What draw weight do you advise for general hunting

[bigmike]

With trad bows i shoot #50 @ 30” and have shot thru a nice buffalo with a 600 gr arrow stay close & practice. You will be fine

[BillyJack1975]

What is the letoff percentage on your compound bows? Say your 80# bow has a 75% letoff... you are holding 20#. Many hunting compounds have a higher letoff, so say 80# with 80% letoff, you are left with 16#. See why they are concerned with holding weight, vs draw weight? It is much easier to learn with a lighter weight bow, to get your form down. You want to be able to take multiple (dozens?) of shots during learning and practice, without your form deteriorating. My 18yo son is fit and strong, and hunts with a 70lb compound, but he can’t draw and HOLD at draw, one of our 50# recurves. Yes he can shoot it, but as far as aiming or being accurate with it, no.

Well put Julie, it’s the holding that kills ya. I can snap shoot a #60 traditional bow all day, not doing it right and not holding. All of my bows are 45-50, my smoothest is a 47. Just got my wife a 30# recurve and it’s still hard for her. She’ll get used to it in a week or 2.

[Bisch]

I’m headed to South Dakota next week with a 46# longbow in tow. I have no doubt it will do it’s job if I do mine!!!

Bisch


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[BillyJack1975]

Good luck Bisch, headed to Wisconsin in 3 weeks myself for opener archery. Bringing a pair of #47 and #50 Bear takedowns.

[Solo7]

Following, I'm in a similar situation.

[DRT]

I can draw and shoot a 70lb longbow. At 15 yards I can do so well enough to kill with.
But at 50lbs I can draw, hold, decide to let down or set back tension and shoot or . . .
And do that for 20 or 30 seconds as an animal moves into position and presents on the shot I expect to be able to take.
Yes I could shoot more weight. But I shoot what I do because I feel in control of it.
If 35lbs is that for you, and you have the respect for the game, the ability to get close and patience to wait for the right shot then the accuracy to put it in the boiler room, the 35lbs will kill them just as dead as 70lbs.

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[wytex]

You may find some states have draw weight minimums for some big game; 50 lbs will get you hunting elk , moose and everything on down.

[txtrophy85]

You may find some states have draw weight minimums for some big game; 50 lbs will get you hunting elk , moose and everything on down.

After shooting this bow for 3 weeks....50#'s is extremely comfortable to shoot. no issues whatsoever shooting this rig for dozens of shots, holding it at draw, etc.


Will probably finish the season with the 50# limbs then will get a pair of 60# limbs

[Forman]

I,m 60 this year and have been shooting my 60# longbow recently and really it wasn’t fun anymore. I bought a45# recurve which is what weight I started with 38 years ago. I thought it did a great job on texas white tails at under 20 yards.

[muddydog]

I started many years ago with 60#. Thought I needed more. Worked up to 80#. Now at 58 years old I see no reason to shoot anything over 45-50#. As a matter of necessity from a recent shoulder injury, I'll be carrying 35# limbs . Keep your shots close, sharp 2 blade heads and straight flying arrows. I have always said, you should shoot the heaviest bow you can shoot accurately.

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[texasproud11]

Curious what cut on contact broad heads are recommended at 45lbs

[txtrophy85]

Curious what cut on contact broad heads are recommended at 45lbs

I bought 125 grain Kudu single bevel points and 125 grain VPA solid 3-blade heads

[Phillip Fields]

Curious what cut on contact broad heads are recommended at 45lbs

On my 44lb Black Widow LB I'm shooting 205 gr Simmons Safari.

[Lone_Wolf]

Get the 45# limbs and shoot some stingers. You can get complete pass thorughs on deer and hogs if you double lung them. I made the mistake of going to heavy when I first started messing around with trad stuff. Then I got a 43# recurve and the correct arrows and heads, and started hitting what I was aiming at.

[kmon]

I started Trad in the late 70s with a used Ben Pearson recurve with cedar shafts and 2 blade bear heads that re much like the Stingers. Killed 3 deer with that setup 1 pass through, one quartering away shot that stuck in the offside front leg bone on a heart shot and one that was bedded at 7 yards double lung shot with arrow about 6 inches in the ground on the other side of her.

These days 45lb Bear recurve with 500 spine 31 inch axis with 75gr brass inserts and 125gr stingers.