What lightweight bow that you shoot for targets or hunting continues to amaze?

I’ve been shooting a 47# ILF recurve at my 31” DL for the last few years and 10 of the 12 critters in the last 2 years were complete pass throughs- inc an 800# moose last fall, amazing performance.

I bought some heavier limbs…and am starting to wonder, “Why?”

My kids shoot a 35# Shakespeare super necedah. Incredible cast for a light bow.

So where is the threshold at which a bow becomes a "lightweight bow"?

From my perspective 47lbs.@31" is not lightweight at all.

The lightweight bow I shoot is 47#.

I normally shoot 55-60#.

It's all relative...

47# is pretty damn heavy for me!

I shoot a short recurve with a homemade Maple riser and #50 sage limbs its #43 at my draw due to limb angle and Short riser, Suits me fine.

I bought an almost new 66" A&H ACS 36#@28" G10 riser that I thought was going to be too light but could use for target and form. Previous owner said he was using full length Axis 600s w/200 gr up front. I think he was trying to tune from spine charts and gave up by selling the bow. I went from 600s to 500s to finally some cut down 400s with 185 gr up front to tune. Shoots Amazing! Bought another used 66" 45#@28" with Aluminum riser for about the cost of limbs and had to buy 300 spines to tune it. Don't like the way it shoots with the Aluminum riser but on the G10 - Amazing again!

Shooting 40@28 to protect all the shoulder wear, tear, and surgeries. Easy to draw and hold, and it sends the arrows downrange very well, with plenty of penetration. As was stated, lightweight is a relative term. But, I am pretty sure that my setup qualifies.

These threads usually bring out the egos. One would be smart to shoot whatever weight they can handle "comfortably", not just how much they can handle, and whichever they can be deadly accurate with.

I'm shooting my new Yellowstone Longbow. It is 40# @ 28" and my draw is 28". It allows me to shoot a lot of arrows in a shooting session without getting fatigued and struggling. I can still shoot my heavier bows but nowhere near as long. I hate having to quit a shooting session due to fatigue. These old muscles and bones are happy with light. If I have to I'll drop lower.

My home made 50 lb 30 year old bow shoots better than any bow I have ever shot. I think it’s because I shoot it a lot. I have outshot lots of high dollar customs with it and have kilt a lot of critters with it. It’s ugly too

What Blueman said 31” draw is HUGE for adding speed. I’d say equal to 57 to 60 pound bow at 28”.

Now if some one shoots say 45 pounds at 26” I’d like to see and hear about those success stories. Especially from an ASL or a selfbow.

Under 60 is light weight lol

So the draw length becomes a big factor. I thought 50 lbs was 50 lbs. I know that if I draw my bow an extra 2 inches the poundage increases. I’d say a 50 lb bow at 31 inches won’t draw the same at if drawn to only 28 inches

To me:

Under 40 - very lightweight

40-50 lightweight

50-60 medium weight

60-70 heavy weight

70 plus very heavy

Babysaph look up some of my post. I’ve done test showing light drawweight/ long draw can easily out shoot heavy draw weight/ short draw combos.

I would give anything for a 31" draw.....thats just a HUGE advantage over use short guys in terms of performance at the same draw weight once you integrate for area under the curve....I'd probably have to shoot at least ten more pounds to make up the 3.5" of draw. 47@31 ought to be good enough for about anything most of us will ever have a tag for.

Matt

I agree Todd. Are you saying when you draw the bow at 28 inches then draw it again to 31 the poundage doesn’t change?

Jack, of course poundage increases. But I’ve test similar bows just different draw weights and even a bow with adjustable draw weight to test this out.

When I first got my KBV 40# @ 28", I only got 187 fps. Now that I've had it awhile, it

seems much faster than that. Maybe it gained speed somehow (?).

ok, That was my point. The poundage increases. Thanks.

BUT a bow drawing 47# @ 31" will out perform a bow drawing 47# @ 28" by a whole lot because of the longer power stroke.

The longer draw even at equal draw weight has been proven many, many times to be faster. Why do you think they ATA test a bow at 30"? They want the best possible showing so they can sell the bow! And even a compound bow of equal weight will be slower in the shorter draw.

40 @ 27 Black Widow longbow.

I am a fan of shooting bows about 15-20 pounds under the max weight I can handle.

I used to have a 31" draw but because of arthritis I am down to 27 1/2" and it is so much easier to get good arrow flight out of shorter arrow and I dont have to shoot a real heavy arrow but a long draw is faster .

47@31” is light?

I shoot 40@28” which is about 45@30” for me.

Personally consider light poundage in the range of 35 to 40ish.

45-50lb mid range and anything over 50lbs heavy.

With that said it’s been proven over and over for hunting good shot placement is key And for target not sure poundage really matters.

Everything has pros and cons even bow poundage so it’s more about what works best for the individual.

Poundage matters for target if shooting instinctive IMO

Poundage may matter for target when the shot distance is long.

Us short DL guys don't get to the "power band part of the draw cycle. That is why ILF work really well for me.

Lightweight as far as actual carry weight my Striker classic Longbow 62" @50# at 28" dl. Very light in field to carry . Alite quick , well made , purty at least to me tough built bow .

My litest pulling limbs are on my WF19, they are Samick R3 foam shorts 60" @ 45# .

When I need to be reminded of the bad habits in my shooting, I grab my 1961 Howatt Ventura, 26#, 1816 aluminum target arrows, start from 40 yards and back up.

Why not?

I actually was psyched to read a poetic ode by one of the bards here....

Light bow Ode

I drink beer all day, forget sometimes to pray

But I can shoot a 40 pounds bow and I am a hoot

When I go in the stand you know the drill

I go for the view not for a kill

But I can shoot a 40 pounds bow and I am a hoot

Life is good in this silent hood

Deer are safe until I say

I can shoot a 40 pounds bow and I am a hoot

Killed my last two bucks, both in one year, with a 40# Samick Sage with a SBD string drawn 26". Two holes and watched them drop.

He taketh his light boe in his hande

slips through the glade to take his stande

there to await the kingly bucke

and draw his arrow to try his lucke.

(Best I could do, Seneca ;-) )

Seems like the older I get the more my draw length shortens and bow weight drops. I'm just happy to still be watching them fly!

Ahhhh there we go!! Thank you Draven & Dana!

47# is not a light bow.

I shoot 42-44 for everything without a problem because that is what is comfortable for me now days and I am accurate with that poundage. Its funny, when I was thirty years old sixty pounds was perfect. Then at fifty years old fifty pounds was the best, now approaching seventy I find something in the low forties the best.The good thing is that weight kills game just as well as the heavier bows for me I find.

Check out some of Basinboy post, he’s shooting 43#@26 and has taken a lot of critters from elk to hogs. Proof enough that a well setup bow/arrow does not have to be a heavy weight.

DJ

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