First I must say I am glad I found this forum. (Already met one member on a classified add purchase... a great guy I otherwise never would have had the chance to shake hands with and talk archery) My hunting and shooting has become a bit stagnent the last couple of years and I have recently ramped up my shooting to prepare for an upcoming Colorado Elk hunt.
When I purchased my first recurve 15 years ago or so I immediatly went for 62lbs. Big mistake, but in spite of that I eventually bacame proficient enough to hunt with it. A few years later I purchased a lighter set of limbs and found it much more enjoyable to shoot. I am now shooting longbows in the 45-52 range where I feel very comfortable.
I am confident if I do my part that at 25 yards and under the bow has enough umph to get the job done. I shoot a heavy arrow and do not feel confident over 25 so that is where I will stay.
In reading a lot of the posts on the forum and looking at the classified adds it seems as if more and more people are heading back to the 50 or below poundage. Is this because we are all getting older or smarter:)?
I'm a firm believer in shoot whatever poundage of bow you're comfortable with. If you are comfortable with 40-50# then shoot it,if you like 70+ then shoot that. :)
I'm currently shooting 37 lbs..
I like high 40s to low 50s best. Why? I only hunt deer, hogs and small game and dont usually shoot past 20yards. I dont need anymore than that.
I shoot a 50
But If I had a 40 I may use it.
Im getting a 30 lb small game bow for tough angle shots.
The more people realize that 40#s will harvest deer and small game, the closer they get to it.
Accuracy is where its at anyway. People need to shoot whatever weight they can be ethical and accurate with.
I shoot 64#-67#. I like the feel. I am more conifdent in the bow, thus making it a better choice for me.
God Bless,
Nathan
I agree with shooting whatever weight you can handle accurately. Arrows kill by causing bleeding, not shock value.
I listened to the voices in my head, neck, back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers. They told me to lighten up.
I gradually worked my way down from 65# to 45#.
Now the voices say, "Ahhhhh".
As you get older it pays to listen to what your body is trying to tell you. :)
I like 52lb bows at 28" also. Don't need anymore for our eastern deer hunting situations. Very comfortable to draw from any weird stand angle or when it is very cold out.
I shoot all kind of # from mid 30#s to mid 60#s.
In hunting I`m around 50-55#s with most of my bows because I shoot these bows best in any circumstances, even if I`m cold and have been passive for some hours.
BUT I really like to feel the toughness of my Firefly 65"31 sometimes :)
But when I get almost the same momentum and fps out of my 55# Border recurve then it`s not the "umpf" in the bow that makes me shoot the Firefly just the feel.
But all in all I can kill and lay down exactly the same game with all my hunting bows from 40#`s and up :bigsmyl:
I've been dropping down through the years. 20 yrs ago I was shooting 65# I now shoot between 48 & 55. I'm ordering a new bow soon, and I think Im going for around 50#.
Just curious: those of you who are constantly dropping weight as you age, are you doing any type of physical training? Are you training to handle traditional bows?
Yup, shoot what works for you; there is no such thing as the "best" bow weight. There is an arguement that higher weight bows offer a cleaner release, better back tension and of course more power; also the lower weight bows offer a more relaxed (hence, accurate) shot and still retain more than enough power to kill anything in North America. The arguements go on forever. I started out in the 60's shooting a 40# for hunting, drifted up to 55# over the years, and now have come back full circle to 40#. I'd only comment that, IMHO, todays 40# recurves are yesterdays 50# in terms of speed and power.
I went from on average 65 pound bows to on average 55 pound bows
It's not that I can't shoot the heavier bows its that I shoot the lightr bows better and they actually perform on par or better with the heavier bows of 20 years ago .
I started hunting deer with a 64" 48lbs recurve in the early 60's. I'm hunting them now with a 64" 48lbs. recurve.
QuoteOriginally posted by Red Beastmaster:
I listened to the voices in my head
When I tell people that I listened to the voices in my head, they all walk away-very rapidly!!!
Most of my hunting bows are 55 to 58, I can still shoot 60+, but the mid 50's are easier.
All of mine are between 48 and 52#. I also shoot the same arrows with each bow. As far as shots on local game, I prefer under 12 yds. You mentioned "out to 25 yds.". With a trad bow shooting about 170 fps @ 50#, (in my honest opinion) way too much can happen between the time the arrow leaves the shelf and makes impact on anything at 20 yds. A deer can swap ends in a fraction of a second and the sound of the string gets to the animal way before the arrow does, thus causing them to react. Keep your shots as close as possible and I feel you will be much more successful.
Best of luck.
my longbow is around 55 @ 28 so I'm shooting around 29 inches so its around 58 or so. While I like the added power I think I will be dropping a bit in weight. No sense in working harder than necessary.
all my bows are between 47 and 53#. used47# on antelope with no issues - whitetail i will find out in a couple weeks .... hopefully!!!
I have a 60#@28 and a 50#@28. My draw length to a comfortable anchor and correct form is right around 29". I can shoot the 60# bow as accurately as the 50# bow; however, with the 60# I feel I can never achieve a complete draw and follow through. Too stiff at 29". I would like to try a 45# bow.
I started back in 1980 with a Super Magnum 48
at 65# with sights! I could hold it for up to 30 seconds at full draw.I missed about 20 deer with it,though.
I dropped down to a 42# Black Bear recurve and started killing stuff.
I shoot between 46 and 50# now, generally get two holes in just about everything I shoot(mostly hogs).
In my opinion, arrow speed and camo clothing are the two most over-rated things in traditional archery.
I do have a lot of friends that shoot 60#+ and do very well.
As a follow up, I rarely shoot over 15 yards at anything. I've killed the majority of my deer and hogs at under 15 yards, often under ten.
I'm shooting 47# to 65# and usually hunt with the mid 50's bows....I'm 59 yrs old and I like to shoot the heavier bows for practice but seldom hunt with them....
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Glenn
I shoot 50-70# bows. I get off the string cleanest with 60-62# and can shoot the longest without fatigue with the 50's. I usually hunt with a 50# or a 62#. I'll have Sixby build me a 40 pounder when when I get the coin.
I shot 63# for lots of years,now shoot 49# with very heavy arrows and love my setup.
Im shooting 55# and that is truthfully too much. Im getting better with it over time though and I think by the end of the month it will be comfortable. I have no plans of going any higher than that though.
Well, I say shoot what you like but yes, accuracy is where it is at, not bow poundage. God Bless
I bought my first real "hunting bow" in the mid-1960s and still have it ... a 49# Pearson (Locksley) Wildcat.
During all the years since, I've acquired a couple dozen other bows of various brands and types. Their draw weights range from 34# (a beautiful old Pearson Golden Sovereign) to 55# (a 1996 Howatt Mamba that draws 55#, or maybe a little more).
The bows I shoot regularly are mostly in the 45# to 50# range. I don't think I'm decreasing or increasing draw weight to accomodate my age. I'm pretty much right where I've always been.
Mike
I like the heavier bows and shot them for years. Age is catching up, though. The 78# stays in the rack, and after a sore shoulder that is not yet completely healed, my 65# Weley Special is getting less attention. Currently, I'm shooting my Hill Cheetah at 55# and am liking it a lot.
I can now pull the heavier bow again, but my accuracy has not returned so I won't hunt with it till it pulls comfortably and the accuracy is there. Fortunately, I have several lighter bows that work well for me.
The first deer I shot was with a Bear Kodiak that was 45#. That was a long time ago. I got a complete pass through and I don't think that I was drawing it to 28". Since then I thought that I needed more weight and over the years ended up at 65#. Then I started working my way back down, finding that my accuracy improved as I dropped bow weight. Now I shoot a 45# bow and have total confidence in it and my ability to put the arrow where it needs to go. It only took me 35 years to figure out what I should have known from my first bow kill.
I draw 30" and +or- a few pounds from 50 is perfect for me.
Im just a young gun at 23 and shoot a 52lb at 28" draw.
I can put it where I want with that poundage.
I started with a 60# recurve.. Most my bows now are 53-63#
My favorite is my 63# longbow. I can pick up that bow any given day and hit what im looking at.
lightest one I have with around 39-40# at my DL and my heaviest is around 55# at my DL. For 3d I love my titan riser with long 45# limbs, so so easy to draw and hold and dead accurate. hunting wise my hunterbow, titan with 50# dryads and omega are my picks, all of them are still easy to draw and shoot good. I want to play with some 60# limbs someday, just dont want to buy them to find otu there to much weight for me. so if anyone wants to lend me some 60# ILF limbs hit me up :)
I've been shooting the 2013 Faith bow exclusively since it arrived Sept 4th, 61 @ 28. Last night I drew back one of my 45# bows. It felt like a kid's bow. After Faith leaves I think I'll shoot my heaviest bow, 64 @ 28, just so the lighter stuff continues to feel easier. I prefer 45ish to low 50ish bows and 15yd or under shots, preferably 10-12 if I can get'em in closer. I do have a 40# longbow that I hope to use on deer soon.
Here is something younger guys may not realize. As a person gets older they do not "heal" as quickly if injured or strain a muscle. When I was younger I would recover form athletic injures very quickly. Now an injury that use to heal in a week takes 6 months. I am very active and use exercise equipment regularly, but strains happen much easier and seem to never heal. If you think that if you continue to "work out" as you get older your body will react the same, you might be surprised. It might boil down to a decision like this........keep shooting the heavier bow and take a chance of muscle strain (and have to stop shooting for 6 months), or reduce the weight and be careful so you can keep shooting. This may not be the case for everyone but our bodies seem to be like car tires, they wear out. If you keep them in alignment and balanced they last longer, but if you abuse them, they wear out faster and can not be fixed. I agree with "shoot what you like", but "shoot what is comfortable" might be better. Take care of your bodies because surgeries HURT.
I felt like I was fighting my 50# and even my 45# bows for over a year. Bought a 40# Toelke Super-D from a Tradganger earlier this Summer, and results have been amazing.
I solidified my form, anchor, and release, and now I can shoot the heavier bows better, too. So I am going into the woods with the 50 #er for deer, to get the flattest trajectory and biggest impact. Later in the season, when it's cold and I may not be as limber, I think I'll hunt the Super-D
QuoteOriginally posted by Cherokee Scout:
Here is something younger guys may not realize. As a person gets older they do not "heal" as quickly if injured or strain a muscle. When I was younger I would recover form athletic injures very quickly. Now an injury that use to heal in a week takes 6 months. I am very active and use exercise equipment regularly, but strains happen much easier and seem to never heal. If you think that if you continue to "work out" as you get older your body will react the same, you might be surprised. It might boil down to a decision like this........keep shooting the heavier bow and take a chance of muscle strain (and have to stop shooting for 6 months), or reduce the weight and be careful so you can keep shooting. This may not be the case for everyone but our bodies seem to be like car tires, they wear out. If you keep them in alignment and balanced they last longer, but if you abuse them, they wear out faster and can not be fixed. I agree with "shoot what you like", but "shoot what is comfortable" might be better. Take care of your bodies because surgeries HURT.
X2........ :saywhat:
My bows range from a low 40s Selfbow, to a Bama Expi 53@28, my favorite weight to shoot overall is my Bama Expi 47@28 62in R/D longbow its the best of both worlds draw weight to speed!
used to shoot 50 but i must admit 40 to 45 is so much better as it don't hurt the body so much as in i have to stop shooting, so 40 to 45 pounds is as good as it get for me.
Why would I want to poke my arrow deeper into the dirt on the off side of a deer?
I made a Osage self bow a couple of years back, the beauty of self bows is that you can reduce the draw weight by simply taking off more wood. I took off a lot of draw weight for the upcoming season and am shooting a lot better and can't see much difference in the arrow penetration. Didnt even have to buy a new bow.
I've never even pulled a bow heavier than 55#@28". I have a 54# 66' Mowhawk LB that feels 50#ish and a 62" Blacktail RC that's 50 @28". My little Super Mag 48" was 48# until I broke it. These all feel like good weights to me (62 years old).
That being said, I'm interested in the lower 40"s as so many here talk about how good they feel AND perform. Sounds like a new bow on the horizon...
I dropped from a 56# to 44# GN Ghost recurve. I gained accuracy and comfort.
All my bows are between 50-55lbs. I don't care to hunt brown bear, but feel I have plenty power for any animal up here with maybe the exception furry musk ox. Heavy arrows, sharp heads and shot placement is all I have to believe in. All this heavy bow talk lately has me second guessing my draw weight and shooting style. I like to hold at anchor until I'm zeroed in on my spot and I just can't do that with comfort over 55 lbs.
Am I crazy to be hunting Alaska with a bow in the 50's? Should I be working up to at least 60lbs?
~CB
It's refreshing to read about real life hunters not bragging about being macho & pulling 100 pound bows. 20 - 30 years ago (I'm 50 now) I got cought up in all the testosterone bragging stuff & I shot 70 - 75 pound bows, now at 50 half my buddies have screwed up shoulders from playing macho man hunter. I'm thankful I didn't screw up mine.
Chrome buck - I'm experimenting with heavy bows at the minute but the bow I shoot best is my 57@27 Hill longbow. Like you I'd hunt just about anything in Ontario with it (inc. moose). Eichler killed his brown bear with a bow lighter than yours, I wouldn't doubt your setup at all.
Rossco, I was going to mention that Fred Eichler hunts with a 54# recurve.
To me, a "light" bow is 45#'s or less.
QuoteOriginally posted by Cherokee Scout:
Here is something younger guys may not realize. As a person gets older they do not "heal" as quickly if injured or strain a muscle. When I was younger I would recover form athletic injures very quickly. Now an injury that use to heal in a week takes 6 months. I am very active and use exercise equipment regularly, but strains happen much easier and seem to never heal. If you think that if you continue to "work out" as you get older your body will react the same, you might be surprised. It might boil down to a decision like this........keep shooting the heavier bow and take a chance of muscle strain (and have to stop shooting for 6 months), or reduce the weight and be careful so you can keep shooting. This may not be the case for everyone but our bodies seem to be like car tires, they wear out. If you keep them in alignment and balanced they last longer, but if you abuse them, they wear out faster and can not be fixed. I agree with "shoot what you like", but "shoot what is comfortable" might be better. Take care of your bodies because surgeries HURT.
I'm only 28 and I'm already starting to see a little of what you're talking about. I play basketball occasionally and I always wake up hurting the next day.
I shoot a 53# Red Wing Hunter. I'm 6'1" and 220lbs and I work in the oil field, so I'm fairly strong. Even so, I don't think I would be able to shoot nearly as well with a heavier bow, say 60# and up. I'll take a broadhead stopping in lung#2 over a complete pass through the liver (true story) any day. I'd like to get my hands on something between 45 and 50# just to try. I have a 35# black bear, but the bright yellow limbs don't lend themselves very well to hunting.
I used to hunt and do 3-D with 65-70 # bows.It was not a problem for me in any way.I do believe you should shoot as heavy of bow as you can thats comfortable and accurate for you and allows you to practice a good amount of shots without fatique or injury.
I had some injuries and God forbid got older and developed some shooting issues.It took me awhile to go lighter.But I did
I have gone down in weight considerably over the years and now shoot mostly 45-52 # bows at my draw.I am happy with the cast of the bows with heavier hunting arrows and the comfort of shooting them.I like the good form that can be achieved and the dynamic release thats easier for me and increases arrow volicity,accuracy and follow through.
Thier are many very high high performance bows available that maximise energy and effieciency today that allow excellant performance in a hunting bow at lower poundages.I definatly dont feel undergunned so to speak.Its good for the body as we get older.You can still shoot alot of arrows and have a rig that will do the job.
I think some of the arrows available with high forward of center and in higher grain weights with some of these newer incredible heads that are available are absolutly devastating and will do the job on most big game with lighter weight bows.The newer lower strand count strings and newer string materials also increase performance from yesteryear.I have no worries hunting with bows in lighter weights with a well tuned arrow that straightens out quickly from archers paradox.Alot of guys have proved that.Its all good for me.
If I could still shoot 70#s though I would.Glad I dont have to though!
In the 1970s I was shooting recurves in the 65# range.Back then I read everything I could about Fred Bear and thats the poundage that he hunted with.It worked great for Fred, but I refused to admit to myself that I was overbowed. As a result I developed bad form habits that were taking the joy from shooting bows. With older age and creaking joints I am now hunting with bows in the 45-50# range and enjoying shooting more than ever. Dale
nope. I refuse to.
OK what's a light bow ?
ChuckC
I feel comfortable shooting my 45 & 44# recurves. I like to mix it up every once in a while shooting 39# limbs. I don't hunt. Just do 3D. I find my release needs to be perfect when shooting the 39# limbs. I have noticed shooting the 39# limbs has improved my accuracy with the 45# & 44# limbs.