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.