Thoughts on a good draw weight for Field/3D Archery (Longbow)

[forestdweller]

I know that a lot of people say you should go with your max weight you are comfortable pulling when hunting but we are talking maybe 1-2 shot's (maybe 5-10 more for warm up before a hunt) in a day.

Shooting these tournaments or long practice sessions I can shoot upwards of 200 arrows so being able to stay fresh through a 3-5 hour shooting session or all day shooting affair is very important.

With that being said, does anyone know what draw weight the current top guys in longbow field/3D are shooting in tournaments?

I've been shooting a 40# draw for a year and have been thinking about going up to a 45# draw as a 5# increase should not be too much to handle.

I can handle 64# on the fingers but there's no way in hell I would be able to shoot that all day at events.

So basically my question is can a 45# D style longbow with no reflex nor deflex still throw an arrow relatively fast (160-170fps) and be used effectively for 3D/Field and possibly even hunting (hunting deer at most)?

This will be my first longbow and I found a really good deal on it (I don't want to put out a lot of money for my first longbow.) but I don't want to get it and have it cast an arrow ridiculously slow.

I figure I can always use it for form work in the future as well.

[McDave]

I read somewhere that the average weight bow used by Olympic archers is 38-39#.  I personally like a 40# recurve, or a 42-43# reflex/deflex longbow, for 3D.  The extra couple of pounds on the longbow helps offset the slightly lower speed I get out a longbow because of inherent differences and because most longbow tournaments I enter require wood arrows.  I find that carbon arrows that are easy to tune are readily available for 40# recurves, and they have a relatively flat trajectory out to 50 yards.  This becomes more difficult at weights under 40#.  Even at 40#, I get a few bounce-offs of 3D targets that have been refinished a lot and have built up a hard surface.  We give credit for bounce-backs, if someone else sees where they hit, but not skip-offs.  I think some of my skip-offs might have stuck with a heavier weight bow and arrow.  But I can shoot a 40# bow all day, whereas my shooting suffers by the end of the day with 45# or more. (Actually, my shooting suffers throughout the day regardless of what bow I'm shooting, but that's a different issue!)

My mentor, Rick Welch, shoots whatever bow he's currently hunting with, 55#, for example.  But I'm not Rick Welch.

Sorry, can't help you with D shaped longbows, but I would imagine 45# would be sufficient.

[forestdweller]

Thanks for the advice I appreciate it and keep shooting straight!

Rich is a hell of a shot he probably gets a really flat trajectory shooting 55#.

[flyguysc]

I have been shooting a 66" D type 52# longbow almost every day forever. I think that it is what you get use to. I'm 65 years old ( which is just a number right).I have never felt the need for higher poundage, punch through deer just find,course if I was planning on shooting big game animals I would probably re-think that hunt.A well tuned bow of any poundage is a awesome thing to behold.  

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[snuffy1]

When I was in my 40's I shot a 64" Monarch Royal at 55#.  I loved that bow and shot it everyday.  I won class in several 3-D tournaments with it and always placed in the top 3.  I also hunted with that bow and killed a couple of deer and an elk with it.  The best weight is what you are comfortable shooting a lot.  Since I shot lots of arrows with that bow every day I was comfortable with that weight.  Now that I'm almost 60 and recovering from major surgery/battling cancer, 6 arrow's out of a 30# bow and I am done for a couple of days.

[KeganM]

Most of the top barebow shooters are shooting around 40# at their draw for targets, and then up to 55# for hunting. Longbow shooters seem to err towards 45-50# since wooden arrows are usually heavier by nature, with the heavier weights being used in 3D (fewer arrows) and lighter end being used in field (more arrows).

[longbow fanatic 1]

My advice would be to shoot a weight you can control each and every shot through your entire round. I just ordered a pair of 38# ILF limbs because I want to really work on my form and to increase my arrows per day to about 100-120.

[forestdweller]

Thanks guys I actually ended up going with a 44# longbow a few months ago.

It has a really nice cast to it and believe it or not is faster than the recurve I used before it.

I do shoot it completely naked (no silencers or attachments) and with it's low brace height that's probably why it's faster than my recurve.

I was surprised at how much of a difference a 5# jump felt at first but I got used to the draw weight after 2 months and it's now a joy to shoot.

That being said I think I can go up 5# a year with no problem.

I currently shoot around 100-200+ arrows a day.

That being said if you are on the fence about buying a longbow be careful.

I have found shooting the classic longbow MUCH more rewarding and a joy to shoot over my bulky recurve.

It's light in the hand and deadly accurate and quiet.

It's long limbs help to stabilize the bow and I feel as though there's a lot of advantages to shooting a longbow over a recurve.

I can't even bring myself to shoot a recurve if I wanted to at this point as it feels like a chore compared to my longbow.

Thanks all