Draw weight?

[Opie1974]

Just wondering what the minimum draw weight would be acceptable for hunting? Is 35# too light?

[Gump21Bravo]

Depends on what state you hunt check your local regulations and they will tell you what minimum draw weight should be...

Good Luck, Craig

[Opie1974]

In Pa, draw weight is nothing less then 35#, but I was wondering if it would get the job done?

[rolltidehunter]

Shoot a heavy arrow and use a sharp broad head. Take ethical shots and go HUNT!!!

[Fletcher]

35 lb is very marginal, but will do the job if used within its limitations.  Keep your shots close and perfectly placed and your broadhead razor sharp and you will do OK.  If you can handle it, more weight would be better.

[limbshaker]

Pick your shots carefully and stay away from the shoulder. Aim for lung shots. A sharp two blade and a close shot should do fine. Perfect, straight arrow flight will help too. Id keep my range to 15 yds max personally. By all means, if you're accurate with it try it! I wouldn't hesitate within these limitations.

[Opie1974]

I currently own a 47#@58" red wing, but seeing as how I'm just starting out, it seems to be a little too much right now to work on my form, I was thinking I'd pick up a lighter bow to work on form and was wondering if I could use it for hunting as well...

[Sam McMichael]

I consider it light, but I have always been a proponent of using the heaviest bow you can properly control. I used 78# as long as I was able to control it, then dropped to 65#, and now am down to 55#.

My first bow was 45#, which is about as light as I care to go. Nonetheless, if you are accurate, your equipment is well tuned, you keep your shooting range close, and use a very sharp broadhead, it will do the job.

I have shot a deer with a light Hill, and my wife has shot a number of deer with bows that were 37 and 38 pounds at her 26+ draw.  I would say that the deer should be more than twelve yards and less than 25 yards for optimal penetration. There is less penetration shooting down out of tree stand if the ribs are contacted high. Also, there is advantage if the arrow is done S curving before it hits the deer.  My wife has gotten a number of pass throughs hunting on the ground. I got a marginal pass through with the 26" draw on the 36 or 37 longbow, I would recommend getting the fastest bow you can afford if you are hunting that light. My wife's arrows run from 420 grains to 450 grains. I do not see the advantage of going heavier than that for light bows.

[Swamp Yankee]

Originally posted by Opie1974:
Just wondering what the minimum draw weight would be acceptable for hunting? Is 35# too light?

You might try a search for bow weight on this forum.  I'm sure you will find LOTS of opinions, both pro and con, about the subject.  At the end of the day, it's a personal choice only you can make.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

oregon is 40# for deer, and 50# for elk.... 35# is pushing it IMO.

But.... It would definitely do the job if shot placement was perfect. like said above. You'd have to stay close though. 15 yard max would be my suggestion. those arrows are going to loose their steam real fast.

a shorter bow, designed for lighter weight arrows is going to make a big difference on actual performance. Getting high performance out of low draw weight bows is easier said than done.

[bornagainbowhunter]

My 6 year old son is shooting a 30@24 Bear.  He is drawing right at 28#.  I only let him hunt squirrels and rabbits.  10# is not that much difference.  I would try for more draw weight...


 


God Bless,
Nathan

[duncan idaho]

Train physically and shoot something more than 35#. at least meet your state's requirement.

[Bjorn]

35# is very light. There is too much opportunity for a really bad day at both ends of the arrow-why take the chance? A really experienced hunter could make it work on smaller softer targets with proper shot placement and equipment preparation.

[bornagainbowhunter]

If a child shoots and practices enough to shoot close to 30#, surely a grown man can shoot 50#.  My 8 year old shoots an adult recurve that is 40# at his draw.  Both are able to hit a soda can 4 out of 5 time at 15 steps.  

I don't want to start a draw weight debate, but I personally think we should make more of an effort to shoot equipment that is more than borderline for the game we persue.  IMHO the thought that "it will work" is like shooting field points at game.  Sure, if you hit them right it will kill an animal, but why not use a broadhead and eliminate as many of the "if" questions as we possibly can.

God Bless,
Nathan

[Bowwild]

Like most are saying your first step is to make sure the bow meets your state's draw weight minimum if one is in place.  

Even if a minimum doesn't exist or it seems on the low side, you then have to make a series of decisions that will give you as close to a 100% chance at recovering the game you shoot as possible.

You are doing good asking a bunch of bowhunters here what they think or better yet, what their experiences have been.  Of course you are getting a variety of responses as people's experiences are different.  I'd be most interested in the actual anecdotes being shared by those who have used the set-up you are wondering about.

I've had two recurve "lives" hunting white-tail deer.  The first was when I was 16-20. The second has been 2010 through the present. In both cases my bows were 43-50#'s at my 26" draw weight. I can report that I've had no problem getting pass-through results on deer at 7-21 yards.  All my shots have been from tree stands. All have been broadside and I used 2-blade broadheads.  

Now this is going to be a wild suggestion but here goes....

If I ever find myself needing to drop below 40 pounds I would get with a friend who has just killed a deer and ask to do a quickie penetration test.  I realize it is questionable whether one can test on a live, even before field-dressing, deer. Of course even on live deer, attitude, shot angle, deer size, etc. can all produce different results.

But, if I could suspend the deer, before dressing and shoot it broadside in the center of the ribs I might be more or less comfortable using that tackle to hunt with.

I would expect excellent results with  the following conditions on a live hunt:  perfectly tuned arrows delivering a hair-shaving 2-blade broadhead to the broadside ribcage of an unalert deer from the ground or no higher than 12 feet in a tree.

[cahaba]

Here in Alabama it's 35 lbs. with 100 grain minimum weight broadhead and it has to be 7/8ths in. cutting width or better. It takes near perfect shot placement for that kind of weight but it will kill a deer and other critters.

[bornagainbowhunter]

Originally posted by Bowwild:

I would expect excellent results with  the following conditions on a live hunt:  perfectly tuned arrows delivering a hair-shaving 2-blade broadhead to the broadside ribcage of an unalert deer from the ground or no higher than 12 feet in a tree.

This is what I mean. I am NOT trying to pick on your setup, clearly you stated this only a hypothetical situation, but like you stated, everything must be perfect for this to work.  How many absolutly perfect scenarios have you had while hunting?  I have not had many.  Deer are usually quatering, or maybe they flinch, maybe they are farther than you think.  How many times have you dropped the string, only to have the situation change before your arrow reaches its destination?

I shoot bows on the heavy side, all of my bows are from 64#-70# at my draw.  I realize that it is not necessary for that kind of weight. As a matter of fact, I used to have a 53# bow that I killed many deer with.  However, I think we should strive to shoot bows that will still do the job whenever something alters the perfect situation.  

Like i mentioned earlier, a man should be able to shoot a 50# bow.  Maybe it is not comfortable for you at the moment, but strive to make it comfortable.  We work on being a proficient archer when it comes to accuacy, what is the big deal about doing the same with draw weight.

Again, I am not trying to stir up trouble, but we really need to think about what we are doing.  Why borderline failure, when with some effort we can achieve so much more.

God Bless,
Nathan

[Opie1974]

Nathan, I'm sure I could shoot a 50# bow given the time, like I said I shoot a 47# bow now, but every thing I read says draw the bow and if you can hold it to the count of ten its good, if not, your over bowed, I can hold my bow at full draw but by the time I count to ten, I'm shaking pretty good!  I'm not saying I will choose to hunt with the 35#, but seeing my state minimum, I was wondering IF it could be used.

Thank you for all of your opinions, I appreciate the info, this is a great site and I'm glad I can count on THE GANG to tell it like it is!

[bornagainbowhunter]

I really think that shaking or not, if you can hold to a count of 10, your all good.

I don't think I have had to hold on a deer for over 3 or 4 seconds, but I have never really paid attention.

You might want to slip over to the shooters forum and look at Terry Greens form topic. Once your locked in, holding where you are seems effortless.

God bless,
Nathan