Hi chaps....ive been shooting trad for years now,bows always been in the 70-80# @28" mark....i can usually shoot about 100-120 arrows with no problems...however!...just got 62" one-piece harrison hss..98#@28" (102# @my 29 draw)...im using grizzlystik safaris 30"...man heavy bow,i can only shoot 12-15 arrows at a time! Feel weak,getting old! lol...however, when i drop back to a 65#er it seems so light! ..what age did you guys find your bow weight dropping...im curious as my boy is looking to take my bows as soon as i cant draw em!...regards to all....jon

I started dropping bow weight a little a couple years ago at age 60, though I never shot bows over 70# the 50 years before then.

I started dropping bow weight a little a couple years ago at age 60, though I never shot bows over 70# the 50 years before then.

Dang i cant believe you guys can pull that much weight.

I was at the Howard Hill shoot last year in Bigjims tent and he had a bow that was something like 78#@28, i picked it up and couldnt even start the string.

I told Jim theres no way someone could hunt with that, he grabbed the bow and pulled it back like it was a toy and held it with ease for about 20 seconds.

I just took up trad archery last March and the shoot was a few months after that so i was pretty weak when it came to shooting bows.

Ole Big Jim got a kick out of that and so did i.  

I'm a whole lot closer to 60 than 50 but right now I can still shoot my 80# bow without a problem.  Anything under 65# and I shake like a leaf in a wind storm!  I imagine when I start getting old I'll have to drop to the 70's but I'll just let my body tell me when!

Just got a toelke t/d...58#@28"...61# at my draw...what a top quality bow...heavy handle,dead in the hand...ill look for one in the mid 70#s now...really smooth

im jealous i could not even imagine pulling that weight are you built like brock lesner. I started dropping my weight as soon as i stared shootin trad i shoot 45@29 and have no plans on going up and im not a small guy im 6'3" 210 pounds.

I am a year away from 60, I can pull 80# and hold at anchor but I shoot 60-64# bows, I just cannot control my shot with the heavy bows anymore I dropped down 4 or 5 years ago.

Danny

Sorry boys. I won't shoot higher than 50-55lbs. I find no need for it. Really like shooting 45lbs.

If you work out there is no reason you cannot maintain "bow weight" (coordinated muscle strength) into your 70's. After around age 75 or so you will start to lose some muscle strength regardless as some of your neurons, etc. will start to die and thus stop "firing off" certain muscle fibers so they will inevitably atrophy. You will lose strength far more slowly if you have stayed with a weight training program however. You will lose 1% of your muscle strength per year beginning after 30? I believe if you don't workout. You needn't shoot a heavy bow to be an effective hunter so I'm not having THAT argument again    

Anything over 75 pounds I call a Rice Crispy bow. That's 'cause when I draw it all I hear is snap, crackle, pop. I can draw it but I sure wouldn't trust myself to shoot it.

JW

I think they have a weight chart in the AARP magazine...LOL Sorry couldn't help myself.          

For years I shot an average of 74#.  I'm 58 now.  Two years ago I cut my selfbow down to 68#, then later to 65# and now its 60#.  I can still hunt with 70+#, but why?  Most everything I've shot with 60# or down has been a complete pass thru.  Besides Its more fun now.  There are some folks that still can't draw my bow.  I keep a 70+#er to mess with their heads!  I can still draw and hold it until the cows/ rather deer come home.
Johnny/JAG

I don't have any bow over 71-72 pound,I use those bows just to mantain my strenght and I have to tell that with higher poundage I get a better release,but I hunt with 60-65 pound also for elk.

I started at 72# before realizing I could shoot much better with less weight.  I could still pull 72, but see no reason to do so.  I currently shoot 61-64# and don't ever see myself going up in weight.

Higher # just makes you much stronger to pull your ideal weight...i look on it as training as i hate going to the gym

Higher # just makes you much stronger to pull your ideal weight...i look on it as training as i hate going to the gym

I shoot 45# and 50# and that's all I want.I don't no how you guys do it.even when I was young I could not do it.

That sure is alot of bow to pull back.  I never could do it 80# maxed me out.   Was a time I could have had a 90# recurve, but back then I did the push/pull method to string a bow.  I couldn't keep my foot from moving on the floor to string it!  So I said no thanks.

Use to shoot with a guy that shot 100+ recurves with a 26" draw and I believe 2314 arrows. They shot like darts and he was a excellent shot.

I just picked a set of Chastain limbs (very fast) built for a bear take down that are 73@28lbs. I figure there about 77lbs at my draw. I got a great deal on them at RMSG because they figured most wouldn't be able to use them. I can draw them back and hold them for quite a while, but I don't know how much more I could draw. I'll probably use them for stumping, I like a real heavy bow for that.