Switching bows with different poundage! Thoughts?

[The-Talon]

So recently I've really started taking my form seriously and it has helped alot. I bought a 35 pound Samick red stag recurve to just work on my form and I'm shooting absolutely great with it. But the bow I will be hunting with is a 50# Montana Longbow. I find it takes me 10 or 15 minutes to adjust to shooting the montana again.. Should I just shoot the longbow strictly all season while I'm hunting or do you guys think it's not the biggest deal switching between bows as I'm practicing during the day.. What are your thoughts and what do you guys / gals do?

[M60gunner]

JMO but I would stick with one bow during season and the month before. Just read a post somewhere about a man who dropped weight for form. Now he has issues pulling his regular bow. Just some more food for thought.

[2wfstlhunting]

There are several different issues involved. As I started with recurves and went to longbows for years, and just these last few months back to recurves due to an arm injury, I will tell you what I think is the issue.  The bow holding hand and wrist postion of each is quite different ( except for those longbows like the Columbia Blacktail that have a more recurve type grip.  As taking the shot it supposed to be reflexive it is quite easy to put your hand in the wrong position when pushing that bow forward.  The second issue with shooting bows of different draw weights is simply that they do not send an arrow on the same trajectory after the first ten to 15 yards.  As so much of hitting the shot is both reflexive and confidence in your prior experience with how your bow performs, you are introducing a lot of variables and even taking away the automatic confidence you have in your bow's performance.

[mark Willoughby]

I was in your shoes I stuck with the lighter bow personally I shoot better with a light weight

[Cavscout9753]

I agree with 2wfstl, thats a big weight spread but also 2 different types of bows. Maybe try a 3 piece with different weight limbs. Then you can do form work and bump it up in time for hunting.

[COMPOUNDLESS IN CONCRETE]

I think what you might be experimenting is more than just the 15# weight increase, I think the switch between recurve and longbow is factoring in as well.  

I've found the more things I keep consistently consistent, the better shooter I am.  This includes shooting my hunting bow all year long.  I switched from a 60# bow to a 45# bow and haven't looked back.

[katman]

Mostly shoot ILF rigs now, recurve and longbow. All have the same grip and although different poundage's are tuned to shoot very close to same speed and point of impact, so can pick any one up and shoot. Tune-ability is a nice factor in ILF rigs.

For now I would shoot what your hunting with unless doing bale work then light poundage makes sense since your not aiming and working on form.

I hate switching back and forth between different poundages. I try to keep all my bows within 1 or 2 pounds of each other.

Bisch

[M60gunner]

I also agree with what others have mentioned about grips. I may shoot a recurve and longbow on the same day. You know, shoot a round with one bow then the next round with the other. My LB has a locator type grip, my recurves low grips. Similar but not the same, takes a few arrows to get in the groove.

[LostNation_Larry]

As I doctor a sore shoulder I've found something that seems to work.  I throw fewer arrows and push myself to only shoot "good" arrows.  Every shot has to count.   Perhaps if you held yourself to 6 extra high quality shots per day you could stick to the longbow during hunting season.

[tomsm44]

I would think switching styles would hurt you more than the draw weight.  I've been shooting my 47# R/D longbow since I got it back in the spring.  Before that I only shot recurves.  I was doing pretty good out to 15 yards or so.  A few weeks back, I traded a 70# recurve for a 55# recurve and I decided to go ahead and get the new one tuned up with a few arrows to use as a backup bow.  I shot it well from the start and spent about a week shooting it to get everything just right.  I got my longbow back out Saturday and I can't shoot it for anything now.  I guess I didn't struggle going to the recurve because I shot similar grip styles for several years, but just a few months of the longbow wasn't enough to get it to where it comes naturally to me.  I'm getting a little better today, but I have to really think about it to keep it right.

[Producer]

I find it difficult to switch back and forth with recurves and longbows. That being said,I am talking a recurve vs an American longbow. I am a recurve shooter and I bought a Hill style longbow and it hurt my efficency with a recurve. Two different animals.

[NBK]

I try real hard to pick one bow for the season and stick with it.
However, every once in awhile I will pick up my heavier 60# longbow for a session then drop back to my 48# deer hunting longbow right after. The lighter bow then feels like a kids bow and I get more control of the shot.  (Old weight lifting trick).