Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Recurves - does one give up much range - or trajectory w/40-50#

My bows are generally between 50 and 60 lbs. It does take some time to build up strength to shoot my 55# and 60# bows.

However with my shot sequence, I only have a slight pause at full draw/ anchor point then I release, so I am not holding that long.

I do have to say I usually begin shooting my 51# longbow first, and sometimes work up to my 55# recurve. But by the end of the season I am usually back to shooting my 51# bow. The main reason is it gets pertty cold up here by November. The cold and the thicker clothes make shooting the lighter bow easier for me.

But back to the original question, I don't think it makes that much difference in trajectory. Just my opinion but I think when traditional guys are going to heavier bows they are also going to heavier arrows. Could be wrong.

I don't know if you can get actual numbers for your question.
Common sense dictates there will be a drop in trajectory. But I'd rather have a bow 5 pounds under my limit than 2 pounds over. Form suffers and then so does your dedication.

Many here already gave great advice. IMHO a 45-50# bow that is properly tuned and matched with arrows is just as lethal as a 50-55# bow that one might struggle with. This is similar in many ways to a 300WM you hate to bench vs. a .270Win you can shoot all day.

The cold weather/tree stand aspect mentioned already is very much a factor.

Merry Christmas to all!

Great advice guys, I have a Martin Bushmaster - strung it up when I first got it long ago and fired a few w/it. I think it's 55 or right there near it. One brother was supposed to do up some arrows for me as I bought all the supplies, so I never have yet used that longbow.

A 2nd bow I have - a compound - Proline I do have w/o sights, but I find little interest in modern gear, perhaps being so used to shooing slingshots instinctively when a kid. It too was only fired long ago a very few times.

No doubt most will never draw, hold and wait -......then fire as on many deer hunting video's using compounds, NOT w/o wheels.

Yet as above, the little I tried my longbow and a Recurve of my brother's in the past, I drew and let fly fairly quickly, allowing just minimal time getting anchor and 'aim'...

Thanks all for great advice, think I will plan to use a modest pull bow, use arrows accordingly per weight, and Practice

Merry Christmas to all as well.

i have a buddy who shots a 110# longbow.granted he's 6ft 6 and 260 and competes in power lifting.

I have two Bob Lee takedown recurves one is 54# @ 28" and the other is 43# @ 28". I have matched arrows at 10.5 grains per pound of bow weight for each of the bows. The trajectory for each bow is close. Usually I can use the same hold for either. The 43# is used for deer and turkey, and the 54# is used for elk.

A faster arrow will always have a flatter trajectory. But, that may be a disadvantage. If you shoot your stickbow with any type of gapping system, the gap at close range (15 to 25 yds) with a typical hunting setup will get bigger with the faster arrow. A heavy arrow with a loopy trajectory will be closer to point on at the average shot ranges of 15-25 yds. I learned this the hard way when buying lightweight arrows to shoot 3D's with. Yea they were fast, but I had to hold close to 4" lower at 20 yards.

Good info by all, thanks much for your input.

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Many of the experienced trad hunters I shoot and hunt with shoot #55 or more, several a lot more. The average is 55-65#'s. Two of them shoot 80+# longbows. That blanket statement does not cover too much of the bed.

Once you get to know your bow's trajectory as an instinctive shooter the poundage difference is a moot point. Your hand eye coordination will take over. If you are shooting longer distances poundage helps, but at normal hunting ranges 45-55 pounds will work very well and has for a long time.

And just because it is "a Black Widow" does not make the shooter any better than if they owned another well made bow. Black Widows are good bows but others are just as good, some even better. Get to know some other well made brands and try them before you make the leap on a full custom bow. The advise to get a good used bow first is good advice.
There are many well made bows out there. Some, such as Howard Hill and Byron Fergusson (SP), believed/believe that recurves are inferior to longbows when it comes to pure instinctive accuracy. Practice is the key. Get to know your weapon and learn to use it in many different situations. Shoot from treestands, on your knees, off a stool, "stump shoot", try moving targets and small game. Once you get your confidence with your setup there is very little one hunter can do with a compound that another cannot do with a stickbow in actual hunting situations. And in some situations such as thick cover, moving game, shooting around objects, and still hunting they are better.

What would you consider 'normal ranges?' Thanks sir.

Have a 'Martin Bushmaster' longbow, that I need to shoot some, but looking at Martin's recurves.

I have 3 trad bows that I shoot, well untill last year when I tore a lig in my shoulder (unrelated) one is a 70# longbow, a 55# long bow and a 47# recurve. they all draw higher because of my 31" draw lenght, but percieved speed is pretty similar. the thing that wipes the velocity of the arrow out of the formula is the instictive part. your brain really does not care how fast the arrow goes, just that it goes the same every time. you will adjust. I can shoot 100 plus yards at my place, but after about 40-50 yards it becomes more of a target hit then a bullseye.

keep in mind that a deer can string jump a trad bow half a dozen times before the arrow gets there. close and quite are your friends

I have NEVER in 40 years of traditional archery ever heard of anybody being able to shoot the same spined arrow as bow weight.
To add to this, every archer is a bit different , and one may not be able to shoot the same spined weight arrow as his buddy in the same bow weight.
This is what a guy named G. Fred Asbell states BTW, not I.
T0o add to that , I'm glad you like the Black widows I have shot a few Black widows and frankly were all are slower than my Kempf Trophy Hunter through the Chron0ograph - not that speed means anything.
Cat
Cat

My max to shoot at a deer is around 25 yards. I like 15 to 20 the best.

Hey 6.5,

I am comfortable with my traditional set up out to 30-35 yards or so on deer sized game, most much closer like ten yards, but I am pretty conservative anymore. I have shot smaller game at much greater distances. One deer at over twice that distance. I was new to it and did not know better, and the deer forgot he was supposed to run at the shot.
Martin makes, and has made, some very good recurves. I prefer a recurve for the extra cast but can shoot a longbow well enough. In my opinion it is more what you get used to than the actual equipment.
Martin recurves of note that I have shot and liked are, in no particular order: Damon Howatt Super Diablo, Mamba, Dream catcher, Damon Howatt Hunter, the new Martin Hunter, and the previously mentioned Savanah. Most of these can be found on the used market for a good price. Also look at: Pearsons, Bears, Wings, Bob Lee, Shakespeare (Nechdah (SP), and Wonderbow), Sky archery, Hoyts, etc. Now that traditional archery is resurging a bit prices are rising but good examples can be found for reasonable prices if you look hard enough. Some premiums that I have seen lately are: Chastains, Allegheny Mountain Bows, Humingbirds, Alsheimers, Robertson Styks to name a few. Just keep looking when you are ready.
As far as what I would look for. I am 5'8", 170#'s ex jock. At my 27 inch draw I like a bow at 58"s. Long enough to be stable and short enough to give good cast to my arrows. I have bows as short as 52"s for ground blinds, and 64"s on my longbow that is as stable as they come. Just remember that with proper shooting technique your draw length will go down from 1-3 inches from your compound depending on the shooting style you take up.

I was a rep for a rather progressive traditional archery company in the late eighties through mid nineties. Happy to help if I can with your endeavors.

Happy New Year to you All!!

Swampman700 I guess you better not hunt in Oregon then as
you require 50# or more for elk . Deer require 40# or more so I
guess you would be ok for this. Cheers NC

Most bows shooting 9-10gpp will shoot 180-200 fps. Speed and trajectory are negated because as arrow weight and draw weights go up, the trajectory stays about the same. Kinetic energy goes up, but that is another can of worms. We are talking hunting ranges of 40 yards or less here, long FITA type stuff will again be another can of worms. I say shoot what is comfortable. I think you will find what is comfortable is also accurate and fun.

Keep in mind 45lb is now a "lightweight" but for decades the norm was 45lbs and killed deer and other even bigger game just as dead.

Accuracy is more important that trajectory and as a longbow, recurve shooter of 45 years, and have shot and hunted with compounds too, I dont notice a difference at all.

Shooting arrows traditionally the accepted weight per lb (some disagreement on what that is though)Ive shot deer from 43lb and 70lb recurves and longbows. Shooting "instinctive" I flat dont notice after practicing for some time due to yardage NOT being judged for a true instinctive shooter.

Its "in range.......or not" and all I pay attention to. It's more "feeling" than yardage. Ive shot em from point blank to 43 yards and never knew how far they were till later when I stepped it off.

Alien to what is taught to compound shooters and the need for sights and range finders but regardless of the bow speed, or type.........just shoot it. Its like throwing a baseball or football......do you judge yardage first? No.

TOO MUCH attention is paid to speed and trajectory and neither is needed to kill any game walking just as dead if you just practice.

Shooting traditional? Pick the bow and weight you shoot well and go hunting.

God Bless
Steve

Almost every reply posted here says that the answer to your question has more to do with the performance of each individual bow than a 10 lb difference in draw weight alone. What part of that do you not understand? I have a 55 lb bow that shoots faster than my 70 lb bows. Which do you think has a more arching trajectory? It is about the speed of the arrow, not the draw weight of the bow. And contrary to popular belief, the two are not always proportional.

Does that answer your question?

All arrows start to drop as soon as they leave the bow. That means you have to compensate for drop regardless of the speed of your bow, or the brand, or the draw weight, or anything else. As long as your bow imparts enough velocity (momentum) to the arrow to drive the arrow deep enough into the target animal to cause hemmorage and death, that is enough velocity.

Aint that the truth!

Bow hunting, esp with a traditional recurve/long bow is about "hunting better" too, like the indians used too! In fact, improving one's "hunting" and stalking skills can often benefit a lot from bow hunting large and small game with a recurve or long bow.

For deer, I was ALWAYS taught 40 yards is about MAX for most people, and 50yds was a looooong shot!

25 - 30- 40 yards were more sensible and realisitc! Most people I knew shot a 45# to 60# tradbow if they were "tradshooters." 45-50 pound-pulls were most average "pulls, altho 55# was common. 40# or 60# most uncommon.

Most arrows averaged 27-28 inches in whatever diameter (port orford cedar) provided proper flexing and flight for the said arrow and broadhead it was balanced with. Killing a deer meant hitting it in the vitals of course (heart-lungs), DEPENDING on the cutting, hemorraging, and bleeding-out to do-in and kill the deer or elk or whatever the gaminal is.

Back some timeago (many many years), I have seen films of legendary Fred Bear kill a grizzly with one arrow, and an elephant also with one arrow. Elephant ran a quarter mile before dying and burying its tusks in the dirt up to their bases. Mr. Bear was using a 70#-80# bow or thereabouts both times. Arrow into the grizzly was a complete pass-through.