I too was on the macho train anduse to shoot heavy bows. I started out at 80# and shot that for years, then down to 70# for a few years, now for the last 5yrs i've been shooting 60# and may end up going lower before it's all said and done.I have bad shoulders at the age of 44and i have no doubt at all that it came from the years of shooting those heavy weight bows. When i hear someone talk about shooting 80# now a days it makes my shoulder ache just thinking about it. I totally agree with Arthurwhen he says toleave the heavy weights to those going on safari for elephants andCape buffalo. Indeed very good advice!

Not arguing, just asking. Do you think that's because of the poundage or a well placed shot? I GUARANTEE you it was because of a well placed shot. The high poundage had not a thing to do with it.

Kcison do'nt kill your self with a heavy bow, when things get cold ,it becomes a bitch to pull these monsters back,your arms just stiffen up.Rich

I heard someone put it this way once: Do you care if your arrow blows through the deer and sticks in the ground six inches or ten inches?

I just don't understand this fixation with SPEED. If you want to shoot 300+ FPS at 100 yards why not use a rifle? I thought the whole idea of bowhunting was to get close to our quarry. I shoot 63 pounds I have no clue how fast as I've never shot through a chrono, don't really care either. JMHO. If I could hit anything with a longbow or recurve I, personally,would hunt with one, but I cant hit the proverbial broadside of a barn.

I like that Greg/Mo...I'll remember that one. Thanks for responding.

by the way kcison, good seeing you post on here again...

Don't know if you've been on since I switched usernames; I was MQ1shooter. Wow... felt weird typing that again.

Anyway, stop by more often...

Shooting 90lbs plus and a 600 plus grain arrow and not getting pass throughs on elk? Yikes. Almost unbelievable....at least if you are taking good shots.
I have a buddy that shoots a bear with a shooting star cam. Around 650 grains at 265 a 2419 to be exact. Nothing stops that arrow. Not hog shields, not deer shoulders, not elk ribs. I saw him shoot through the brisket of a 200 lb deer and the arrow blew out the rear femur, passing through.

The draw cycle on some of these newer bows allow us to go heavier, if we like. For example...my 05 allegiance is easier to hold at 84 lbs than my patriot dually, 03, was at 73. I shoot the allegiance at 78. I shoot it well at that weight. I would hazard a guess to say that my allegiance at 78 is easier to draw and hold than a lot of the bows of the past where some of you guys hurt your shoulders.

What he said. I shoot a 70# Trykon and I just can't see any reason I would need any more speed. Consider too that most treestand shots are 10-20 yds. To me archery is a close up in your face sport. I don't want to get good at shooting at 100 yds with a bow. I also don't see myself elephant hunting.