Detuned Bows..

[deercamp]

Im curious to know that if a bow with 60-70 lb limbs is set at 60 lbs will perform as well as bow with 50 -60 lb limbs set at 60...Ive heard that bows are best performing at there highest poundage as far as accuracy and tuneability go..

[ishootbambi]

Originally Posted by deercamp

Im curious to know that if a bow with 60-70 lb limbs is set at 60 lbs will perform as well as bow with 50 -60 lb limbs set at 60...Ive heard that bows are best performing at there highest poundage as far as accuracy and tuneability go..

im not sure exactly what you are asking...and because 4 hours have passed with no response i think im not alone. any bow should be able to be tuned properly at any poundage. thats assuming tiller and timing and other variables are looked at as part of the tuning proceess. poundage should make no difference, at least not that im aware of in 23 years of bowhunting. accuracy is limited to the shooter. a properly tuned bow at any poundage and speed from any manufacturer will shoot better than most archers holding it. some of the best bow shooters i know could pick up just about any bow and within an hour be outshooting most of the other guys on the range. i really have never heard of what i think you are asking, but tomorrow i will be down at the archery range and ill ask a few of the techno junkies if they know anything i dont about it.

[pottymouth]

Originally Posted by deercamp

Im curious to know that if a bow with 60-70 lb limbs is set at 60 lbs will perform as well as bow with 50 -60 lb limbs set at 60...Ive heard that bows are best performing at there highest poundage as far as accuracy and tuneability go..

Technically your right, Having a bow at max weight, minus a qtr turn should give you your best performance. Most guys that talk about it are usually very expirenced target archers, who measure everything to the last grain, even glue. Usually most pro shops will sell you a 60- 70 lbs bow, and you would shoot it at 65-70 pounds for that reason. But using the lower poundage60-64 on a 60 - 70 # bow, to the average bow hunter, I don't think the difference is noticable in performance.

Basically it's because the limbs are rated on the higher poundage, and that's where the tests are generally done at, for performance numbers.

[Rackmastr]

x2 to what pottymouth said....the same argument is also made for cam sizes with certain bows. Optimal performance is often on the 'higher' end of things. For most shooters, you wouldnt notice a huge difference though.

[deercamp]

thanks for the info guys, the reason im questioning is im in the market for a new bow and have been told to stick to a 60lb as anything over is overkill for what im using it for.(whitetail, mule deer). So ive been watching ebay fairly religiously and have seen a few nice setups but with the 70 lb limbs.. and my archery guru buddy has been telling me to steer clear.For the right price on the right package would the heavier limbs make that much of a difference to not buy the bow?

[pottymouth]

Originally Posted by deercamp

thanks for the info guys, the reason im questioning is im in the market for a new bow and have been told to stick to a 60lb as anything over is overkill for what im using it for.(whitetail, mule deer). So ive been watching ebay fairly religiously and have seen a few nice setups but with the 70 lb limbs.. and my archery guru buddy has been telling me to steer clear.For the right price on the right package would the heavier limbs make that much of a difference to not buy the bow?

Nope not at all. But I would get something that you feel comfortable pulling, in all situations. Movement is key when hunting, especially whities, so you want to get something that you can manage. Hit your local archery shop and try everything you can , and poundages too.

[shorthair ptr.]

I am agreeing with the latter two fella's. I used to work in an archery shop for some years and in the past it was better to shoot a bow "maxed out". This was mostly due to the way the limbs were set in the riser. Before when you backed out the limbs the limb bolts were what held the limb IN the the riser. Now when you back out the limbs, in most cases with newer bows, the limb pocket moves outward still holding the limb firmly. In the past limbs could have "slop" upon the shot becuase they weren't supported completely at the base unless they were close to bottom.
I would also agree that buying a bow 50-60# is a better choice for the reason of still shooting a bow at it max. You don't need the real high poundage anymore with todays hi-performance equip not to mention it is easier to shoot. In some cases when a bow is maxed you can still get a couple more pounds even with a 1/4 turn backed out.

[Overdrawn]

I seen a kid or a young guy with a Bowtech Destory the other day, He could talk the talk, had all the gizomos and gagets. I spooked to him and asked him how he like his bow, He said he had been shooting it for a couple months, and it was the best bow of his life. His Archery coach and Bow saleman were there(same person) and was giving him pointers to shoot better. The funniest thing I seen is when he pulled back and held it, he looked like a gay guy at weinie roost. His coach should have started with that problem first. I know lots of guy that shoot 70lbs, I do myself. but I honestly shoot better at 65lbs. I can't say were I was. I don't want to get kicked off AGAIN.LOL

[ishootbambi]

Originally Posted by shorthair ptr.

I am agreeing with the latter two fella's. I used to work in an archery shop for some years and in the past it was better to shoot a bow "maxed out". This was mostly due to the way the limbs were set in the riser. Before when you backed out the limbs the limb bolts were what held the limb IN the the riser. Now when you back out the limbs, in most cases with newer bows, the limb pocket moves outward still holding the limb firmly. In the past limbs could have "slop" upon the shot becuase they weren't supported completely at the base unless they were close to bottom.
I would also agree that buying a bow 50-60# is a better choice for the reason of still shooting a bow at it max. You don't need the real high poundage anymore with todays hi-performance equip not to mention it is easier to shoot. In some cases when a bow is maxed you can still get a couple more pounds even with a 1/4 turn backed out.

the techno guys at the archery club explained it just like that. they said that by having the limb bolts turned right down tight would eliminate any play in the limb to pocket area thus eliminating uneven movement. then they went on to say that turning down the limb bolts does not guarantee the tiller to be right. that brought up the next question of how do you measure tiller on the past parallel limb bows. we looked over my reezen and a new guys Z7 tonight and had a few ideas but noone seemed positive. i dunno, it all got too technical and i lost interest. it was 3D nite down at the club and we shot a couple rounds. small indoor course so 15 targets per round. i shot a 140 with 5 X's and was feeling all good, but then that darn techno stuff got me thinkin. i know my cam timing is off, but i shoot it good. aw crap, its bugging me and now i wanna turn my limb bolts and get the cam right.......sigh. shoulda bought another crossbow
yes im kidding, im a bow guy.
anyway deercamp, the answer to your original question is yes. but unless you are an elite shooter you likely wont notice.

[shorthair ptr.]

Originally Posted by ishootbambi

the techno guys at the archery club explained it just like that. they said that by having the limb bolts turned right down tight would eliminate any play in the limb to pocket area thus eliminating uneven movement. then they went on to say that turning down the limb bolts does not guarantee the tiller to be right. that brought up the next question of how do you measure tiller on the past parallel limb bows. we looked over my reezen and a new guys Z7 tonight and had a few ideas but noone seemed positive. i dunno, it all got too technical and i lost interest. it was 3D nite down at the club and we shot a couple rounds. small indoor course so 15 targets per round. i shot a 140 with 5 X's and was feeling all good, but then that darn techno stuff got me thinkin. i know my cam timing is off, but i shoot it good. aw crap, its bugging me and now i wanna turn my limb bolts and get the cam right.......sigh. shoulda bought another crossbow
yes im kidding, im a bow guy.
anyway deercamp, the answer to your original question is yes. but unless you are an elite shooter you likely wont notice.

Honestly, if it aint broke don't fix it. Don't get caught up in too much of the tech crap. If it is shooting good and with no visible issues, just SHOOT!

[ishootbambi]

Originally Posted by shorthair ptr.

Honestly, if it aint broke don't fix it. Don't get caught up in too much of the tech crap. If it is shooting good and with no visible issues, just SHOOT!

i have no problem admitting that the bow is capable of more than its owner. i dont know if you are familiar with the newer mathews bows at all, but the cam has a hole in it that acts as the timing marks. the string is supposed to be centered through that hole and it is off at about 1/3 across center. i know it is because the string has stretched as it was good last summer, and the fact that i can see it every time i touch the bow has bothered me for a while now. also, it is still hitting targets good to 40, but i can see that i have a little tuning to iron out, so i might as well make it all good if im tuning anyway. by eye it has a slight porpoise.