I know the topic of DW has been discussed quite extensively in the past, but I was thinking about this after last summer when I was shooting A LOT and almost everyday. We all know a 50# DW kills just as well as a 70# DW, so with speed ranting aside, is it worth shooting heavier DW's (even if you can comfortably pull them) if you're a quantity shooter from a health standpoint? I know with current bow technology, 70lbs doesn't pull like the 70lbs before, but if you can still get sufficient numbers from a lower DW, wouldn't it be advisable to lessen the long term wear on your shoulder by shooting the lower DW? I had always shot upwards of 70lbs for most of my short career, but it wasn't until last season out of a need to tweak some things during a BH tune (as well as my switch to LH) that I decided to drop down to 58lbs. I could shoot longer, lower my bow arm fatigue, and I'm sure lessened the strain I was putting on my shoulder with each draw. Not to say to NEED to be shooting lower DW, I was just curious as to how much emphasis you guys place on shoulder health with your setups?
I think this defiantly a concern if you are a lifelong bow hunter. All that stress at 70lbs over the years has to account for something. I am sure some will have problems and some will not. One thing you can do to alleviate this is to warm up before you shoot.
I would agree. I don't ever see me upping my DW any higher then it is. I plan to stay right in the 60# range.
What do you do to warm up? What kind of exercises and for how long? Anyone else that warms up feel free to chime in as well.
Shoulder stretches. Take your right arm and bend it behind your head so you hand and forearm are running parallel to your spine. Take your left hand and place it on your right elbow, and apply slight downward pressure. Hold for about 10 secs, and then repeat the process for the other arm. I also do shoulder rolls starting with small circular motions working my way up to larger. Upper arm stretches. Take your left arm and extend it straight across your body. Take your right hand and place it on your left elbow. Pull your arm in toward your body and hold. Repeat for the other arm. I will admit I don't do these EVERY time I shoot, but I'm trying to get in the habit of doing it more often. I'm sure there's some other good stretches others will chime in with.
I shot 70lbs for everything except indoors for a very long time. I don't do it any longer now. When I was shooting a LOT (meaning 1000+ arrows a week, about 3 years ago) I was shooting the heavier poundage. Now when I really shoot when training for a big shoot I get shoulder pain. I know it's just not worth it, so I pull much less weight now. For indoor target archery I shoot roughly 52 to 53lbs, outdoor 3D and field I shoot 56lbs. For hunting I have been shooting about 62lbs and will likely keep it there for this year. I shot 2x deer with the bow at 62lbs last year, and both of them were complete passthroughs, and even with my 3D bow I'm getting 293fps (plenty)........I don't see any reason to shoot more weight anymore.
I disagree with the opinion that over time it will hurt you. If you stay in shape year round you should see no impact. It is the guys that shoot 3-6 months out of the year and never keep their shoulder and back in shape in the offseason that are asking for problems. I can pull 80# without issue yet many can't pull my bow back and are shooting 70#. There are Powerlifters that make gains well into their late 40's and 50's and if they train right they avoid serious injury. I have seen so many posts slamming people for shooting to heavy of a setup. Someone shooting 60# that can barley pull it is going to get hurt long before a guy pulling 90# that has no issue drawing his bow back and maintains his strength and muscle mass. My dad hunted until he was almost 60 pulling an 80# Hoyt and finally had to back it down to 70# after rolling a semi off a thirty foot cliff and injuring himself.
