The trend of lighter and lighter ....

[wingnut]

Because of shoulder problems seems to be a common thread here.  All of us shot heavy for years and now we have problems with our shoulders. . . HMMMM.  I'm shooting a 45# BushWacker right now and loving it.  I'm building a 52#'r for elk this year.

I shoot 500 gr arrows on the 45# bow and 600 on the 52.

Mike

[bayoulongbowman]

I dropped to, 44, and 54 pounds 2 bows...myself, unless you hunt grizzly Bears or big elk...the lower poundages work , for in the southern areas...  

[Bill Carlsen]

After many years at this I think that with the modern designs of bows and the experimenting with carbon arrows (heavy FOC) many archers today can get similar or even better performance from mid weight and light weight bows than they could with heavier bows from earlier times. Even Howard Hill acknowledged that he shot heavy equipment to gain performance. My wife shoots 43# at her draw weight and has no trouble shooting thru animals with a heavy FOC carbon arrow and four blade heads. The whole idea is to be accurate. Doug Chase shot clean thru two asiatic buffalo in OZ using an unheard of 65# bow and killed two others with complete penetrtion thru the body cavity with the same set up. As bowhuters we currently live in the best of times. No longer do you need to revert to a compound to get adequate performance for hunting if you need to shoot light weight or simply prefer it. When I was a kid a 50# bow was considered a "big" bow and 60# was very rare. As much as some of you rail at anything the "smells" of compounds one of the remnants of the trend was to shoot heavy weight bows...70# or so. Coming from the compound mentality many have not been able to let go of the perception that one needs heavy bows to hunt with successfully. Hunting skills and accurage shooting are the primary concerns one should have.

[the Ferret]

Archer’s Bible Handbook from Kittredge Bow Hut 1959-1960 10th Anniversary Edition

“How to Select Your Bow by Kitt Katt. The most important single requirement for selecting a bow is that it should “fit the archer”.  This means that the bow weight is light enough so that the archer can pull it to his full draw without excessive effort or strain…not just a few
preliminary shots…BUT EVEN AFTER A FULL DAYS SHOOTING!  Due to the much greater efficiency of modern fiberglass bows, draw weights need not be nearly so heavy as those used even 10 years ago.  For a man who wishes to own but one bow for both hunting and field or target shooting, the wisest choice of weight will be between 45 & 50 #.  For field or target shooting only 35 to 45# with 40# the ideal.  If you buy a bow for just hunting, 48 to 52# is the best choice.”

This moment in time brought to you by The Ferret  

[2fletch]

A good performing bow of 45# is all that I want now. I agree with Pete W, "Hats off to sensible weights that you can shoot well"  I was comfortable shooting 55+ # at one time, but time takes it's toll. After a bout with shoulder pain, anyone can appreciate lower poundage bows.

There are a lot of guys who shoot heavy poundage bows comfortably, and there are those who shoot them  uncomfortably, or inaccurately.

I recall several guys shooting bows on a 3-D course with poundage of over 75#. They couldn't hold steady at their anchor point, had to snap shoot, and missed a lot of targets. You had to wonder what the point was.

[Pinecone]

As we all know the physics of arrow penetration has many variables...and that is why a pound of draw weight is not necessarily a pound...if you know what I mean.  First, some of the advanced stickbow designs are highly efficient and that makes a difference relative to energy transfer.  Then there are the other things mentioned...arrow shaft material, FOC, broadhead design, arrow weight, the ability to be accurate with a given bow, distance to the target,etc.
I admit that I am a fanatic about the details of all of these relationships.  But that is also why I don't hesitate to hunt with bows from 40# to 47# and have great results using them.  So...from my point of view the terms "light" and especially "too light" are relative at best.

Claudia

[bear1336]

I have been bowhunting for 52 years never owned a bow over 55 lbs, most of my hunting bow has been  46 to 48#  with no problems. Just keep those heads sharp and stay within your effective range.

[Littlefeather]

OH MY, That Claudia is a smart lady! Do say more please.     Just my opinion. CK

[Littlefeather]

OOOPPS! FAT FINGERS DOUBLE POST.

[bjk]

Curtis/Claudia or anyone shooting ~45lbr's +/- ...what is the setup?  I have some mid forty bows that I'd like to take for a walk next season and am wondering if there is a carbon arrow out there that will do it that some have tried.

I know I could just go and grab some 1916's and be done with it, but not testing and playing doesn't seem right  

[Littlefeather]

My set-up is simple the way I like to keep Trad Archery. I am currently shooting AD Traditional lites(carbons). I'm shooting around 12 grn per pound. I front load them with the 100 gr inserts and use a straight forward two blade broadhead. The one thing I do favor with the lighter bows is always using a two blade head to insure I will get it deep as it need to be. I'm not saying a 3-blade won't work but I do feel more comfortable about penetration with the 2-blade heads. Here is the results of my set-up a few weeks ago.

 

This is my Horne Brushbow 44#@26 1/2" draw. Using the AD Trad Lites front loaded with brass and a big ol' Sasquatch 2-blade. The fletch hung up on the outgoing side of the hog. Dang near a complete passthrough. Good enough in my book.     CK

[larry]

bjk, due to shoulder problems I've moved down to 45lbs at my 27" draw. I'm shooting both AD nitro lites and beman black max 500's, both weighing in right close to 490 grains. That's with 200grain up front on the black max's and 275 up front on the AD's. I'm getting on an average of 170fps. I haven't decided on a broadhead yet, it will either be a snuffer, tree shark or a razorcap, they all fly great and for deer and turkeys, I'm not really worried about penetration on either of them.

[bjk]

Ya know, I didn't even think of the 500's, which I love (and have some stock)...I guess there isn't a reason why a front loaded 500 wouldn't go perfect with the 45lbr's...I'm shooting the 400's out of a low/mid 50's so it sure makes sense...hate that  

Thanks

[T-Mac]

I'm shooting 45 to 55 pound bows depending on what I am shooting at. I do not want to go to snap shooting. I want to be able to hold the bow for a certain period of time and shoot, depending on the situation. For me it makes for better shooting. Arrow weight is 9 to 10 grains per # for hunting with sharp bh's. This is my preference for now anyway.

[Pinecone]

My set up is almost identical to Curtis's except I usyually shoot 35-55 GTs or Vapor 2000's.  I get the FOC using 100 grain inserts on a sharp Grizzly.

Claudia

[bjk]

Hey Claudia -- Where can I find the Vapor 2000's?  I had one and it did shoot well.

Thx for the info

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

One of the questions I asked Tim & Gabby Cosgrove when I did the Kustom King interview concerned trends in draw weight they'd seen over the years. I thought it was interesting that years ago they rarely sold a 45# bow. Now they hardly ever see an order for one 60# or more.

Something my paternal grandfather always used to say comes to mind: "You don't need more than 40# to kill a deer". Judging my all teh venison in his freezer every year, I'd be hard pressed to disagree.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by Ray Johnson:
As I posted earlier,I'm only pulling 40# with a 400gr arrow.I've never hunted with this setup so I don't know what it will do from my own experience.I'm only going by what I've read and heard from others,which is that there have been plenty of deer killed with the same setup as I'm shooting.I'm shooitng 10grpp.My bow is quiey and reasonably fast.I don't want the added trajectory of a heavier arrow.Even at 20 yards,adding 100gr would be quite a bit of speed loss.I feel very confident that my setup will kill any deer if I hit it in the vitals.Does anyone really think that a 400gr arrow traveling at 170fps will not penetrate the ribcage of a whitetail deer?

You are getting 21.38 pounds of kinetic energy with that set up..(170 x 170 x 400 divided by 540240 = 21.38 3's KE)...

Your shot placement on a deer would be critical. 21 pounds of KE is not going through a shoulder blade, or even through the front of the rib cage.....elk would be out of the question with that set up....it wouldn't get past a rib.... 20 yards & under under, low and right behind the shoulder would do the job nicely on a deer.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Well i gotta throw my .02 cents in here....although I'm bran new to traditional archery, I'm no stranger to archery. the Kinetic energy and arrow speed can be augmented with accuracy, penetration, and all kinds of philosophy meandering.....Books have been written, and the philosophies of light vs. heavy arrows and bows will be never ending.....

Considering this is a traditional forum, and most here reading this are using traditional gear. I'm surprised no one has mentioned that basic shooting principles is a major factor in how heavy a bow one should shoot to maintain good form. The even push-pull tension needed for a smooth release and good accuracy is critical. the amount of weight needed to achieve this is going to change from person to person. it's a very individual thing here folks....what may be perfect for one person, isn't going to work for the next.....

I hear a lot about "Snap Shooting" vs "hold & release" style shooting. the physical dynamics of shooting a traditional bow consistently accurate is only as consistent as the shooter replicating the same exact draw & release over and over again.....pulling and holding 40 pounds for 3-5 seconds i can do easily.....65#'s is another story....I'm wanting to let go a little quicker.....

What i have found to be true is with a lighter bow i can easily draw. i hold too long and my anchor point has too much opportunity to change slightly.....I've got a 42# re-curve i started with that is very inconsistent.....now then...when i went up to 65# my shot placement was much better, but still....consistency was a problem....hence forth, and to-wit "Snap" shooting would be an appropriate description of this weight for me.......BUT!!!!! When i dropped to 57#'s i found myself pulling smooth bacto anchor and releasing all in one fluid motion. i have the ability to hold the draw a few seconds without a problem if necessary, and still keep the the back tension "push-pull" close to the same every time.....i can shoot the heavier bow more accurate than the lighter one.....Why? Because it forces me to have good push-pull form, and my release is more consistent....

Maybe a seasoned traditional target shooter can use a lighter bow with the same accuracy of a heavier one because of training and form ingrained through practice.....for the average archer we are all going to have our own magic number on the poundage that shoots the best for us......

Penitration, KE, and all the other phisics & philosphy dosen't mean anything if you are not getting good shot placement consistanly.....

High speed, lighter arrows shoot flatter and can greatly increase your accuracy when shooting pins and judging yardage between 35 and 50 yards.......They are also much harder to tune and are very unforgiving with the slightest human error. The heavier slower traveling arrow at close yardage is very effective, an MUCH more forgiving to shoot quiet and consitantly.....

The bottom line is get set up with what shoots good for you, and sharpen your broad heads to a razor edge......

I know.....02 cents worth????? Ok....i got two buck worth in here....i  can't help myself...Kirk

Oversized picture.

[Rick McGowan]

Why is it only that on everyone of these, "whats the lightest" threads(which are nearly a daily thing now), I NEVER see anyone posting about the animals that ran off with an arrow in them, never to be found, because of insufficient penetration? I KNOW it happens, I've seen it happen, I've had it happen to myself, back when I started hunting with a 45# bow. I've spent DAYS of hunting time helping others track animals that they didn't get enough penetration on. I've found dead deer in the woods with arrows in them that didn't go in far enough. I've read articles where I knew that the writer didn't get enough penetration on the animal in question, but that was never mentioned. You hear trout fisherman bragging about how light a tippet they used to catch a trout, but bowhunting is catch and release, is it? For sure you can kill the average 100# whitetail with a very light bow, if everything is perfect, but what about when its not? Suppose that once in a lifetime 230# buck shows up, just a few yards farther than that maximum range you set for yourself and he's not broadside, in fact he's a bit past quartering away, are you going to pass up the shot? Really? Its nearly always mentioned in these threads that lighter bows are accurate and heavy bows aren't, thats just a load of huoie. I've shot bows from very light to well over 80#'s and as long as you can draw and hold them the HEAVY bows are EASIER to shoot accurately. Howard Hill credited his shooting skill to shooting heavy bows and I know quite a few others who will agree with him. Why do you think the compound guys use releases? Its nearly impossible to get a smooth release with very light poundage. This is of course all about bowhunting, a target archer only needs his arrow to stick in the target, nothing more. My father is nearly 80, just a couple years ago, he killed several deer with a 67# bow, I mentioned to him all these threads about low poundage, he said, "they're lazy". Its not my intent to offend anyone, but it is a fact that we are now the fattest and laziest people in the history of the planet and getting fatter and lazier every year. When I started out bowhunting a few decades ago, the question was ALWAYS, "how much poundage do I need to work up to" and the answer was always "you should hunt with the heaviest bow you can shoot accurately", now the question can always be paraphased as "what the least amount of effort I can put out"?