For the last year Ive been shooting my 63# (Factory Mess-Up) Bear Montana, and long story short; My 17 year old shoulder gets to be quite sore after a few dozen arrows. Im really pleased overall, meaning my accuracy and consistancy are plenty fine, but that sore shoulder scares me... The thought of not being able to draw a bow in 40 years bothers me a good bit.

Now, is that pain just muscle trying to grow, or is it a major problem? Im seriously considering dropping back down to one of my lighter bows... Whats a boy to do?

Thanks Gang...

do your body a favor and drop some (actually more than some) weight.

I agree with Kawika. At 17 your muscles & joints are still developing. Drop back to the lighter bow, you really should be able to shoot for an extended period of time with a comfortable weight & not feel sore. The soreness in your shoulder is your body's way of telling you you're over doing it.

As always, thanks guys...
Time to break out the two-blades!

long story short... i tried to "tough out" a sore shoulder.  looking back on it... DEFINITELY would not recommend it.  i had to go to the doctor about something else, and talked to him a/o the shoulder.  he diagnosed it as rotator cuff problems.  luckily, all it took were some over-the-counter anti-inflammatories for a week... and some SLOW "do-it-yourself" exercises for a couple of months, and i'm on my way back.  still not, at all, 100%... but i'm able to shoot my bow again.

Dropping in weight is a good idea but if you can find someone around who knows good archery mechanics.  Have them look at your form.  Many archers unnecessarily stress their bow arm shoulder through bad form.  The same might also be said of your drawing shoulder.

There are more than one type of "sore" shoulder or any joint for that matter. I loaded trucks and worked for a landscaper when I was in my teens and nearly every joint and muscle in my body was sore, sometimes all at once. Forty years later, I still do a lot of physical labor and frequently I still have sore joints and muscles, so what, would I hve been better off, sitting on the couch and watching TV? Much of the time the physical problems develop from simply overdoing it with one part of the body and lots of people never do anything physical in their lives so they have no idea what normal soreness is. I frequently draw my bow with my offside(left arm for me) and hold for a few seconds at full draw, this helps equalize the muscle development and prevent some problems. Also remember that the word these days is crosstraining, any exercise benefits the entire body and even running or walking will cause arm and back muscles to get bigger, without putting any stress on the joints. The latest studies have shown that people that live and active life actually have LESS joint pain in later years than the inactive ones. The idea is just not to do any damage, don't try to yank a bow back that you can't draw normally OR shoot to much, if you get tired put the bow down, shooting when you are tired just promotes bad habits and overuse injuries. Its much better to just shoot a few shots more often then a lot of shots at one time.

Definitely drop down a few pounds,at least until the shoulder gets better. Also,get someone to watch you shoot to see if there is a form problem. If its your drawing arm shoulder than your probably holding with your arm and not your back. If it`s your bow shoulder,you are letting your shoulder ride up and not keeping it down where it belongs. Even if your shooting good you can have a form problem. I think it was John Williams, Olympic Gold medalist with a Wing bow, that said "You can do everything wrong and still be a good shot as long as you do it wrong exactly the same every time. But it will catch up with you."

Rick
  I could not agree more,we are supposed to be sore (no, im not masochistic)I do physical work and am always the stiffest and slowest when i sit around, the longer on the couch the more likely we stay there.      
  We chased and sometimes ran from some big critters for a heck of a long time, we are not the men our ancestors were. Sorry if i hijacked the thread.
                    Kurt

Oops, i did not answer mwwhithair, just jumped on my soapbox, sorry. I practice w/ a 45# daily and shoot a 60# 2 or 3 times a week it seems to help my form w/ the lighter bow and i can shoot the 60 for a day with out getting sore.I get to shoot a lot.
            Kurt

Take it from a guy who just had surgery(July 13th.)I used to shoot heavy bows anywhere from 65-90#s and than I settled on 60-65#s for about ten years. I am now 43 and have gone to 50-55#s and feel I can shoot this weight for another 30 years. When your body hurts it is telling you something, do not ignore it. It knows best. try shooting a lighter(45#s or so) for a while and see if it helps, but first take a week or so off from any shooting to let your shoulder heal. Shawn

Rick & Shawn have it exactly right!

Some soreness is normal, but you have to listen to your body.  Don't tough it out.  If the soreness doesn't go away soon, see a doctor.  It could be something minor, but it could be serious if you have an impingment or rotator cuff tear.  At your age, it will heal fast.  The doctor can also show you which rotator cuff exercises to do for your specific proble.

Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.

Allen