Train light/hunt heavy? Train heavy/hunt light?

[tradtusker]

practice with the equipment/weight you will hunt with

[Snakeeater]

It really depends on what you are trying to do. If you need to work on form issues, then a lighter bow makes sense, but once you have your form down using the same weight or heavier bow will make for easier shooting during the hunting season...especially on a cold winter morning after sitting still for 3 hours.

[BobCo 1965]

Yea, it does depend on what you are trying to accomplish. Personally, I go down to 4 pound therabands (red)to burn in form and shot sequence. The highest I train with are SPT's with my regular bow along with additional bands wrapped around to add additional weight.

[smokin joe]

Many of us own several bows. I have seven in my collection right now, and I like to shoot most of them.

In a typical year I will shoot many of those bows from the end of deer season until about June. Then I will pick the one bow that will be my deer hunting bow that year and that will be the only bow I will shoot until the end of deer season. Then the whole cycle starts again.

I guess I am in the "train with the bow you hunt with" group -- except I leave myself a few months to experiment around and have fun with my other bows before I get serious about practice for the hunting season. I don't use a bow to work on my physical strength -- the strength work gets done at the gym so I can be strong enough to handle my bows and so that I can concentrate on the act of shooting whenever I practice.

The above works for me. My suggestion is to experiment a bit and see what works for you.

[Encino Man]

"Fear the man with only one weapon, for he knows how to use it."

[TOEJAMMER]

Shoot the same all year whether 3-D, roving or hunting.

[xtrema312]

I would shoot one bow if could maintain good form throughout all my shots for the number of shots I like to shot in a day, and do it with a bow weight I like to use for hunting.

If I only shot light then jumped up in weight for hunting I would have better form training, but I don't think I would have as good of strength and control to apply it unless I made the change mid summer.  

If I was really training with good form with the heavy bow and shooting comfortably I would see no logic or need to go light to hunt.  

For me only shooting a heavy bow can lead to sloppy form because I like to shoot a lot; my release gets sloppy, and I don't get full extension after a while.  I think most target shooters shoot lighter bows than the bows they use for hunting so they can maintain good form to the end of a long shoot, and for extended quality practice.

I usually have two bows about 5# or more apart.  I often shoot both most days when it is not hunting season.  Some days or weeks I only shot one.  I like to shoot light to work on fine tuning form, shooting endurance, and just so I can shoot a lot.  I shoot heavy to apply the form I have learned and to build strength.  I get them to both shoot to about the same place just by using lighter arrows in the lighter bow. When the end of summer rolls around I shoot the heavy bow with less shots per day and more varied shots.  I only shoot the hunting bow during hunting season, and I only hunt with one bow.

If I only hunted and didn't want to shoot a lot everyday, I would probably only shoot my hunting bow and keep my shot count within what I can handle without form breakdown.  I just can't shoot 100 or more arrows a day and not develop bad form with a heavy bow.  I also find it much easier to condition and work up in weight by shooting light and heavy bows as part of standard practice.

[crotch horn]

I also have more than one bow and like to shoot them all. When it is getting close to hunting season I cut back to 2 bows from around 10. I shoot the recurve I hunt with $ the longbow which is 12 lbs heavier but I shoot it well. Then when I hunt in cold weather I have no problems drawing & anchoring my recurve. I do love to shoot and on a good week will shoot a couple thousand arrows. Guess that is why I had shoulder surgery.

[Igor]

I regularly shoot 2 bows 60/50 lbs that I have tuned to shoot the same at 20 yds so I can pick up either without making any changes in my shooting technique.

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Glenn

[cacciatore]

Exactly like amar911.

[davesonic444]

Back in the sixties dad and i shot feild archery all summer.He shot a 36# Hoyt for target.When Sept rolled around he would get his 51# B.E.Pearson out. I was too young to hunt so i would shoot his target bow.They would cut deer sillowettes out of card board and shoot one arrow per round for maybe an hour.He killed his deer every year till he switched to compound in the mid 70's.I know of at least two deer he took at 65yrds with that recurve.
 So i say go with works best for you.
Dave

[Earthdog]

I shoot the same bow for hunting,IFFA,3D,indoors.
I've yet to hear a logical reason to do anything else,,,,other than pure enjoyment I guess.

[Over&Under]

Originally posted by Terry Green:
Train Same.

Agreed!

[Quinn]

Train with the setup you'll hunt with. You don't want to screw up that once in a lifetime shot.