Min # for hunting in a recurve

[Zach Mikita]

What is the lowest draw weight you would use in the field?

[Brian Gillispie]

Would or can,


Minimum draw weight in NC is 40 pounds.

Brian G

[suzie_shooter]

40# is minimum in IL as well

[jmc334]

35# in Alabama.

[Plumber]

what are you huntin? in M.D I think its 30-35 I dont think I would go less then 40lbs for whitetail.

[sweet old bill]

I have had women or youth take deer at 30 to 35 lbs with trad or compound.

The key is the right arrow and a good fixed blad BH.Also limit the shot to under 20 yards.

I think a lot of the states have gone from a set weight to a bow compound or trad bow that can cast a arrow so many feet.

Bill

[vtmtnman]

I personally wouldn't use less than 45#.

[Bonebuster]

35 lbs would be about the minimum I would recommend. A bit more is better.

[James Wrenn]

I follow the law so they make the min in most cases.They don't just pull numbers out of a hat.They make mins based on a weight that has been proven to work well on the game in that area.Follow the law and learn to shoot and you will never have problems. jmo

[CCWhitetail]

Maryland is 30#

[JOKER]

These minimum # laws that states have are just plain dumb!!

I could set up a good designed 40# bow with a long draw, heavy high FOC arrow with proper tuning and sharp broadhead and it would blow the doors of a poorly designed 70# bow with a short draw, light low FOC arrow with poor tuning and a dull broadhead.

So what is the point? The poundage of a bow is just one small part. Steve

[MI_Bowhunter]

48#, this covers the min weight for all the places I hunt.

[Swamp Yankee]

Back "in the day" I seem to remember that 40#-45# was probably the most common hunting weight.  Like most of us, that seems to have gained 10# over the years.
My take on it is if 40#-45# worked with those older and generally slower bows, then it should be more than enough with today's quicker bows for just about anything from a whitetail on down. I don't know about bears, moose or pigs.

[GrnMtnTradNut]

Probally 35-40 with a trad bow at your draw length. I know a woman that has killed 9 bears up to 580 live weight and numerous whitetails with her 37lb compound and has gotten a pass through on 90% of those and has never lost an animal.

[Don Stokes]

No such thing (for me). Performance is much more important than static draw weight. All bows are not created equal. If the bow has a decent cast, and I can hit accurately and consistently, I'll hunt with it. These things are independent of draw weight.

Obviously, State law trumps.

[wollelybugger]

Its 35 pounds in Pa. for legal hunting weight. A 35 pound compound would perform like a 50 pound recurve.  

[SpankyNeal]

The heaviest weight you can shoot well that meets the minimums required by the states you intend to hunt. Combine that with arrows designed for penetration i.e, perfectly tuned carbon shaft, 3 to 1 COI two blade head shaving sharp, around 10gpp in total weight, shot at responsible ranges for your, and your bows abilities and you'll get the job done!

[Tree man]

The legal minimum....but I might prefer more. For instance 35lbs at the archer's draw is legal for elk in Colorado. I would prefer more.-Not huge weight but more than 35. My "Elkbow" is 53#. One year when my shoulder was giving me lots of trouble I carried a 42# bow. I didn't shoot an Elk but I wasn't worried about the lethality of my set-up. I also don't worry about effectivenss of 30lb bows for deer in states where that is legal. Good flight , sharp heads and proper placement matter more than the drawweight on light big game animals.

[George D. Stout]

wooleybugger....a 35 pound compound would not necessarily compare to a 50 pound recurve.  Given a 10 grains per pound rating, the difference would be very little.

Don Stokes is correct.  I have a 45 pound recurve that will shoot 11 grains per pound farther than a 57 pound longbow will shoot 10 grains per pound.  One of the differences is I draw the recurve about an inch further.  It's about performance between the bow and the shooter.

Follow the state minimums and you will be okay. A little common sense goes a long way.

[Hattrick]

SPANKY HIT IT ON THE HEAD..as far as legal #s i agree with most of them you should not hunt big game with pea shooter