Why 45 lb range bows???

[aim small...release]

Well tommorow ill have a beautiful martin savannah stealth 45lbs at 28inches. I can pull and shoot heavier bows well but I always go back to that 45lb range not sure why. But I see all the harvest pictures on here and in trad magazine and everyone's using heavier bows kinda makes me second guess my choices. Dunno just thinking out loud I guess.Any encouragement appreciated

[huskyarcher]

Don't be fooled, you have plenty of bow. I wouldn't hesitate on anything other than elk/moose in the lower 48 and i shoot 42@29. I am 23 and was a 3 sport athlete, i could pull more if i want but there doesn't seem to be a need for me, a pass through is a pass through regardless of how far its stuck in the ground on the other side. Just my .02

[ChuckC]

We overthink a lot of things that we do.  This is one of them.  Enjoy your new bow.  It will be great.

Post pix.
ChuckC

[Steelhead]

I think accuracy,a strong super sharp broadhead and an arrow that's heavy enough,recovers fast and fly's true is the best medicine.Forty  five pounds will be just fine as long as the other variables are in order.

[M60gunner]

Maybe it is a "comfort zone" thing for you. My go back to weight is 53-55#'s. Funny it is the weight I started with in 1962 with my first real bow. At almost 70 years I am hoping I can keep that up as I shoot my best with that weight bow, recurve or longbow.

[Hopewell Tom]

I believe last year Rod Jenkins (of Safari Tuff, etc...) posted a pic of a deer he killed with a 40# bow. Fred Asbell has an article in the latest Tradbow Hunter mag on concentration improving with a lesser bow weight.
As above, it's a comfort zone thing. Shoot what works.

[Babbling Bob]

That's a great weight.

[dbd870]

That's what I shoot - the reason for me is want the best chance to make a good hit and that is it for me although there is one 50# I really like as well.

I feel that anybody who hunts should do so with as much draw weight as they can shoot well. For me, that is 50#, so that is what I hunt with.

Bisch

[Sam McMichael]

While I generally prefer heavier weight bows, they certainly are not necessary for efficient hunting and clean kills. If you are more comfortable with a lighter bow, there is absolutely no reason to shoot heavier stuff just because "they" do. Just have fun with what you like and feel confident on the range or in the woods.

[Coach Jones]

I only wish I could shoot 45 lbs.  My shoulder and back has me maxed at 41.

[ranger 3]

Mike Treadway once told me he shot and killed a bull elk with a 41# bow from a tree stand.

[Scott Barr]

Seems the longer I shoot traditional (three years now) the more confident I get hunting with lighter draw bows.  Over the last two weeks I killed three boar in the 100 to150 pound range with 42 @ 30 bow which shoots a 340 grain arrow 192 fps. All I can say is my set-up is deadly.

[D. Key]

I started out in '92 with a 67# @ 28" Black Widow and it really hurt to shoot (I was 43 at the time).  Dropped shortly after that to the upper 50's and since I turned 60 a few years ago, I now shoot between 45 and 50# and love it.  With a properly tuned arrow and scary sharp broadhead, I no longer worry if I have enough bow.  My equipment is much easier to shoot and I don't had as much concern over injury to my shoulders, plus I know that if I do my part, the critters I hunt will die quickly.

[NittanyRider]

My shoulders aren't the best, so for me, shooting a lighter (47#) bow will hopefully reduce the wear and tear on my body and keep me in the game for many years to come.

[MnFn]

I wouldn't pick a bow weight just because someone else does.
I will say I have a recurve that has a set of 50 lb limbs and 54 lb limbs.  I took them both out and with appropriate arrows for each, I shot the 54 lb limbs better.  Perhaps I am just used to mid fifties bow; that could be. I am used to the later, having shot a 53 for the last three years.

My first buck was shot with a 40 lb recurve.  It worked.  But as I mentioned in another thread,  I want to shoot the same bow for elk and deer, less to think about at the shot.  

Just my opinion.

[Bladepeek]

Originally posted by ChuckC:
We overthink a lot of things that we do.  This is one of them.  Enjoy your new bow.  It will be great.

Post pix.
ChuckC

I think this sums it up pretty well. At the last couple of 3-D shoots, I've shot several different bows ranging from a 38# recurve to a 52# longbow. I shoot each of them equally badly, but my favorite is my 46# r/d longbow. It seems to be enough weight that I get a nice clean release and light enough that if everything isn't quite right when I hit anchor, I can adjust, blink my eyes to clear them, do whatever needs to be done before releasing. I think most of us have a comfort zone where everything just seems to feel better and we shoot those bows better over the long haul.

[Danny Rowan]

Shoot what works and feels best for YOU. I shot heavy bows for many years, 70-80#. Can still pull those weights at 65 years old but do not want to. I shoot 55-60# now because I can control my shot best with those weights.

[pdk25]

Not sure what pics you are referring to.  Plenty of kill pics here from lighter weight, as well as heavier weight setups.  I agree with Bisch 100%.

[Possum Head]

You would be surprised at the number of folks who have killed Elk and large hogs plus various other heavy game with that weight. Dont be discouraged just slip one in the boiler room and get the skillet ready.