Ode to the Bear Grizzly

[johnnyc]

I don't know what it is about them, but for some reason, it seems to be the bow I shoot the best with.  It doesn't really matter what year.  I started traditional archery about a year and a half ago with a new Grizzly, even though I liked the older bows....because I didn't know about what to look for in an older bow, so I went new.  Then I bought a 1964 zebrawood grizz. as I learned about bows.  Since that time, I've gotten addicted to bows and have bought several higher up models and my 2 grizzly's have  hung on the rack.  My first grizz I bought hadn't been shot since July.
  I've gone up in length to longer recurves hoping it would help my shooting.  The last month, I've been shooting a longbow on the ground exclusivly and then tried target practicing out of a stand with the longbow....not pretty.  Didn't want to end my evenings practice on bad shots, I took my grizzly off the rack and shot it off the stand, at least ten shots at 15 yards with tight 1 inch groups.  After the longbow, my 45# grizzly seemed extra faster than I remembered.  that was the best I've ever shot.
  I guess I bought into them being beginners bows and not long enough etc. I don't know if it's because it was the first bow style I started with or the 58 inch length or what, but they just feel right. I wish I would have just stayed with the Grizzly model from the beginning as far as my shooting is concerned.  For the record, I have never shot a 59' Kodiak      
  Now for a question, the main thing I hunt is a Whitetail Deer.  The legal lbs in my state is 40lb, and my Grizzly is 45#, so I know it's enough, but would there be any significant benefit in going up to a 50# bow?  Is 45# all I would ever need and would the 5# extra weight have much more benefits in penatration?
Thanks

[NumPls]

Johnny -

If you have been looking at the older bows for any length of time, you might have noticed that a very large percentage of them were made with draw weights close to 45# (say 43-47#). I think that answers your question. If I were you, I would start researching what broadhead I would want to hunt with using a 45# Grizzly. You may have work to do getting your arrow & broadhead "subsystem" tuned (How heavy a broadhead? How heavy an arrow? What about FOC? ...). Then, you get to spend time sharpening your broadhead to be sharper than you ever imagined.

You may have a lot of work getting ready to hunt with that 45# Grizzly, so you should not delay getting started.

Enjoy the WHOLE experience!

Ray

[JimB]

Your bow will do fine for deer if you have arrows well tuned for it and a decent hunting weight like 9-10 grs arrow weight per pound of draw and tipped with a very sharp,quality broadhed.You already shoot it well and that is as important as anything though proper arrow tune is a close second.Proper or improper arrow tune will make more difference in penetration than 5# of draw weight.A ton of game is taken every year with bows in the mid 40# range.Stick around Powow this Fall and you will see that.