Draw weight

Bloodsaw · 06-02-2007, 07:46 PM

Whats the average draw weight everyone uses.. i know it seems to be 50- 60 or 60- 70 for most people..but between these what is the most common? i have pulled a 70 pound bow but it was NOT easy and lookin at a buck there is no way i could get it back.. at least not with him lookin my way.. anyways when i start shooting often after i get a new bow will my draw weight shoot up? should u get a 60- 70 so i can turn it up or will a 50 - 60 be good? i can pull back 55 - 60 without much effort.. or should i get would of those " odd " draw weight bows with 15 pound differnt or more like 50 - 65 or 55 - 70 or sumthin

MDBUCKHUNTER · 06-02-2007, 09:31 PM

Holy smokes. I'll try my best to answer all of the mentioned questions.

1. I am drawing 70lbs, I can't speak for anyone else.
2. Most common between 50-60 and 60-70? I don't know, you might want to start a pole to find out.
3. Will your draw weight shoot up after you get a new bow? Sometimes. If you are young and have a lot of growing still to do, often you will go to a higher poundage. If you are older, often you won't go to a higher poundage.
4. A 50-60lb bow maxed out at 60lbs will shoot better than a 60-70lb bow at 60lbs. I purchased a 50-60lb set of limbs last year. This year I sold them for 60-70lb limbs. If you go with the higher limbs, just start doing pushups and in a very short period of time, you will be comfortably shooting at a higher weight.

Best of luck.

Straightarrow · 06-03-2007, 04:35 AM

One of the big problems with bowhunters, is that they choose their draw weights arbitrarily. Draw weights should be chosen to match the arrow spine they're shooting. I'm not talking about the wide range a manufacturer recommends their arrows for, I'm referring to the actually poundage that perfectly matches your arrow's dynamic spine.

I have several bows, and I shoot anywhere from 50 to 75 lbs, depending on the arrows I'm using with a particular bow. Each bow is set at the exact poundage that shoots that arrow it's best. On one bow with a particular arrow it's 63 lbs. Another arrow (out of the same bow) is 71 lbs, and so on.

davepjr71 · 06-03-2007, 02:23 PM

When I was in my teens I used a bow that went up to 60 lbs. Every bow I've purchased since then has been 60 to 70. A bow that has a wider range of adjustment ismight bea good starting point. 55-70 or 50-65. What you have remember that some bows that are 60-70 may adjust lower than 60 lbs and some bows in that range also have a higher max. My bow is 60-70 but maxes out at 75.

The more you shoot the easier it will be to draw and hold a particular draw weight. Working out also helps. However, you can also get caught in the trap where you have no problem drawing a weight standing there in the middle of summer. But when hunting season starts and it's cold and you are sitting you can't draw. I had this happen when I was in my late teens on a nice buck.

Ultimately, the draw weight you use for hunting should be easy for you to draw sitting down and at all angles with hunting clothes on.

As for dynamic spine. You can shorter an arrow to increase spine, add weight to the back endto increase dynamic spine. Remove weight from the front to increase dynamic spine. Add weight to the front to reduce dynamic spine. If you are comfortable up to 70 lbs but your arrows are slightly weak you can decrease the draw weight a little to spine correctly. There are good programs to get you in the ball park now. But shooting the arrow and seeing how it tunes is ultimately the best way.

Most hunters I know prefer an arrow having a stiff spine for hunting.

MDBUCKHUNTER · 06-03-2007, 06:32 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Straightarrow

Draw weights should be chosen to match the arrow spine they're shooting.

I will respectfully disagree.

I believe an archer should choose his poundage first before he chooses an arrow. But choosing that poundage should be done through testinga bow at various weight ranges. If you have your mind set on shooting a Mathews, shoot the 50-60lb model then try the 60-70lb model. Finally decide on the draw weight that fits you best....THEN get arrows that fit the draw weight. Thus nothing is done arbirarily.

If you pick an arrow first, it is like choosing a camo before you decide on where you are hunting. Makes very little sense.

Straightarrow · 06-04-2007, 04:19 AM

Quote:

I will respectfully disagree.

Well, hopefully the archer was smart enough to consider draw weight limitation before he chooses his arrows, but to shoot a 55 lb draw weight on an arrow designed to be shot at 75 lbs, would not likely send a broadhead tipped arrow where it should. I prefer a guy not be able to draw his bow, then to send an arrow to who knows where. Once again, arbitrary draw weights are one of the biggest problems with broadhead tipped arrows. Draw weights should be as planned as any other aspect of bow and arrow tuning.

davepjr71 · 06-04-2007, 05:07 AM

I've never heard a single person basing a bow choice on an arrow they own until now. And I've never seen draw weight choice as arbitrary. A person decides what bow they want and chooses a draw weight then buys arrows for the weight. if they have to turn the bow down a little due to not being able to draw it then thearrow is slightly stiff. Which is perfectly fine.

Yes, you may have to adjust the draw weight for an arrow. However, if you plan it out properly and purchased an arrow close to what you want and then add weight as needed youprobably will not have too. Also, asI stated before. Most hunters prefer an arrow that is a little stiff over an underspined arrow.

BGfisher · 06-04-2007, 07:40 AM

I have to agree with Dave in this case. The bow should be something that fits the archer. Then you pick the other accessories to match---arrows included. There are many many more types and sizes of arrows than there are bows to match.

That being said, the average poundage shot, at least today, is about 10 pounds more than should be shot if one takes into consideration the wear and tear on the back, neck and shoulders in the long run.

Most bows have a weight range of 10 pounds. Most carbon arrows can have an acceptable shooting range of nearly 20# depending on the length. Proper tuning is also a function of turning bow weight up or down to get the best flight out of the arrow. To accomplish this the person shooting should be able to handle the max bow poundage available with relative ease. It's not a macho sport.

davepjr71 · 06-04-2007, 10:42 AM

Agreed BG
I shoot my 3D selects at 63 and 73 with the same result in French tuning and when shot through paper.

By the way. This same discussion is also going on with a thread 60# or 70#.

Straightarrow · 06-05-2007, 04:02 AM

Quote:

The bow should be something that fits the archer. Then you pick the other accessories to match---arrows included.

Of course, it should be a bow that matches the archer. That goes without saying. However, if it doesn't, you still do as you suggested and pick the arrows to match it. Anything else is simply not doing it the right way.