BobCo19-65

Yea, if you are bowhunting deer and are looking for a new compound, I'd also suggest going with the 50-60 pound bow.

I also believe as others have mentioned that weight training will not necessarily help to improve your draw weight.

I've seen huge muscle bound folks who do not shoot much have trouble with a 55 pound trad bow and I have also seen people that are string beans easily pull 90 pound longbows.

PABowhntr

Though it seems the decision has already been made I thought I would chime in anyway. I have shot 70 pound peak weight bows for quite a few years. The last few years I felt more comfortable with 60 pound peak weight bows predominantly because of the draw cycles on those models. This year I ordered 70 pound models (shooting them all at 65 pounds) and I am not currently regretting it.

I guess my point is that peak draw weight is not necessarily the deciding factor in terms of how easy a bow is to draw but rather the bow's draw cycle.

davepjr71

Bob,

Ihave a lot of respect for you from your posts and you've never been one to jump on the band wagon. However, I never once said it will help draw more weight.I said that it will help prevent injury. I've never once told anyone to lift so that they can draw more weight.I've never once promoted power lifting or body building for bow hunting or shooting. When I weighted 150 lbs I could lift more than many guys 50 lbs heavier than me. Physical size does not matter andI never said it did. Drawing a bow is about form as well as strength

I recommend conditioning and strengthtrainingto everyoneI know to help them deal with any current injuries or withstand injuries and disease as they get older. Thishas all been proved inmany studiesand why people keep burying their head in the sand is beyond me.

Pa has said it very well. There are high poundage bows with sweet draw cycles and lower poundage bows with terrible draw cycles. To base it all on a number makes no sense. Go shoot the bows and then decidewhat you want.

BobCo19-65

Thanks for the clarification Dave. Didn't mean to point anybody out. Just put my opinion in as it seemed to be mentioned a few times. I would agree that weight training is in general a very good thing, as long as it is done right. As I'm sure you know there is a large percentage/majoritywho do not. I have a brother in law that owns two gyms. He is now 55 years old and he can still put most teenagers to shame.

I was really into the weight training thing for a very long time. I met Arnold a few times before he made Governor. I'm actually longing to get back into it after a few years of not training much at all. Unfortunately I have a meniscus tear that really hampers things right now. I'm looking a surgery very soon for it though along with a bone spur.

davepjr71

Bob,

I didn't think you were but it seemed like that's the impression that people might have been getting so i thought it was prudent to clarify.

Meeting Arnold would have been cool. Used to be into all of that stuff in my 20's myself. And after a back surgery last year realized thatI need to keep working out orI have all sorts of aches and pains. for me it's a matter of fighting that through fitness.

Good luck with your knee operation.Don't put it off too long. I made a mistake like that and now am paying for it with other issues. Having a bad wheel is never good. I hope that it's a success and let's you do get back into doing the stuff you like to do.

Roskoe

Dave - 20 years ago I would have argued for the heavier draw weight as well. And I certainly don't mean to minimize the benefits of weight training when done properly. Maybe I'm trying to rationalize that fact that bad shoulders will no longer allow shooting a "big dog" 70 lb. bow. All I know is I like this sport and want to be able to continue to enjoy for a lot of years to come. I can still pull an 80 lb. bow, but it hurts significantly after a couple of shots. A 70 lb. bow is comfortable to draw but smarts after about ten shots. With the 60 lb. bow, I can shoot 15 or 20 shots every day without much issue. Maybe seven or eight years from now, I'll be sporting a 45 lb. compound. Bowtech will make one by then with an IBO of 350

BobCo19-65

Roskoe, you may seriously want to take a look at traditional archery equipment. It is an aweful lot easier on the shoulders.

I really believe it could be the cams that are effecting your shoulders more then the weight. Moving down in weight may be a temp fix but the problem may still be there. That 45# bow must have one heck of a radical cam.

Don't be fooled by the large round wheels that many companys are now using. That is not the cam.

Not that I expect anyone with bad shoulders to try it out. But at least consider it.

Roskoe

You may be right. I noticed a couple of months ago thatthe new Bowtech Guardian, in a 70 lb, felt like a 60 lb. bow to me. I have yet to find anyone else who shares that opinion. Maybe the way a bow stacks in its draw cycle affects the shoulder joint wear and tear. I know the old compounds, that have a very heavy pull in the first couple inches of draw, feel the worst - in terms of shoulder pain.

davepjr71

Cam shape hasa lotto do with the problem.Look at the where the cables roll over on the cams and there is wheremost of speed and power curve for a bow come from.Especially a single cam like Matthews. The cam is so sharp that it causes the serving to fray off the cable.Even my allegiance shows a wear spot from the cam rollover.

If the cam loads slow it puts less stress on the shoulder than one that loads fast. however, you loose speed because the bow is not in the power curve as long. Furthermore, if it has a severe valley it will cause more problems if you have to let down the bow. And even though high let-off bows are great to hold they will cause more wear if you let down the bow a lot with a severe valley. The hatchet cams that some manufacturers used to make were all the rage because of speed. However, they loaded fast and then dropped off quick and I'd bet are the culprit for the majority of the shoudler issues that shooters are talking about now.

Congrats on the buck by the way Bob.

PABuck_HNTR

Good Choice. I had a shoulder injury last year that cost me half of the archery season. I won't ever shoot any bows over 60 lbs again. It takes forever to get a shoulder healed.