Well, I usually shoot a little more,but i have shot the lighter ones and really enjoyed it and am headed in that direction.The Majority of what i shoot anymore,is targets and small game with a bow,so why do i really need anything more,and i think my neck will thank me as well.
The lightest I now have is 45. I'm in the process of making one that will come in 35-38 range. Torn rotator cuff last fall has kept me from shooting except for a 25# osage bow I made for my grand daughter Coleen. It felt good to shoot again while I was breaking it in and I don't want to wait any longer than I have to.
For me, it seems, if my form gets sloppy I can spend a few sessions shooting my wifes Polaris, which is about 30#'s for me and it seems the next shooting session, when I go back to 50#'s, I am shooting much better.
A hit from a 22 beats a miss from a 44 mag. A hit from a 30# bow is better than a miss from a 100# bow.That must be the bottom line to hit targets be they live or paper. Both light and heavy bows have their place. I shoot medium weight 60#. OSR
Hell, yes...to proud guys? You try it ........release is very difficult...heavy bows make for a clean release. I shoot them from 35 to 57. Get over it tuff guys....Have fun that's is what this whole thing is about. :-)
I have from 35# up to 69# for a lot of shooting I love shooting about 38-40# I hit good more on the lighter side. I can hit good on the heavy side just not as many good shots. Jeff F
I have owned and shot multiple 40 # bows, even though I choose to hunt with a 70# bow. I love shooting light bows and I know that the day will come they will be my staple....I have no problem with that whatsoever.
I had a 44lb custom, and now I have a 50lbs savannah I would love to get a 40 (mimimum legal for hunting in Ohio) 40 is plenty if placement is right. Im having bow arm elbow pain. Not sure if the lighter poundage would help....but it couldnt hurt:)
I've shot bows in the mid 50s for years and I loved them but lately I've been shooting 40 and 44# bows and I love them.
I didn't bow hunt for around 3 years so, at age 65 and arthritic, when I came back to archery, I found out that I was way out of shape, my form was a mess and my accuracy was non-existent. I began shooting my mid 50s bows and they were kicking my butt so I picked up a Toelke Kestral at 40# and a 64" Northern Mist Superior at 44#.
These lighter bows are so nice to shoot and I'm becoming a convert because my shooting form has improved. My hands don't ache, my accuracy is improving, my shooting muscles are toned and I don't have any doubt about their ability to take fame in the Fall.
My heaviest draw bow right now is 47# and I don't expect that I will ever get heavier again. For one, I certainly won't get any younger and don't expect my old injuries to get any better, and two, I have never shot better in my life than when I went into the 40's in draw weight. Now, if the price of nocks goes up I may go heavier just so I won't be busting so many...
The bow I shoot every day for turkey hunting , target shooting , and just practice is 42lb at 29 inch, the bow I hunt everything else with is 54lb at 29 inch.
Seeing as I'm just getting back out shooting a lot and want to get in shape I've been shooting an early 60's 42# Howatt Hi-Speed that will be my turkey bow this year.
The light draw weight is instructive and improves form and release. I'm presently in northern Ontario on a business trip and I had the opportunity to spend some time at my hunt camp...I brought four bows...the heaviest two were 50#, then a 45# and the 42#.
All I'll admit is I'm having fun with the lighter bows! ;>)
I have a beautiful 68" 33# Wing Presentation II and an equally classy 69" 35# Bear Tamerlane HC30. They are both such smooth drawing, well balanced, steady shooting bows that I NEVER feel like they are second string bows to my "hunting weight" recurve and longbows.
Per Ken Williams, I simply want to shoot them! They do help me work on form and consistency and I just like the way they look and feel. I realize I'm lucky that I'm relatively fit and haven't experienced injuries that impact my shooting - I also don't want to cause any and I don't want to develop bad habits that could occur from consistently drawing at my limit.
If I haven't shot for a few days I start with either my 35# Browning of my 42# Bear to get everything started again. Then I stay with the 48-55# range until the whole cycle starts again. Nothing wrong with lighter bows. Lance.
I own heavier bows. It seems that between work (and maybe age?) everything hurts. No injuries, just aches and pains from one end to the other. I like to shoot a lot. Why tear myself up?
Then the other side of it. The biggest thing I'm going to hunt is a white tail and, truth is, the hunting sucks. Just no place really worth hunting without some serious travel and spending some serious cash.
How much draw weight do you need to punch paper and milk jugs in the back yard?
I used to shoot 50# but recent years I'm feeling the aches and pains a little more, specially first thing in the morning getting out of bed.
I'm now shooting and ILF setup 38# OTF, I have a 60y point on and no issues reaching 80y for Field rounds, I'm comfortable shooting all day and nothing really hurts from shooting on the next day. I plan to keep shooting till I drop so I feel it's time for me to be sensible with my draw weights.
In the past I've been teased about shooting girly weights with guys shooting obscene weights but I always wipe the grin off their faces on Field/3D courses. ;-)
I shoot 30#s because of arthritis and some nerve damage in my hands. I have loved archery for over 50 years and this is how I keep on enjoying it. Don't give a damn if I have to drop down to one of those fiberglas bows for kids, I'll shoot it so I can just see the arrow fly.
Just bought a 40# Kmag because of bad shoulders and I have grown quite fond of it! I don't hunt very seriously anymore but it's plenty of bow for deer should I get a hankering.I just ordered a new Toelke Pika,42#.
I love shooting my bow. It's a 30lb. I love it with it's sight and stab. I can hit what I aim at. I can also take all the stuff off and hit with it canted I just don't want to. What I am not liking are the threads that pop up once a week that seem to suggest there is a difference between archers that shoot 10000lb bows and 25lbs. It's ARCHERY for gods sake.
I just purchased my 1st bow under 50#. Its a 45lb @ 26" longbow. I have 54# and 60# recurves that I've been shooting for a long, long time. I went with 45# on the longbow because I never shot one before and thought the lighter weight would help with learning to shoot it. My goal is to practice a lot, "become one" with this bow and kill a deer with it this fall. I doubt I will give up my recurves. I am "one" with both of them and enjoy shooting them. I don't feel any less of a man because I got a 45# bow. Like others on here, I don't see why all this talk about "girly bows" is such a big deal.
Got a #28 (wife's bow) that I use sometimes, but it's hard for me to "feel" that my muscles are being employed properly so I use my #43 bow for form work most often. I mostly use the 28 first thing after a layoff to remind and warm up/stretch my muscles.
All of my active bows are between 31# and 37#. I enjoy shooting targets. I am not a hunter. My health is pretty good. My age is 52. If someone needs to prove themselves to me, or to label me as someone not meeting "their standards", I always appreciate the opportunity in person. But I won't be waiting for anyone; they'll need to catch up with me when I'm out doing miles. Talk all you want then; if you still have the breath....
direwolf, you are one of my favorite people but some of us haven't been able to age as well as fine wine. Looks like you're outnumbered! Wished the hell I could keep up with you but have to admit, I can't. At the present my goal is to get back to 55# so that I can shoot some of the bows in stock. If not I'll sell or trade then off for something more comfortable in order to keep it up.
Back when I still had hair I would shoot heavier bows, mostly 70+ compounds. Now that my hair is gone so my brain can breathe better. I shoot between 30-45 #. Those 64-68 " nice long recurves about 30-35# just make me happy. I get dead deer with my 48# Newwood longbow. Under 25# it gets to hard to get a clean release and you can get high and low arrows just with finger tension on top or bottom finger.
before i left martin/howatt, i built myself a 17# bow. i tried for 15#. i shoot it at least once a week most times. teaches me how to maintain a surprise, natural, release. i have been shooting bows for 62 years and have learned to adapt to many things to keep my accuracy good. don't know why people are defensive about shooting light? it's actually a pretty intelligent thing to do, if done with purpose.
The problem with dire wolf shooting his heavy bows is that he knows how to shoot them the correct way so he is in control of the shot and does not injure himself :)
the only bows i have that are less then 40 are my selfbows. I have yet to learn how to make on of higher poundage and still get the right flex, and tiller I want. Other then that, even with a messed up shoulder, I stay heavier. Just my preference, not a rule, or law. Shot what you like and no worries what others may or may not do.
I,m in. Started a little late in the game, (round 43..)with a 40 lb recurve. Just had a 42 lb long bow come home that I,m pretty jazzed about! Used to do a lot of weight lifting, got up to some pretty heavy weights, always figured I was better off dropping down as low as I had to to get my form down. Didn't think this would be much different, and I,d like to keep shooting as long as I can..
Yes, quite frequently. I injured my shoulder in an accident unrelated to archery and I was given a choice of switching hands and going light weight or exiting archery.
Once I started with lighter bows I realized how much I had been missing out. They are great for training for all the reasons mentioned above.
Shoot a 1962 Ben Pearson Palomino 40# on a regular basis and plan on hunting with it this coming season,my heaviest bow is my Mahaska at 52# which also gets hunted with.To me with shooting the Palomino I seem to be getting far better groups out to 20-25 yards which is my max on taking any shots at game I hunt.
Thanks for your response Larry, makes me feel I am doing one of the right things to be a better archer. I noticed early on that I have to pay attention to my release with a 30# bow and have good form.
I have several sub 40# bows and do enjoy shooting them once in a while.....can't honestly say I shoot them regularly, but probably should. They do help you pay more attention to your form.
Right now I just wish I DID own a lighter bow. Doc said he figured I'd be able to return to shooting whatever I'm used to shooting, but if you've never had an injury, I can tell you (after 5 rounds) that shoulder rehab ain't pleasant!
My rotator cuff issues haven't affected my back side much, but the dislocation is a whole 'nother ball o' wax....
At my Draw Length on my Hoyt Dorado (26") I am only pulling 35 lbs or so, I used to shoot/hunt a #60 jim boswell bamboo longbow, But that was also when I was 16 and in good varsity shape. I went to wheel bows for many years and shot 65 lbs on pretty much any set up I had. I enjoy my dorado at a lower weight, as Although I can still draw higher weights, I can shoot my weight all day long at the range, and right now I am focusing on form/repetition. When I get back to being "lethally accurate" I plan on buying a set of custom made limbs made by a local boyer her in Ocala Florida. I will Shoot them before/during the season and then return to my "sissy limbs" for target/3d season.
picapica, Its still a positive thread,just ignore the one problem child and act like he never said anything.I had a reply to it all typed out,but decided to just delete it and not acknowledge.
As a newbie l am still just shooting target practice with my Nomad ... but once the fun went out of bagging pheasant with the 12 ga. I got me a .410 ( bolt action ) and if l only knock down every 3rd bird, it's alot more fun!
No, I haven't. Good idea about working on perfecting your form with these light bows...,the problem is that you become less bow strong. I would rather do strength training with my 65# bow and then work on form with my 56# bow.
Wish to hell I could still pull a 56 to 65# bow but I can't and am determined to keep shooting. I love the venison and bird meat available on my property and have made a decision to keep canning and the freezer full in spite of the fact that I can no longer shoot he-man bows. To each his own. Hope you tough guys never get what I got and if you do maybe, just maybe, you deserve it.
I got a 48# longbow bow last year in a trade. I shoot and hunt with a 56# longbow. I have been thinking about hunting with the lighter bow sometime in the near future. I like to shoot the lighter bow. Less stress on the joints. And its fun.
I don't 'admit' it, I brag about it. My form has improved a great deal since I started focusing on it. The light bow is a tool for long form sessions. (It will also force you to clean up your release.)
Hey DanaC...what is that set up? Hoyt riser? limbs? Nice! To all...I brag about it too. I regularly shoot 46# but with occasional shoulder trouble I've killed critters with 40# and love the light weight feel and ease of such a "man bow"!
It's an older PSE riser - X-factor, with carbon/wood SF limbs. 70 inches.
Keep an eye out for older - but still top notch - Olympic style risers. Other people upgrading makes for good deals. A good place to watch is archerytalk's FITA classified section -
who cares what poundage bow anyone shoots,or who has a beard or who is left handed,whats next,who farts when they release?? i swear to god i'm so sick of seeing this kind of stupidity,i'm about ready to say piss on it,i was just fine before i ever heard of the wall,and i reckon life will go on without it,geez hunting season can't come fast enough to give these morons something to do.
Not only do I admit it?...but I'm actually proud of it...because it tells me I've gained enough knowledge and wisdom to understand and know...
1. "GPP is GPP": and thanks to ultra-light CF arrows these days?...the right amount of is can be easily had to make even a 25# bow shoot fantastic!
2. "Kill Game..Not Yourself": How many sad "Goodbye I'm Done" threads have we read over the years where archers who spent most of their lives drawing back bows well over 50#s DW and wound up hanging their quivers up for good over worn out, tore up shoulder issues over heavy DW bows?...correct answer?..."Many"...and I don't wish to add my name to the list anytime soon as the list is already far longer than it ever needed to be.
I have (3) bows...a 66"/32# Custom made and ordered Falco Force D-Longbow...
and my "Heavy Hunter"?...is going to be this 13" Cocobolo/Phenolic Morrison Riser with a set of Bobs new MAX3 40# Shorts (presently ordered and still being made) which wil make a 54"/40# rig when it's complete.
Now...can I draw, hold and shoot a heavier DW bow?...yep...sure can...but why?...why own a bow that hangs on the wall and the few times a year I reach for it?...I can handle about 1-2 dozen shoulder destroying shots before hanging it back up...because I like to shoot any and every bow I own much, much more than that...comfortably...and without permanently injuring myself only to type out me "Goodbye I'm Done" thread...yep.."Proud" to admit it. ;)
Good post Bill. You could use less than a 40 lb bow in Virginia. Virginia's has no minimum bow weight, the law just says the bow you are using has to be capable of propelling a arrow with a broadhead 125 yards.
Thanks Ken and yes...I grossly miss-spoke in the video but it turned out to be a good thing in the end as...
I knew that the 35# pound minimum here in my home state of Florida the lowest number I've personally ever seen published regarding such but many others informed me of the published (or not) min poundage laws in their states...Oklahoma (until recently) was the highest I knew of at 45# Minimum...but they have since recanted that...however while Alaska demoted 40# min?...they also had a 50# Min for their Larger and Dangerous Game species.
But it varies greatly from state too state ranging anywhere from "No Minimum" too Alaska's 50# Large Game Min....but in the end?...everyone pretty much figured...
"Whens the last time anybody had a Game Warden with a Draw Board and Scale weigh their bows? LOL!
And yo boot?...what about all those ILF rigs out there where the limbs may in fact read 30#s yet they are on 13", 15", 17", 19" or even 21" risers and draw far more than what they are marked?...will the Game Warden understand that?...let alone the vast differences in both limb efficiency and actual DL as it relates from archer too archer?...so really imho?...all those publicated min draw weight laws are is "Proof Of Ignorance" LOL!
I think Virginia (and a few other states that have followed suit) have their finger on the pulse of what is a correctly written law that actually makes sense AND can be effectively tested by GW's in the field...because here in FL (and many other states) you could have a bow that meets the legal min DW of 35#@ 28"...but what they don't know is the archer hunting with it might have a 25" DL...and now what you have is an archer bow hunting with what really is about 29#s of DW....like I said...
and furthermore?...on the flip-side of the coin?...the folks I really feel sorry for is...
Suppose you have a lanky, not real muscular female bow hunter who would like to hunt Bear or Moose in Alaska...and she has a 33" DL....the way I see it?...Alaska just put her very life in danger as now this poor tall, lanky female must hold what is a dictated amd legally mandatory 60#s of DW and as a result?...gut shoots a standing Griz 18yds away...how might that scenario play out? :O
not good I'm guessing...and who's to blame?..her?...for following the law? :(
Accuracy and comfort rule. I shoot 45. I see no reason to go heavier. If I were to hunt boar or large feral pigs I definitely would reconsider.... Just my two cents. ,
Bill, I think your video is a demonstration of why the law is written the way it is in Virginia. There is a lot to be said for the efficiency of a well-tuned bow and arrow combination.
Don't brace & shoot it very often..It doesn't perform well with 730 grain taperered wood arrows..:)...
Hunting regs, physical fitness, health constraints..and a few dozen other matters will hopefully bring those who enjoy archery and hunting with the stickbow around to what works for them..
Presently..a 77#@30" yew longbow works for me..:).. and like Tom Petty once sang..until I die....
Jim, I admire your strength and control of your archery. I am 48 and although I had a 35# Grizzly when I was a kid, when I was around 12 or 13, I got a Bear Whitetail Hunter. Stayed with compounds for a long time up till about 2 1/2 years ago, when I picked up my dads old 50# Super K, and I was hooked. I shot a LOT. At about the same time, I started looking at this site and after some serious self-evaluation, realized I was developing bad habits. Spent some time with another traditional archer who got me shooting a 40# bow. I am working towards shooting heavier bows. My heaviest now is a 51#@28" longbow which is about 55# for me. I can shoot this bow well for 30 or 40 shots and I hope to use it as my primary hunting bow this year. I want to go slow and easy in my journey of traditional archery. My greatest fear is doing something that would cause me to want to quit the things I have found in traditional archery that daily bring me great pleasure and joy. I know people on this site generally don't like golf analogies but I think this one applies to a lot more than golf: "The real pleasure in golf is not in the score; but the execution of the strokes".....Bobby Jones
Thanks again Ken...and I guess another driving reason for me to "Go Low" is the fact that I like to shoot...A LOT...it's not uncommon for me to spend a few hours in the backyard after work nearly every night shooting upwards of 100-200 well controlled shots...if I did that with a 50+# bow?...I'd be headed for the ER for a cortisone shot (or two)...along with some pain and anti-inflamatory meds before weeks end! LOL!
And "Not Shooting" (as prescribed by a doc?) would depress me to no end...it's how I decompress from all the stress at work.
But?...that's just me..a well worm U.S. Marine who's now but a couple months away from being a 57 year old diabetic...so I figure I'm doing great to be shooting stick bows at all!...at least I'm still getting some upper body exercise without destroying myself! LOL!
Meanwhile?...here's the "Comparo/Proof Vid" of the vast advantage that even a low poundage well tuned bow offers up. ;)
I am for sure not God and I CANNOT hit a 1 iron, LOL. About as long as I can hit in the irons is a 4. Always enjoy your post Jim, you too Bill.Good poem you posted on Franks thread, Jim. Glad to know both of you as my brothers in Christ.
Well Jim, our Lord said ," in this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. I know how you feel. Hang in there man. Our Lord also said to "let our light shine" and to be "salt and light" We both gotta keep shining, keep preserving, and keep persevering.
Why does one feel the need to justify what they do in the eyes of others? And bringing it up as a thread seems to be an apologetic defense of something that needs no defense.
George, that's what I was thinking. In that sense, there is an uneasy 'sadness' that reveals itself to me as I follow along with this thread. These guys shouldn't be justifying their choices in draw weight, and neither should someone who shoots two or three times their weight. It's all just stupid.
I shoot what many here may consider 'heavy' bows(I hate even saying that because there can be such a huge relativity factor), and I shoot light ones too, but the reason I didn't express those numbers on this thread or others is because I don't think others should friggin give a dusty rat's backside what weight I shoot. I just don't need for them to know, and don't agree with why they would want to.
I am proud to say at 65 years, I killed two deer last season with a 45# recurve. Now I have a 40# that I am learning for the future. I just love to hunt and eat deer. Not through with the 45# yet. To each his own.
My intent was not that at all George. Just making conversation and listening to how others are enjoying their archery. Shoot what makes you happy, I say.
Back in the 60's, 70's and 80's, I shot a field tournament almost every week-end during the warm months (non-hunting) and shot indoor 300 rounds in the winter (no hunting season). Shot a 66" 36# Bear Tamerlane target bow. Most archers did shoot light weight target bows for target shoots.
"A hit from a 30# bow is better than a miss from a 100# bow."
Not if it wounds. It sure can kill, I don't want any of that, but if a 100 pound bow is even in the conversation, or your 60 pounder, a 30 pounder is going to need to get lucky.
I don't actually find it easier, or more relaxing to shoot a 40 pound bow. The truth is as follows:
- There is a weight we can all handle that is so light it feels silly to shoot, no feedback at all, a pinch release, nobody says it is enough for big game, (though even 20 pounds might work);
- There is the weight we can handle, but for the most part none of us know what it is (speaking of all archers who butcher 3D courses, etc... There are more better shooters here than in the wider population if self reporting is accurate);
- There is the girlie weight that we can't actually handle, probably 40 pounds is well north of there for most trad archers, but we think we are being smart and judicious about it. Olympic archers max out at 50, so who are we kidding.
- There is the weight, say 55-70, that we can't shoot either, but some same size misses will be good as it's a cannon, and if we are careful we maybe able to manage this weight nearly as well as the lower weight. One of the issues is that 3D tells us we shoot the lower weight better, because it is a 40 shot shoot, or whatever. But that may mislead on a one shot game. What would be the right set-up if IBO was a 200 mile trip, a 3000 dollar fee, a single shot, and you had to actually get some serious penetration.
- There is a weight that is so high it hurts, we can't get it back, we can't anchor, whatever, way aver the mark, and we aren't stupid enough to tangle with that.
I have always shot around 40lbs, with a recurve, and shot 90- 70lbs with wheels, I still killed more deer with lower poundage bows for the simple reason that it was easier to handle and make shots. when my concentration is there and the game animals there , they are not safe around me even with my 40lb bow.
Does form matter? I'd say 'yes'. This was my last group this morning, with that 38 pound bow. Hadn't shot in several days, so it took a while to get my form down. At an honest measured 20 yards.
PS no, most of my groups ain't this good, braggin' just a bit! ;-)
I did say there is a place for both heavy and light.One of the most enjoyable bows I shoot ocaisionally is a 35# .Its a tack driver as well.Its a bow I can shoot all day with no fatigue.
I'm curious - and maybe I should start a new topic - I frequently shoot a Wing PII and a Tamerlane HC30 @ 35# for all of the reasons mentioned in the thread. I also shoot them because I love the look and "feel" of them.
I've never shot one of these Olympic or "FITA" bows. How is the shooting experience different from the one I get with these 40 year old anachronisms that I currently use? What's a good one to start with, knowing what I currently like?
(As if I really need an excuse to buy/swap another bow!!)
Love my 40# '62 Kodiak and my 30# @ 24 inches (around 40# @ 28 inches) '62 Kodiak Special. Have four other bows, which are 43# to 45# which are good ole Bears, but like the 40# weight so much I will probably stick with it until I'm 79 in 10 years. Then I may go even lighter in draw weight. Planning on shooting at the old foggies home someday if I can remember how to pull it back.
Picapica, you should look at 'entry level' bows. I have had a few old wood target bows and they're fun to shoot. (White Wing and a Howatt Catalina.) The new ILF bows are a bit heavier in the hand, but you can easily tune them with an inexpensive rest and plunger, plus you can upgrade either limbs or riser as you please.
I shoot from 38# to 44#. My go to bow is 44#. I can shoot it all day, everyday. I don't hunt so no need for anything heavy. Someday, if I do decide to hunt, I'll be fine with 44#.
Kurchalk, That's great. However, have you ever tried shooting a field round with your heavy bows. Its 28 targets, 4 arrows at each target=112 arrows, and then a 14 target animal rd. ? Or a PAA 300 round shooting 60 arrows at a 3.2 inch bullseye? Much more difficult then shooting a one arrow 40 target 3-d shoot.
That's why many did and still do use light weight bows. Not talking about hunting.
I shot and hunted for many years with recurves from 65 to 70lb, and longbows up to 80. My preference was then, and is now, recurves.
I shot those weights then because I could...60 arrow rounds were common place and no problem. I also liked hunting with the heavy arrows required.
Now, at 62 and following a lengthy hiatus from the sport my physical abilities have diminished to the point of shelving the old heavyweights.
I recently took ownership of a Whippen Stick Phoenix...52lbs at my 29" draw. An amazing bow from a great bowyer!!! Shooting this gem is pure pleasure. I've had it for a little more than a week...still doing final tuning...and can easily, AND painlessly shoot 5 arrow ends out to 100 shots. This has put the fun back into the back yard.
Sooooo....I started, back in the day, with a 50lb stick...and ran the gamut back. No regrets here!!!
Oh yeah...that work of art is really easy to look at too...lol.
