HuntingNet.com Forums - regret going to 70lbs?

Difine "performs better at peak weight" for me. I think this is myth, especially with modern compound bows. I hear it a lot, but I think the people saying it really don't know what they are talking about. And when you ask them in what way the bow performs better it stumps them for a minute and you can see the wheels turning in their head trying to come up with an answer for you.

Of the 5 bows I own and several I have tried at shops none of them have performed any differently regardless of where the weight was set. On some really old bows they are more quiet with the limbs cranked down, but performance seems to be about the same.

Obviously a bow with more draw weight will be faster, that is a given. But when you do the math and take into account for the reduced draw weight and lighter arrow the max speed still comes out pretty close. There is a slight advantage to the higher draw weights, but it isn't dependant on it being "maxed out". A 70-80 lb bow set at 73 lbs would perform slightly better than a 60-70 bow maxed out at 70. It has nothing to do with the limb position, it has to do with the increased draw weight.

And I would agree most mathews perform better with the limbs maxed out, that is because almost every mathews I looked at peaked out almost 5 lbs above it's listed draw weight. Technically if your limbs say 60-70 you should not turn them above 70 lbs, doesn't matter if they will go higher or not.

I feel draw length and cams are a different story though. If you are shooting a cam that has a lot of draw length adjustment to it and you are shooting it at the lowest setting it could effect your performance as far as energy goes. Depends on the cam design though. This is why Hoyt and some other companies offer different cams, and why mathews is cam specific on draw length. I don't know how they are now, but hoyt used to offfer different cams with different draw ranges, some overlapping. It would be best to pick the cam that puts your draw length in the mid to upper range of adjustment, not the bottom. It probably will not effect alot, but it can't hurt;).

I tested my Bowtech mighty might at different weights and a few different draw lengths and it came out almost dead on at every setting when you did the math. It always came out close to the upper end of the specs for the bow (320's). At that is at 25-26 inches and draw weights from a bit under 50 lbs to 60 lbs (50-60 lb limbs). That is a pretty effecient bow to me.

As far accuracy goes, where your limbs are set have absolutely nothing to do with it. It all depends on the shooter. If you like more holding weight and don't mind a harder draw cycle then you will probably shoot better with more draw weight. You probably will not be shooting as many arrows though. I prefer a smoother draw cycle and not a lot of holding weight, so I shoot light draw weights and high let offs. However I can shoot for eight hours if I want to.

It also depends on the bow you have and your physical limitations. I can draw 70 lbs on most bows. It is a struggle though and I would never hunt that way. However I am little, so 70 lbs for me is impressive. I used to hunt at 60 lbs, but am backing it off to 55 with my mighty might. My bow also has a very agressive draw cycle! Probably why it is so effecient. Now I can draw a bit more weight with my Darton and the CPS cams, because they draw smoother. And I have shot some bows that were even smoother yet. If you were a bigger guy and shooting a bow with a nice draw cycle 70 lbs probably wouldn't be a big deal.

My feeling is that with the newer bows you really don't need it to hunt, especially in the midwest where shots are pretty close. Now out west where the shots are longer it may come in handy. My buddy shoots an older darton maverick with round wheels. He shoots 27 inches at 73 lbs with round wheels. He is in good shape and it doesn't bother him much. He has been shooting this bow for about 15 years as well. He shoots it well and it's accurate. However when he shoots it it sounds like a cracked 2X4 hitting a cement block, and it isn't very fast with the 2213 arrows he uses.

Compare it with my bowtech mighty might, I shoot 26 inches and 53 lbs with 450 grn aluminum arrows. My bow shoots as fast, if not a bit faster and you can barely hear it go off. No to mention my holding weight is way less than his is. He could get a newer bow and easily drop his draw 15 lbs and have a bow that is faster and quieter. And not to mention might shoot better for him.

I will never buy a bow larger than 50-60 lb limbs again. And my next bow will most likely be a target bow and it will be 40-50 lb limbs. I do not shoot 3-D though so speed is of little concern to me. I am more interested in how long I can shoot the bow comfortably and accurately.

That's my opinion any way.

Paul