Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

I have settled on the bow I am buying. I am buying a 60" CheckMate Falcon, but I am trying to choose between 45#@28" or 50#@28". I know the ultimate decision is mine to make, but I would like to hear some of your experiences if you switched from compound to recurve. I don't want to overbow myself to start out but I would like to be able to hunt whitetails with the bow this fall. I have been leaning toward the 45# in an effort to more easily learn to shoot the bow. I will be drawing approx. 29" with a recurve, and I have normally shot a compound with 30" draw set at 65# with 65% letoff.
I have hammered LBR with questions on recurves and he has answered them all. He has give me his thoughts on this subject, but I was hoping to hear some of everyones experiences with converting from modern to traditional.

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

When I converted I went from a 58# compound to a 45# recurve. I drew 29" on the compound and 27" on the 'curve. I very quickly found that the 45# was no problem and after about two months progressed to a 50# longbow. Based on my experience, I don't think you would have any problem with the 50# to start with.

Jack

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

If you get the 50 you'll regret it for the first week or so, if you get the 45, you'll regret it after the first week or so. I believe I'd buy the 50 lb draw weight, learn to shoot it, and enjoy it as long as you own it. Good luck & welcome.
Darrel

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

I'll pick too light over too heavy any day. 45# is plenty to take a whitetail, and may be really appreciated after a few hours on a cold stand when the shot presents itself. You might be able to handle the 50# with no problems, and you will probably build up pretty quick, but.........

When I swapped, I was shooting a 70 or 80 # compound (forget which). My first trad bow (recurve) was 55@28, I probably pulled it between 29 and 31" (didn't have a clue what I was doing). Next bow (longbow) I was pulling 80#--way too much. Had to overcome a lot of bad habits because of it--some I still fall back into.

Hard call to make, but the safe bet, in my opinion, is the 45#.

Chad

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

Hobbes, you definitely don't want to overbow. I started back shooting a 62# recurve, that I had stored away for twenty years. I did okay for about a month straining and tugging pulling back to full draw. Now I'm paying for it. The tendons are finally starting to get back to normal after three weeks. I'm down to shooting a 40# lomgbow whenever the old arm isn't hurting too bad.

Rem. 222

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

If you have never shot a trad. bow before you are going to need to shoot it ALOT to get really good with it and the five pound difference you are talking about is alot when you start shooting hundreds of arrows a week and besides with a 45# bow you can kill anything in North America, so don't overbow yourself.
Mike

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

I guess after reading the others' posts on this thread, I have to revise my earlier opinion. Thinking back on my intro to trad shooting, I believe the 45# was a good way to start, and I remember the problems I had even at that weight with short drawing, etc.
While I agree with Broker that you very shortly will be wanting to shoot heavier poundage (I know I did), the 45# bow will just give you an excuse to get another bow. And we all know you can never have too many bows. Just ask John Nail!

Jack

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

Seems to be the concensus & I agree. Better 10# too light than 1# too heavy when starting off. Having said that, I bet you'd do fine with either coming from a 65# c-pound. Lol, didn't help much did I?

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

When I switched over, my wheel bow was pulling 68-70# @29" and the recurve I bought was 50#28. It was all I wanted to handle at the time.

Going with the bow your thinking about, I'd say go with the 45#der which will be almost 48# at your draw. Add to that a dynaflight97 string and it would be like shooting a 55# bow. Match some 500g. arrows and a razor sharp broadhead and you will have a more than adequate hunting rig. Capable of taking most anything you'll be wanting to hunt.

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

I would go with the 45# bow to start-it will feel like a lot more than 45 at first.Also,when learning to shoot a trad bow you'll be shooting a lot and I tend to think that you will be glad that you didn't pick more weight. CAM <img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

If you have a normal draw, you will soon find the 50 lb easy enough. If you overdraw(past 28&quot;) then go with the 45, because it'll be close to 50 at a longer draw.

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

When I made the switch from compounds to trad, I was shooting a compound at 57# because my shoulders were hurting. I had the benefit of being able to shoot a trad bow in the archery store and it was 54#.

My draw with the compound was 29.5&quot;, with the recurve it is about 28&quot;. I bought a 53# bow for my first bow. I handled it fine. Of course, I was in the bow shop shooting the owner's 54# recurve alot in the four weeks it took for my bow to be made. I handled the 54# fine.

Around a year ago, I bought a second bow, a used Chekmate Firebird. It is 57#@28&quot;. At first, I was very uncomfortable with the weight. I had Chad looking for a lighter ser of limbs for me. But, by the time they were ready, I had shot the 57# enough that I was very comfortable with it and canceled the extra set of limbs.

I would recommend you buy the 50# bow. You will find the 50# easy to draw, whereas the 45# would be very easy to draw.

Bill

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

Hobbes - I went with a heavier 52# bow and I honestly think I would have been better off with a lighter weight. Form is everything, and I think I picked up some bad habits shooting a little too heavy a bow. Besides, go a little light and it'll give you an excuse to buy another bow later on ! :)

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

Hi and way to go w/ picking a checkmate, I really love my TD hunter. When I bought mine I wanted #55 but the store only had #50 and#60 so I bought #60 (I am a large lad). What I then did is I bought a #45 for $40 at a pawn shop and shot this till I biult up (approx 3 weeks). Everything depends on how strong you are but you don't want to overbow yourself- if you do you will never shoot great and won't enjoy it as much. Your local archery club may have some lower weight bows for you to shoot to build up to #50's. If you are just going after deer #45 is all you need but If larger animals or tougher animals are your target the #50 (if you can shoot it) should be your choice.

Eric

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

My opinion is go with the 45#. You don't want to develop any bad habits by overbowing yourself and the 45# will be more that sufficient to take a whitetail. Proper form is very important.

RE: Opinions and experiences needed!!
 

If you've been shooting a 65# compound comfortably and are in decent shape, I see no reason why a 50# @ 28&quot; bow (or ~53# @ 29&quot;) would present any dificulty. I'm 5'8&quot;, in my late 20's, and shot a 68# @ 27.5&quot; compound before switching to my first longbow, which was 55# @ 28&quot; (actually ~49# @ my 26&quot; high wrist draw). The bow was very easy to shoot, and I immediately regretted not buying one in a heavier weight. After 3 years of trad bows, I now shoot bows drawing 60# @ 25&quot; (I use a low grip now instead of high wrist) without tiring after a full day of 3-D shooting and have a couple of bows in the works now to draw 65#'s.

Either way, a 5# difference in draw weight doesn't make a &quot;great&quot; deal of difference in the way of feel, trajectory, or penetration. Which ever you get, shoot alot an have fun!