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[shtr]

I have been considering a heavier recurve but what I am looking for is not readily available    :(  
Now I am questioning if I will gain anything with the added weight    :confused:  

I am looking at going from 70 to 90# for the sole purpose of retaining the same window of arrow decent while increasing the arrow weight.

I am told that there is a point of diminishing returns in as much as added bow weight (at some point) will not increase performance.
True?

Secondly....who will build a 90# recurve with a warranty that I want?
I like Fedora and Shaffer recurves and pretty much any recurve which is similar.

Suggestions?    

[SlowBowinMO]

You're right, efficiency will start to go down a bit but a heavier bow will still throw a heavier arrow nearly as fast as a more efficient weight.

Not sure who would build you a recurve that heavy, Robertson has built some fairly heavy ones in the past though.  Black Widow maybe?

[shtr]

I am not head strong on 90# but I feel that if that's what it takes , I am plenty comfortable with that.
Obviously I dont need to hold x-tra weight if there is little return so I am looking for serious input.
Thanks slowbowin  

[Dirty Bill]

I shot 80+ pounds for a few years.It was not really worth the wear and tear on the shoulders and joints.It hit really hard though and I killed several deer with it. I changed to 70# when I bought a Trails end bow from dale dye.It seems to be ideal,and is as efficient as 80# +.

The bow was an assenheimer that I bought used,and I got the limbs at the wvba banquet auction really cheap. Left hnd,82#,nobody wanted them. They were donated by Maggie Magee.

My advice is to try 70#. Very accurate,easy too shoot,and quite deadly.  

[shtr]

quote:Originally posted by Dirty Bill:
My advice is to try 70#. Very accurate,easy too shoot,and quite deadly.    

[shtr]

Originally posted by shtr:
 

quote:Originally posted by Dirty Bill:
My advice is to try 70#. Very accurate,easy too shoot,and quite deadly.      

[R H Clark]

I don't have any problem with whatever you want to do but I have to ask why you feel you need to shoot over 70#.I can understand if you have dangerous game in mind.

[Dirty Bill]

I can't think of anything in the North american continent that 70# with a good warhead and shot placement won't kill. Even a 90# bow will not make an arrow break down heavy bone,which is what is needed to put down heavy,dangerous game.

If you shoot a great deal you will get tendonitis from the heavy bow weight. If you are set on the heavy weight though,go for it. You will like it for a while.  

[shtr]

Originally posted by Dirty Bill:
I can't think of anything in the North American continent that 70# with a good warhead and shot placement won't kill. Even a 90# bow will not make an arrow break down heavy bone,which is what is needed to put down heavy,dangerous game.

Guy....I agree wholeheartedly .... but   :rolleyes:  
I have never once passed through a deer with room to spare....never.
I have only passed through twice in five years and that was due to striking far behind the ribs   :confused:  

I have a friend who has hunted with me and been there when I have shot deer and hogs and he is speechless as to the absolute lack of penetration I get out of any bow I shoot   :eek:  

This is a real problem due to the fact that I am totally color blind and see things in black and white.....if it were not for my son or my dog , I would have to grid search every animal I take unless it dropped within sight.

This year 3 deer carried my arrow with a high wound (tree stand) and there was no blood to follow.

I have used alot of different heads so it's not the head.
This year I was using silver flames and shot a hog three times , right in the pocket....no heavy bone at all and all three arrows stopped with 6" penetration   :eek:    :confused:  

I am shooting 8gpp on average and I cant blame it on the bows because I have used a dozen different makes , weights and designs.

I would love to hunt with 45#....but that ain't my fortune    [/b]Been there and done that.
I have to limit my shooting to every few days if I am going to shoot weight.

[shtr]

I suppose I could drop some bow weight in exchange for speed within the bow make.?
If I started with a bow that was 50fps faster I could offset that with more arrow weight and achieve better penetration that way.

I dont know .... what say you?
What path would you follow in the quest to achieve better penetration ?

[Jeff Strubberg]

I have never once passed through a deer with room to spare....never.
I have only passed through twice in five years and that was due to striking far behind the ribs

Something is seriously wrong.   You should be passing through deer-sized animals with a 45# bow easily.  

You don't need more bow weight.  I doubt a 90 pound bow is going to solve the problem and you will hurt yourself shooting that kind of weight regularly.

[JEFF B]

i am with you on that one jeff. you dont need a heavy poundage bow to kill deer shoot one that you can shoot well.  

[shtr]

Originally posted by Jeff Strubberg:
 

I have never once passed through a deer with room to spare....never.
I have only passed through twice in five years and that was due to striking far behind the ribs

Something is seriously wrong.   You should be passing through deer-sized animals with a 45# bow easily.  

You don't need more bow weight.  I doubt a 90 pound bow is going to solve the problem and you will hurt yourself shooting that kind of weight regularly. [/b]

I am all ears my friend    

Take a shot at this...maybe you will see what others haven't  :confused:  

Bows used are all in the range of 158fps
Bows used are :
48 Magnum 60#
Herters Sitka Supreme 50#
Martin Mamba 50#
L&B serpentine 48#
Bear Grizzly 45#
Browning 55#

Arrows range between 7 - 10 gpp and include the following :

Alaskan
GT naturals
Cedar
CX w/ weight tubes


Draw ranges 27 - 28" depending on shooting style and bow type.
Broadheads used are as follows :

Stinger 125
Silver Flame 150
Snuffer 150
Eskimo 100
HellForce 125

[shtr]

Also....all shots are confirmed off the scapula and center lungs.

Background....25 years of pro level experience in bow tuning and a broadhead testing consultant.

Just want to eliminate some off the mark questions as to what the problem might be.  

I came here because of the professional manner and content of advise which always exists here.
This site is about the only one which can out gun (so to speak) my own knowledge....by a long shot.
I am very eager to hear things which I may have over looked.

I am not discounting the bow at all but I am looking to fix other issues as well.
Might as well take advantage of this opportunity if it exists  

[JBiorn]

If your only getting 6" of penetration, that makes me wonder about how well you are tuned. I get the feeling that your arrows aren't hitting any where near straight on.

 Have you bare shaft tuned?

 Even a big heavy 90# bow won't penetrate if your not tuned in.

[shtr]

I hear you....yes , all my bows are tuned out of the shop.
That particular hog was shot three times beside the heart and therefore there wasn't alot to penetrate.
All shots stopped against the offside rib and did not break that rib....250# hog....nothing huge.

Those shots were taken at 25 - 30 and 15 yards.
Even if the arrow wasn't coming out of the bow perfectly , the arrow would have been very straight at a point of 20 yards.

AT times , I have video'd the flight of my recurves and then watched the arrows in slow motion to find problems but I have seen nothing yet and neither have the people who I shoot with.

[shtr]

Originally posted by shtr:
I hear you....yes , all my bows are tuned out of the shop.
That particular hog was shot three times beside the heart and therefore there wasn't alot to penetrate.
All shots stopped against the offside rib and did not break that rib....250# hog....nothing huge.

Those shots were taken at 25 - 30 and 15 yards.
Even if the arrow wasn't coming out of the bow perfectly , the arrow would have been very straight at a point of 20 yards.

AT times , I have video'd the flight of my recurves and then watched the arrows in slow motion to find problems but I have seen nothing yet and neither have the people who I shoot with.

In fact....now that I think of it....I generally can watch the rotation in the helical as the arrow tracks toward the target....so no....it's not the flight.

[Jeff Strubberg]

6" of penetration?  Behind a silver flame head?

I am not trying to be contrary, but something does not ring true here.  That head with a 45# bow and well tuned arrow will drop elk consistently.

Somethign is seriously wrong here, and I would be surprised if it doesn't wind up being tuning.  No way is the arrow hitting your game straight if that's all the penetration you are getting.

[Dave Lay]

gotta be tuning, with 60lb, and 600 gr arrows, I usually blow through on a behind the shoulder hit.. thats with a zwickey and a 2020 x75

[Scott J. Williams]

Shtr,

     I am not doubting you on what you see, however it has been my experience that the eyes can play tricks on you.  My Girl friend got 12 inches of penatration on a hog with forty pounds shooting a magnus head.  

     I am shooting a lot less weight than you and got a complete pass through, arrow on the ground on the other side, on a thirty yard shot on the same hunt. My hog weighed 220lbs.

     You stated that you are a Pro-Shop Tech, or at least I get that impression.  I might suggest two things that I have gleened from your earlier post.  One, you stated that at the distance of the shots, the arrow would have stablizied.  That may be true, but have you considered the loss of energy that arrow expended before it got straight?

       Two, you might try bare shaft tuning, instead of paper tuning.  It gives a truer picture.  I know I said two, things, but you might want to up you arrow weight per pound.  I suggest 10 to 12 grains per pound.  

       It goes without saying, make sure  your heads are razor sharp.  Good luck!!!