I'm 5'10" and 175 lbs and using a 62 lb compound and a 55 lb longbow. (Don't hunt with the longbow 'cause I'm not accurate enough yet.)

My daughter, 4'8" (almost) and 75 lbs (almost) got her first deer the day after christmas with a 28 lb compound. (There is no minimum draw weight in Michigan.) This is about the most she can use at her size.

Shot placement is the key. Nothing wrong with a fast, powerful bow if you can handle it effectively, but shot placement it still the key.