60# or 70# for deer
 

I heard that if you take 2 bows same cam system same draw length same bows
1 set at 60# top end the other set at70# top end you will only gain 10 fps with the
70# bow, with the same arrows and the correct spine. Why shoot the 70#? you will
get higher KE at 70# but 60# has plenty for deer or even elk.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

Personal preference, I shoot 70 and am very comfortable with it. I don' t struggle with the draw weight and it feels right for me. I like the extra speed an KE. If I want to hunt bears, or moose some day I can use my same set up, the one I shoot all the time and have confidence in. Another reason, assuming the same bow with a peak weight of 70 lbs, you will get optimum performance from the bow with the poundage maxed out, that is how they are designed.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

Why shoot a 60 lber when 50lb' s has plenty for deer even elk.

Why shoot a 50 lber when you can get the job done with a 40lber.

Some guys pull 70 easier than guys pulling 60 lbers - why not use it?

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

RA - AMEN MY BROTHER!!!

On top of that - I pull 70# because I' m a 27" draw & need every ounce I can get!

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

Anything above 40# should have the punch to take down a whitetail.
My wifes 43# and radical cam has enough! My McKenzie Tuff Buck says so.
The shaft sticks out the other side 5" at 30 yards, through the thickest part with her bow and carbon shafts. Beat my aluminums @ 60# with my bow. I had to go carbon! My McKenzie won' t last long now.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

60# is comfortable for me and is deadly! The stronger you are, the more lbs you should try, but stop before you max out and can' t hold for several seconds at full draw.....Being able to hold at full draw is more important than a few fps of arrow speed......

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

I am shooting 72# right now. Why? One reason is that my bow is maxed out :D but the other reason is that this is about the most weight that I can pull and be entirely comfortable with. I can draw it back without any problems and I can hold it for a long time. The extra speed and KE are nice, but, if I could only pull 55# then that is what my bow would be set at.

Alot of the bows out there today can be set to their lowest possible speed but can still zip an arrow through a whitetail.

If I don' t fill my tags before late season archery this year, I may bump my bow down to 60 pounds and adjust my sights. Why? Because the negative 10 degree morning here in Pennsylvania mixed with adrenaline from a deer comming in can make it VERY challenging to pull a bow back.

Try out different weight settings and see what you like the best. If you can pull 65# just as easily and comfortably as 60#, then, go with 65#, but, if it isn' t the same, go with 60#, you will be glad you did when you have a buck come in and your adrenaline starts pumping.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

I can pull 70 pounds very comfortably sitting down with my legs crossed in full camo. I would also shoot 100 pound bow if I could do the same with a bow of that weight. If you can pull it and hold it for about a minute with out shaking and are accurate with it then shoot it. It gives you just a bit more power that you might need someday for that shot that wasn' t perfect or that monster elk or moose..

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RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

I don' t move the weight up on my bow until I can pull back, hold for a minute solid, then turn to the target and hit the bullseye. If you can' t do that, I think you should lower the weight, at least for deer. If you can, shoot the maximum that allows you to do that. Most think that' s a bit extreme, but when a buck suddenly turns away at 15 yards, I don' t want to have to let down and spook him. Better to be able to hold solid.
I laugh all the time when some knucklehead at the range has to lift his bow and point his arrow up in the air to pull back. I hope he impresses folks at the range, the deer won' t be amused.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

What ever you do....Don' t over bow yourself....;)...Just because everyone around you is drawing 70 plus...Doesnt mean it' s the " right way" .....Whatever you can draw comfortablly is what you needto do....:D

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

Why shoot 300 fps when a 250 fps arrow will make it to the target too? Why shoot a 29" axle to axle bow when a 46" bow will do the job too? Why shoot a release when your fingers can do the same job? When will you learn that all bowhunters can rationalize every single aspect of their gear? Even as dumb as some of their choices are, they can come up with an excuse for it.;)

I' ve regularly shot bows drawing FAR in excess of 70 pounds, even in competition, just because I could. Of course, now I' m older and smarter and wouldn' t shoot any more than 60 pounds for any game in North America... even if my cratered, worn out shoulders would let me shoot more. But 70 would be even better.

I darn sure wouldn' t recommend anyone that expects to make archery a lifelong hobby to shoot over 70 pounds. Especially with the idiotically hard pulling, letoff slamming, creep jerking cams they' ve been sticking on bows the past 5 years. Anyone besides me noticed how many threads there are on shoulder injuries and surgeries over the past few years?

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

My bow is set at 63. I have an older bow and the let off is a lot higher than most of the new bows on the market. I' ve found that I can hold it much longer and steadier around the 60 lb mark.

If your bow is set up for 70 lbs and you can hold it then by all means shoot it. If not don' t worry about it, as stated above anything over 50 will do the trick.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

I shoot a 50# self bow and I can take down any elk you or deer withit all it takes is one well placed arrow. and I have been doing this now for 30 years. I have hunted Elk, Mule Deer, Moose, Whitetail Deer and have brought home the meatwith it. it is all how you want to hunt if you want to take 100 yard shots go with 70# compound bow or go with the challenge and get up close and personal 10 to 15 yards with a 50# self bow or recurve enjoy the sport.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

Shot my deer at 15 yards last fall with a 71lb compound, does that count for skill and getting close? Have never shot at an animal at over 35 yards with my 71 lb compound, every animal I have taken with it I would have taken the shot with my 65 lb recurve. Careful who you try to lump into the 100 yard club.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

I think we all have to bear in mind that...placement, not poundage...is what ultimately kills our prey.
Certainly, hunting Rhino' s with a youth bow and fiberglass arrows is not a good idea...even if you hit " dead-nut" ... but other than that...get what you are comfortable with, set it up properly and go shooting!

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RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

Thats why I am thinking of going to an 80 lber, I would like to stretch my effective range out to 130 - 140 yds. I have a hard time getting close to my game so I figure since I don' t really enjoy it, might as well pop where they are;)

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

Again - RA - I' m with you...

My coach (wife) has me on a strict diet (beer) and I' ve been working out heavily (12-18 6oz curls daily) in order to build enough muscle (bs) to draw and hold a
BowTech Samson at 100#. [:o]

Here' s the way I see it... 4" groups at 50 yards translates to .08" per yard - so - from that we can deduce a 150 yard shot will yield no more than a 12" group - so most of the shots should be in the vitals![:-]

My cloests kill ever was this past season - with my fastest bow ever - at ~4 yards the arrow never even checked up:D

speed kills - shoot {anything but BowTech} and live forever

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

thats the way to be what you want to dont let anyone influance you at all, this is why it is so much fun.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

I currently shoot my bow @ 50 pounds. Lets see, three shoulder surgeries and one back surgery. I used to shoot the 70' s too. Also played linebacker about 2 1/2 decades ago in high school and feel all those injuries too. Thats mostly why I have gone down in weight. I like to shoot (practice) so its a matter of pulling it more than just once.;)

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

Just to add to the original question .......the same bow and arrow combo with be off more like 20 fps and 10 # of KE dropping from 70-60 # . Like everyone said.....if you can pull it easily = Why not ??

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

I like to see how every one respond because this is of a personal choice here if we allow other to direct our choices we would not enjoy this sport so much. do what you want dont let out side sources change your thoughts. we can get em like this and enjoy em.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

Personnal preference and physical abilities dictate. Because of the extra spine the 70 will have a heavier arrow more than likely. Extra KE is extra KE. My old bow was set at 76 pounds. I shot it well and killed a lot of deer with it. I' m getting older. MY new bow is set at 67-68 for easy of pull and comfort at full draw. Yes a 40 or 50 pound bow will kill, but with marginal shots the extra KE of a 60 or 70 will help you out a lot. You won' t see many 40 and 50 pound bows driving through a shoulder on a big buck. For all these reasons I shoot at 68 rather than 50 or 60.

RE: 60# or 70# for deer
 

if you look at the photo of my deer above, you will see entrance wound was done with a 50# self bow cedar shaft at 500grns, topped off with a 125 grain snuffer Broadhead it did go all the way thriugh even after hitting sholder blade.