long draw, short bow, problems?

[jrchambers]

i just got some 58" lee longbow limbs 70 at 26" i draw 30, i know its a little much,  i can draw them, still a little stiff my bow shoulder colapses to my face sometimes, i still need to work up.  i was wondering if i am pushing these limbs to any sort of limit, am i hampering preformance or enhancing it?  also i do not have a bow scale i was wondering what kind of poundage i am really geting give or take a few#s?

[robtattoo]

I would guess that you'll be drawing between 82 & 85# at 30"
I don't think that you'd have a problem with them, but I'd be real tempted to give Bob Lee a ring and double check. They may have been tillered to 28" & then marked with the 26" weight, in which case they should be fine. However, if they've only been tillered to 26" you may be overstressing the limbs.

[jwingman]

You asked: "am I hampering performance or enhancing it"

  I think if you look into it, shooting weights above 65 pounds is where you start to get into diminishing returns. What you get in additioanl speed is offset by lots of other factors. The need for heavier spined arrrows and heavier arrow weights. The difficulty at making the first shot count on a cold day after sitting for three hours. Years ago I shot 85 pounds. Now I shoot around 52-54. I shoot a lot better. I also draw 30 inches. We have an advantage. The string acts on the arrow for a longer length of time. I have heard it written many times, but I haven't seen it confirmed with testing, that increasing one's draw length by one inch is equivilent to raising the draw weight by 5 pounds. Dan Quillian use to talk of this quite often.
   As one who has been there in the past, I can only say, I shoot a lot better with less weight and I don't see any drop off in performance that hinders my ability to take game. I killed a very nice moose last year and put a big ace broadhead out the other side with a 58 pound longbow. My shoulder was not collapsed on my face hindering me during the shot.
  Hope this helps. If it isn't what you were really asking, then ignore it. I am not trying to preach, only offer an opinion but opinions are sometimes like noses, everyone has one.
  Enjoy your holidays and enjoy your shooting and shoot often, someday we may not be able to anymore.

[jrchambers]

well i hope to get the strength to shoot 80 as i do 67,  my big question was purely based on draw lenght to bow length and if i could posibly hurt the limbs or myself.  i will not hunt or continue to shoot that weight if i am not able to become proficient and comfortable.

[Otto]

I draw 29+ and I think the biggest thing you'll face is that at your 30 inch draw, I believe that 58 inch bow is gonna stack like crazy.  I think it'll be downright uncomfortable to draw.  You won't hurt the limbs at all.  Jumping from 67 to 80 #'s is huge.  A monumental leap in bow weight.  Hope it goes well for you.  Just remember to stretch & warm up a bit.  That's a bunch of weight yer pullin.

[jrchambers]

yeah that is a big jump i actualy have some other limbs inbetween jut for working up.  the 67s are actualy 61 at 28 i got to put them on a scale i also have some 65 at 28 for building up im guesing they hit 70 or 71 but it still is a big jump.  im not too woried about it if i can do it i will if i cant i wont,  haha but i will  i like the idea of throwing that much weight at moose and brownies.

[Steelhead]

I think thier is a good chance that those short limbs marked at 26 inches might very well stack up quite a bit at 30 inches draw as Ottomentioned.I have seen bows gain as much as 7 0r 8 pounds in one inch when they hit the wall so to speak.I would probably get the bow scaled at a proshop etc if you dont have a scale just to see exactly what the poundage is at 30 inches.i think personally if I was motivated to shoot 80 #s I would get a set of longer limbs custom made in a longer length at your draw.It would just feel smoother and more comfortable as they unfolded way out their at 30 inches.

[jrchambers]

i wish i could get it scaled, no pro shops around here,  13hr boat ride away.  maybe i can rig somethin up with a fish scale.  im not shure i have first hand seen the ill efects of stacking, maybe because everything i have has alot of stack at my length.  i like the lenght all of my curve limbs are the same lenght wich is not comparible to a longbow.  they seem to draw smooth enough just noticibly too heavy all the way through the draw, i can do it and hold it but not slick enough.  yet..

[Steelhead]

I can see the logistics problems jr being in alaska and finding a bow scale.maybe a fish scale would give you a good idea.Just need an arrow and mark it in 1 inch incements from 26 to 30 and see what the scale reads every inch you pull it.Even if the scale is not perfectly accurrate poundage wise it would still be able to give you a general idea if your bow is gaining an inordimate amount of poundage as you approach 30 inches.

i draw 30 inches or more and i had a longbow that was marked 54 #s at 27 and it did scale right and gained about 3 #s per inch.but from 27 to 28 it picked up 7 pounds.itwas tillered for a 27 inch draw.good luck

[Killdeer]

Bow scale:

Put the string in the notch, stand the stick on the scale, draw the bow to your length.

 

 

 

Killdeer  

[jrchambers]

hey i never thought of that, i love  it