RE: 60# or 70# ?
 

From an article I just read:

So how do you know if you are shooting too much weight? When you draw the bow, your bow arm should go forward as easily as if you were reaching your hand out to shake someone's hand. The drawing arm should NOT resemble the harsh movement like you were jerking the cord to start a lawn mower. If you have to point your bow towards the sky to reach your anchor, it's too heavy. You should be able to sit in a chair and draw the bow smoothly out in front of you, hold it at full draw for a half a minute and still execute the same pin-point accuracy you deliver when standing and shooting more quickly. If in doubt, crank the weight down a few pounds. Less really is more from today's high performance bows.

RE: 60# or 70# ?
 

Not to beet a dead horse. But I do have a question, If I am shooting a 352 gr arrow, what is the lowest lbs I can shoot with a good performance?

RE: 60# or 70# ?
 

You will need a chrono and here is a kinetic energy calculator that will determine your results.

http://www.archeryexchange.com/information/info_pages/kinetic/kinteic-calculator.shtml

RE: 60# or 70# ?
 

Thank you, it said I should be at 302 fps and 70.90 fp of kinetic energy at 60lbs. May try 65lbs

RE: 60# or 70# ?
 

Thanks for all the info..

I am a 6'2" 210lbs dude and I bought a 60lbs bow that pulls a 64lbs. I was slightly worried I should have gone up in wieght. I have a renewed since of confidence.

RE: 60# or 70# ?
 

Bullets are all about the mass, shock, and knockdown power of a bullet hitting an animal. Whether 60 or 70# , most of us use a 100 grain broadhead and we are not doing anymore damage to the animal with a 60, 70, 80, or 100 # bow. It is the same 1" hole diameter and the same broadhead. Arrows kill by hemmoraging, not knockdown. The only difference between an arrow that kills an animal out of a 100 #bow verse a 60# bow is just how much further it sticks in the dirt after each of them easily blows through the animal. Dead is dead.

RE: 60# or 70# ?
 

The assurance I get from shooting a 70# bow, knowing I will blow through the shoulder if I do happen to shoot too far forward, is enough to keep shooting 70#. Dead is dead, but a wounded deer isn't.

Perhaps those of you with longer draw lengths don't necessarily have to worry about that near as much, but those of us with less than 28" draws probably like the confidence 70# gives us. I know I do.

;)

RE: 60# or 70# ?
 

Obviously that's how both work. My point is that a .243 has enough energy for whitetail and yet people still use larger calibers for the "knock down power". Therefore, the comparison is valid from that standpoint.

The comparison can also be made for marginal shots though. I'd rather have something with a better chance of penetration if I hit the shoulder. Isn't that why people still use large caliber rifles?

A deer is just a dead with a .243 as a 300 mag.

Another misconception I keep seeing here is people saying you don't gain any speed due to using a heavier arrow. The difference in arrow weight is about .7 gpi for a GT XT Hunter arrow. My Allegiance at 72.5 lbs is 8 fps faster (292)with a 420 gr arrow than it was with a 391 gr arrow at 63 lbs (284). If I really wanted to I could drop down to a 100 gr tip be down to 395 gr and pick-up another 5+ fps. So, I have more speed, more KE and more penetration on an accidental shoulder shot with a heavier arrow.

RE: 60# or 70# ?
 

I have always shot 70+ pounds ... and will continue to do so ..... I see no reason to change ... more kinetic energy is a GOOD thing at times ..... it doen't matter at times, but I have never known it to be a bad thing .....

RE: 60# or 70# ?
 

Many of you know that my bow is in the shop with a split limb waiting on a warranty repair. I have 70# limbs on the bow. I just had a lengthy discussion on the phone with Russell, ( Ausie-guy), about draw weight. He recommended to me that I have the limbs replaced with 60# limbs. His is an opinion I hold in high regard, (Your opinion Russell, not you! :D). I have the bow backed off to 65# now and have since I bought it. If I get 60# limbs and bottom them out I'll probably be at about 62#. I'll lose 3# and gain efficiancy. I told Russ I'm going to do it. The onlyway I'm going back to 70# limbs is if the wait for 60s is more than a week or two. Thanks Don for bringing this up and thanks Russell for the advice!