Should I get a 50-60# or 60-70#

[okiejaco]

I am looking at getting a new bow. Probably a Bear Truth or something along those lines. I am shooting an old High Country Excalibur set at 65# and would like something a little easier to pull. I am getting older and don't shoot as much as I used to. I read that some of the new bows feel like 60# when pulling 70# and was wanting some feedback. I thought I remember that it is better to have the bow on the higher end of its max. I hope to get a chance to test some but thought I would check here first. Thanks.

[JoshKeller]

60 lbs will kill anything on this continent.

Newer bows perform pretty awesome at 60lbs. I too think about going down in wieght. I actually see some setups at 60lbs outperform mine at 70lbs.

[Beezer]

Or you could buy a Parker with 50 to 60lb limbs and later on trade them out for60 to 70lb limbs for $50. Mine is a 60 to 70lb, but I think I'd rather have gotten 50 to 60lbs because newer bows apparently perform better with the limb weight tweaked toward the higher end rather than the lower end. 50/60lb limbs perform better at 60lbs than 60/70lbs limbs do.....or so I've heard.

[ArrowMike]

All I buy is 60Lbs bows. I have no problem shooting 70, but 60 is easier to shoot. And new 60Lbs bows can take down any thing in North America. Then again I think you can also do it with 50Lbs too, but that a debate for another day. I have also found that a 60 maxed out (61-62) will usually out perform a 70 set at 65.

[todd a smith]

i have a mq1 set at 60..and it shoots good...

[Arthur P]

I would go with 50-60, but the final decision is yours. It's what you are comfortable with that counts. If you can comfortably handle a 70 pound bow, then go with it if you want. But don't let your testosterone override your brain when you make the choice. It's archery, not strongman competition. Like bigcountry said, the things they've done with bow design in the past few years have 60 pounders doing things almost as good as 70's.

I shoot a 50-60 Hoyt ProTec. It gives me the exact same performance as my old ProVantage did at 80 pounds 20 years ago.

[davepjr71]

Go with what you can comfortably shoot.My bow at 703# feels easier to draw than my old Whitetail Legend does at 60#'s. If you can shoot 70#' sitting down or at odd angles go with that. You might not be able to do it at first and it may take time. If you have to jank all over the place go with 60#'s.

Yes, the new 60's shoot like the old 70's. But why not go with the highest DW you can? Your performance with even heavier arrows will be better than that same arrow from a 60# bow.

[TFOX]

Shoot whatever poundage you can comfortably pull when in a hunting situation and comfortably hold without ANY strain.This includes heavy clothing and COLD weather.


Usually a drop in poundage is preferrable in the winter over what you are comfortable with in the summmer and as you get older,your shoulders will thank you for not over stressing them over the years.


I have shot too many 3-d tourneys with older gentlemen that can barely pull 50# anymore due to shooting heavy poundage bows for years.They will tell you shoot on the lower end of your comfort range rather than the upper end.


I shoot 58# and have no problems with passthroughs on deer size game and really doubt I would have problems on elk.

[okiejaco]

Thanks a lot guys. I think I will go with the 50-60# bow.