why is less always the answer to some guys?

[Terry Green]

I would like to add that folks that don't know or don't execute  the correct way to shoot NOT be included with  those that  do.

Many are over bowed for various reasons but its not fair for those that can handle more weight be thrown info those stats.

We are not all the same and one size, or weight does not fit all.


   

[Richard in OK]

I"m not going to read six pages of this. I'm responding at the end of page 1. I've shot heavier bows (high 50s), but now I shoot 50# and 46#, because I want my shoulders to live as long as I do. I'm 68, but age is not the issue. I'm not big. I think 50# allows me to hit what I'm shooting at. I'm going to do what I can do well, not what someone else thinks I can do.

Richard

[Bowwild]

No blasting from me, especially not of a fellow with the Faith to have that "handle".

I don't know when the heavy bow (greater than 55#) became popular. It must have been while I was "gone" from traditional sometime in the 1980-1990s?  When I was a teenager and in my early twenties, at least in Indiana where I began, most folks were shooting 45-55 pounds and a lot more at 50 than anything else.  Our quarry, whitetail deer, although rare were quite allergic to this tackle.  I notice there seem to be certain bows (very good ones I might add) such as the Bighorn that don't seem to have been made less than mid-60#s?

When I made an effort to return to recurves in December 2008, I began by shooting a 59# recurve -- just to get ready to hunt with a 52#er.  In less than 3 weeks I had pain in my shoulder (I had been shooting 60-74# compounds for 34 years). I'm not certain this 59# bow caused the damage, it could have been carrying too much lumber for a DIY home project. However, I was done shooting any bow until August of 2009.  That episode cost me many hundreds of dollars and worse, I was restricted to two shots (job-related) out of a Genesis compound (20 pounds) a month during that 8-month period.

I'm certainly not a minimalist in my spiritual, work, or recreational life. Frankly, I overdo most things.  I was still playing softball at 50.  I tried to return to it at 57 but my knee said no.  

I subscribe to the theory that almost all bowhunters want to be successful. They want their shots to be accurate, ethical, and result in dead beasts. They will research, ask questions, and evaluate their own experiences to settle on a combination of choices that make this happen.  

When the strain of drawing a bow to a solid, held anchor disrupts the subconscious performance of my shot process, I'm shooting too much draw weight. I also shoot every day, several times a day at times. I'm "stuck" at 46-49 pounds and very satisfied.  My 33-year old son is a 6'2" 241 pound ROCK.  He shoots 52# recurves but can press 8 times that.

Those who shoot ultra-heavy equipment well, certainly have some advantages; flat trajectory, heavier arrows, and maybe a bit more leeway regarding body angle of their quarry.  However, the "stuff" of a great bowhunter is found in the heart and the mind, not the arms or the back.

[buckster]

O.K. My hunting buddy from another Mummy,  a very  good thread & can't believe I'm just seeing it.

Although most of my bows are low to mid-50's, I agree with what others have stated about getting a much cleaner release on higher poundage bows.

I shot Pat Kelly's 78# longbow about 20 times recently at Shiloh & was impressed with how tight my groups were at like 16-18 yards.  Plucking, double-clutching or sloppy release issues are defenitely negated.

I'm pushing 50 & have a 10" screw in my left shoulder from an old training exercize in the Marines, so I doubt I'll push the envelope too much;  but I think that archers should aim to shoot the highest hunting weight bows that they can control.  

Shooting more weight pays off for marginal hits because added weight can result in PASS-THROUGHS.....which equates to blood on the ground, always a good thing!        

[Kevin Dill]

I might mention that heavier poundage bows are often credited with helping the release/shot. The added tension definitely makes for a faster release off the finger tips. That acknowledged, I've shot bows from 40 to 70+ pounds and don't have a release issue within those weights. I get as good/clean release with moderate poundage as with heavier. I credit that to correct form and shooting habits.

[Stryder]

Great discussion.  Good form is a must.  Striking the balance that gives you confidence in your hunting set-up when you're in the woods.  
 
My Dad wouldn't let me deer hunt until I could shoot 50# accurately.  So I did.  My Dad wouldn't let me elk hunt until I could shoot 60# accurately.  So I did.  He's 65 now and he stills pulls the heavier bow ... and he's still a better shot.  His passion for longbows and elk keeps him young.  I guess I'll just follow his lead.
   

[Pointer]

Interesting post Nathan..I'm one of those guys with a true 30" draw..I generally hunt with 50-52 lbs. I've shot heavier bows..One of my old Bears draws 65lbs for me..My shoulders and back  hold up just fine but my fingers get torn up something awful. Doesn't seem to matter what kind of tab I use...my ring finger will develop a blood blister beneath the skin after 20 shots with that bow...very painful and not at all enjoyable.

With my draw length and a 500 grain arrow on any of my 50-53 lb bows I never worry about having enough bow...not for the whitetails I chase every fall.

So for me, I just can't see the benefit of tearing up my fingers with a heavier bow. I guess if I ever got out west to hunt elk I'd have to work something out with a heavier bow..

[Mike Mecredy]

Who's Nathan?

[JamesKerr]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
i'll add one important imho caveat - IF you clearly are able to way more than handle a 65# stickbow, but choose to play with a 45# bow, THAT is a disservice to yerself and the game you pursue.

maybe that's what you were really gettin' at, nathan?

Exactyly how I feel as well. Well said Rob.

[LimBender]

I thought this was gonna be a thread about primitive hunting  

[pdk25]

I personally don't care what anyone else shoots for the most part.  While I think the majority of the post was geared to whether people were taking the easy way out, I think that when people have to ask the question of whether 'fill in the blank' is enough for 'fill in the blank', it kind of looks like they are striving for the minimum.  That likely isn't the case, and more likely is that they are new to this game and don't realize what others have done with lighter equipment or haven't discovered the joys of the search feature on this site.  There is really nothing wrong with knowing roughly what is the minimum for a given task.  It doesn't mean that you have to use that minimum, it is just a framework.  When I went hunting Buff, the general consensus was that around 70# was the minimum recommended, and I definitely wanted to know that(although differences in setup and bow efficiency certainly have a say in this).  I decided to get an efficient bow which was around 82# at my 29" plus draw.  Whether or not it was needed, it made me feel better.  Plenty of guys were successful with far less.

[BDann]

I've never really thought that less was the answer;  I picked a bow that would do what I asked it to, when I asked it to be done.  I can shoot my "heavy" 60lb bow as well as my 50lb bow, but I'm afraid that after I sit for a while and get cold that I might not do my very best.  Hopefully I'll get to the point where I know that my first shot on a cold morning will be equal with both bows, and I'll keep working to that end.

Sometimes less is a good answer, sometimes more is a good answer.

[modr]

58yrs old, 5'10,190lbs,shot 53lbs for years,built up to 62lbs this year, took work, 53 killed just as good as the 62, shoot whatever makes you happy. Ray

[park]

Hi bornagain,I fit the description of being 6ft 250lbs shooting a 40lb bow.I was wondering what you think i should be using and how do i get there?

[Echo62]

I know this isn't exactly what you were getting at with this post, but I can tell you why less is the answer for this guy. Severe arthritis in my cervical spine has left me with a pinched nerve (C-6) that controls my right arm and causes me a considerable amount of arm and shoulder pain. A sports injury has left me with arthritis and tendonitis in my right shoulder. So to continue to enjoy something that I truly love I have had to drop down to a 43# bow. Can I shoot a heavier bow, yes, but it causes enough pain that I can't enjoy what I'm doing. My physical therapist told me once that just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Am I not pushing myself by shooting just 43#? I don't think so. I'm just doing what it takes to enjoy the sport I love. I wish I could shoot a higher poundage, when I could still pull it, I found a 55#  bow easier to shoot accurately than a 43# bow is now. If I am ever in a situation when I'm not sure my 43# bow will humanely kill the animal I'm looking at I won't shoot it. Judge not lest thee be judged. What weight bow someone chooses to shoot is personal and should be left as such. Not slamming or disageeing with you. Just passing on my view. God Bless.

Originally posted by Mike Mecredy:
Who's Nathan?

Nathan is the OP.....bornagainbowhunter!

Bisch

[Thare1774]

I'll tell you why I am moving to lighter poundage. I really enjoy shooting 3D, and I don't have a 3D specific bow. I shot a 3D on Sunday where I shot about 110 arrows or so, including practice. I find with my heavy bows at around arrow 40 or 50 during a tournament I start getting fatigued and my shooting suffers. I like to win, and I can't win if I'm missing my mark halfway through a 3D because I'm tired. So I've found my middle ground weight to be around 50 lbs. For me its the perfect all around weight for 3D and hunting. And I am 6'2" and 215#, not small by any means.

[Bowhunter4life]

Originally posted by Bowwild:
Those who shoot ultra-heavy equipment well, certainly have some advantages; flat trajectory, heavier arrows, and maybe a bit more leeway regarding body angle of their quarry.  However, the "stuff" of a great bowhunter is found in the heart and the mind, not the arms or the back.

Another great and deep quote!  I love this place!  Bowhunting is a big part of my life, and when I hear or read others thoughts that dive into my very thoughts/beliefs it is very re-affirming and enlightening at times...

[tg2nd]

Originally posted by bornagainbowhunter:
Age will affect your abilities, no question.  But how much is totally up to you.  When my Grandpa retired, I was in my 20s.  He would work my butt in the ground when hauling hay or cutting firewood. He was 5'10", maybe 160#s, but he had DRIVE.

I just wonder if we are trading our drive in for a bunch of excuses.

I think you nailed it.

[WhiteBeard121]

Originally posted by Bjorn:
Originally posted by JamesV:
Why not just paddle your boat and let the next guy do the same??

Works for me too!!

Add another one.

A shoot through is a shoot through regardless if it's a 40# or 65# bow.

Dan