand.
BTW...50 lbs in my book is not a light bow, really. Dropping down in the 40's is getting pretty light, and will demand your attention to these things. Ultimately, you must shoot what is legal, and, in you mind, what is ethical.
Ditto what WINGNUT said...on page 1....
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
There are some bow and grip designs that work better for certain people than others. Some people tear themselves up shooting light weight bows while others suffer minimal wear and tear shooting very heavy bows for a longer period. Something to consider beyond merely the weight of the bow and the draw weight of the bow, as far as how much wear and tear the body endures, is how the person gets the bow back to full draw and how long that same person needs to hold the weight to get it on target. For myself, I beat myself up more with a pistol gripped 45 pound at my draw Grooves Spitfire than I do shooting a 64 pound longbow, when shooting left handed. The difference is in the holding time, the straight wrist and the straight extended bow arm, when shooting the recurve; and the more relaxed and more natural for my joints form that I use when shooting the straight gripped longbow. On the reverse of that, I have seen guys that could not shoot any bow without extending their bow arm out straight first, they simply did not have the arm strength to do it any other way. I have been told by a joint specialist/bowhunter that the longer a joint is under static strain the more compression and possible damage is possible for the joint. He also said that any draw that forces the bow shoulder to rotate up and over in the process of drawing the bow could throw the shoulder into a bad leverage position and puts more pressure on the area between neck and the upper back. He referred that to how most of the local boys were drawing their compounds and how many of them were under his care. He then showed me the draw he used. It was nearly the same thing that all of old time greats used, a spread draw from the down and relaxed position to level on target and a very short holding time. A little more of a spread draw compared to the swing draw than what John Schulz demonstrated, but effectively nearly the same. My wife was complaining of shoulder pains and adopted this draw and has had no pain since, plus her draw got a bit longer and her accuracy has gone way up.
We can talk all we want about how fast something shoots, but the reality is how the bow fits us and how we use it has as much to do with our shooting power, accuracy and the levels of wear and tear on our bodies over time. Proper nutrition and exercise can increase muscle and joint strength, we do not need to look at it like every shot we take robs us of our total number of shot we have in our bodies over a life time. We are not shooting bullets out of our life time unload-able supply banana clip.
Saying all of that, show me two bows that feel the same, the faster one will be fun to shoot and the most accurate of the two will go hunting.
Thanks, Pavan. That's alot of information, and interesting stuff.
I truthfully dunno how I draw my bow. I think I just start pulling as soon as my arrow is nocked, bring the bow up, stop when I hit anchor, hold for about five seconds, and then release. I guess I might have to pay attention to that.
I'm 95% self taught at this point. It wasn't until I'd loosed my first 8,000 arrows that another Trad guy with some knowledge came by and informed me that my stance was an absolute abomination unto the Traditional Archery world, and that somewhere out there a monument to Fred Bear was crying tears of blood because of me. It was a good enough stance for Judo, and that's similar enough for Archery, right? oops...
In any case, I appreciate your thoughts and insight. I'm priviledged to learn from these kinda things.
I am able to shoot heavier bows then I currently do, but see no reason. I would rather shoot comfortably and knowing that a 58-61# bow will put down anything I will ever hunt, then try and shoot heavier.
Dead is dead, wether its from a 40# bow or a 100# bow, so shoot whats comfortable. Its all about shot placement :thumbsup:
WE killed alot of whitetails back in the '70's using maple limbed 45lb recurves but of course everyonre shot field courses and new their equipment intimately. We kill things by shooting a scalpel(broadhead) and causing hemmoraging. Most animals are not that thick so placement is key. Shoot the poundage you can be accurate in all circumstances(positions,weather etc) and by all means have a ball!
According to the literature I've read, a traditional bow has a limit to it's speed that is realtively independent of draw weight. i.e. light arrows shot from light bows can go just as fast as those shot from heavy bows. However, a heavy arrow moving at 165fps has a lot more energy than a light arrow moving at the same speed. Therefore, all things being equal, I'd go for a heavier bow (50# and up) IF you can shoot it accurately, consistently, and comfortably. I'd also go with the heaviest arrow your bow can shoot well.
The archer is more important the the equipment, so do what works best for you. That's why trad is so much fun.