When did 50 turn into 70

[Blacktail42]

It's interesting to me to see that bows in the 40's sell very well compared to 50+ pound bows, either we all got older or I just don't get it

[GCook]

Lower draw weights, especially for hunting, certainly has positive aspects.  For example allowing less physically strong folks to participate.  It also has some potentially serious drawbacks like inadequate penetration. 
That said, modern materials and designs are giving bows cast and efficiency not seen before. 
There is a large difference in performance between a higher end super curve and a Hill style bows. 
So if I can shoot a 45lb bow better than a 55lb bow and it has the energy and efficiency to perform as well then I'm better off and more accurate to do so.

[Orion]

A lot of us old guys ARE getting even older.  Regardless, bow weights do seem to be going down for others as well.  That may not be a bad thing.   

[Wudstix]

If I drop a few pounds getting drawn on fidgety critters is easier.  Especially with my 60" bows.
 

[gregg dudley]

I just had this conversation last week at the TBOF shoot.  There were a lot of people trying to sell bows in the 60# + range and they could not give them away.  Even 55# bows are becoming rarer to see.  Yes, there is an aging traditional population, but like mentioned above, the general mindset seems to be that modern bow materials have led to more efficient bows at lower draw weight.  It certainly has to be a plus for shooting form.

[Wudstix]

I'm looking for 60-63# and can't find much above 50#.  Shoot predominantly footed tapered wood arrows with large 3 blade heads, so would like a bit more juice.
 

[Overspined]

I don’t know what you’re saying exactly, but have you been to a bow shoot, Walmart, or anywhere else in the past 10 years?  I dare say physical fitness isn’t exactly a trendy affair.

[mgf]

I don’t know what you’re saying exactly, but have you been to a bow shoot, Walmart, or anywhere else in the past 10 years?  I dare say physical fitness isn’t exactly a trendy affair.

It seems to me there have been gyms and fitness centers springing up all over the place for the last few decades. I see more people walking, jogging and riding bikes than I ever did.

I deleted a big long winded thing here but I hunted with a 65# bow for many years. It was sort of by accident that I ended up with a 45# bow and I found that it did everything I needed it to and it was more fun.

As a kid I always had big guns and heavy bows. I guess I thought I was going to do some pretty cool hunting. Never happened. A few deer and a bunch of aluminum cans is what I shoot. 45# is just perfect...maybe a little on the heavy side.

[Sam McMichael]

I still like heavier bows, but like so many, I just can't shoot them anymore. Now, I stay from 50 to 55# in draw weight. Many of us are older, and many more are just not in good enough shape to handle the heavy stuff, making lighter bows just more sensible. Besides, they work just fine, sometimes even better due the ability to shoot them more easily. I'm still seeing a large number of higher pound bows available, but fewer buyers. I still believe in hunting with the highest draw weight that can be controlled properly, but I notice that weight decreasing as I get older. Since the overall age of the majority of trad shooters is increasing, it is natural that lighter bows become more prominent. I still have a few bows in the 40# range waiting till I can no longer shoot the 50# range. As for me 50 turned into 70 at about 60.

[smokin joe]

A lot of us are getting older. And getting older is a far better condition than being 6 feet under. The efficient trad bows available these days make it possible for older hunters to keep hunting with a trad bow rather than taking up a rocking chair. I see high-quality, lower-weight, fast, efficient bows as a positive development for the no-longer-young among us who struggle with arthritis and other consequences of a long life. Just my two cents worth as a guy in his 70s who still likes to get out in the woods and fields with his trad bow.

[Wudstix]

I guess all those years swimming helped build my core, I still try to hike (back pack), Mt bike and shoot bows as frequently as possible.  At 63, I have two bows the pull 70#+ that I draw several times every couple days, this lets me shoot and hunt with the 63-66# bows.  My latest acquisition, Howatt TD is my current fall back bow at 60#.  Have to keep shooting heavy I have too many wood arrows waiting to be made.
 

[archeryprof]

A lot of good points made here -aging trad shooters needing lighter poundage bows ,bow efficiency,arrow and broadhead improvements that promote good speed and penetration,and the ability to shoot longer and more accurately.I think maybe that the popularity of competitive 3D events and shooting techniques that require longer holding times (gap shooting and bare bow classes) with emphasis on extreme accuracy also might be a factor in the trend to lighter poundage bows.

[Steve D]

 Just a general aging for the "Trad" camp, there are exceptions but for most part as a group we are an aging/older
bunch.

[Baylee]

Not including the aging bowhunters because at some point we will all have to lower our draw weight if we live long enough. But talking about the new bowhunters I’m seeing. They are usually lanky and weaker looking more like a female and 40-45# is about the most they will ever pull. Has nothing to do with bow materials or strings they couldn’t pull a 65# bow of  their life depended on it. My question what happens when they get older? They gonna hunt deer with a 25# bow?

[Larry Dean]

I have been obsessed with bows since I was 4 years old. When I was 14, 1965, I hunted with 55 pound bows, everyone else I knew was using 40 to 45. They were also using Hi-Precision broad heads, made right here, some kind of sharpened some not so much, I shot Herters and Zwickys.  That year a guy hit a deer with a 55 pound recurve and the arrow went all the way through, he never found it. It was said that his bow was too powerful and if the arrow would have not gone through, the deer would have gone down sooner. People get dumb notions around here,  I was ostracized for not believing those odd notions.

[M60gunner]

I will be 77 this summer. Last couple of years has taken its toll. Not that many years ago I shot 65# bows and loved it. Now I am struggling to figure out how to keep the arrows out of the dirt with 45-50# bows. No, getting old an’it for sissies.

[Joe2Crow]

This really isn’t a new phenomenon. Even back in the heyday of recurves (60s to early 70s) THE most popular selling draw weight was 45# with probably all the manufacturers. Of course, there were guys who pulled more weight, just like there is today. Then compounds came along and a lot of guys could shoot 70# or even 80# bows. When the resurgence in trad bows came along with custom bowyers (think Bighorn, etc) you started seeing a lot of 60#+ bows on the market. I got into trad archery when I was in my early 30s and had no problem shooting 60-65# recurves and thought you had to be a real wimp to only shoot a 45# bow. Now at 62, My heaviest bow is about 55# and it’s not that much fun anymore. I hunt with 50# bows and shoot 45# for fun at bow shoots. Funny how perspectives can change over time.

[Todd Cook]

For me, it's not about fitness but enjoyment. I've got 60# bows and can and do shoot them some. But I've got a 45# recurve with carbon limbs that shoots just as fast as the heavier bow but I can shoot it much better. And for as long as I want to. To me, accuracy wins every time.

[mgf]

Not including the aging bowhunters because at some point we will all have to lower our draw weight if we live long enough. But talking about the new bowhunters I’m seeing. They are usually lanky and weaker looking more like a female and 40-45# is about the most they will ever pull. Has nothing to do with bow materials or strings they couldn’t pull a 65# bow of  their life depended on it. My question what happens when they get older? They gonna hunt deer with a 25# bow?

I live in farm country and some of these kids are plenty strong. I've just never met one that shoots a "trad" bow.

Funny story...I was working with a compound hunter and a couple of crossbow hunters. I guess they thought I shot a single string bow because I couldn't afford a compound. One offered to lend me a bow and one actually offered me money. Lol the never offered to let me hunt their farms though.

[Alexander Traditional]

I ordered a bow from Scott Mitchell of Timberhawk,and I asked for it to be 56 pounds. He laughed and said it was one of the first ones over 45 pounds in a while.