Why have draw weights dropped over the past 12 years or so?

[TaterHill Archer]

Some probably won't agree, but I don't care.  I think it's sad that some believe the supposed measure of a man is whether or not he can shoot a heavy bow.  Being a "man" has more aspects than strength.

Now, as for the original question, I believe it's multifactoral and due to a better understanding of FOC, tuning, etc...people have realized you don't need all that weight to shoot all the way through most everything in NA.

[BelegStrongbow]

Well I read all of the posts so far and thought I'd weigh in on this seeing as I'm one of the young ones talked about. I'm 28 now, and started shooting a year and a half ago. Didn't switch over from compound or anything, just wanted to shoot and hunt with a trad bow. Also had never been hunting before either, and decided I wanted to do that too. I spent a lot of time outside in the woods as a kid, but never hunted.

Now onto the topic. I'll start by saying that prior to shooting I was in the military for six years and did more than most, when it comes to training and deployments. I picked up archery when I got out of the military. I also picked up body building as I've always been big into working out. For my size and body weight I can move some pretty high numbers. When I first started shooting I bought a 65# recurve because I'm a strong dude and I should have a heavy bow. I could pull the weight fine, and pull it often. I also like to hold at anchor for a second or so to steady my shot, snap shots aren't my thing.

The reason I dropped down to 50# is because I can shoot it all day and not feel fatigued. I'm hunting deer with it, (not successfully) and don't personally feel the need for more. Most of my time shooting is at targets and 3D. Can I shoot heavier bows, of course. Do I enjoy it, not really. I shoot trad for fun, I enjoy it. I don't feel the need to break a sweat sending an arrow down range.

For those of you who feel that the younger generation is weak, or not as "manly" as generations past. That is simply because the best are away fighting the war and you are seeing the ones who stayed behind. Believe me, I had the great privilege of serving with the finest sons our nation has.

[mgf]

I don't ink the "average" bow weight has dropped.

For a lot of reasons, including the greater availability of information, I think there are more archers who can shoot well.

I used to shoot 65# (I'm 5'7 and 145#) but I didn't really know what I was doing and I don't think I was every very good with it.

I shoot less weight now but I shoot with much greater accuracy and precision.

[Doc Nock]

I forced myself to read all before commenting.

MBug and others, I cannot nor will not argue the trailing generations are less fit... no doubt.

I've seen no one comment on our history.  I have bows given to me by people my father's age, peoples dad's, Uncles, etc... that would have been say what? 40 yrs ago those chaps were hunting?

Those bows were ALL in the 40's.  The older stuff I could scrounge 30 yrs ago was all that light... then the craze for heavy hit... and now it's going back again.

Are we really going to suggest that our Father's were WEAKER then us?  Weakness has become a factor, yes, but a cause?  I'm reticent to agree.

History has a way of repeating itself and all things sooner or later become "new" again.  I never understood how/why all those older gents had 40-45# bows and arrows (I Have a Green/brwn silver medallion BEAR of 40# given to me) but I'm old enough to have seen that was true not that many decades ago, so it seems the circle is just coming around again...?

[doug77]

Two back surgeries and a rotator cuff surgery got me

doug77

[reddogge]

The older guys nailed it pretty well. The average bow weight in the mid 60s was 45# and my group was pretty average.

Compounds came on the scene and the bow weights jumped 15-20# to 65 and 70#.

Guys started shooting traditional again and bought 60-70# bows and were overbowed.

They came to their senses and went back to 45# bows which shot as well as their 60# bows.

[mgf]

It may very well be true that there are more people living a less active lifestyle now but I can only really speak for myself.

I'm 56 years old and have spent about half my working life shoeing horses for a living. I'm not going to say that it's the hardest work there is but it sure isn't the easiest. LOL

Can we call it "hard work"? I'm not a big man so even if I am strong for my size, I'm not going to be nearly as "strong as some of the BIG guys.

The fact is that even this "hard work" is much more about skill and precision than it is about strength. If you find yourself very reliant on brute strength, you're probably doing it "wrong".

[mgf]

In he early 90's I belonged to a large archery club in the Chicago area. There were quite a few "trad" shooters.

A couple of things stand out in my memory. They had really cool looking gear and fairly heavy bows...mostly longbows. I remember being amazed at how slow their arrows flew and how they managed to never hit anything.

I had switched from my compound to a recurve and was essentially shooting it the same. Vertical bow, draw, hold and aim. I remember a number of them offering the advice..."don't shot like that. Shoot like this." And they would demonstrate a cool looking shot that didn't hit anywhere near the mark. I wondered why I would want to shoot like that.

I also remember an older gent who was shooting a 40 pound brightly colored recurve and nailing the bull over and over from 40 yards. His arrows appeared to fly fast and straight.

Looking back I realize that those heavy bows shooting the painfully slow arrows were probably the result of a short draw and poor arrow flight.

[Bowwild]

A post above really honked me off but it would be oh so non PC to call BS when I read it.

I voluntarily deleted the remainder of this post because it served no purpose but  my contesting a youthful claim.

[wcdurand]

Growing up in South Africa up up to early 90's it was compulsary for every young man to do initially one year and in the 80's two years of army service. It was tough and strenuous training. ( i repeat every young man, not only able men) Those with medical issues also, they did service as cooks and light duties. From 94 no compulsary service anymore and almost an non existent defence force. You would think that the young generation would be less physical than then but I don't experience that over here. I see thousands of young guys who daily do gym work and are really physical strong. Many of them have the vision of playing rugby for South Africa and the clubs expect the guys to weigh over 95kg and be physical really strong. Many of them have to train hours and hours to pick up the extra weight. The discipline of the younger generation compared to those who did service..... Well thats a different story..... .....

[riser]

You stated, "Twelve years ago, the average draw weight for men was 60+ lbs, now it's in the mid-40s...(sic)"


The reasons?

Twelve years ago, people were 12 years younger.

Twelve years of the internet, and being able to read field reports (and ask questions -and get quick answers directly from the poster) of successful bow hunts with draw weights in the mid-40's.

[Ghost Dog]

Originally posted by riser:
You stated, "Twelve years ago, the average draw weight for men was 60+ lbs, now it's in the mid-40s...(sic)"


The reasons?

Twelve years ago, people were 12 years younger.

Twelve years of the internet, and being able to read field reports (and ask questions -and get quick answers directly from the poster) of successful bow hunts with draw weights in the mid-40's.

"Draw weights for men averaged 55#-60# 12 years or so ago. A woman's bow was in the low to mid 40#s."

You raise some valid points.

I'm twelve years older as well. Maybe I'm just lucky to have, so far, avoided injuries and infirmities, but I also strength train regularly which is probably a factor.  

Field reports have been absolutely an influence of draw weights chosen. Great point. Why use more draw weight than is necessary?

I've tried lighter bows. They feel really odd to me, which is no doubt a factor of what I'm used to. When I shoot with friends they are always surprised by how "heavy" my bows are. They don't feel heavy to me, and maybe that's all that matters in the end; what we're comfortable with and what will deliver an arrow right where we want it.

[snag]

I started out with 45# bows and worked up to 60# bows. I shoot mostly 50-55# bows. But I do hunt with 55-60# bows. I am 63 yrs of age. I believe, at least for me, proper warm up, stretching and some regular exercise that is targeted to the shoulder and back muscles is key.
I don't look down on anyone who has gone the other direction. I just wanted to be the most effective in hunting big game as I could be.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by riser:
You stated, "Twelve years ago, the average draw weight for men was 60+ lbs, now it's in the mid-40s...(sic)"


The reasons?

Twelve years ago, people were 12 years younger.

Twelve years of the internet, and being able to read field reports (and ask questions -and get quick answers directly from the poster) of successful bow hunts with draw weights in the mid-40's.

I think out of all the comments i like this one best...  


I also think that a lot of guys that shoot all the time have taken this archery to a different level. they got lighter weight bows to work on their form and shoot a lot more without tearing muscles.... lets face it... its a lot more fun to go to a 3D shoot and spend a weekend shooting 300 plus arrows and not being too sore to pick up a pencil on Monday....... I like to shoot my hunting weight bow on the first couple rounds, then switch to something in the high 40's for the rest of the weekend.... I do this all winter and into mid summer before i put my lighter weight bow away.

I still think a hunter should use as much draw weight as he can shoot accurately. There is no such thing as over kill IMO.... you figure that out pretty quick when you hit one at the wrong angle with a light weight rig and not get the penetration.... i prefer to stay at 54-58# for hunting myself.

[Ghost Dog]

Originally posted by snag:
I started out with 45# bows and worked up to 60# bows. I shoot mostly 50-55# bows. But I do hunt with 55-60# bows. I am 63 yrs of age. I believe, at least for me, proper warm up, stretching and some regular exercise that is targeted to the shoulder and back muscles is key.
I don't look down on anyone who has gone the other direction. I just wanted to be the most effective in hunting big game as I could be.

Nicely stated.

[Sam McMichael]

I think many of the reasons are all accurate. I do believe that, on the whole, young people today are not as strong as they used to be. They just don't do the physical work done by past generations. So, naturally, many don't desire to pull heavy bows.

That is good, because it is true that equipment seems to be more efficient, meaning heavy bows are not needed to get the upper edges of performance.

Like many, I am getting older, and while I used to pull quite heavy bows, I just can't handle them well anymore. Thank goodness, I don't have to try.

[dragonheart]

I believe part of the drop in bow weight also has to do with shooting form.  Many archers today are compound converts or like the draw-anchor-creep-release shooting form.  Lower bow weight makes it easier to use a reference for aiming like the arrow, or gap.  Snap shooting style like Fred Bear, or Howard Hill, like a wing shot style, is less common today.  Heavier bows tend to be more effective in that style of shooting form. I think the general avaliability of information like FOC data, bowhunters limited their yardage to closer shots, also influenced archers to shoot less weight with more mechanical advantage from the arrow for penetration.

[mgf]

I'm not convinced that the average weight has really dropped.

[longbowman]

Mbugland you hit it right on the head.  I work with young people every day and the physical condition (or lack thereof) is amazing.  When I started shooting  I knew about 6 people who hunted with a bow period.  The one man's wife was 5' tall and weighed maybe 100#.  Her Super Mag 48 was 55# at her draw weight.  The men all shot 65 to 75#.  I made my way up to the 80# bracket and shot a ton of game but my comfortable weight has been 72# for years and now as a retirement age guy that's what I still shoot comfortably.  My son and now his 14 year old son shoot from 80# down to 60# and kill deer regularly.  People can talk all day about how much more proficient bows are now days but the number of deer I get asked to track every year that people shot with the new, reflex/deflex hybrids in low weights that got no penetration tells me they aren't as efficient as people pretend they are.
     I think people have allowed current "life" get in the way of good old fashioned physical fitness and so tell themselves that it's really not needed so they don't have to work at it.

[mgf]

It would be easier to discuss the effectiveness of the bows using some objective measure.

It's not all that hard to kill a deer if you have access to hunting land that deer frequent. By the same token if we assume physical fitness has slipped it isn't hard to imagine that hunting skills have also slipped.

That still doesn't tell us anything about how much draw weight is really needed.