draw weight

[bobzila]

hi guys i am thinking about geting a 1 pc recurve but im not sure about what poundage to get i have a 40# longbow witch i can draw confertably and a 78# compound witch i also have no problem drawing back. i was thinking about geting a 60# recurve but i was after your thorts on my strength do you's think i would be abol to draw this poundage or would i be better geting a 50#? and advise would help thanks :D

[NormGunston]

One rough indicator that will aid in ensuring you don't over-bow yourself is: Sit on a bar stool with both feet off of the floor. If you can draw back the bow that you intend to purchase (or a bow of the same length and poundage) a few times without having to put your feet on the floor, "skying" the bow or straining, that is the correct weight for you.

[Mick Smith]

bobzilla

It all comes down to what you're comfortable with.

We can all draw bows that are really too heavy for us to shoot accurately and because accuracy is more important than arrow speed, you would be better off going for something you can draw and shoot comfortably.

You need to be able to hold your bow at full draw for at least 5 seconds without developing a bad case of the shakes.

Really what you need to do is try a variety of bows before buying to ensure you buy what's best for you. Don't be tempted to buy a bow just that bit heavier than you can handle, with the plan of working out with it to build up your strength to handle it. In my opinion you would be better off with a bow you can manage and one you can learn to shoot with accuracy.

I reckon a 50# bow is a pretty handy tool for most Australian game. It might be slightly marginal for the really big species, like big mud encrusted boars or sambar deer, but for the likes of goats, deer up to and including red deer and normal sized pigs, 50# is more than adequate.

If you can comfortably handle a 55# bow, so much the better as it allows you to use heavier arrows and still get a reasonable trajectory. The heavier arrows make the bow a better proposition for larger game.

There's plenty of time, later on, to progress to something like a 60# bow, if you feel the need to go that heavy.

I've got a couple of 60# bows, but personally, I can't shoot them as accurately or for as many shots before becoming tired, as what I can with my 55# bow and what's more the difference in the field between the two weights is bearly noticable.

Don't try to play the big man and overbow yourself. :wink:

Mick

[macka]

Hey mate i had a 75# compound and when i first got my recurve it took a bit to get used to. I would go 55 pound. that way you can take any animal with it and still be pretty comfortable knowing you can shoot it from start and it will only get easier. My 55# has had a pass through on every animal i have shot with it nearly. Its plenty of poundage for goats and deer.

just my opinion anyway.

Macka

[bobzila]

thanks guys there is a guy at my club with a 55# left handed recurve so ill see if i can have a shot of that on sunday to see if i can comfortably shoot that kind of poundage

[Warlocke]

I shoot a 65# recurve but I have been weight training for 25 years.

If I wasn't confident in my strength I would go for the minimum hunting poundage allowed for the game that you are hunting.

That would be 50# for just about anything to the south of the Gulf.

Accuracy with shot placement is more lethal than the poundage and your accuracy will always be better when not over bowed.

[danceswithdingoes]

45-50# will take almost anything down with a well placed shot at a sensible range using a razor-sharp broadhead :)

[ed]

what let off do you have with your compound? If you are used to holding say 20#s on the compound then you are going to find even 50#s affects your form and aiming ability.
As for the rest of the Darwin's rejects here - my wife shoots 50# easier than half the trad people I have seen shoot. It seems that the biggest muscle on most trad people is their beer gut! You should be able to shoot around a 3rd of your bodyweight or better IF you are able to do a chin-up or two. just remember on a trad bow all the weight is at full draw and so if your posture is bad you won't be able to hold it. The overly bent elbow I see on some compound shooters is way too weak.

[topendbowman]

I say we have feeling too you know...lol :P :P :P
and dont worry you have hurt none of them... :P :P :D

[quote="ed"]
As for the rest of the Darwin's rejects here

[ed]

hehe well it is unfortunately too true about many longbowers I see. My 72 year old father can pull my 55# bow and he hasn't been a well man for years. It just makes me wonder how much archery actually goes on vs how much photo swapping in the clubhouse - like 19th hole golfers :D

Seriously though I think a lot of compounders that go trad are in for a shock with draw weights. Two very different beasts. And that doesn't include learning to draw and aim at the same time, few trad people hold for five seconds at full draw (though I think it is a good idea). To do so you have to have good rear arm form so the weight is through the bones of your upper arm and not tiring your muscles. If you have bad form this way, your shooting partners can see it easy enough in arrow creep.

[bobzila]

what let off do you have with your compound? If you are used to holding say 20#s on the compound then you are going to find even 50#s affects your form and aiming ability.
As for the rest of the Darwin's rejects here - my wife shoots 50# easier than half the trad people I have seen shoot. It seems that the biggest muscle on most trad people is their beer gut! You should be able to shoot around a 3rd of your bodyweight or better IF you are able to do a chin-up or two. just remember on a trad bow all the weight is at full draw and so if your posture is bad you won't be able to hold it. The overly bent elbow I see on some compound shooters is way too weak.

Ed im 70kgs and can do as many chin ups as i want (no more then 5) my bow has a 60% let off and i keep my arm strate when shooting and my posture is pritty good compaired to most people my age :D

[ed]

I'd be surprised then if you could not handle a 55# recurve and with time if you wanted to up to 65# without much real effort. The muscles are very different actually, but if you are able to do five chinups you have a good base strength.

[bobzila]

mate i can do to of the ones where the bar hits the back of your neck if thats any different

[ed]

as a physio I would advise against such a style chin up as they put your shoulder at a highly compressive angle - pinches rotator cuff and that is enough to make any archer cringe. Also not a good neck position for all the supportive muscles of the shoulder blade and neck. Though I admit it does take quite some strength, I am even more impressed by people that can chin all the way down to their lower chest in front, that is amazingly hard! Once you have tried them, all other chin seem easy.
Not that I can do them at the moment as I am recovering from damage to both shoulders I got while working on the house :(

[Kimall]

Hey Ed as a physio you can mabey help me.I went to the doc as I am having trouble with pain in back of my arms.It was caused by not warming up on a very cold day and shooting a heavy compound bow.I felt the rip but kept shooting(yes very stupid).This happened about 12 months ago and does not affest my shooting now as it seems to be caused by holding up the heavy bow(now shooting trad) not the drawing but doing stuff like pulling a jumper over my head hurts like hell at times.Anyway the doc said it is scar tissue where the Deltasomthings attach to the bone at the back of my upper arm and to see a physio and he would be able to get rid of it .So the million dollar question is what would he get me to do do you think?Thanks in advance....
Cheers KIM

[ed]

Hi Kim, it could be the deltoid's connection to the bone or it could be one of the rotator cuff muscles too. I would go see your local physio for sure. He will ofcoiurse give you exercises depending on just what it is - I have learnt the some doctors really can't tell such stuff (it is a specialty and so it should not be expected of them really, those that can are good doctors indeed). It is also likely that you will need some deep tissue work ( and stretching ) in there to break up any restrictive scar tissue. Heat will help, and if you have an infra-red lamp you should use it.

[Kimall]

Thanks mate I will go and see him when I get a chance.
Cheers KIM

[macka]

I have had more than a couple occasions where i have gone to a doctor with a sporting injury and been told something very serious and gone to a phisio to find out that it is something different and very minor so deff dee a phisio about it. Once a doctor told me i had ripped the muscle right off my knee cap.. went to the phisio and it was just a strain :roll:

Macka

[benhohnke]

45-50# will take almost anything down with a well placed shot at a sensible range using a razor-sharp broadhead :)
I got a pass through on 2 goats from 25m with my #45 samick talon. :D

[Clinglish]

You should always chose accuracy over speed. The game you are stalking isn't impressed by the poundage you shoot it with .

[bobzila]

The game you are stalking isn't impressed by the poundage you shoot it with .

true but the ladies down at the club are anyway i wont be hunting with it i will just be using it for fita and 3D