Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Really light draw weight off season bow .

Thinking about getting a 40 lb. bow for shooting in the off season , any of you folks do this ?

I had a little mishap several weeks ago hurt my right shoulder and it's not heeling very fast at all .
Read many comments on Archerytalk -people saying they wish they had never used a 70lb. bow some even say 60lb. .
Watching some archery stuff on Youtube a couple of days ago the guy "Nock On" archery -young in good shape only shooting 50lbs. due too shoulder issues.

Maybe even a 30 lb. bow would be nice -something I could shoot for hours.

I bought a Hoyt Dorado 45lb with black riser and limbs. It's supposed to be 58'' but actually measures at 56'' unstrung, which makes it quite compact. Quite a nice bow. The only minor nit pick I have is the black finish on the limbs tends to scuff around the edges exposing the light colour of the underlying limb material.

Compound or recurve shooter?

I've been shooting a Bowtech Fuel for two years now and I really like it.
My elbows wouldn't put up with the higher draw weights I'd shot before.
I've not hunted it yet but the draw weight is easy to adjust up if I felt the need.
Diamond"s Infinite Edge is the same bow with different cams.

Compound .

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DBT ,

I'm not totally up on recurve's these days haven't shot one since the early mid 80's , after reading your post I remembered these "limb shins" these things might be in every bow shop ? Anyway here's a link to some and they're on sale.

** LINK WON'T WORK FOR SOME REASON**

If interested copy link paste in browser or go to site -the garage sale limb skins on second page .
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http://www.alaskabowhunting.com/Garage-Sale-C48.aspx?s=IsFeatured%20DESC,%20Name%20ASC&p=1

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I'm going to buy some of their heavy arrows and broad heads if my shoulder heals up . The TDT's at 30" & 650 grs. might keep me from loosing another hog , lost 2 in 5 years ..
You Aussie's live in hog-heaven -love the hog hunting video's I see from down under.

Why not just shoot a 50# now for everything?

See the discussion on the later pages of this thread - Link.

I'm shooting 61#, currently, after having shot much heavier in years past. If I didn't have this one as dialed in as it is, I'd put a set of 50# limbs on it and not look back.

When I was young, I shot some pretty heavy bows. Since I ruined my shoulders, the prospect of ever working back up to those weights is so remote as be be laughable. But...About the end of December I got to thinking about rehabbing them. I saw a Mission Craze and got to thinking that I could buy the bow, arrows, case. release, sight and a stabilizer for a lot less money than I could go see a Dr and get an MRI of the shoulders for, much less sessions with a PT.

I started shooting it at maybe 30 lbs and kept at it until my shoulders could handle 45-50 lbs safely. About that time A used No Cam HTR showed up for a good price with 60 Lb limbs. I started with it shooting 40 lbs and have worked up to 55 lbs. Shooting an Easton FMJ arrow with about any decent head will give me complete penetration on Bambi If I can avoid heavy bone. My rotor cuffs are by no means healed, but the do have enough muscle protecting them that they hurt a lot less and are much less likely to get greatly worse. I can hold 6 inch groups at 60 yards and have plans to whack a deer with it come September. The rest of the deer that need killing will be shot with the crossbow.

My left shoulder is much worse than my right. Both rotor cuffs have been pretty badly damaged though. I have no real good idea it had been my right should that was worse how much it would effect pulling the bow. The left shoulder is so bad that it pops loose and makes me occasionally toss a shot pretty badly, and when I shoot to much it still hurts a lot. The right shoulder feels much better than it has for many years because of the exercise.

I'd say go for it. Start very low, work up very slowly, and when it starts to bother you give it a rest. don't bump the draw weight very much at a time and don't try to rush it.

4ager ,

I read that thread -thanks !

We have some huge hogs at our lease a boar well over 300lbs. was killed right by my spot. I had been hunting him for a while myself.
The stench from the boar was horrid -they cut off the head/hams/backstrap then dragged [with truck] him to an open area planning on shooting coyotes off the carcass . The tow rope broke so the carcass was laying on the road near my spot .
I examined him real close his huge ribs -gristle -shield -muscle were amazing -built FAR tougher than any bear/elk . The only thing that comes to mind in comparison would be a huge alligator.

Getting a boar like him from a blind would be pure luck the way the wind swirls in the heavy cover we have here . Shooting from a tree stand would be the only way to pull it off -then you are shooting down at the boar -his shield is the toughest up high-ish on the shoulder .
My slow 2010 70 lb. hoyt powerhawk 318 ibo isn't going to do the job with the arrow set up I was running back then . Bemen hunter 340sp. 29" 100 grain ST head -that's why I mentioned the TDT alaska bowhunting supply arrows.

That was the long way around to saying a #50 won't work for what I need .

I have a 2010 hoyt carbon matrix #60 that is perfect for deer and small pigs .

Thinking maybe a second set of limbs for it might be cheaper than a complete set up . Maybe #50 turn down to #40 for off season.

Shooting a lighter weight bow in the off season to keep in shape for heavier later is likely a good idea.
People likely get into shoulder issues from not working up to heavier draw weights than the weights themselves.

A great book to help straighten out shoulder issues is SHOULDER PAIN The Solution & Prevention by John M. Kirsch MD-a longtime orthopedic surgeon.

As the forward reads, the exercises in this book are simple. The book is not.

FVA ,

Admittedly I won't buy nor read the book I hurt my shoulder in a fall while working .
In the last couple of years I have slacked off working out -it happens every several years -just gets boring.

Just a couple of years ago I was using 120# dumbbell , don't know if it has a name -but one knee on bench same side hand on bench tug dumbbell up towards lateral [lat]muscle/side of body .
Drawing a #72 lb. bow was a breeze -I could still do it right now if need be but won't chance it.
I do know as I get older [56 1/2 yrs. aged] it's time to ease up on myself even if I know in my mind I am OK with a heavier draw weight . Ten years from now the damage did today will show .
SO -I will ease off and get something with a light draw weight -since I plan on being an old senile guy sitting in my antique summit open shot treestand- with my antique carbon matrix bow and rusty 200 gr. broad heads ..

Even though a heavy #70 [pull gauge reads 72.4 lbs.] bow hasn't hurt my shoulder I will heed what the older timers say and stop shooting heavy poundage year round.
All of you young folk ought to do the same .

FVA;

Thanks for that book suggestion!

ol_Mike, what about a Mathews Genesis X? Should be easily had, shoots well, draw is a breeze.

Hell, take up bow fishing...

I'm looking over options now --like you have said SO many great bows out there today .

Bowfishing ??
Hot dog there is an -AMS bowfishing rig in my closet -an AQUA something or other even a spare arrow -grin - I do it quite a bit -have a small boat -trolling motor and use my TX boars hog hunting light -people around here look at me like I'm crazy.
Stingrays make great trapping bait and shark fishing bait !
OH yeah and I did turn the poundage down after burying the arrow in the bottom more than once .
Thanks !

I need to get into that myself.

Pick up a used Elite Synergy on AT. Find one with #60 limbs. You will LOVE it. Take a few turns off the limbs and you'll be mid #50s. They draw smoother and easier than any bow I've shot. I thoroughly shoot most of the flagship bows each year and nothing comes close except some of the Obsessions. My #67 Synergy draws easier than #60 Halon6 or Hoyt Defiant.
Hunt with extreme confidence with any of the newer #60 bows.

If AGE is a secondary factor to an injury-related shoulder problem then we sometimes have to admit we might not be hunting with the heavier bow of our youth.

The problem with archery is it's just too much fun! We want to shoot lots of arrows every day. Taking some days off and reducing the number of practice arrows can keep you in the game. When you get older I don't think you can abandon a heavier bow for the entire off season and expect to shoot it well after the layoff. The recovery from an acute shoulder injury especially for young hunters would be one exception.

I shoot my elk-weight bow once a week in the off season but limit the number of shots each session. At two months out I up the frequency of using the heavier bow but don't go full time until a month prior to the opener. Seems to help.

Limiting the number of shots to a pre-determined number before a practice session has helped with my aging, injured, surgerized shoulders and also with my accuracy.

(SFCSNOW makes a good point in that newer bows both compound and traditional are much more efficient so lighter weight is not a hinderance)

I've been involved in archery for over 30yrs and started out shooting 80lb bows. About every 6-7 years I began to drop down in poundage due to bad shoulders from the high poundage. I went down to 70, then 60 and at the age of 50 I went down to 50lbs which was 5 years ago and I never looked back. I shoot an 07 Allegiance at 50lbs and have no problems what so ever getting pass thrus on deer. I can shoot 50lbs all day comfortably without shoulder pain and practice as much as I want. My daughter has killed several deer the last couple seasons shooting 42lbs and every one has been clean pass thrus. I think a good fixed blade broadhead and shot placement is the key when hunting with low poundage. I can't see myself ever going over 50lbs again, my aging shoulders just can't take it.

Caveat I did not read the thread you did.

Wife shot around 50 pounds give or take, TX rule at the time was 45 minimum.

She used 2016 arrows, and a COC head, black diamond eskimo 125 IIRC, maybe 110 for a bit of speed? I don't ever recall a deer that stopped the arrow.

The only thing that did, was a decent sized boar. Shot was about 12 yards. She shot him in the heart. The tip of the head poked through barely on the off side shield. Said he kept eating once the arrow hit, she could see blood and the arrow bouncing with each heart beat. Finally got weak and ran off a bit.

Pig had shields over 2 inches IIRC, shield only, hide/hair etc... was about 4 inches plus until you got inside the cavity.

We had a 325 or 350 pound scale, I don't recall for sure which, he bottomed that out easily.

IMHO if you use the right head, weight is not going to be an issue.

I"m like many of the others, In fact I was dumb enough to shoot almost 100 pounds at one point in my youth. My bow is probably set around 60 right now, 50 wouldn't bother me. I"ve learned that our deer move to much if you shoot past 15 steps or so.

My recurve is 56 IIRC, but I could still shoot that light weight too, if it were not for a shoulder/neck injury not related to shooting bows. In fact if I had time to shoot recurve I probably could work back up to that bow easily. That said I killed a lot of stuff with recurves that were a bit less, maybe even down around 40 or so. 45 for sure.

Seems many of the pros have shoulder issues after topping out at manly weights. Don't see the need, as one looks the same regardless of the weight.

I find that a 70# Hoyt Cam and a half draw cycle is easier than most of the new hot rod bows of today at 60#.

It aint just the #, it's also how you get to that #.

Pro shooters............shoot a lot. 3D demands hot rod gear. Especially if you are a shorter draw archer.

Carbons helped lower #.
Guys today should have longer careers.

My compound bow weights used to run 72-84#.
Shot big heavy arrows.
Great for hunting.
Running mid weight for 3D was good too.........since it was less harsh on the shooter, the bow and forced yardage estimation to be a little more exact.

Recurves were 55-62#

Age, injuries, genetics.......

My compound weight is now 65# (fingers or release).
My recurve weight is around 50# (but I might have a 60 coming soon- not my everyday bow, just one in case I go after something tougher than whitetail).

I overdid some stuff when younger, so have to limit things now. Is what it is.

Worse than bad shoulders is losing once super good vision (IMHO). Not sure but think visual detail lost translates into mental focus lost.

Indoors I don't see a crisp X in the bull anymore.

Sucks ass.

I can still shoot heavy stuff.
Just can't do as much of it.

Can't shoot the middle or lighter as much either.

So practice sessions are not all day events.

And to warm up for season takes a couple of weeks. Can't shoot all yr long like I used to, or jump in right before hunting season.

Things now are more mellow, and planned out.

When CT made crossbows legal for deer hunting I had to get one.

They are easy to 'draw'. There is a tool for that and you leave it cocked while you hunt with it.

I like it and it's cool.

I got a target for it to catch arrows and I shoot it in the basement for fun.

Mine is a Barnett Recruit Recurve. They come with a scope, bolts and all!

Barnett Recruit Recurve


It's fun ( and quiet) to shoot in the basement.

You remain a retard, DumbassDon.

I bought a 40# Mathews Gen X for the fam to use.
Shot it some myself.
Bored the sheite out of me.
Too wuss.
Only get 20 yards in my postage stamp sized lot.

Also sold my 36# Blackwidow Target model recurve.
And just hung my 43# Samick Rival (copy of Blackwidow SAG) at the shop.

Just a little too light.

They've have been horrible at 3D (informal).

50# compound would be about my limit for target.At least have it usable for a backup hunting rig.

I want all of my bows to have a nice draw cycle, and not have too much mass weight. I think those aspects as important as max #.

My buddy works at a shop. He got a 70# twin cam. had a couple actually. Newest style draw so hard he's in the low 60's and says it sucks. And he's 10 yrs younger and hasn't burned his shoulders up shooting a ton.

Says next yr he's getting a 50-60#.

BTW, he too says the old Hoyt Cam and a 1/2 was one of his favorites comfort wise.

But everybody else these days wants speed speed speed........of 80% or so letoff. Like that matters.

I prefer 65% letoff. Just feels better to me.

If you have a shop around that carries Elite, Obsession, or Prime, try their bows. Smooth is an understatement.