My own bow weight story

[mgf]

First, while I think draw weight has a lot to do with this, there's more to it. It has to do with the whole learning curve and how I went about learning.

Second, to put things in perspective, some are big and strong and others, not so much.

I' 5'7", 145# and 56 years old. I was always "athletic"...wrestled in high school, mucked stalls and did other tough barn work while learning to shoe horses and have shod horses professionally for about half of my working life. I still do fairly hard work.

After leaving the compound world the first recurve that I stuck with was marked 55# @ 28".

From there I went to a 65# long bow and then a 65# long bow. I packed that bow for a LOT of years.

I killed some stuff and shot well enough to get thinking I was pretty good at times.

Continued...

[mgf]

In more recent years, I've come to expect a little more of my shooting. Information is easier to come by these days. No matter how well I do in the back yard or what kind of miraculous shot I make on the occasional squirrel, I see what guys like Demmer and Martin are doing. WOW!

So, I've tried to study archery "form" and what it takes to make a good shot consistently.

This isn't really just about draw weight. However, I think the draw weight I was shooting just encouraged all the horrible habits I learned over the years.

At this point, I'd like to make one point really clear. For a good number of years I shot every day. Sometimes all day. At one point, I trimmed my business down to the bare minimum so I would have more time to shoot. I was that determined to master the bow.

It didn't work. I hit a ceiling that just wasn't very high and just couldn't get any better. It didn't matter how many thousands of arrows I shot. I just did the same goofy (and unproductive) stuff over and over.

[mgf]

Fast forward to today. My "hunting bow pulls 45# @ 27". I draw a shade over 27 when things are right.

I've been working my form with my wife's bow, LOL. It's actually sold as a "youth bow" and it's marked 35# but I think that's at 26" rather than 28". So maybe I have 37 or 38 pounds on the fingers. I haven't measured it.

Here's the thing. The "ideal" form that I practice in front of a mirror using a stretch band is difficult for me to achieve with the kiddie bow.

[mgf]

I'm not saying that one can't learn to shoot a heavy bow. We know better.

I would argue that weight before learning how only makes it harder or impossible to learn.

I'd also stick my neck out and suggest that a good shot from a 35# bow may penetrate (kill) better than a lousy shot from a 70# bow.

[longbow fanatic 1]

This archery journey is interesting and fun, isn't it? Since I began my journey, I increased my draw weight to #52 only to drop back down to #45. The best thing I ever did was to attend Rod Jenkins clinic. It has improved my form, and thereby my accuracy, exponentially. Best of luck and good shooting!

[mgf]

It's certainly been interesting and rewarding but not always "fun". The old saying "No pain, no gain." comes to mind.

In hind sight I'd say that, knowing what I know now, there could have been more gain with less pain.

I guess that's really the point of the thread.

I'm glad you mentioned the Rod Jenkins clinic because a good coach has to be worth his/her weight in gold.

When I started shooting, there were no internet forums and I didn't know anything about any "coaches". I bought a bow and started shooting.

I remember the stick bow shooters at the club telling me that you shoot a recurve "like this". They couldn't  hit anything and it didn't work for me either.

I also remember an old gent at the club (he was probably younger than I am now) drilling the bull over and over from 40 yards. He didn't shoot like those other guys but I didn't really know what that was all about.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Mike,

There are so many hurdles with trad archery. I bet you could write a novel on the do's and don't that you've learned through the years. As for me, I began shooting archery in approx. 1982, but didn't pick up trad until 2008. Thankfully, I was able to speed up my learning curve via the internet and good coaching.

It would have been really interesting to be able to sit down with that gent who was drilling the bullseye at 40 yards and just pick his brain for a few hours...How much would that have helped you?

[mgf]

Well I could probably write a novel on the "don'ts". LOL

The gent I mentioned did answer a few questions but he was busy shooting so I kept my intrusion short.

I used to be at that range several times a week and that was the only time I ever ran into him.

[mgf]

So what's my goal. I have developed a "form" and sequence that I think is pretty correct given my build and so on.

We often say that form is everything. I'm not so sure. There are some really good shooters with what looks like pretty lousy form. I do think that (all else being equal) good form will make good shooting easier just because it's more efficient and less complex mechanically.

When do I think I have too much bow? Simply when I can no longer execute my process with my form.

In the beginning, I picked a bow and tried to learn to shoot it. The results suggest that I was putting the cart before the horse. I've since tried to learn to shoot and then pick the bow.

[mgf]

What do you use for a measure to determine whether or not you're making progress? Put another way, how do you define your goals?

I managed to kill some game back when I knew very little about archery and packed a 65# longbow.

A story...I did a float trip on the Buffalo river in Arkansas with my cousins and some of their buddies. It was early bow season and, if memory serves, deer, bear and pigs were all in season. It was also nice fishing weather and the Buffalo is a pretty good smallmouth river.

I never saw any deer, bear or hogs but there were squirrels everyplace. I brought lots of arrows and some of them were fletched with uncut feathers and equipped with blunts. One morning I shot a couple of squirrels.

When I came back to camp the other guys couldn't believe I got those squirrels with my bow. They were poking my pack and my pockets looking for the hidden firearm. LOL

They asked how I got so good with a bow but I didn't really have an answer. I think maybe I made something up. LOL

Later that day I thought I'd get in some shooting practice. I set up a target, backed off about 20 yards and took to shooting. The guys stood at attention expecting to see some really great shooting.

LOL, I couldn't hit a darned thing and was lucky to have found all my arrows.

Now they really wanted to know how I got those squirrels! I don't think anybody concluded that it was my great prowess with a bow.

Those targets that I couldn't hit always bothered me.

[passion for knowledge]

I have good days and bad days.

I'm fortunate to have a good practice spot within easy cycling distance.

In winter, I'm limited by daylight and work to weekends only shooting. In summer I can take my bow to work with me and get some evening practice in on my way home. I can go any evening.

I always seem to shoot better towards the end of the summer. I guess lots of practice and the fact that muscles are stronger makes the difference.

In winter I shoot my #50 mostly.

#60 once I'm back in practice in summer.

Even a bad day's shooting is enjoyable!

[the rifleman]

You are about my weight and two years older than me.  It all came together for me when I went from a 50 lb whip to a 42 lb.  I struggled to refine form until I went lighter.

[mgf]

Yes and something I just thought about (and mentioned in another thread)...I'm real sure I could do a much better job of shooting my old heavier bow now than what I did 25 years ago.

I'm not stronger now but I know a lot more about shooting a bow. Back then I was prone to  bullying my way through everything with brute strength.

It's not the only factor but I think dropping some weight was a huge help in learning.

[flyguysc]

 I started back shooting in Oct.2015. Last time in 09. I'm not sure why but boy that longbow sure felt like it had a DW of 80# bow. It is set @ 52 # @25 "DL.Since Oct. I have shot every day except week ends (wife still works)and I just could not hold that darn bow @ full drawl long enough to aim or work on my forum.Then in Nov. I started doing push ups and walking and stretching.I guess its a matter of waking up those old muscles,cause now there an"t nobody better than me in my back yard. LOL.Thank God For the internet. Info is like low hanging fruit.

[huntin_sparty]

Interesting observation, hope it works out for me like many of you.  I have had a shoulder injury and been away from here and shooting hardly for a year and change.  I just started getting back into it and decided to do just what you suggest.  I ordered some 42# bear takedown limbs for my A mag riser to re-learn properly versus the 52# or 57#s I had "shot" before.  What sucks is I forgot I will probably need new arrows with a #10 drop.