Holding at full draw
 

What's a "normal" amount of time that you should be able to hold your compound bow back at full draw? If you can hold your draw for a long time, should you increase poundage?
Right now I have a PSE fireflite right at about 60 pounds. It's set on the 80% let off and I can hold it for about 2 minutes. Assuming I could shoot just as well on a higher poundage, should I take advantage of the performance, or let it be?

I've attached a picture of myself at full draw. Please critique freely. I think I might need to take some draw length off. Despite standing 6'3 I have short arms :D

i would leave it alone-its up to you. you seem comfortable with it and 60lbs is plenty heavy to kill a deer. you can never hold back too long. when it gets cold and youve sat motionless for 3hrs you will be glad you left it alone.

Holding at full draw for 2 minutes is a long time. I would keep your bow exactly where it is at right now. I agree with rh160.

I can hold mine back at least 5 minutes ... I did it last year ...and it's at 76# with 80% let-off ...

I think I have identified something with this ... if your draw length is even a little long, it will severly limit the time you can hold it back ... a little short or right on, you are not nearly as extended, hence the ability to hold it back longer

Fellas, please look at my picture to tell me what's right, and what's wrong.

Seems as you could hold 12# for more then 2 minutes?

I think your draw length is to long ...

I don't know man but there's a cougar or something under your computer chair that I'd worry about first!!!!

That "cat" is insane. He likes to attack socks, especially when you're sleeping, and they're on your feet! :D

me and some buds tested this earlier this year. I did 12.4 Minutes before i had to shoot.

I WOULD NEVER hold that long on an animal. I was shaking like Catherine Hepburn in a helicopter.

haha, i might have to try this

dude, get you and your boys at the range, 1-2-3 draw, and see who wins.

its a blast.

How does it "feel" to you?

It does look a tad long for ya, looks like it might make your shoulder over rotate at full draw. The string itself should land more in front of your face, say for example should be able to "pucker" and just "kiss" that string.

The string is well beyond that point and your trigger adds a good 1.5" to 2" beyond that yet for your draw hand.

I'd shorten it a couple inches and try it, see how it feels. Maybe put a 1/2" back in it if needed.

Danr,
It just so happens I have my friends 28" draw length bow at my apartment.

It feels pretty darn good, nice and compressed. This seems to look a lot better.

Yea that looks like a better fit, could even go a little shorter yet if you felt the need.

Keep in mind using a correct fit and the shortest possible draw length while remaining comfortable, reduces the total space needed to operate the bow.

Now thats funny. I don't care who you are.


Hatchet jack

Here's a little trick. If you get caught in a situation where your at full draw but can't let down for fear of spooking whatever it is you drew on. If you place your bottom cam on your thigh if your sitting, or against the top part of your climber, a tree limb in a hang on, etc. etc. it will give you some added relief and allow you to stay at full draw quite a bit longer. I like to shoot from a seated position in my hand ons and this little trick has saved me many a time. Try it.

Dan

OMG! That made me laugh out loud!

if you can hold back for considerable time and be COMFORTABLE, i don't see an issue

as an aside, if my arm becomes fatigued or stressed, I drop my elbow down and can hold it until mr big buck walks through my shooting lane, without having to come out of full draw...just a tip for y'all

take it from me...leave it there! i cranked mine up right before the season one year...i was shooting alot and shooting daily..i could draw with ease and hold back longer than needed...i was comfortable...a few weeks into the season it was cold...i was bundled up good...i was only sitting a few hours...i was only shooting a little bit..a few arrows here n there between hunts when i could..i stood up that morning to practice draw..and if i havent drawn my bow in a few days the first draw will make a creaking noise...what i found out was it took everything i had to get that bow back that morning...i got home and backed off and retuned...glad i did...


id say the DL in the 2nd pic looks much better...but, being its the season, changing draw length now could be a pain...if your shooting well like that, id leave it till after the season...you could end up in a night mare trying to retune or just getting used to shooting a different DL...just my thoughts though..i dont like to change anything once the season is near unless its something that needs to be changed...

I don't necessarily think your DL is too long in the 1st photo. I think you need to extend your bow arm......then take another photo.

How long can I hold at full draw? Don't know. Don't care. But I'm only pulling 52#. Letoff's a bit less than yours, though.....lol.

Mauser,
Good point. Not figuring on changing anything for awhile, making a trip back home in a week for some hunting. I have that Fireflite bow, loving how it feels to shoot, but I might as well do some experimenting once season's up. I also have a PSE Primos STL waiting for me back home. I can always drop that one to 28" and shoot it for awhile and see how I do in comparison, and go down to 28" on the fireflite if I end up doing better.

if he extends his arm his string might slap his arm i would shortin it ...but whatever is comfortable is whats best.

Depends on the Buck........

Well, this is 29" with my left arm straighter. I must have a significant amount of bend in it because this shows the nocking point moved forward a couple inches. The question now is, do I straighten the bow arm, or keep the bend and shorten the draw length?

Yea I didn't notice it in your first shot, got a long baggy sleeve shirt on and angle of shot hiding it some.
You should straighten your bow arm, with proper form the string should not hit it.

That and the raking of the bow arm with the string is more a traditional shooter thing, a archer using fingers/finger tab release more then it is for someone using a trigger.

Finger release, a badly done one, the action can tend to push the string toward the bow arm raking it, something that just doesn't happen (well it does but totally shooter error) using a trigger, the trigger release imparts no left (or right) motion into the string at the moment of release.

The third picture, the nock making it to the corner of your mouth, looks much better.

Straighten your arm once and post another shot so we can see how it looks then.

I told you it "might" not be too long....

It isn't.

29" draw length with bow arm straighter:

Yea that's better, it wasn't to long per say no, you just weren't pushing it out far enough with your bow hand.

The all important thing, does it feel better like that to you?

I think I prefer keeping my left shoulder tucked in and having bend in my bow arm. I'm going to try sticking with 29" and push my bow arm out just enough to keep the string about at the corner of my mouth and see how I shoot so my draw arm isn't torquing around unnaturally. Pushing my bow arm out most of the way as in the last picture seems unnatural. I was still able to keep my left shoulder tight in post #25.
Might have to put a kisser button on to make this new positioning habit.