Bow info for my wife.

[T Folts]

My wife wants to start shooting with me but I dont have a bow she can shoot comfortably. We tried a old wheel bow that pulled 32# and had a let off at 18# holding weight and she couldnt even break it over. I dont want her shooting wheels but I want her to shoot. Next she tried my kids martin rebel hunter and it is marked 30#@26" (she pulls 24")and she could pull that OK but still a little heavy. I want to build her a takedown as thats what I make. I usually make 16" risers but I can make her a shorter 14" to help her fit a bow better if I need to. So what lenght and # should we be looking for.
My wife has problems with her back and neck so I dont think getting her a bow too heavy and working up to it is good idea.

[Dick in Seattle]

I'm going to ramble here a little bit, but hope it offers some help...

I build true longbows, not three piecers, which are usually RD or recurve.  However, due to physical limitations, i specialize in light bows.  My max for a bow I'm going to shoot a lot is 30# at my 25" draw.  I actually find a bit less better and my go to bows are 23 and 27.   I shoot 3D with these all the time.

Among my shooting companions is a couple where the lady is very tiny.  One day I was shooting a 17# 66" bow I called Lemonade.  She asked to shoot it and fell in love with it.  This was a couple of years ago.  I ran into them at the range last Sunday and she is still shooting that bow, taking all shots at the same distances as her 6'4" husband.

I think one of the things she likes is that while it's really light poundage, it's a full size bow (at least in length... it's super skinny), so she doesn't feel like she's shooting a kid's bow.

I think you could do much the same thing with a 3 piece build.. a shorter riser and real light but full length limbs... 23-25# maybe.  I've built a number of bows in the 25 - 30 range for wives of friends and they do seem to like them.   find the right real light weight alum. arrows and they'll shoot just as far and flat as you want.  Charlie shoots Easton 1213's in her 17#'er.

[scedvm]

My wife's starter bow is 25#@28 which she draws to 25 so she is probably pulling 18-20#.  She is right handed but left eye so she is starting with her non-dominant left hand but any more than this would have been too much for her.  I think the 20# range is a good place to start....Shawn

[lpcjon2]

Check out Maddog bows (Mike is a sponsor) go to the website and click traditional bows and he has bows at great prices for all different weights. He builds a great bow