Just my second post here... major neophyte...however, I've done my best to soak up as much technique info as possible both here and elswhere.
Currently shooting a 35# Recurve and have been now for a month. Comfortable with my form and fortunate to have some good resources loacally. I feel that i'm ready to increase the weight but dont want to jump up to quickly...
Simple question for advice...
5# increase 10# or 15#, I'm in no hurry...
5# is a good step; but most hale men can shoot a 45# bow without much difficulty.
45# is almost a 30% increase over 35#. That's a big jump (when was the last time you got a 30% raise in pay?).
Do your local resources have 40 and 45 lb bow you can draw to see how they feel? If not go with the 5 lb increase.
Good luck and welcome to the "Gang"
Unless you plan to keep the 35# bow to practice with I wouldn't go up any higher than 45.
Welcome :campfire:
You should be able to handle a 10# increase without any problem.
Go slow and watch your form. I went up too fast when I was first getting started and I was not paying attention to my form....I ended up with some bad habits that took a long time to get rid of. I also ended up with several bows that were too heavy for me when I used proper form and got to my tru draw length.
There are a lot of variables. Is that a 35# bow or 35@your draw length? Are you very young, older than say 45 and do you have a history of injury to shoulders or upper back? Does it feel very easy to draw and hold it for a while? 5# is always a safe recommendation, but if your are 20-40, average building, and fit, I would say 10# if you have real good form in how you draw, good back tension, and you are getting full draw length now. Now if you were shooting 50# I may not recomend jumping to 60.
QuoteOriginally posted by xtrema312:
There are a lot of variables. Is that a 35# bow or 35@your draw length? Are you very young, older than say 45 and do you have a history of injury to shoulders or upper back? Does it feel very easy to draw and hold it for a while? 5# is always a safe recommendation, but if your are 20-40, average building, and fit, I would say 10# if you have real good form in how you draw, good back tension, and you are getting full draw length now. Now if you were shooting 50# I may not recomend jumping to 60.
True, forgive me...
Shooting a 35# Samik Sage TD Recurve
35# @ 28", I'm 44, fit, feel like my form is there and shooting 8" groups at 20 yds with the occasional flyer and I try to shoot instinctively.
Usually shoot 40-50 arrows then quit and shoot just about every day, either in the back yard, indoor range or the outdoor range. However, yesterday, I shot about 80-100 arrows, just having fun, staying relaxed and never felt fatigued.
Again, i've been shooting a solid month now, focusing primarily on my form.
So I guess I feel like I'm ready to upgrade...
Try a 50 before you buy.
QuoteOriginally posted by pavan:
Try a 50 before you buy.
Good idea...I'm only only a few minutes away from the Robertson's shop, so I'll try there first.
Go up in weight slowly so that you can maitian the correct form OR YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN(This I say from Experience).
Are you planning on hunting or just "target" archery? Target shooters often stay with a light bow.
Hunting primarily... but I enjoy shooting.
Just another thing to consider: bow style.
Try as many bows as you can as different models of bows will probably feel different at the same weight. That's why some shoot longbows, some shoot recurves, and within those groups, one bowyer's bow may not be the one that shoots best for you. Not to mention grip style. Take your time, don't rush into a purchase, there is no hurry.
Form is the most important thing IMO, if you can't maintain solid form with a heavy bow than a lighter bow is the best FOR YOU because you will be able to shoot it with consistency. Best of luck!
Young, fit, 100 arrows with no problem, I'd go up #10 without hesitating. And you'll find a wide selection in the classifieds at great prices.
Welcome!
I tried to go from a 45# recurve to a 60#longbow with a more traditional grip- didn't work so good.
I could have saved myself from some aggravation. I have been doing all my hunting with 50-55# range bows for the last 5 years or so.
I don't think I would try to go up more than 10 lbs. That is a pretty big jump.
Welcome to the Gang Brad.If you are talking about Dick Robertson's shop,you are a lucky man.They will guide you along.
I would say for you a 10# jump will be easy.
Enjoy!!!
I was going say, too bad that you are not closer you try out some of my Robertson longbows to see which weight you could shoot. Warning, do not do the try before you buy program since you live so close. Those bows never get sent back and after a while you have more Robertsons than you can shoot.
With a Sage you can get limbs for 70ish dollars , I believe. That's a fairly cheap way to find out. Good Luck.
QuoteOriginally posted by Randy Koleno:
With a Sage you can get limbs for 70ish dollars , I believe. That's a fairly cheap way to find out. Good Luck.
I agree...
Probably gonna go this route...upgrade to #45, shoot there for a while, then when it's time to upgrade again, go with a Robertson at #50 or #55.
Thanks for all the replies!
Don't get discouraged if you shoot lousy at first with the new heavier bow. I go through it every time, just gotta work through it. Be patient and good luck, you will LIKE the extra speed!
I don't think stepping up to 10# from 35# is too much just make sure to use correct form.
Without seeing you shoot I'd bet you could handle atleast 45# now. You've been shooting for awhile now and probably have built up the correct muscles for shooting.Most likely they weren't getting that much of a work out before you started shooting. You usually have quick gains in the begining.
I shot for about 15-20 years then was away from shooting for about 7 years.All my bows were about 65-80#. When I started shooting again,I was in for a suprise,all my bows were HEAVY.So I had a 52# bow built,sold it about a month later,because I was back to shooting my old bows with no problem. See if you can try one out. Good luck!
Sorta bringing this thread back around for anyone who may be going through the same progression.
I've been shooting at 45# for a couple of months now and decided order a 50# Robertson.
Got to the point where 45# felt really comfortable, thought sbout moving up to 50# but chose to go with 55# instead...
Surprisingly...the change from 45 to 55 is less difficult than going from 35 to 45. Much less, and I dont feel as if my form is suffering.
Wondered if they sent me the wrong limbs but the scale says 55.
So I called Yote and had them make me a 55 instead....that should be all I need from here on out I think.
There is much wisdom in all this advice that says go slow and pay close attention to both form and conditioning. It is not particularly difficult to build up to heavier poundage, but it is a process, not a single event. Take your time. Avoid injury and don't let form flaws creep in because you are pushing too fast. Fatigue leads to problems. I enjoy heavy bows but following an injury, I am in the same situation you are in. I am having to recondition and retrain. There is always an urge to rush. Giving in to that urge is the greatest threat to your ability to move up. Now, let's hope I can follow my own advice.
Mntmanic
Do you live in Lewistown? Its my home town.
I am 61 years old and about to jump up from 60ish to maybe 75 pounds this year...I am going to do that because I can
DDave
QuoteOriginally posted by Kodiak Kid:
Mntmanic
Do you live in Lewistown? Its my home town.
I do indeed...weather has been pretty nice here lately...
Do you ever get back?
QuoteOriginally posted by Mntmaniac:
...
Surprisingly...the change from 45 to 55 is less difficult than going from 35 to 45. Much less, and I dont feel as if my form is suffering.
Wondered if they sent me the wrong limbs but the scale says 55.
So I called Yote and had them make me a 55 instead....that should be all I need from here on out I think.
LOL. That is how it all starts. I expect to see a post sometime in the future when you are moving up to a 70# bow.
Five lbs is good, and ten might be okay, it depends on your conditioning. If you read thru the threads on POW WOW, you will see post about shoulder problems, sore elbows etc. Try the following before jumping up in weight. You'll know afterwards.
Pull your bow back to full draw, but stop at 12",(2 sec.) then 18" (2 sec.)before coming to full draw (2 sec). When letting down stop in the reverse order pausing the same. Then repeat 3 - 6 times without resting. Then do the same from the opposite side (RH switch to LH). If you can do it comfortably, your ready to step up. If it is a struggle after the second rep then work on these exercises a couple weeks and you will be in better condition to move up.
Remember, shooting every day is generally not benefical to conditioning or form, and can be harmful, because the body needs a day rest. People are told do not exercise the same body parts, two days in a row. The muscles recover faster and gain strength by resting, at least everyother day.
There are a few sports, that involve the use of the arms, shoulders etc. When did you hear of a baseball pitcher throwing everyday?