Hey, Just wondering how you know what poundage is right for you. So you can just pull it, pull it all day or what? Trying to figure whether i should just leave it or i should decrease or maybe increase it a little. Thanks.
If it feels comfortable, you aren't struggling at all, aren't raising your bow to the ground or sky and can shoot for hours Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Depending upon how much weight you can draw and your let off. Lower poundage, longer hold. Higher poundage shorter hold. What are you shooting?
If you can draw your bow while sitting on the floor. Sounds silly I know, but you'll never struggle in cold weather or tire of shooting it. While sitting on the floor the bow must be held horizontal. If you cannot hold it horizontal from that position... sit on a chair and draw it.
Something you can easily draw after sitting allday on a cold late November day with your heavy coveralls on. For me thats 60 pounds. You should be able to pull your bow without struggleing for 30 arrows, before normal fatigue sets in, if not lower your poundage until you can build your arrow count up by practiceing.
Saw a YouTube video with a guy recommending a comfortable draw weight with the bow pointed straight down from a standing position. Like drawing on a deer right below your stand. I tried it. Not that easy.
It's been my experience with over 30 years of shooting a bow that many people over bow themselves in poundage. I did it myself when I was really young and stupid. As I smartened up I discovered that shooting a draw weight that the individual can hold to acquire a shot without fighting the bow and target panic is the correct poundage for that person and they can then build correct form. You can not get correct form if your fighting the bow. Shooting correct poundage is very individual and it varies from person to person due to their physical make up. I see over bowed people all the time. It's the guy standing next to me shooting 70lbs. draw and fighting the bow because they think they are Macho. I'm shooting 4 arrows to their 1 and they can't get tight groups. It never fails to happen when I'm on the range that they will ask, " How do you do that?" " You make it look easy! " Well the secrete is that, it is easy for me and I haven't over bowed myself. If your hunting something that 50 Lbs. won't take down then you should be hunting with a rifle. So back your bow down so you can work on your form and increase your poundage slowly over time. It works! Trust me on that and yes you can feel secure in your gender identity as a male even if your not shooting at 70lbs. It will make you a more accurate and a better archer. I'm shooting 50lbs currently because of a shoulder injury and just getting old I guess. Hope this helps you out.
Best answer so far...along with how determine draw weight by drawing a bow while sitting. I'm a big guy and strong for 48 year old. But the physics of a long draw length (31)and good form have me at the most shooting 60 pounds. In fact, I increased my weight back to 60 pounds and have found I am not as accurate. I had been at 55. I am guessing before too long I will be reducing it back down if I don't work my strength up to pull 60 easily. I killed a good deer last year with 55 and it was an easy pass through.
I go by a rule of thumb that if you can't let it down as easily as you draw it, it's to high. This would allow you to do ALL the things listed above. For me, that's 58lb or so. For target I shoot 55lb. Ill ramp up for hunting season to 60. I can hold my bow arm parallel with the ground and draw it straight back hold an let down just as easy. Being able to do this allowed me to draw and let down 3 times while in the stand before arrowing the doe I shot this year. I was able to let down slowly enough to not spook the other 3 does with her. Had I been drawing to much poundage, my bow would have slammed back to rest and I would have spooked the doe and wouldn't have the deer in the freezer now.
Sit in a chair and lift your feet off the ground then draw your bow! I can shoot my 72 lb bow all day! Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
