Take a Poll on Bow Weight

[BigJim]

80 + at my draw because I can and I like the way it slings an arrow Not because I need it.

I just know that I can comfortably do it and if I drop in weight, my muscles will atrophy to what ever I drop to.

I shoot a lot of bows a few times just before I send them to there new home. Most are in the 50lb range with a spattering all over the chart. I wonder how I can shoot the higher weight stuff because each and every one of them seems to put up a little strain (maybe I'm always tired), but then when I pick up my personal bow, I fall right back in to 80 as if it were a groove. Shoot what makes you happy and quit worrying about my shoulders.

BigJim

[Bow man]

90% of the bow orders we get are for bows from 47# to 53# @28 The next 8% are under 47@ 28 only 2% are over 54@28"

Just some numbers I was looking at

[Slasher]

I prefer the 48-52# bows... I shoot just two bows now 43 & 55... I find a much cleaner release with the heavier bow, and sometimes I wil pluck the string with the lighter bow.... But I must use a tab with the lighter bow and I use a big shot glove with the heavier bow...

[Bowwild]

Mine are all 45-49#. My favorite white-tail hunting draw weight is 47#@26".  I have one Bear B Mag in the original factory camo that is 40# @ 26".

[Schafer]

66@29

[L. E. Carroll]

In my early 30's I ordered my first "custom", a 3 pc Custom Bighorn from Fred Asbell 70#@30.. Now after surgeries on both shoulders and turning 60 recently 56-58#@28"  is my "comfort range", However I draw 28 1/2" so maybe 1 1/2-2 #'s higher then listed at 28".

Gene

[marlon]

I like to shoot a wimpy 150# longbow!

[coaster500]

50ish and trying for a bit more ??

[McDave]

It's interesting to me that the more people who vote, the more the curve becomes a normal bell shaped distribution, with a preference for 50-54 pounds, and a more-or-less equally diminishing preference on each side of that.  If I were to have guessed before seeing the poll, I would have guessed a stronger preference for the lower poundages than is the case, in other words, that the curve would be skewed to the left more than it actually is.

[oxnam]

Originally posted by marlon:
I like to shoot a wimpy 150# longbow!

Gosh marlon, and I thought you had a reputation for shooting heavy bows.  

[L. E. Carroll]

Dave

"Skewed to the "Left" a little?"

Does that mean those who shoot below 50# are "Liberals"?      

[McDave]

Does that mean those who shoot below 50# are "Liberals"?
 

Not necessarily, unless those shooters are from California, or in even more likely, from Washington  

[jomama]

45# to 63# I have 6 Zippers.

[Bowwild]

41 years ago I was shooting a Ben Pearson Cougar, Bear Grizzly, and Bear B MaG at the exact same draw weights I shoot today.

The heaviest recurve draw weight I've ever attempted to shoot was only 59#@28" which would have been about 53 @ 26".  

Of course there are some rides in Orlando that I barely measure up to.

[Tajue17]

I picked 45-49 but I actually shoot 45 to 53# bows

[Canadabowyer]

46,47,48# is where I shoot best. Bob

[TxAg]

I was shooting 56#@29 on a 60" longbow. It was a bit heavy and my form suffered.


I've switched to what I thought was a 43#@29. Turns out, it measures 48#@29 on my scale. I still shoot it well, and I think that it has plenty of "umph" for the deer and hogs in my neck of the woods. It is on a 52" recurve, though, so I think that affects the draw cycle a bit...it doesn't really stack, but I do notice a difference from a longer bow...must be the string angle geometry.


My brother has a 45#@29 64" longbow that draws and shoots like a dream...the best I've ever shot.  Ideally a bow like that at around 50# would be ideal for me.

[bucksbuouy]

I shoot an 80 pounder but only because I got it cheap for obvious reasons and because well.. I can but Im working on a 50 # hickory self bow. 3rd attempt lol. Wish me luck.

[Blackhawk]

Over 550 folks have voted in the last couple days with about 1/3 hunting with 50-54# bows. I think we can conclude the sampling in pretty indicatave of the trad community.

This poll also agrees with another survey from a year ago where bowyers said that new bow orders were averaging 52#.  (I wonder if this meant plus or minus 2 pounds.   :D   )

[featherhorn]

I like 75 to 80@28