What do I gain by going heavier?

[Ground Hunter]

Well let me ask this question.  If you could really control and shoot well, a heavier bow, say 70#s, would you hunt it or your 48 pound bow?  

I'll be 58 years old next month.  I'm shooting 80#s right now - quite well.  Do I need to shoot 80#s?  No.  Will I stop?  Only if I have too.

[Archie]

Groundhunter,

I'd shoot a heavier bow, no question.  If it weren't for the cost factor, the only limiting factor would be the health of my shoulders.  I already have a 60# recurve that I shoot whenever I want, with no problems or lack of control.

[Ground Hunter]

Archie, I think you have answered your own question.  Use your head and work up slowly, its not a race.  There are a number of threads on this site where folks talk about how they gained bow weight.  Go slow.  No brain - No gain.  Used bows are a good option.  But, hunt only - ONLY - when you are ready with the bow.  Good luck, I think you will do well.

[Steve95]

If money is the issue, then don't order a new bow. Your set up is plenty enough. Times are a changing and you might be surprised that you might really need a lighter bow. I know I seem to be going that way.
Maybe you should try making a self bow. Good luck.

[Jeff Strubberg]

I wouldn't change a thing, if I were you.  48@31" with any modern longbow is enough juice to hunt moose.  

A wiser man once said "Penetration into the ground behind the animal is wasted effort.".

[smokin joe]

You have a long draw, and that long power stroke can trump a shorter draw with more weight. A bow that fits right and feels right is a blessing -- and it sounds like that is exactly what you have right now. The curiosity and thrill of getting a new bow is pretty hard to beat, but a bow that is "just right" is far more important. With your long draw length you get great performance. If it were me, I would love to try a new bow, but I would probably know that I have a winner already -- and I would resist the temptation.

But that's me.

[str8jct]

Technically speaking (this is conjecture, not fact and i am no expert) any bow of the same make pulled to the same draw shooting the same gpp arrow (48#=480 grns, 58#=580grns) should shoot the same trajectory (arrow speed will most likely be the same) with similiar bow noise and feel.  The only gain I can think of would be an increase in kinetic energy and better penetrating capabilies at longer ranges.  Using my comepletely made up theory I used an online KE calculator to assume that your are now shooting 10gpp arrows(480gr) at 180fps-the KE for this setup would be 34.54.  Your new bow will shoot a 580gr arrow at the same 180 fps with KE being 41.74. (a 20% gain in weight and KE) If your bow happens to be FAST and it shoots these arrows at 195fps the KE goes from 40.5 to 48 which is only a 19% gain in KE for the 20% gain in weight.  As most experts will tell you a KE of 25 is needed to kill deer with at least 40 recommended for elk and larger game; however I'm certain testimonies can be given of dead animals with much less KE.  I'm sure you are all just as confused as I am right now.  

So to answer your question Archie-I think the only things you would gain would be a tiny bit of regret and a lighter wallet....all of which I try to avoid.

[Looper]

Remember that a 48@31 bow is going to sling an arrow as fast as a 60@28 bow shooting the same weight arrow.  You have more than enough power for any elk, moose, hog, or black bear. A lower weight wil be a lot easier on you, especially if you have to draw after sitting in the cold for a while, or need to hold at full draw for any length of time.

[el greco]

For what is worth I am trying to work my way up.I don't know why but shooting a lighter bow after you you work your way up a little, seems like you are handling a kids toy(not that a 45 pound bow is a toy,but you know what I mean)

[drewsbow]

If I was looking at this same dilema , I would go heavier on my arrow set up not bow set up. As said before optimize your arrow and you will gain far more then if you increase bow weight. This is all just mu opinion of course. Drew

[Archie]

If I remember right, I'm shooting about 650 grain arrows.  (I've been fiddling with my arrow set-up a bit.)  I've never chrono'd a bow, so don't know what kind of speed I'm getting.  

I really do have a fantastic bow already.  Not only is it as smooth as butter to shoot and shoot and shoot, but it is (in my opinion) the prettiest Black Widow longbow I've ever seen.  If she were 53#, I wouldn't be asking this question; she would be the ONE.

[drewsbow]

AAHH but if she was 53 she might not be the one either . I have a long draw like you and shoot low 40's bows which get about the same as you are getting. I have complete faith in my set up and know it will get the job done.The arrows I have just set up for hogs are 850 gr and shoot about 140 fps but the fly great and are acurate . They hit like a ton of bricks and sail right through animals.

I believe that what you have now will do the trick......but.......I also believe that a person should hunt with the most draw weight that they can shoot accurately with. The extra umph is bound to help with bad shots on big bone, etc.

Bisch

[BowHunterGA]

Originally posted by Bisch:
I believe that what you have now will do the trick......but.......I also believe that a person should hunt with the most draw weight that they can shoot accurately with. The extra umph is bound to help with bad shots on big bone, etc.

Bisch

Well said.

[Chromebuck]

Archie,

Your getting plenty of knowledgeable responses, but the one thing I haven't seen mentioned is that some states have a minimum draw weight requirement for different large game animals.  Alaska has a 50lb minimum draw weight on Moose.  I believe 45lb on boo, black bear and deer.  Just another variable for your equation.

~CB

[Archie]

Wow, Chromebuck... I guess I didn't realize that!  I lived in Fairbanks for over 20 years, and even as a teen didn't hunt with a bow less than 50 pounds, so this was a moot point back then, and the rule never stuck in my mind.  Ha!  You'd think I would have known that...

[GrayRhino]

Originally posted by looper:
Remember that a 48@31 bow is going to sling an arrow as fast as a 60@28 bow shooting the same weight arrow.  You have more than enough power for any elk, moose, hog, or black bear. A lower weight wil be a lot easier on you, especially if you have to draw after sitting in the cold for a while, or need to hold at full draw for any length of time.

Looper, is there a formula used to make that calculation?  I'd be curious to run some numbers on my draw length and poundage to compare with a 28in draw.

[Sam McMichael]

I have really enjoyed the responses posted on this thread. A lot of guys have wisely pointed out that you don't necessarily need a heavier bow. I understand the idea of wanting a heavier bow if you are going to get an appropriate performance return. It seems that you already are squared away on the need and methodology of training up carefully for a heavier bow.The suggestion that you look for a used bow of the type you are already shooting make sense since cost is a prominent factor. You have a fun dilemma, because you won't be making a mistake, whichever choice you decide on. I look forward to hearing which way you go on this.

[tippit]

As one who is on the downward slide of weight, almost any bow will bring home the bacon on a good hit.  The heavier bow will blow through some marginal hit that the lighter bow will bounce off.  Pending your age & health, you can always come back to the lighter bow...but you ain't going back up later in life     tippit

[Looper]

Originally posted by GrayRhino:
 

Originally posted by looper:
Remember that a 48@31 bow is going to sling an arrow as fast as a 60@28 bow shooting the same weight arrow.  You have more than enough power for any elk, moose, hog, or black bear. A lower weight wil be a lot easier on you, especially if you have to draw after sitting in the cold for a while, or need to hold at full draw for any length of time.

Looper, is there a formula used to make that calculation?  I'd be curious to run some numbers on my draw length and poundage to compare with a 28in draw. [/b]

Here is a link to a thread where this was recently discussed:  http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=112585;p=1  . Look specifically at John Havard's posts.

I might be a pound or two off up or down when I say that 48@31 will equal 60@28, but I've concluded that a good rule of thumb is to add 4# for every inch over 28" to get an equivalent poundage. So a 50@29 would equal a 54@28, a 50@30 would equal a 58@28, etc.

If you go to the A&H Archery site and look at the bow performance section, you can find a lot of useful information.  http://www.acsbows.com/bowperformance.html