BEST ALL AROUND DRAW WEIGHT???

[elkhunter45]

A well tuned 50# setup will perform as well as a heavier rig that has a poorly spined arrow combo. Another possible reason for the lack of difference between the #52 vs #68 may be the loss of draw length from increased compression on the body from the greater weight. I found out years ago that I was losing about an inch of draw length from my heavy bow and decided on staying in the 50# range. I also shoot it better and don't have any performance related issues.

[SELFBOW19953]

Take a look at the bows from the 50's and 60's.  Most of the draw weights seem to be 40 to 55#'s.  A heavy weight from that era is rare.  Lots of game was taken with the mid-weight bows.  A sharp, well placed arrow is what you need.

[Jayrod]

thxs man thats what i figure!!

[WLThomas IV]

A heavier bow won't shoot an arrow so much faster than a lighter bow as it will shoot a heavier arrow at roughly the same speed, if that makes any sense. As for effectiveness, I wouldn't want to use a 50# bow for Elephant, Hippo, Cape Buffalo or Rino. I expect it will do the job on about anything else on land, so long as it's sending as heavy an arrow as one can shoot accurately at range with a sharp, cut on contact broadhead.

[Horserod]

I smile as I recall my visit with Fred Bear back in 1977 at the Grayling, Michigan factory.  He told me that 65#'s was the ultimate hunting bow! I went out and started shooting 65-70# bows......they flat wore me out!  Back in those days all the "experts" said that a 55# bow would take anything in North America.  I did much better with a 57# bow.  Now, after all these years, I'm shooting 40-45# bows.  Age, and wear and tear, has a way of doing that to ya.......Horserod

[ron w]

What you are confident and comfortable with.....for me now....it's 43-48#'s. And I will add the higher the poundage...the longer I want the bow. It's tough getting old....

Originally posted by pred80:
Thank ya much Brock I was surprised from a friend who strung his 52# limbs up and shot it and then put his 68#limbs on...through the chronograph wasn't much more FPS between the two believe it or not!!

I'll bet the mass weight of the arrow off the 68# bow was a lot more than that off the 52# bow. A heavier arrow at a given speed will penetate a lot better.

Answered your a PM, Jarrod.

Bisch

[TJK68]

I agree with what you can most comfortably draw in all types of hunting conditions. With that said my preferance would be 50-55# range.
Tom

[old_goat2]

At Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear they did a spread sheet and the most popular weight for their shop is 53lbs. And those bos take just about every animal in North America. Most everybody around here hunts elk and gears up for them and then uses that bow for everything.

[Jayrod]

gotta love the info and greatguys here on the gang!!! thxs guys  

[Bowwild]

For me it would be about 50.  Everything I hunt with is 46-49.5#.  It won't bother me a bit (well, not too much) if I have to drop 5 pounds as I age. It is important to note that not all bows/limbs are created equal. I have chronographed a lot of bows/limbs. Some will shoot 5 pounds (or more) hotter than others. I shoot the hotter set-ups to milk a bit more out of my muscles.

As others have stated: arrow tune,
broadhead sharpness, and shot selection can boost or degrade your impact on the beast far more than the limb specifications.

Finally, one of the worst things a bowhunter can do is to be over-bowed to the point where immediate accuracy and long-term form are destroyed. If that happens the archer will have fewer stories worth sharing.

[tomsm44]

I'm disappointed in you guys.  I opened this thread hoping for a good laugh before work from all of the arguing and different answers that this type of thread usually brings.     all I got was a group of apparently well informed and very experienced people providing some very useful information and seeming to pretty much agree with only a slight variance in the weight ranges listed.       Thanks for ruining my morning.

Now, with my sarcasm hat back on the rack, I have not gotten my first trad deer yet, so I'm not speaking from my own experiences, but the man that got me into trad told me when I started looking for a bow to look for something from 45-55, and preferably not above 50 to start with.  Then, if I felt i wanted more later on, to adjust accordingly.  I lucked up on a free early 60s Red Wing Hunter at 53# so my draw weight kind of picked itself.  I've been very happy with it but plan to drop maybe 3-5# if I ever get to buy myself a longbow, you know, just to increase the fun factor a little.  I'm only 29, but I've had several guys on here tell me they regret shooting bows that were too heavy in their youth and have shoulder problems now as a result, and I've learned to listen to the wisdom of my elders.  

Matt Toms

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Matt, there is only 3 pages, no way theres an arguement here.

Not much I can add to the answers of the question except.... Yes...

[SlowBowinMO]

In my mind, 57# would be about optimum for anything in NA and lot of the rest of the world.  In fact, twice I have ordered sweet bows in that weight.  Twice I have had to work at remaining proficient with a bow that was just a bit too heavy for me.    

Someone mentioned previously that bow design has a lot to do with it too, that is certainly true.  I have a 55# Grizzly that shoots the same arrows as my 50# Kodiak, and the Grizzly has absolutely zero advantage over the Kodiak I just have to work harder to get the same result.

[dnovo]

53.2 # is perfect. I have 4 longbows at that weight and they seem to be the perfect compromise between light and heavy. I spent a lot of years shooting 64-68#. Aches and pains have lowered my draw weight the last few years. My shoulders give me some trouble but construction work for 38 years is the culprit there, not bows
I personally regard anything under 50 too light for me but mid 50' s are perfect. (53-57)