HEAVY TRAINING BOW

[Bama Recurve]

I would like to find a cheap bow that's up in the 70-80# range for training/practice purposes.
I hunt with a 55# Widow. Not a problem during hunting season, but I find myself getting tired in bow tournaments.
Anybody use a real heavy bow for practice?
Any draw backs or side effecs?

[KenH]

Sounds counter-intuitive to me.  A heavier bow will not help with your form, per se.  Just your endurance.  For endurance you don't need more weight.  I'd suggest shooting more with the bow you have.  Or go to the gym and do a bunch of benchwork.  Or find some shoulder/hand/arm exercises that you can do without being on a shooting range.

[sticksnstones]

I wouldn't add a bow for this reason. I'd instead shoot the bow you have 3-5 times a week, and build up to two hours per session. You'll be a thousand times better and more confident with that bow/arrow and you'll hold up just fine for contests.

Mix in a new bow, new arrows, a huge jump in weight, getting accustomed to a different grip, etc, this will all work against what you are trying to accomplish. At least that is my humble opinion.
Thom

[Bama Recurve]

After shooting 55# for a while my 45# recurve feels like butter. I guess that's why I was curious about finding a real heavy bow for practice.
You're right KenH I don't want to mess up my form.

[Bama Recurve]

Very good points sticksnstones
I've read where Howard Hill taped two bows togethether equalling 100# to get ready for an elephant hunt. Stuff like that intrigues me.
HAHA but we all can't be Howard HIll

[damascusdave]

I shoot both right and left handed tending toward hunting and shooting 3D at about 60 pounds...I have both right and left handed bows that I bought for the purpose you are suggesting that are a bit over 65 pounds...the biggest disadvantage is that I now want to hunt with both those bows...I do get some form errors when I shoot the heavier bows...I find those errors do not transfer to my lighter draw weight shooting

DDave

[oxnam]

I do shoot a heavy bow just for additional strengthening.  I go from shooting a 65# to 80#.  It makes the 65# seem very light and easy to hold.  Adding reps with your 55 will make you stronger but I do see the benefit of adding in some heavier bow time especially if you can't spend long hours every week shooting.  

You are proposing a significantly heavier bow which I wouldn't recommend, given the information presented here.  I think an extra 10-15# would be more than enough for strengthening and it would reduce the chance of injury and deteriorated form.

[monterey]

You could also practice holding your widow at full draw all the while maintaining form.  Isometrics for the archer.

[Paul_R]

There's never a bad reason to buy another bow...  

[Hermon]

If your widow is a take-down, maybe buy a set of limbs 5# or so heavier.  That way the grip, etc. would feel the same.

[Nathan Killen]

I do pushups every night. Its helped me a lot in both strength and accuracy....both are related !  

[suburbanirma]

You are a "kid", so maybe shooting that heavy poundage won't harm your bow shoulder. I'd be leery of shooting that much heavier poundage for long sessions, however, as something could go wrong in your shoulder joint and then you'd be scr**ed for a long time.

[Terry Green]

Here is a thread with all you need to know....19 pages worth.

  CLICK HERE for Heavy Bow Info

If you have any other questions, please post on that one....thanks.