I have mostly hunted with heavy bows between 60# and 80#. It is quite necessary for bull camels and buffalo. I want a heavy arrow going as fast as possible. Right now I shoot and hunt buffalo with a 75# bow, and while it is going well, there are moments enough to make me seriously think about jumping up five or even ten pounds to get more penetration. I also have found that heavier bows are more forgiving of form or release errors.

I have been shooting around 70@28 for about 5 years now and have had great results.

1) Confidence...I don't doubt penetration ability
2) Arrow Flight...I don't have to compensate for drop as much as with a lighter set up
3) Bigger Broadheads make for cleaner kills and can make up for those bad shots(they happen)
4) I can hunt any game I want
5) I'll come right out and say it, I feel more manly shooting a heavy bow accurately  

That being said, ive made a change in my setup this year and have dropped to 59@28 and a shorter 58" set up for treestand hunting. I hope to have more maneuverability in the tree for odd angle shots and haven't had as much time to practice lately.

That being said, if I did more of my hunting from the ground I would keep the heavier set up.

Like Mark and many others have already eluded to, I learned to bow hunt way back before compound days and good old Fred Bear told me to, "Shoot the heaviest bow you can handle accurately."  I figured he knew a lot ore than me so that's what I did and still do.  I really don't care what others shoot but I can't count the number of times people have called me after hitting a deer with light equipment and said the arrow just hung there because they hit a shoulder bone???  I USED TO AIM AT THE SHOULDER BONE!  I try to miss it now but I sure don't worry if I catch it.  I know I'm reaching the age when I will probably not be able to shoot the equipment I shoot now but at 61 I enjoy shooting 72# & 750 gr. arrows.

I will say this...

My wife has been struggling with her bow for some time and what I saw was that her errors vanished with a higher draw weight. Being independent, she didn't want to hear me saying that a higher weight was what she needed. Well... She read through this thread and agreed to try what I had been suggesting.
She went to a 68# longbow, from a 56# recurve and is shooting lights out since. I waited to put this in print because you know how anything has results at the start and then fails later on. Well not this time!. This has been a great thread in as much as the intelligent and well thought out responses have helped me to help her. She is shooting my 70# Mamba now and she is a killer with it    
      Thanks guys!!!

Story of two arrows and two Russian bore.  Fifty eight lbs at my draw, double lung hit yes, pass through no.  No bones were broken how ever 4 ribs were cut by the broadhead.
Arrow number two 70lbs at my draw double lung hit ,through the shield. Complete pass through yes, again no broken bones only cut throughs on both shields and 4 ribs.
These were my first trad kills just 2 weeks ago. I was disappointed with the first I must say I fully expected a pass through.  The 70lbs surpassed my expectations as I also had to dig the broadhead out of the tree behind where I hit the second bore.  Going hunting again this weekend,  taking the 70 with me

TTT

Back up cause its just pain fun like someone said hearing those heavy arrows thump from those heavy bows.

Just saw a mention of this thread elsewhere on the site.  Very cool thread.

I see this is an old thread with many pages so I am sure this has been covered and heck I may have even posted previously. But I am now 50 and have a license to forget.

I have found that I have a certain weight that when I am just not quit heavy enough my bow hand tends to wonder and I become less accurate. A few pounds more and I can settle in. That number for me now is 50@28.

I'm definitely NOT in this league. Age, arthritis and laziness says I will stay where I am. I notice, however that Terry is looking for a 100#+ war bow.

Betcha nothing is going to remain standing in front of that  

SO glad to see this come back around....love those heavier bows.

I injured my elbow in The Stan a few years ago and had to have surgery to fix it, but ended up trading that problem for tendonitis....

I'm shooting a 75 lb Hill now, working back up to my Johnson longbow...

Still loving it...

WOW Someone read something I said

I think I probably posted in this thread already a while back.  And I don't shoot real heavy bows.  I actually hurt my bow-arm shoulder a few years ago when getting crazy with an 80# longbow that I wasn't used to.

But I think it's good to shoot the heaviest you can safely and accurately handle.  I put a video together a few years ago of me drawing my bows, holding and counting to 10, and then shooting.  Not that anyone would do that in real life, but I want to have that kind of muscle control over the bows I shoot.  

I enjoy shooting my 68# recurve, and would like to one day get a longbow at about 60# at my draw.  Last year I walked a 30 target 3D course with the 68 pounder, rested a while, and shot it again with my 48-pound longbow.  It feels great to know that my body was in shape to handle the weight and repetition.  Could I do it now?  Probably not.  But once my shooting season rolls back in, that heavier bow gets easier and easier to shoot.

Thanks for keeping this thread clean.  If you don't know how to shoot a bow properly you can injure yourself.  Old age is one thing, time takes a toll on everyone, but if you know how to properly draw a bow you should not get injured, so be aware of what's posted here and on the shooters forum if you want to move up in weight.

QuoteOriginally posted by Archie:
I think I probably posted in this thread already a while back.  And I don't shoot real heavy bows.  I actually hurt my bow-arm shoulder a few years ago when getting crazy with an 80# longbow that I wasn't used to.

But I think it's good to shoot the heaviest you can safely and accurately handle.  I put a video together a few years ago of me drawing my bows, holding and counting to 10, and then shooting.  Not that anyone would do that in real life, but I want to have that kind of muscle control over the bows I shoot.  

I enjoy shooting my 68# recurve, and would like to one day get a longbow at about 60# at my draw.  Last year I walked a 30 target 3D course with the 68 pounder, rested a while, and shot it again with my 48-pound longbow.  It feels great to know that my body was in shape to handle the weight and repetition.  Could I do it now?  Probably not.  But once my shooting season rolls back in, that heavier bow gets easier and easier to shoot.

Roman,

You shoot that 68# bow like it's 45# and boy does it throw those "log poles" you call arrows!  

Soon to turn 69 , proud to still be shooting 60-65# Recurves.

Please don't post its a macho thing if you continue to do so I'll have to also allow the you're a sissy posts.

Hey Terry,

If you're referring to my post, I wasn't trying to make it a macho thing. I was only trying to say he makes shooting heavy bows look easy. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Sometimes things get lost in translation.  

No longbow it was not  your post at all it was someone elses but it was removed..... as well as another post by the same individual on another thread who has also been removed unfortunately

Finally read through this thread. I'm not in the league with you heavy bow shooters but I after my KMag bit the dust I picked up a 50# Martin and I'm finding I prefer taking it out over my 45# Bear. Interesting stuff in this thread, I find myself thinking there may be something to this.

QuoteOriginally posted by SERGIO VENNERI:
Soon to turn 69 , proud to still be shooting 60-65# Recurves.

Good for you. Older automatically doesn't mean weaker.