When did 50 turn into 70

[Blackstick]

I've been wondering that a lot lately. I'll be 70 in just a few months, and it seems like I was 50 not too long ago. 45# to 50# bows have been working for me the past few years.

[Bowwild]

As I've ordered a variety of customs since 2003, I can recall at least 3 bowyers who stated it was a breath of fresh air to build a bow for someone that is less than 50# in draw weight.

I killed the first live deer I ever saw with a 42@ Ben Pearson Cougar (at my 26" draw) in 1970.  I imagine I'll kill the last deer I ever shoot with a very similar draw weight. I've never found my equipment lacking. I do fail my equipment some times.

I shot a different kind of bow at 73#'s for almost two decades. I own a new model of this type for certain kinds of hunts, and at 56# it will out perform those older ones.

From time to time over the years I've desired to own one of Fred's original Bighorn recurves. I've never seen a used one under 50#.

Like the British kicker in "The Replacements" a lot of us folks are "wiry".

[Skipmaster1]

I can draw and shoot heavy bows pretty well, but I can shoot a 50# bow better. I can use proper form and hold if I have to. This year I had to hold for 17 seconds on a deer before shooting. If I was shooting my max draw weight, that deer would have gotten away. I shoot 3 blade heads and always get an exit. Often a full pass through. That’s even with breaking scapulas, leg bones and even front knuckles. It just doesn’t make sense to go heavier.

[black velvet]

As the old saying goes, I shot 70s in my forties, now I shoot forties in my 70s. Works much better for me.

[2fletch]

Several times i have seen guys improve their shooting dramatically just by dropping down by 10-15# in bow weight. At 10 years of age (1953) I was shooting a 40# Malibu Archery Panther. Later on it was 56#. Now, at 78 years of age, it's back to about 40#. Unless you work at it, the average person will lose significant strength in their seventies.

I once saw a young man struggling to shoot a bow of about 60#. He couldn't hold it at his draw length and his shots were not accurate. I had just bought a Hummingbird bow of about 45# and I noticed him eyeing this bow. I ask if he would like to shoot it and he said yes. He immediately tightened his shot group and was shooting with confidence. Long story short, He bought the bow for what I had just paid for it, and I have spent a lot of time looking for another one.

To often it's a macho thing. About 30 years ago there were two brothers nearby who were really caught up in it. One of them shot a bow of about 100#, and the other one was trying to shoot one of about 80#. It was hilarious to watch them shoot. They only pulled to about half draw, and let go immediately. Neither one could hit the side of a barn, but yet they were dead serious.

[Bucco921]

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. 

I just ordered a custom bow from a different bowyer. I ordered a 55#. He said I was first one to request 55#, all the previous orders were 35-50#

[Mike Bolin]

I'm shooting in the low 40# range now. Father time and wear and tear has caught up with me. Strength wasn't the issue that forced me to drop bow weight. No cartilage left in my bow shoulder. I still cut and split firewood and cut brush with no issues. It is the "pushing" movement that causes the pain. I'm grateful to still be able to shoot the weight that I can and once the shoulder is replaced, I will still shoot bows in the low 40#s.

[Terry Green]

It's not all macho, it's just what some people pull. Some are accurate and actually kill stuff.

[kennym]

It's not all macho, it's just what some people pull. Some are accurate and actually kill stuff.

Yup, whatever you are accurate with is what matters.  If not , you may have some long trails and nights.

[Blacktail42]

I would say is far away from being Macho but it seems from many bowyers I have spoken to and what you see on the classified ads, 40 lbs bows today are the premium and anything over 50 is for Hercules. I'm approaching 60 fast and thankfully my health is fine, I workout everyday and I can still shoot comfortably at the weight I choose to.

[Terry Green]

Yes Kenny,  accuracy is paramount.  After that it depends on if you have enough mojo for the animal you are hunting. So sick of macho labeling.

.

[Skates 2]

Some say macho, others say mickey mouse.

[Terry Green]

I like running 630 grain arrows and 4 blades through animals.  I do it frequently and it works. Been doing it for years. I must be macho.

[mgf]

Not that it's "heavy" but yesterday I pulled out my old 55# Howatt Hunter. I found a bundle of aluminum 400's in a corner that were already cut. They flew good with a 175 gr point. I've been shooting lighter bows for a while now so it took some shooting before things started to settle in but it was fun. Basically I ended up with an arrow that's about 100 grains heavier shooting about the same speed...still about 11.5 grains/pound. There's a big difference in the way it smacks the target.

The forty-something bows have been working fine for the hunting and shooting I do but I still have hopes of finding a big pig to shoot someday. Maybe I still don't need the extra ooomph?... but I like the bow and it's already paid for. LOL

[kbetts]

I just picked up my first sub 50# bow...a Fedora 560 Hunter at 48#.  Beautiful bow, seems to shoot well......don't like the feel of the draw.  It just feels spongy compared to my other bows.  That being said, it slings an arrow quite well.  I'm not ready to move down in weight yet.

[Blacktail42]

I never really thought of bow weight as being macho in any way, first of all no one can tell how many pounds you are drawing back just by looking at you so there is no one to impress. My thread here was meaning to point out how 25 years ago I would of bet I would see more bows over 50 if not 60 greater in availability, not so much these days. Thats all. No Macho Madness Mean Gene.

[2fletch]

I'm shooting in the low 40# range now. Father time and wear and tear has caught up with me. Strength wasn't the issue that forced me to drop bow weight. No cartilage left in my bow shoulder. I still cut and split firewood and cut brush with no issues. It is the "pushing" movement that causes the pain. I'm grateful to still be able to shoot the weight that I can and once the shoulder is replaced, I will still shoot bows in the low 40#s.

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.

[2fletch]

I was at an event where Byron Furgeson was asked why he shot such a heavy bow. He replied that he couldn't get a clean release with a lighter bow. For him, and some others, that is probably true. However, for many of us, we get a clean release at 40-45#. We are fortunate that there is a place for all of us in this quest for excellence.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

There are probably a couple things at play here...obviously aging folks reducing weight is one thing. New guys though, no matter when/what, tend to follow a herd. In the 80's and 90's the writers in magazines all shot heavy bows....and many folks (lots of folks on here) followed that trend and may have ended up overbowed following this trend.  Issues certainly came from that for some folks.

However, nowadays new, young guys are likely listening to podcasts where the podsters promote really light bows, or they might try to emulate target archers with light bows (watching "tuning" videos on YouTube). This is going to lead to problems with inexperienced guys shooting animals with bows of marginal horsepower, without much forgiveness for error. Wouldn't surprise me in 10 years if the cohort of today's new young guys are discussing why they have moved UP a few pounds when they get more hunting experience.

R

[Sam McMichael]

This circular discussion has just made one more loop. Some shoot heavy, some shoot light. Some handle heavy quite well, some do not. However, it is still up to the individual to choose, and it is not up to the rest of us to pass judgement on either group. Quite honestly, injured shoulder notwithstanding, if I could still handle the heavier stuff, I would still be shooting it. As for macho, who cares what others think? This argument is a little old by now. While both sides have valid points, I doubt if any minds have been changed.