For those who decreased draw weight..........

[skychief]

......how much did it help your accuracy?  Thanks, Skychief.

[longstick]

a TON! I can hold at full draw longer which gives me the ability to get a better sighe picture

[Bjorn]

It did not really improve accuracy, and that was not my motivation anyway.

[owlbait]

Not sure about increasing my accuracy but it sure increased my enjoyment.

[Scott Gray]

I shoot better now than I ever have. I shoot a 58 inch 42 lbs@28 inch BlackCreek Banshee. It is quick little bow.

[Swamp Pygmy]

In that pinch moment it can decide if you're accurate or not.

You never know when a deer may slow his gait, making how hold draw for a few seconds longer than you thought.

[Biggie Hoffman]

I have more "flyers" now cause the string doesn't RIP from my fingers anymore. I have to retrain myself to release smoothly. Hopefully, it's just temporary.

[Curveman]

Biggie, I had the same problem when I picked up my 50# bow but I was only shooting (trying)it for fun. I don't see any reason for me to shoot a lighter bow.

[James Wrenn]

If you drop too much you do have to work on your release more.A light weight bow is harder to get back tension on for good shooting if you are used to a heavy bow.I do think however once you work at it and get better with the light bow you will shoot all bow weights better.jmo
It takes a little while.I think everyone has a certain weight range they shoot better than others.

[mooseman76]

I agree James.  My accuracy is best with a bow in the mid to upper 50#'s at my draw length.  Anything lower and my release isn't as crisp.  Higher and I short draw alot...Mike

[James Wrenn]

Yeah I have been up and down the weight scale myself.Give me a bow around the upper 40s range and I will shoot my best day in and day out.Because of a shoulder injury last year I had to shoot a 40lb bow a lot.I had to work hard to get where I could shoot it and never got to where I could shoot it as well on a regular basis as my normal weight bows.We are all different and for someone else it might be a 40lb bow is just right or for another it might be 70lbs.I think finding that perfect weight range is a very important step to good shooting.jmo

[Swamp Pygmy]

It sounds to me like alot of you guys are just substituting high weights for a proper release.

thats kinda like getting a faster bow because you can't judge distance well. treating the symptom not the problem.

[mooseman76]

Pygmy, I didn't keep going up in weight till I found a bow that gave me a clean release so your theory of treating symptoms goes out the window.  I've been shooting bows in the mid to upper 50's for a long time now.  When I try to shoot a bow that is much lighter in draw weight I don't get a clean release.  I could spend time with it and work on my release with a lighter poundage, but I don't intend on dropping my weight till my body makes me.  I may also be treating the "symptom" by not shooting heavier weights.  I could always attack the "problem" and stretch and strengthen my rotator cuffs, upper back muscles, etc... to shoot the heavier weights, but I'm comfortable where I'm at...Mike

[Jedimaster]

Maybe not you moose but I do think pygmy is on to something.  I have been tempted to shoot heavier bows because I shoot them better.  I have long speculated that it was due to a better release.  The problem is that I can't shoot the heavy ones for very long and my shoulders complain later.  I have to work at it a bit more at the lower weight but as James said, I see an overall increase in accuracy with any weight.  I'm sure there are some among us that are doing the same.

Skychief,  I dropped about 10 pounds and it takes some getting used to for the reasons mentioned.  I feel that I am becoming a better archer.  Mainly I'm able to shoot more and concentrate on the target better.  My form is improving and when I do pick up the heavier bow it shows.

[Old York]

Target-practicing at 10 F above puts a very different light on how accurate I am with my "heavy" bow. Especially that first shot.

[SL]

I have found that its hard to pull a heavy bow wrong.I tend to aggravate my shoulder with the lighter weight bows(50lb)because I get sloppy and try to muscle the bows too much.I went back to the 59 to 64 lb which are heavey for me and shoot much better because my form has to be right and back tension is easier to achieve. I realize form should be consistent regardless...but...I guess I'm lazy.
SL

[Night Wing]

I'm going to a lighter weight. In the state of Texas where I live, there is a move to drop the minimum of 40 lbs to no minimum weight come this September. I shot target archery when I was a teenager so my release is still good since I use a tab for bow hunting. I don't snap shoot. I hold at full until something in my mind says, release. I'm looking at getting a 68" long, 35# @ 30" Brackenbury Legend recurve bow. I plan on using this bow for target archery, bowhunting frogs, rabbits and javelina. Besides, it's a good excuse to get another bow.

[Dick in Seattle]

I had jsut sent this off on another thread (fastest bow at 40#), but it seems even more apropo here:

When I had to drop weight substantially this past winter I looked into the ILF bows. I tried all of the ILF trad risers and found all of them to be good but ended up keeping a Trad Tech Titan because it seemed to fit me bet (I have a very small hand). Anyway, I tried a bunch of different limbs and ended up with short Flute foam core recurves that pull 36# at my 25" draw. I use 1616 arrows that weigh in at the same 9 gr. per lb. I had been shootng on heavier bows and actually found this setup shot faster and flatter than I had before. I actually stretched my effective range out.

I made the change due to arthritis pain, and I also found the thin flat recurve limbs to be smoother drawing than the same weight longbows, which I love and still shoot, but I'm just reporting what I experienced here. Right now, if I could go back to the heavier bows, I wouldn't... I'm enjoying shooting light ones and doing better than i ever did.

Don't feel that you're limited by low draw weight unless you want to hunt... then work at the lower limit for your state, but, as noted above, limit your shots to those you are confidant of making.

[aroflyte]

I've dropped 10 lbs in draw wt due to hand and shoulder surgerys and noticed an increase in scores. Plus shooting a field round or indoor tournamen, I'm not beat by the weight after shooting a lot.

[Warren Cowen]

Hey,
 Shooting with lower poundage ( 48 lbs.), yes I shoot with more accuracy, but the biggest advantage of it is I don't have the shoulder and neck problems that I used to. And that makes a ton of difference.