Bow weight for 70 year olds

[shick]

I'm shooting 43-46# recurves; hunted with a 46# Bear TD this year;  My old style SanMarco longbow is 49#.  Both are comfortable.  Will be 78 in April.
Shick

[Roger Norris]

This is a very interesting topic. I am turning 62 soon, and "aging" is really on my mind.

I recently went from 60# and 65# down to #50. I am enjoying shooting my bow so much more.

I also hit the gym at least 3 times a week, often 5x. It is a local gym that has a variety of workout programs, and I do a a version of "crossfit light" and I box. I have it in my head that I am training for bowhunting and for "my last decade". I am still carrying an extra 20# but thats diet.

My plan is to keep my arms, back, and shoulders healthy so that I can pull a hunting weight bow as long as I can.

A lot of this stays in my head because of my friendship with Ron LaClair. Ron was a beast of a man in his prime....often hunting with 90# and 100# bows. Well into his 70's I watched him hang treestands, unstring heavy bows while sitting in a recliner.....he was very strong.

 I was with him when he shot what I believe was his last arrow. We had just pulled into ShrewHaven. Ron's health was failing...honestly I was irresponsible for taking him up to camp. We got out of the truck and he sat on his chair on the porch....he asked me to string the bow he planned on hunting with. I watched him struggle to pull back that light, 30# pound. He sent a perfect arrow....probably 25 yards to the target and dead on. But that was it. His muscles were failing. He couldn't draw it again.

Watching him struggle with what he would have called "a kids bow" kinda haunts me.

[MnFn]

Terry,
Right now I want to shoot both.  I shoot my recurves a little better but I still want to be as competent with my longbows. Currently I have two Black Widows that are 51#, one Tall Tines that I have 47# and 52 # limbs, a Liberty Edge longbow that is 44#, and a St Patrick Lake Mushin Styk longbow that is 48#.

Before I bought my last Black Widow recurve I asked Roger if reducing it at a future date was possible. He checked the build on it and replied they could take 5lbs off that particular bow. So I think I am good for the foreseeable  future.

I still have the 40lb Shakespeare “Wonderbow” that started my journey with bowhunting in 1965, just in case the others get too heavy.

[rufus_d]

At 75 I try to shoot everyday. I only shoot super-recurves. I prefer the draw-cycle. one piece and ILF limbs.
Weights 45 to 49 LB at 28" I've noticed my draw length seems to have shortened over the years. Every time
I shoot I think of Fred Bears line"Nothing clears the mind like shooting a bow."

[MnFn]

Roger, I am glad you mentioned a memory of the last arrow with Ron.
It reminded me of my uncle Gene, who was a very good bow hunter. He taught me how to set up my bow.  I remember my dad and I asking uncle Gene if we could hunt for deer on his land.

Gene was already diagnosed with Parkinson’s but it was early in the progression stages.  He replied “sure- you know, I think I could still shoot my old Bear recurve “.   So he went out hunting with us. He didn’t get a shot but you could tell he enjoyed going out one last time. Pretty sure that was his last bowhunting opportunity.

[mnbwhtr]

I'm 76 and until my fall (rotator cuff)in June I was  shooting my Toelke Whip at 61#. My rehab guy said I could start shooting again this week but light bows. Right now I'm shooting a 35# Bear T/d and have limbs that are 40, 46,48 and 52 to work into. I'll have to see where it goes from here.

[Davt]

I am just a kid at 65. I shoot a variety of bows from 47# to 63# at my draw length. The heavier bows are sinew backed osage. I do spend time every day drawing bows, perhaps 50-100 times a day to keep muscles in shape. Most importantly I do exercises EVERY DAY isolating my rotator cuff on each arm to keep these little muscles in shape. Shooting heavier bows requires some discipline but it can be done as we get older. Why do I do it? Because it is the bows I own and I am too broke to buy new one. We will see what happens when I'm 70.

[SuperK]

Guys, enjoy it while you can!  Arthritis in my shoulder robbed me of my trad bow shooting and hunting.  I LOVED trad bowhunting,shooting , making wooden arrows etc. for 55 years.  You will never know how much you miss it until its gone.....

[BAK]

I'm 75 and over the last 5 years I noticed I feel better with about 5 pounds less.  I'm trying to hold at or near 45.   That's a 20 pound drop from what I was shooting in my 40's.

[Stykbowslim]

I hit the big 70, last Sept.. I'm currently shooting ~61# at my draw length. I used to shoot 64-70# when I was in my 30's, 40's and 50's. Dropped down to the 60# range when I was in my sixties. I'm not a big guy - only 5'-8" 185#. I've been shooting a recurve/longbow since I was 9 years old. Today, I'm more physically active since I retired from the corporate world and bought a farm five years ago. Doing outside work, farm work, digging holes, building buildings, and generally staying active has helped me stay somewhat in decent physical condition - I call it "Farm Fit"...  I still hang my own stands, though my 43 year old son says I should wait until he's around to hang stands... in case the "oldman" falls and breaks a hip

[Target Panic]

I am 84. I never could should bows heavier than 40lbs worth a darn so right now I am shooting a Roy Hall 40lb long bow. I also experimenting with a 30lb long bow. I like the lighter bows. One of my friend just dropped from a 50lb to a 40lb bow and he likes it a lot better.

[1Canvas]

I will be 70 this year and my compound has been set at 50# for five years and I use 150 grain Magnus Buzzcuts. For my recurve I’m at 40# and use Magnus two blade Stingers.

[Chuck Jones]

71, and have shot 45# for about 20 years now because of a shoulder injury. In the past I shot as much as 94#, but 45# gets the job done just fine on everything from big hogs and deer  to bears.

[MnFn]

This reminds me of something my dad said once. We asked him what size boot he wore.  He said “Well, I can fit into size nine but a twelve feels a lot better.”

[Trenton G.]

I think it's like golf. You want to try and shoot your age!

[Mike Manassa]

I'll be 73 in a couple months, shooting my 44# Northern Mist comfortably. I shoot a dozen arrows twice a day.

[Bob Morrison]

I'll be 78 in less than a month. Golden Years my A$$. been shooting 40#+- @ 26" for the last 5-6 years, with the right bow and arrow setup is more than enough for deer. shoot the most poundage you can comfortably and (Most Important) accurately. if you can't hit where you need to, poundage doesn't matter.   

[longstiks]

I’ve also got 2steel hips.I don’t hunt like I used to but just retired and looking forward to getting back into it. They’ve got 4 wheelers where I’ll hunt so I won’t have to drag them. I’ve dropped from 60 to 50#due to shoulder injuries. Best of luck to you!

[black velvet]

I'm 80 and can still shoot and hunt with my 55lb. bows. But I prefer using my bows in the 43 to 48lbs.

[Kirkll]

I turned 69 last fall, so I’m staring 70 right in the mug this coming year. I think you’ll find a wide spread of draw weights guys still use as they get older. Depends a lot on how much you shoot, injuries of the past, and how good of shape you are in.

I used to shoot pretty heavy bows for many years up to 100# . Those days are gone. Have been for awhile now. I’d be lucky to hold 65# very long now, and won’t shoot that heavy any more. Not because I can’t… because I don’t want to tears something loose.  That’s the bad one of getting older is that you don’t heal up like you used to. A torn muscle can take a year to heal up… Sad but true…

Kirk