Youth bow draw weights

[NOVAnewbie]

My son has an el-cheapo bow that got him (and me) started in archery.  He got it last year for christmas.  I really want to get him a "real bow" for his birthday.

He'll be turning 7.  How do I determine his draw weight?  He's a pretty average sized-to skinny kid.

I'd ideally like to get him something that he can grow with at least for a few years.

[Rob W.]

My oldest is going to turn 7 in about a month. He is drawing 17.5" on a 19#@24" Maddog Pup longbow. He should get another couple years out of I would think. He is an average height, skinny kid.

[oldbohntr]

What we like for our archery education class for the younger kids is a bow that is 6-9# at maybe 20-24", but is at least 54" long, and is right or left handed.   That way it is the most versatile.  Your son will likely grow and strengthen quickly.....a longer bow will "grow" with him.  Whereas a 48" bow that may seem just right for him now will be too small for him in just months!(sounds like you know that already.

These are hard to find.  If you don't have a way to advertise or look for youth bows, many custom bowyers will make what you want. It's not inexpensive, but there will always be a market for it when you want to pass it on. Also, check out sponsors here and Martin Archery.

[ishoot4thrills]

It's hard to say at that age.

My kids have done great with bows that are 30#-35# at 28" since they have been 10 years old. Of course they didn't ever draw near 28" so their draw weight has been much less than 30#.

Now they're ages 13, 15, and 18 and they still use the same bows but with longer draw lengths and, thus, more draw weight but still they're not over bowed.

All three bows are from 54" to 58" AMO length.

[Chuck Jones]

Most 7 year olds that know how to shoot, can handle a 15#@20" bow about 42" -48" long. Don't get a bow that's longer than he is tall! Think about what you like to shoot, and get a bow that is similar in proportion to height.

[Gator1]

Check with Mike at Maddog, my little girl has the pup longbow, and I believe Mike said you can draw this to 26"s no problem. I believe it would gain about 3lbs an inch of draw.

His PUP is outstanding...

[macbow]

My grandkids at 7 were shooting wood bows I made them.
They liked 12 to 15 pounds at 20 inches.
They drew about 16 inches at the time.
Can you get his draw length from the one he has and then measure the current bow weight ?