Does Draw weight increase your range.

[HcSmitty]

I was wonderin if ur draw weight effects the range at which u can shoot???  I would assume soo.  All u guys that shoot bows 54lbs to 65lbs tell me what yalls maximum range is.  Im only shootin 44lbs and can only shoot 20yds instinctive.  The reason i wanna kno, is cause im thinking of buying a new bow, im gona have one made to fit me.  I wanna something i can shoot better and also to increase my range.  Tell me what yall think.

[vermonster13]

It doesn't. When shooting the same grains per pound, two bows of the same make will shoot at the same speed. The heavier bow will have more momentum and kinetic energy but that doesn't increase range in a meaningful way. The 20 yard limit is set by many because of the speed at which game can duck an arrow and effective accuracy for some. Get a bow at a weight you can comfortably control in all the conditions you hunt and practice with it, that will maximize your effective range.

[Tom Leemans]

I would think your ability to shoot accurately at longer distances increases you range.

[madness522]

You say that you can only shoot instinctivly out to 20 yards.  Thats only because you haven't spent enough time shooting at longer ranges.  It will take more than shooting a few shots at longer than 20 yards to get the feel for it.  Out past 20 yards is where a lot of errors in form will start showing up.  Also past 20 yards is where mismatched arrows for you bow will show.

[longbowman]

I generally shoot bows in the 70 to 80# range and 90% of my practice shooting is over 40 yds. at stumps etc...but when I hunt I haven't taken a shot beyond 20 yds. in years.  I guess if everything felt right I would but a lot of the reason I hunt with my bow is to get them close.  So, no, I don't believe extra weight increases your range but like others mentioned practice "could".

[30coupe]

[LongStick64]

No, but confidence does. And that only come's to me by practice.

[kevgsp]

I think it might a little.  Only because a heavy arrow becomes more important with a lighter draw.

ie) If one was shooting a 40# bow most would agree that a 500 grain arrow is good and heavy at 12.5grains/lb allowing for max penetration from a lighter draw.

That same 500 grain arrow out of a 55# bow is 9grains/lb is still plenty heavy for whitetails but is gonna be moving faster and shoot flatter making 20+ shots easier imo.

[30coupe]

Trajectory is one part of the equation for sure, but being able to pick a spot is critical for instinctive shooting. For me, that is more of a limiting factor than trajectory. With practice, on can extend the range with most any hunting weight bow up to a point. On whitetails, I have trouble focusing on a spot (rather than the whole animal) once things get much beyond 25 yards. A heavier bow won't help my vision any, so I wouldn't buy a heavier bow to increase range. The main advantage to heavier bows is the ability to shoot heavier arrows on the same trajectory for greater penetration. That's my theory anyway, and I'm sticking to it.  

[joevan125]

What 30coupe said.  

[LKH]

With all the variables that go into making a bow, the draw weight alone will not determing the speed of the arrow.  It's entirely possible to buy bows of identical weight that perform quite differently.  Just a few things that come to mind are:
mass of limbs, material composition, limb design, string weight.  

You simple have to shoot the bow to see what it does.  Going heavier is no guarantee of better performance.

I believe that if one can handle the weight with complete control than the heavier bow will increase the range a little.  It is possible to get a good cedar arrow that flies perfectly out of 70 pound draw from a longbow that does not weigh all that much more than a cedar shaft out of a 50 pound draw. It is advisable to always practice shooting these same shafts at long ranges to see what the accuracy is that can be obtained from them.  However, I have found the situations where a guaranteed stable target for live deer with anything over 30 yards are very seldom. When I shot with sights and wheels and long recurves back in the early 70s, I could shoot very tight groups at long ranges.  However, twice a two year period, I had perfectly shot arrows completely miss calm deer simply because they took a couple of steps while the arrow was in the air. Even if one is confident and proficient at the long stuff, it will always be a tough call because every situation will be different. I would hate to make rules for those new to the sport for specific yardages, but the longer the shot the more things can happen that you were not counting on.

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

I can miss just as easy with both set-ups. Shooting the same arrow out of 2 different weight bows just allows me to miss slower or faster!

[kevgsp]

Originally posted by 30coupe:
The main advantage to heavier bows is the ability to shoot heavier arrows on the same trajectory for greater penetration. That's my theory anyway, and I'm sticking to it.      

True... OR shoot the same weight arrow faster and flatter.

500 grain arrow out of a 40# bow or a 55# bow...which is gonna be more forgiving from 20-30+ yards?

[swampthing]

It will give you more speed but not necessarally more "range." If you think it is tough to shoot past 20yds with your current set-up wait till you try to do that with a bow that is 10#'s too heavy for you, with lightweight arrows.
 Go slowly up in weight if you want, 5#'s or so, just remember the laws of nature, like the one about equal and opposite reactions, a "faster" bow is less stable, a stable bow is less "fast."

[Guru]

Short answer...no

[myshootinstinks]

The longest deer kill I ever made was w/ a 50# Red Wing Hunter shooting a 520 gr cedar, 35 yards. The Stos head passed through but the arrow hung up on the fletchings. For a time I shot bows in the mid-60s draw weight and they seemed to hit harder but I don't think it extended the range much if any.
 
   I have to shoot regularly, 3-4 times a week, to shoot a 65# bow well, I just don't have time to shoot that often anymore. I've settled into high 40s-low 50s draw bows and I find it much easier to maintain accuracy.

[Bush]

Howard Hill said that he always shot heavy bows, because he thought that the faster he shot, the smaller the error in misjudging the distance, and the only significant way to increase speed was to shoot more weight.  Keep in mind he didn't have a whole lot of options as far as arrow materials goes.

[Brian Krebs]

The way to increase your range is by practicing. I like roving; in fact I love roving and shooting. When I am roving and see a flower; or weed head; or something safe to shoot at ( I live in rocky country) and know- just ~know~ I can hit it....and do- its normally 33 paces from me.
I remember roving with a friend; and he shot at a flower and smacked it; and I followed up with a dead on shot on the remains; and we paced it off at 90 steps.
Out here; we don't do a lot of sitting on stand; knowing the range to a trail. We do a lot of spotting and stalking; and I take shots I know I can 'complete'.
I really like the arrow flying 30 yards- I like to see the arrow in flight.
 I have shot deer at the length of my bow away; and fifty yards too.
 I shoot enough that I can feel if a shot is going to be a good one- before release; and I will 'pull' a shot if I think its not going to hit.
Oh yes I miss - but I can miss at 5 yards as well as I do at 30.
 I also shoot at the beginning of the hunt; and if I am having a bad day - then I just stop right there and work out whatever form problem I am having. Some days are diamond; some days are stone. Learn to recognize this !
 I have shot a 74 pound at my draw bow for over 30 years; and I have very often used a 2216 aluminum arrow.
I get yelled at for that( that's too light an arrow!!); but if I say I am shooting a 65 pound bow- well then the 2216 is quite OK to use.
 Well - a 2216 out of a 74 pound bow has less arc - shoots flatter. That makes errors in range less critical.
 When your seeing hundreds of deer a day; and shooting rubber blunts all day while hunting; a 35 yard shot is a close shot. And having a flatter trajectory helps that happen.
 I am proudest of the shots I make up real close- but I do like seeing my arrow arc out to the animal and hit perfectly.
 Shoot within your ability to hit accurately.

[James on laptop]

NO, more draw weight does nothing for increasing range.Lighter arrows,better strings ect to increase performance helps with that.Many times useing less weight with lighter arrows will increase performance as far as range is concerned over a heavy bow because your draw length might increase a little.