Draw weight question

[savagewsm]

I've used bows in the past set to 60 -70 lbs draw weight. While I could draw and shoot well I had to give it a good whoomf to get it started. Recently i fired a 50 lb pull and found it very nice to shoot. Little effort required and my arm never got tired even after 20 shots or so.

My question is : Does 50 lbs draw weight provide decent force and speed to effectively take deer out to 30 yrds. ( My self imposed shooting max )

[Trav]

Originally Posted by savagewsm

I've used bows in the past set to 60 -70 lbs draw weight. While I could draw and shoot well I had to give it a good whoomf to get it started. Recently i fired a 50 lb pull and found it very nice to shoot. Little effort required and my arm never got tired even after 20 shots or so.

My question is : Does 50 lbs draw weight provide decent force and speed to effectively take deer out to 30 yrds. ( My self imposed shooting max )

with the right broadheads and arrows a bow with 40lbs draw weight will take down game out past 40 yards effectively.

The answer is YES

[savagewsm]

What would the best style broadhead be for this weight ?

[BigRackLover]

Originally Posted by savagewsm

What would the best style broadhead be for this weight ?

A sharp one! Test them out - then you'll be sure. I recently tried Rage mechanicals and they work great on deer and I 'm sure you'll find a thread or 2 on here regarding broadheads.

[bowman077]

With todays efficient bows 40 or 50 pounds is more then enough to penetrate any animal as long as the arrow is put in the right place, probably 30 pounds would be enough though not legal according to the archaic regulations based on old inefficient bows. That being said there isn't a bow on earth that has enough power to make up for a poor placed shot.

[CNP]

A 50# bow is good to go. I dropped down from 70# to 60#. Mechanicals take energy to open whereas a good cut on contact blade will slice in immediately with much less loss of energy. My opinion but I don't recommend a mech bh on low poundage bows for that reason.

[rae61]

Originally Posted by ehntr

Mechanicals take energy to open whereas a good cut on contact blade will slice in immediately with much less loss of energy. My opinion but I don't recommend a mech bh on low poundage bows for that reason.

I agree with ehntr, avoid using mech broadheads with lower poundage bows, but yes a 50lb bow will be fine out to your 30yrd limit. You also might want to look at bows with high let offs....80%. With a well tuned bow so you have good arrow flight and a cut on contact broadhead you will have no problems with a 50 lb bow...IMO.

[stinkynuts]

yes i also agree shot your bow comfortable at 50# rather than struggle at 60-70# 85-100gr broadheads are lots but use something like the wackem's they cut on contact unlike say the slick tricks they have a chisle tip so it take a bit more power to push them in idealy what ever you shoot for poundage you would like to be 5-6 grains per pound that is total ready to shoot arrow weight in grains divided by your set bow pounds and if you turned your bow down your arrows might be to stiff of a spine just some food for thought.

[el sparko]

bow poundage for the most part is a "see my big weenie" thing. there is no reason i can think of that would require using a 70-80 pound draw weight. yet the macho men go around bragging the great weights they pull; 50-60 is plenty. i am now starting to hear guys bragging about long shots as well; oh how we have strayed from the get close and kill clean mentality. bow hunting is a close up personal kind of thing that requires skill and consistancy. lower your draw weight until it is comfortable and practice getting VERY close. remember rifle hunters get the big bang, we get in their face and before they know it they are lunch!

[russ]

Originally Posted by savagewsm

My question is : Does 50 lbs draw weight provide decent force and speed to effectively take deer out to 30 yrds. ( My self imposed shooting max )

Absolutely!

The legal hunting weight is for 40 lbs RECURVE that has nowhere the umph of a modern compound.

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by el sparko

bow poundage for the most part is a "see my big weenie" thing. there is no reason i can think of that would require using a 70-80 pound draw weight. yet the macho men go around bragging the great weights they pull; 50-60 is plenty. i am now starting to hear guys bragging about long shots as well; oh how we have strayed from the get close and kill clean mentality. bow hunting is a close up personal kind of thing that requires skill and consistancy. lower your draw weight until it is comfortable and practice getting VERY close. remember rifle hunters get the big bang, we get in their face and before they know it they are lunch!

Sounds like you have a bad case of the "little weenie" thing along with a severe dose of "empty sleeves" syndrome.

[russ]

Actually bobalong I think El Sparko pretty much nailed it! Too many people brag about how much they can pull and not how well they HONESTLY group. I'll take my small weenie and small groups every day of the week!

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by russ

Actually bobalong I think El Sparko pretty much nailed it! Too many people brag about how much they can pull and not how well they HONESTLY group. I'll take my small weenie and small groups every day of the week!

I had never really looked at shooting higher poundage as a bragging thing until junior there implied it. Too many people assume that because their abilities at something are limited, everyones must be, and they should ridicule those who have the skills and abilities they do not. Why would either one of you really care what poundage anyone has their bow set at, if you are happy shooting your bow, that is all that matters, right. El Sparko didn't really think he could throw out a post like that, without a little feedback did he?

[CNP]

"little weenie" thing along with a severe dose of "empty sleeves"

Very entertaining lol

[russ]

Originally Posted by bobalong

Why would either one of you really care what poundage anyone has their bow set at

I care because I'm an IBEP instructor and I really want people to be as successful as possible. Shooting a bow with too much draw weight, and that's what most people do, is a limiting factor.

[Tony_S]

Originally Posted by bobalong

El Sparko didn't really think he could throw out a post like that, without a little feedback did he?

I'm not a big guy...160lbs. I'm pullin' 70 lbs pretty comfortably...el sparko's comment didn't bother me in the least. In fact I would tend to agree with him.

But then...I have a big weenie!

Tony

[russ]

[Swamp_Donkey]

My very first bow(hoyt-easton) was at about 75lbs. So not knowing any better, thats what I had to practice with. I use a PSE now and it's at 72lbs and I'm comfortable with that shooting 20+ arrows a night in the yard. Do I need that much # with todays equipment? absolutely not; but I don't feel comfortable pulling 50-60lbs.
Shoot at whatever your comfortable with.

[savagewsm]

Thanks for all the info.

heres another question: Is 50-60 lbs advisable for moose/elk ? For example will a well placed shot with a proper arrow/broadhead go right through a moose at lets say 30 yrds full broadside ? ( I know there are a lot of variables)

[nicholal]

Yes a 40# bow will kill anything at 30 yard with
1 the proper shot placement
2 a good SHARP cut on contact broad head
3 a good quartering away to broad side shot.

Shot angle is something that is very much over looked. The ideal shot is one that passes through BOTH lungs and exits out other side of target and arrow sticks in ground. this makes for Quick evaluation of your shot when you collect you arrow. also makes for better tracking.

Al

[CNP]

Originally Posted by savagewsm

Thanks for all the info.

heres another question: Is 50-60 lbs advisable for moose/elk ? For example will a well placed shot with a proper arrow/broadhead go right through a moose at lets say 30 yrds full broadside ? ( I know there are a lot of variables)

Yes and yes.

[TreeGuy]

My bow is set at about 58#. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that pulling high poundage is great in a tee shirt on the range. I can pull 80# in that case. However, when I'm hunting, I could be hanging my silly azz from a wobbly and swaying tree stand at -20c bundled up to the max. My bow is set up for hunting and not shooting.

Had a total learning curve disaster last year. Was on the ground 22 yards from a 4X5 Whitey. It was -22c. When I drew on him, there was too much clothing on my shoulder, and it was impossible to get onto my peep! That mistake will never happen again.

I guess my point is, to set you rig up to be comfortable in ANY hunting situation. It don't matter how big your poundage is, it's how you use it!

Good luck boys 'n girls!

Tree

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Ok Im going to add to what tree said. Ive been doing archery since I was 8 years old. And was trained by a women at tradition archery who was a world class shooter. Went to school in the states and such on a scolership. Pretty cool .

One thing I learnt and stil luse is being comfortable. I suggest that you go to the range or backyard whatever it maybe. Wear what you weear when youll be out hunting. Ive been doing this for the past month now .Its a hell of alot easyer drawing your bow at 75 or 80 lbs at the range. Try that with 15 or 20 pounds of gear on, not so easy. I suggest you wear your hunting gear day pack and such to the range whatever you may look goofy but so be it, youll be prepared.

Once youve done this you can adjust your draw weight to what suits you, myself I dropped mine by about 5 pounds so im drawing 75 or so.But like i say comforbility is key to being sucessful.

[matathonman]

I'm a 200 plus lb man,in shape and I went from shooting 70-73 lbs down to 60 lbs.Shooting faster with this bow and way easier to pull and can hold for alot longer if need be.My reason for doing this is not that I can't pull and hold 70 lbs with out a problem, shooting 60 lbs is just easier and more comfortable for me.When your sitting in the cold for hours and it comes time to pull back and make the shot it's alot easier.Been there done that.

[savagewsm]

Thanks for all the advice. I am developing a bit of arthritis and don't have the torque I used to have. ( Ain't it a b**tch gettin old ). I would love to get back into archery but was worried that not shooting at 70 lbs or so would be a big handicap. You fellows have set my mind at ease and now it is time to find a 50#-#60 pound bow that fits. Too late to hunt with it this year but look out next. BP season starts in a couple of weeks but i could of been hunting since the beginning of Sept already.

Thanks again and have a great season

[el sparko]

Originally Posted by bobalong

Sounds like you have a bad case of the "little weenie" thing along with a severe dose of "empty sleeves" syndrome.

hey bobbie-long; i've been at this bow hunting thing since the seventies, i'm not a little guy and i can pull heavy weights. the reason i choose not to is when the season starts and the weather gets cold the chance of pulling a back muscle and blowing a whole season is always present. drawing with a steady fluid motion is also very important, grunting and twitching isn't a stealthy way of getting the drop on mr. moose. i say lighten up, in as many ways as you can, get comfy and let your equipment do the work. as far as the little weenie comment; maybe i got a little weenie, but i got a big arse to push it!!

[russ]

Man sometimes this place reminds me of an evening campfire after everyone's had about 20 beer each

[solocam3]

BigBadJohn said it right. Try sitting on your bum on the ground for a couple hours in cool weather (Notice I didn't say freezing) without moving and having a 4 point muley in velvet come up to you at 15 yds so close you can see his nose hairs twitching and not being able to pull your bow back although you were at the archery range that afternoon for two hours shooting to your hearts content. I like these guys that have to lift their bows up to the sky and drop them to get the string back. This movement can be seen back to hunting camp and heard as they grunt outloud. I usually wear light brown gloves when I hunt to cover my lily white hands so even at the range I will wear them when I shoot. And if you hunt from a tree stand and you would be shooting sitting down, then practice sitting down, its funny how those knees will hit your bow.