21 years ago, I started posting here, and 60 pounds seemed to be the norm, though lots of people shot 50 to 55 pounds. People got older, and now it seems 40 pounds is the new 60. 21 years ago, I struggled with 54 pounds, and I knew I really needed to shoot around 45 pounds. Today, I shoot 47 pounds and will, in a few years, pick up 42 pound limbs. So, I've gone from a weakling around here, to sort of a strong man, as you all age and are boxed and buried. Life is good!
I wouldn't go that far. I started posting here 21 years ago, and I'd say 55 was the norm but there were plenty of guys who loved to tell everyone about how they shot 65 or 70 or even more. Most guys never shot that much.
These days, a 45# bow with carbon arrows will kill just as quickly as our old 55# bows with aluminum or wood.
I gradually dropped from 63# to 52# to now 47# in those 21 years, moving from 2020 aluminum and wood to now carbon. I still pull bloody arrows out of the dirt.
Limbwalker, I have to agree with your assessment. If I can stay healthy, my plan is to outlive most of the legends, until all I have to deal with is Aspirinbuster. However, he'll likely get cataracts and have to change his name to Watermelonbuster, haha!!
I started with 60#s and have moved down over the years. I have bows from 50-45#s and I am confident if I hit the deer where I should the deer will not know if it is a 60# bow or a 45# bow.... he or she will just be dead.
Did a little google research on this a little while back.
Basically we are at our peak strength at around 30 years old.
Then we lose about 5% every 10 years. Really not to bad but to make matters worse it takes much more workout effort when older to get the same results as a younger person doing less effort.
I used to think that you were officially An Old Dude the day that you bought a bow with a draw weight number lower than your age.
More recently, I’ve started to think that it just might be the day on which you are diagnosed with something that you never worried about because you always knew that the docs had another 20 years to figure it out before it would become a problem for you.
But the mightiest (and most recently acquired) of all of my bows still nets above my age at full draw. That’s the good news. The bad news is that I have lost a little weight (of the wrong kind to lose) myself, and the draw on that sucker is now within a handful of pounds of 1/2 of my body weight.
Part of the reason that I shoot as heavy as I do is that I have a somewhat shorter draw length; the other part is that I have an Elk with a bow on my bucket list, and it’s time to get serious about that.
In the 70’s I shot heavy bows-gradually stepped down. My target bows were 30#s. I began feeling my way through shooting various bows and settled in on 43-48# bows years ago. Easier on the arms, more and consistent shooting and oddly enough—the animals were just as dead. The only thing that changed was the distance arrows were buried in the dirt after pass through shots. I’ve always kept shots in the 20 yard range and never had an issue. For me the 45#+- a couple pounds has been the norm for years.
In my late 30s and into my forties I was shooting 65 pound bows a couple hundred times a day year round.Not a problem.
Shoot 40-45 pound bows exclusively now and dont shoot near as many arrows.Turning 60 next month.I could shoot more poundage.But gotta look ahead and be smart and preserve what I got so I can avoid the wear and tear and shoot bows for another couple decades hopefully.
I’m 58 years old and am now shooting 41# @ 28”. I’ve had three shoulder surgeries and I could probably drop down another 5-8lbs. I might do that in time. I’m confident that a 32-35lb bow pulled to 28” shooting a relatively heavy arrow will kill any whitetail.
I've always shot around 55# @ 28" since I started trad in about 2000. The heaviest I ever shot was a Palmer at 65# but I didn't enjoy shooting that much weight so I sold those limbs in pretty short order.
Overall, the Wallers are reducing poundage. My advice for you old weaklings is to shoot carbon arrows. You'll increase penetration by 33%. Also, go with a long and slender broadhead, like a Grizzly or Woodsman. That should do it. In the meantime, I'll keep turning back the clock and might even take out my 54 pound Howatt again!
Back in the day, I shot 50-57 pound recurves. For years. Today, I limit myself to 40-48 longbows, mostly. At the range, I tend to shoot A LOT of arrows. But, they get the job done. A 55 pound bow is simply a thing of the past...
I consider myself lucky as my go to bow has always been. 60#. Since I was 16 years old.I am currently 62 years old.Personally my lighter bows are fun to shoot and it is enevetable that those lighter bows will come into their own as I age.I know those who get refered to as weaklings have and can out shoot me and shame on any one who thinks less of these folk.My life seems to be more fulfilled whenever I see folk just having fun shooting .That's what it all about.All you folk Have fun and keep shooting. Old school Richie 100% 4 life 4 ever (Osr144)
Did you like that Frisky definitely 100% archer only stopping when I physically can't do it any more.Hopefully that will be when I am pushing up Daisy's,Until then I am going to keep flinging arrows.Just don't do it too accurately these days.I would love to have two good eyes again . Osr
You guys are trying to justify old age and lack of exercise for excuses why don’t you try walking is instead of riding use a push mower instead of riding lift weights do something shoot a couple of arrows a day my god people that’s why the people of the USA are fat and lazy just because you’re old doesn’t mean to stop doing things That’s why the American people are fat yea you will lose it if you don’t use GEEEZZ!!!!!
I suppose I am a young-un amongst the crowd, Almost 40. My shoulders are already not in their peak due to injuries created by living life to the fullest. I do find I have to work a little harder to maintain the same muscle edge that I used to take for granted, BUT I am solid at 55# bows for now, and can draw 60, but it isn't as much fun. Some of this draw weight idea has come from an aging crowd and learning to make the most of each draw weight they settle into, and some of it really is created by the improvements of materials. I agree though. It seems there are a lot more bows in the 60+ range from the generation prior to me, than their are now.
From those of you who are more aged and experienced. One thing on this topic that I have wanted to know. Do you feel like the bows that were 60+lbs were maybe never fully draw to 28"? LOTS of older Hill bows that are well over 60lbs out there. I know a man who has a 90# bow, and the last I knew he still shot it VERY well, and does hit the actual draw length. Frisky Joe may be onto something, but did others buy heavy bows, thump their own chest, but draw 25"?
“You guys are trying to justify old age and lack of exercise for excuses why don’t you try walking is instead of riding use a push mower instead of riding lift weights do something shoot a couple of arrows a day my god people that’s why the people of the USA are fat and lazy just because you’re old doesn’t mean to stop doing things That’s why the American people are fat yea you will lose it if you don’t use GEEEZZ!!!!!”
I have to admit that I am seldom shocked with what I read here but this comes close to topping the list. Yes, as a country we have far too much obesity. Yes, lots of folks use riding motors or other power equipment to make tasks easier. And yes, people should walk more. But to label people as fat and lazy just because they shoot less than 55- 60# bows is ludicrous.
Like many, I shot 65# bows when I was in my 50s. Today, for various reasons, I shoot bows in the low 40s. I’m hardly fat and lazy. I’ve completely remodeled two houses pretty much by myself in the past four years. I walk over 5 miles a day. I use some weights but mostly for my arms and shoulders. I will never shoot 60# again no matter what I do. I shoot my bows almost every day.
There are many more bowhunters that are active like me and there are even more that have physical limitations that will not permit them to shoot mid to heavier weight bows no matter how much they get insulted.
You are among the fortunate that can still shoot 60# at your age. Count your blessings instead of tossing out insults.
When I had my knee replacement surgery, it made me very sick.
Sick for five long years, and that took the wind out of my sails (big time), forcing me to drop my draw weight.
I went from near 100#, down to 85#, down to 75#. I'm all better now, and comfortably resting at 65#.
I'll be 65 years old on the 6th of November.
I don't, and never will judge anyone in any way for, or by their stature.
It is just as insulting (and wrong) for someone to accuse those who shoot heavy, of doing it wrong, or being over bowed as it is for the heavy bow people to belittle those who shoot lighter draw weights.
Side note: I've never had any trouble coming to my 29.5" full draw, so don't assume things unless you're standing there. :-)
I never shot heavy bows even when I was young. 40-45# has been enough for me. After lots of deer, pigs and a few elk, that weight still works fine. As most know, the arrow set up is as if not more important. My two cents.
I will turn 64 soon. I am shooting 61@28 now and have been for about 27 years. I am not overbowed and I have no problem drawing to my anchor point and I can hold there if need be. This insult business is a two way street.
Some day, those that talk trash to those that now shoot low poundage will have something happen and suddenly, they either shoot low poundage or quit altogether. Some of us have had a long hard rough road, for me, a bike wreck and then a lot of health issues from ruptured brain aneurism to several strokes and then a lot of injuries due to bad falls. Throw in psoriatic arthritis and being cripple, it is what it is. And yes, I ride an exercise bike and ride it hard, I have a total gym machine but some damages can't be fully repaired. For those that are my age and older that can still do things easily, that is so awesome and I am happy for you but that is not common for the 63-90 year olds.
I forgot to mention that almost 4 years ago I suffered a stroke during bow season. Immediately I couldn’t shoot any of my bows. Through physical therapy and hard work within a few months I could shoot 50 lbs. I hunted with 50 lbs. for two seasons and continued to work at getting stronger. I’ve been back at 61 lbs. now for about a year and a half. I understand how rapidly things can change. I shoot the poundage I can comfortably handle and I have to say the 61 lb. limbs outperform the 50 lb. limbs by a good bit.
The take down bow is really the salvation of you oldsters. You can buy yourself lower poundage limbs and stay in the game forever, shooting the same bow. Here's a rhyme that illustrates the point:
How come I have the suspicion that in elementary school Joe (Frisky) was the kid in art class eating the paste? When I get old I will make up the loss in draw weight by going with a efficient super curve! Even though it seems to be coming quick and I'm aging like milk :)
I read that the vast majority of bows sold by Bear in the 50's & 60's were in the 45 pound range. Never found the need for much over 50 lbs even for elk.
Started with recurve 47# at age 16 worked up to 55# at age 20 then went bigtime to 75-85 Longbows and Bear T/D's for most my life. At 71 I had quadruple bypass and can't get back to more than 63# since then. Mostly shoot 50-55 now. I don't believe 40 will ever be equivalent to 60.
Isn't a bows top efficiency between draw weight and arrow gpp maximized around 50- 55lbs based on a 28" draw with todays bowsand materials? I remember reading that, correct me if I'm wrong.
IMO, we would have been better archers if we stayed in the 40-50#. Remember Mike Fedora Sr. telling me back ion the late 80s that no one needs to shoot a bow over 60# for NA game. My first hunting bow was a Pearson 50# but as a kid I had a Bear 25# for rabbits, carp and feral cats.
Currently hunting with 42# with a 2016 125 gr. Snuffer and has plenty of punch.
As far as 30#s bow for hunting that is getting pass the line for big game, small game it is good.
I'd love to see more 60-pounders on the classifieds. According to the talk they ought to be listed at pretty good prices cuz nobody (except me apparently) wants to shoot them anymore. Haha
I'd love to see more 60-pounders on the classifieds. According to the talk they ought to be listed at pretty good prices cuz nobody (except me apparently) wants to shoot them anymore. Haha
Well I was on the road to more reasonable bow weight for my 77 year old body. But, instead of giving me pills, shots, surgery, etc. for back pain, two crushed disks, I was handed two pages of exercises and told to do upper body strength exercises. Well, pulling a bow fits that fiddle so I pulled out my 55# Super Kodiak and have been shooting it . Even broke out some old heavy metric magnum arrows. Up to 50 arrows per one hour session. May not help with the nerve pain issues but feels real good shooting the SK agian.
I am 54 now, and not as strong as I once was. I had some blood sugar issues and decided to lose some weight to help out. I lost 40 pounds in the last year, and lost some muscle along the way. I was recently on a hunt and took a recurve that was [email protected] and a longbow that was [email protected]. I hunted with the recurve because I didn't start working my way back up in poundage until too late to be really comfortable with the longbow. Had a broadhead get stuck in a buffalo rib, and now I am looking to get stronger again and use either that longbow or a heavier bow. I am in negotiations for a 90# bow at the moment. I really wasn't expecting to have problems on the hunt, using 926 grain arrows with alot of FOC, but it just goes to show you that you can't always believe what you are told regarding what is necessary to kill any animal in the world.
The craziest part of this entire discussion is the complete disregard for personal genetics.
I am not a big person. I weight about #150..i am in my late 40's and have weight trained my entire life..i just never got that strong. My ceiling was much lower than a million other people. Trust me i had the want to and put in every imaginable amount of work and effort and i believe i maxed out what my body was capable of. This being said my max effort wasnt even close to what some people can do off the street...they are just naturally stronger.
As a prime example an 18 year old girl at my gym who has lifted for a year who had no interest in power lifting was convinced by the guys to compete this past weekend. She deadlifted 400+, squatted well over 300 and benched i believe 160. She now hoods a #3 world record for her gender and age. There are literally a world full of 19 year old women who cant touch her strength with the best training and nutrition. Bottom line she is just made to do it.
Dont doubt that sports choose people not vice versa. If you can handle a big weight bow its very likely you were born with some genetic advantage that allows you to do so. Everyone wants to discount their genetic advantage and pretend its all hard work....if it makes you feel better, great but 99% of the time it is simply not the case.
True enough, runner. But there are some tasks that still require a degree of strength to do them. It is up to the individual to decide if they want to do those tasks.
“ if babysaph had started this thread he would have been called a troll”
The difference being that babysaph wouldn’t have started this thread because he only posts in one sentence to stir the pot. We all know Frisky is a troll.
One more thought. I hope to work my way back to the high 40s if possible. But even if I go past that I see absolutely no reason to shoot more than 50#. To me the wear and tear on my body isn’t worth gaining 5 or 10# of draw weight. There is no animal I will ever hunt or no shot that I will ever take that requires more than 50# to be successful. Heck, the same is true for 40#.
I’m not saying people shouldn’t shoot heavier weights if they want to. I am saying it isn’t necessary for the game most of us will ever hunt.
True enough, Phil. When I got essentially a pass though on a decent boar hog probably shooting around 48 @ 29.5 with a 1950's Paul Bunyan bow, I was pretty sure that I usually use more than I need to.
As I said before.My life is more fulfilled in just seeing the happyness folk get shooting bows.We are all different and suffer age disability obesity and other problems.My wife is in a wheel chair and can out shoot me and uses hunting weight bows too.I personally know folk who shoot 30# bows and could show a lot of you folk a thing or two about shooting.Just be glad we have this fantastic past time/ sport of Archery to enjoy.Apart From Frisky being good at pushing some folks buttons He is right.Just thank God you get to participate in this great past time.yeah 40# or even less Is becoming our 60# bows.Age and disability sucks .I just suck it up and carry on.That effort dissing (so called ) weaklings I feel doesn't belong here.It takes the same effort to praise others .Cheers be happy shooting. Osr
“but did others buy heavy bows, thump their own chest, but draw 25"?”
Well, DUUUH. That’s not exactly a New Thing.
Nor is it restricted to longbows. Nor is it a given that everyone who shoots over X pounds is Overbowed.
I think Briar raised a good point about individual differences and sports choosing the athlete rather than vice versa. I’ve always been easy with a bow. Seem to be geared for it, just like a Badger is geared to dig and a sagegoat is geared for SPEEEEEED. We are each Unique.
Interestingly enough, one of my sons’ (science) teachers once told him that he had extraordinarily large shoulder blades. Maybe that’s some of it. When he was 13 or so and about #85, he could hit his anchor with one of my #55s @ 28”… he was probably getting mid-upper 30s….
It does get pretty old, though, watching Light Bow guys insult the Heavy Bow guys and vice versa, as if it makes a dandruff flake’s worth of difference in this world or the next. Are we all still twelve, wanting to be the biggest bully in the sandbox?
"if babysaph had started this thread he would have been called a troll"
That's because he is a troll. I'm not known for trolling. I'm known more as a purveyor of wisdom. Anyway, in my opinion, the mid 45s and not the mid 50s or the 60s is the most efficient draw weight. If you take a 45 pound bow and the same bow with 55 pound limbs and shoot 10 grains per pound of pull out of them, they'll perform close to the same on game at hunting ranges.
Todd the archer....i understood you right, just typed my comment wrong.
i will be 58 in Jan but no...i honestly haven"t lost any strength.....yet.
but its sure to happen eventually.
not sure what it has to do with bow poundage though?
i always thought 45-50 lbs was the average bow weight, never thought it changed.
except when i was in my early teens, i always shot heavier, but that's probably not the average.
Im not hung up on bow weight, ill shoot up to 75#..maybe 80# tops sometimes. But i honestly prefer 55#-60# @ 28" personally i think it offers me the best of both worlds, in penetration and comfort.
i recently bought a really nice sheakspere sierra, 52" 50# @ 28"
its a nice little bow, if i decide to hunt with it some, it will not be because im older...lol...it will be because i want to.
I’m with you Tom, I used to shoot up to 85 pounds but was really comfortable with 65 to 70 pound bows.
I’m 60 years old now and prefer 50 to 55 pound bows, like you I can still shoot the heavier ones (still have a 72 pound longbow and a couple 65 pound recurves) pretty good. It’s what I like, not what I have to. BTW heavy bows are hard to sell.
I read somewhere that archery is a game of finesse not brute strength. Although if you keep yourself strong you got the option to shoot what you want.
I believe that to each his own. I am comfortable with heavy bows. Shot 70# for almost 30 years after switching from a 85# compound back in '93. Now that I'm older ,edging so close to my 60s, I got me a 55# bow for small game , and I rarely ever use it other than turkeys and squirrels. My everyday (literally) bow is a 81# and my most accurate bow a 85#, but I'm going in a few weeks to Argentina for water buffalo with my 95# bow,. and the 85# for wild Russian boar. I never heard of a big game animal lost to too much penetration, and I hope to get a pass thru on a buffalo, or at the very least the point poking out the other side with a 1090 grains arrow going at 180 fps. Will I be able to do this for many years to come? maybe not , but for as long as I can do it as easily as I can do it now, I'm not stopping. Time can be unkind to us , I try to enjoy every second to the fullest, and to me , a heavy bow is the way to go.
I’m 66 and currently shooting 49#. Almost 3 years ago I tore something in my left shoulder lifting plywood up to a roof. My shoulder wanted to collapse pulling my 53# bow so I rested the shoulder and moved down a few pounds. I can shoot the 53# bows again but am enjoying the 49#. For my size 5’9” I was stronger in my shoulders than a lot of guys. I hunted with a 72# longbow 30 years ago then went to 66 for a long time.
Eventually construction work took its toll and I ended up at 53# for quite a few years. I would still be shooting that if not for that injury.
Everybody is built different with different muscular abilities. I do believe you should shoot the most weight you can shoot well. When I see a 70 year old man shooting 35# I think that’s great he’s still doing it. If I sees 35 year old shooting 35# cause that’s old he says he can handle I shake my head.
I used to be impressed w/ archers who shot heavy draw bows until I went to a couple of shoots and saw that most of them were releasing at about 20” and then continued the drawing motion to mimic a full draw.
A 90# bow drawn to 20” is about 60#. Still impressive - but I think that we will all agree that 60 is not the new 90.
I think that a good shot cycle, a properly tuned bow, and the right arrow are all way more important that a number that someone inked on my bow limb.
Recovering from an injury, I just dropped from 45 to under 35 and am enjoying archery more than I have in years. I still practice w/ my 45# in case I decide to hunt again. But for recreational archery - which is 90% of my shooting, I am much happier shooting a bow that I can control.
“ I am much happier shooting a bow that I can control“
NOBODY should be shooting a boat that they can’t control. You can’t learn anything that way. But on the other hand… If you can control it, you can go as heavy as you want. My stoutest bow gets me close to #62, And I am not at all bashful about saying that I probably couldn’t do very well with it if I were to go out and shoot 50 targets, one arrow at a time. I am pretty sure I would get worn out and sloppy.
On the other hand, there is something about a draw weight that gets your attention… Which gets your attention.
Not a bad deal, really. If you can get in a dozen SOLID shots a day, that probably is better than six dozen unfocused efforts….
I quit shooting heavy bows (to me that's over 65lbs.) although I still have my 76lb. Groves.
Simple reason being that I had a conversation with one of the most well known heavy bow shooters in modern archery history. A person that I had a tremendous amount of respect for. He convinced me that those heavy bows were what destroyed his shoulders.
I personally have a 60# DHH a 55# Bob Lee Hunter and a 65# Bear Super Kodiak a 40# Samick Sage, a 50# Samick Journey, and #50 Striker Classic.
I find that I shoot the heavier bows better. The added pressure seems to hold me in good form. No string torque with a #65 and 31 in draw length. (So about 72 lbs). When I shoot the lighter bows it just seems it’s too easy to get sloppy. i.e. over draw string torque, etc. Then again I am only 50 yo and 6’6” and weigh 315lbs. I guess as I get older I will probably go down in draw weight but for now the heavy bows seem to hold me in good form AND it’s easy to find good deals on the heavy bows cause nobody wants them
I severely splattered both of my shoulders playing football, so most of my shooting all these years has been with "bad" shoulders.
I fell on, and "broke" my left shoulder (bow arm) opening morning of last season (Kind of a long & funny story. I'll spare you.)
I shot through it, kept right on shooting, and hunting, and that shoulder is right back to as good today as it has even been since the end my football days.
After breaking the shoulder I was shaky at first, and had to start using an elevated rest for a while to keep from shaking the arrow off during the draw.
Funny thing is: The more I shoot, the better my shoulders feel. It is great therapy for them. Not that I'm suggesting it would be for anyone else.
Just my opinion, but I've always been an advocate of shooting the heaviest draw weight, that you can "COMFORTABLY" shoot for hunting. Only you know what your comfort level is. If you are just target shooting, then there's never any need for heavy.
I got some real good scholarships to play college ball, but that was before they saw the medical records on my shoulders & knees. When they saw those, they reduced the scholarships to a point where it didn't make it worth my while, so I sought out other educational avenues.
"Juancho, could you give some details on your bows. Make, model, drawlength? An 1100 grain arrow going 180 fps is impressive. "
My set up is a Black Widow PCH X osage 60" 95# @ 31". And the arrows are Grizzly Sticks 170 full lenght ( 32") with custom made insert/outsert combination to wrap the shaft in metal at the last 3/8". The broadheads are of my own making one piece CNC cut of a very expensive steel ( about 20$ each for the steel alone) 59 Rockwell C.
For the 85# bow , I use Grizzly Sticks 240 set at 750 grains leaving the bow at 195 fps. Same bow , different set of limbs.
In my opinion, Leatherwallers need to confront this major shortcoming known as aging. Seems to me you've been dodging the issue. All these big, tough guys, reduced to GB status, haha!! In the meantime, I'm getting stronger by the day!
Juancho, that sounds like a great setup. If you get the opportunity to shoot a buff, please do a dissection/autopsy and show some pics of what that setup did to the ribs.
Fred Bear was 60 yrs awesome when he killed an Alaskan Brown / Grizzly with a 65# recurve. Though I doubt Fred ever spent a day in a gym, he was fit and able to shoot that bow well.
I believe that if more people spent as much time improving their performance, strength, cardiovascular fitness, mobility, flexibility...as they do on tuning arrows and perfecting form, we would have fewer wrecked shoulders and Better, Stronger, Fitter leatherwallers.
No doubt that 35#-45# bows can propel a lethal arrow. We have better broadheads, better arrow shaft options and are armed with improved knowledge of arrow lethality. Yet we also have available to us an equal or greater amount of knowledge on how to improve our own performance.
Set a high bar for yourselves for 2023, Be Better than Frisky.
I have too many bows and try to shoot them all, 26-62#, but for hunting I've settled on 53# +/- 3# as best for ME, with my preferred combinations of arrows and broadhead, my choice to hunt from the ground, my choice to possibly take shots up to 35 yards. An archer can find a workable combination of arrow and BH for any draw weight but I hunt on more sloped ground than flat, frequently broken and full of gullies and outcroppings and at low light, so I've settled on a draw weight that I can shoot well from all postures, shoot accurately without knowing exact distance my hunting arrow must cover, and get good penetration on any NA game.
Some folks are blessed with good bones & tendons, eyesight & reflexes. They can really develop them. Some folks have high IQ's. Some are blessed with good old fashion horse sense. A few have all three. A few have none of them. To say that all anyone has to do is work at it you may be lacking the last two. It is like saying study & you can be Einstein. Exercise & you can set the world weight lifting record & shoot heavy bow weights. Jog & you can set world speed records at the Olympics. Nearly everyone can improve with study & exercise. We all can't be geniuses or world champions. Spend some time with Educators & Physical Therapists You will see the differences in mankind. Just a few thoughts to ponder. >>>----> Ken
I guess I'm going to have to quit hunting big boar hogs if I ever have do go below the 60# weight that I shoot now. I'm 60 and I'm going to make sure I can shoot 60# as long as I can because I don't want to quit hunting those things. I also don't want to "try" to kill one with anything under 60# in the future. I already did that, and it doesn't go well at all for me. Anybody that thinks they can get good penetration on a hog like the one in the picture with a 40# bow is not somebody I'm going to pay much attention to (except if it's Frisky of course) I actually think 60# is a bit too light.
Iwander, pdk25 said above he got the job done with a 48# bow so it's not his opinion, it's his experience.
"When I got essentially a pass though on a decent boar hog probably shooting around 48 @ 29.5 with a 1950's Paul Bunyan bow, I was pretty sure that I usually use more than I need to."
well boys when you get too your mid 80,s talk to me about your strength. i'll still be shooting deer with my girly bow! oh and i still have my wife take me to my stand on the old sidexside so there..... so thankful i can still get out there! oh and i can still shoot my 60# herters takedown if i want to. "old timer"
Let me be clear, the hog that I shot with the Paul Bunyan was less than 200 pounds and not heavily shielded. I would not have had the same penetration on a heavily shielded boar. I was just saying that I usually use more than is necessary. That being said, I killed a very heavily shielded 400# boar with a thunderchild and simmons tigershark, probably shooting 53# at a little over 29#. Didn't get very good penetration, maybe 12". Can't remember exactly. Went around 80 yards, but zero blood trail. Not the best choice for that, but it got the job done. I have never run into one like that since, but also haven't run into another that has stood up to my silvertip that was around 60# at my draw or my stickflinger that is maybe 56# at my draw. I definitey wouldn't hesitate to shoot anything in NA with either of those bows, and would probably be overkill on most things. That being said, I have some other options available, and if I was going after a larger critter would probably pull one of those off of the shelf.
I am not sure why it bothers anyone if someone shoots heavier, or if they shoot lighter, that they choose to do.
Pros and cons either way. As runner said, though, if you never build yourself up at all and never shoot above a relatively low draw weight, it could limit some of your opportunities if you have to drop weight as you get older. On the flip side, if you go to heavy and ignore maintaining proper form, your accuracy will likely suffer and you may set yourself up for injury, although there is not good data to show that someone shooting heavier bows with good form is more likely to be injured than someone shooting lighter weight bows.
And really, we should all just really acknowledge that Frisky sets the standard of what we should be doing.
My old buddy Shorty (RIP) killed quite a few hogs with a bow, that in reality wasn't even 40# at his draw.
Prior to him starting to kill them though, he shot and lost every one he shot.
I finally talked him into changing his arrows up, and most importantly, I talked him into only shooting at them inside of 15 yards.
Once he (finally) let his hard head take my advice, he started killing them pretty regularly, but he never (not once ever) got a pass through arrow, seldom even two holes, and the tracking jobs were 99.9% loooooong.
Point being - you can kill just about anything even with a 20# draw weight bow, but it's a good chance when you do, it's going to frustrate the snot out of you before you finally recover the animals.
These threads often make me wonder what has happened in a persons life that as an adult they are still self validated by how much draw weight they shoot.
I have a 65# on the shelf...and a 60#. I have a 55# that I really love but I'm hunting this year with a 42#.
We don't have any heavy shielded boar pigs (or any other pigs). No bear, moose or elk around here either. The biggest and meanest is a scrawny whitetail...and I don't often get to shot at one of those.
The nastiest thing I've had the chance to shot at lately is a Budweiser can. It was a short tracking job.
I'm 62 and I went from 60# recurves 30 years ago to 50-something-ish now. My three favorite hunting bows are 55#, 52# and 51# @28" (I still draw an inch further).
I do have a 47# RWH and a 40# set of limbs for my Wing Presentation II for my "golden years".
I've been shooting 60# plus bows since the early 80's. I'm 67 now and my favorite bow to hunt with is 62# at my draw length. Shoot 40 if you must but I'll stay where I am for as long as I can.
"These threads often make me wonder what has happened in a persons life that as an adult they are still self validated by how much draw weight they shoot."
Rarely see that here. It's usually the light bow crowd that makes the noise, but probably nothing in particular. Usually it's just part of their character. Some feel validated by how much, or how little they shoot, just like some feel superior, threatened, or defensive by how much weight others shoot. Ego, envy, insecurity, superiority, etc, would usually be found as root causes in most of it. People can get funny about things sometimes.
Low poundage guys should form an online support group....wait nevermind they have.Who cares.H3avy bow guys come across as virtue signaling tough guys.Really it's no one's concern but your own.
Well, I for one can say - My heavy/heavier bow shooting has nothing to do with ego at all.
I started shooting heavy, because I saw the difference it can make, and whether you'll admit to it, or not - it "DOES" make a difference.
I started shooting real heavy purely by accident. I didn't even know what the draw weight on the bow actually was for about a year. I thought it was 75# @ my draw. It was much heavier. I didn't care.
The only things that mattered (still matter) to me were the flat cast, and the end results of when the arrows meet the animals.
To each their own, because what someone else's preference is, is none of my business, and "DOES NOT" not matter to me. :-)
I guess I don’t even consider myself a heavy bow guy. I only use the heavy stuff when I feel the need for it. I won’t feel any less manly when I shoot lighter stuff in the future l, and don’t feel manly based on what I can shoot now. We all do what we do for our own reasons.
I am 75 and both of my long bows are 54#. At 5’10 and 155 lbs I’m not a big person but I work at staying in shape and can shoot my bows with ease. So far with the right technique I have avoided any injuries that restrict my ability. The Lord willing I hope I can continue for several more years.
This is my first post on here. I am glad I found this place. I started bow hunting about 1980 in my early 20's and shot a 60 pound Compound, mostly. later moved up to 65 lbs, and even shot an 80 lb long bow for a while but it was always too much for me.
In the end, I used a 60 lb Martin Hatfield TD Recurve for but it finally became too much for me, although I did shoot it recently, before I sold it, but I could tell that it was going to cause me problems.
I have recently traded for a Black Widow 42 lb which I find very comfortable to shoot. And I still own 50 lb Dick Palmer Longbow, but I never did like it much. It Kicks and I don't shoot it very well. I would like to eventually find a better-quality longbow to try out.
Your 42 pound recurve will be easier to control through the entire shot process, when compared with heavier bows.
I think the main reason many of us drop bow weight has nothing to do with not working out. It's more likely injuries. Everything wears out, including the human body. To stay in the game, whatever the game, you have to compromise. For many, dropping bow weight is less of a compromise and likely will improve accuracy.
lot of good thoughts here..regardless of what bow poundage you use.
injury certainly can effect your bow poundage. somebody mentioned construction work injury, it can happen, real quick, and plague you for the rest of your life.
I went to a doctor once, cant remember why, he asked.."when did it start hurting"?..told him i didn't know..he got huffy.." how can you not know" !... it ticked me off...told him... " good grief i hurt every day doc, ya just learn to ignore it" !!
But you might not be able to ignore it doing some task like shooting bow.
im thankful i can still use whatever i want...i might grab a 75# longbow and shoot for a while, then later in the day go out with the little 52" sierra 50# pounder and shoot a few.
mabye im different, weird whatever, but i shoot them all about the same, and i will hunt with any of them.
Broke a knee and ankle 40+ years ago. Busy morning today, lots of stairs and heavy stuff. Got a decent threshold but no ignoring them today. At least it helps ya forget about the other ones :)
Shooting moderately 'heavier' bows seems to help my shoulders though.
Edmund Burke wrote about this very subject in the mid 1950s when glass laminated bows began to replace wood self bows. 45# recurves were replacing 65# long bows in field and hunting at the time. As far as vision goes, Byron Ferguson had lens replacement surgery several years ago. bvd
