I've had two people ask me this question in the last two weeks. Same question but 31 years difference in age. Funny eh, this is not a generational issue!

The Question: How long does it take to get accurate with a 70lb draw weight?

Lots of easy answers but it's actually more then that. It reminded me of the thread earlier about the sweet spot of practice sessions. First, a big guy with a long draw can get the same performance from a much lower weight. A shorter fella with a short draw will likely have to get to higher then 70 to achieve the same power.

It's not about the draw weight. My business partner is the heavyweight MMA champ of South Africa. His fitness is astonishing, he is over 7' tall and would have a 35" -36" draw length. He could get phenomenal speed with 50lb draw! ( I'm sure he could draw 100lbs easily)

The ability to shoot 70lbs accurate one time is not hard. However the ability for some folks might be the practice sessions needed. Or the smooth effortless straight back draw cycle so game is not spooked from movement. Regardless if you can draw and shoot accurate if you cannot do it quietly and smoothly your accuracy will not matter with the game leaving a vapor trail.

It seems that there is some unspoken standard that 70lb draw is needed, or that it's the "Manly" base line for bow hunting. I have hunted with quite a few bow hunters in my life. Some struggled with 60lbs, but harvest a lot of game. One fella at 6' tall 217lbs 26 years old shoots 84lbs easier then most folks shoot 50lbs. His 500 grain arrows at 299fps are at a level of power most of us can only dream of. Yet his hunting skills/experience are not fully developed. I joke with him, and he with me all the time. He says when he is my age and has the experience and skill to hunt with his power, he will be amazing. I replied when he is my age he will be shooting 60lbs so his Bursitis does not act up, or his shoulder surgeries do not come undone!

I have had quite a few lady and young hunters shoot 45lbs at 25-26" draw harvest lots of game. In thinking about this, they may have a near perfect recovery rate as well. Careful shooting by cautious folks that know they have low end power is very good. Compared in some cases to massive power dependance and sometimes hurried or risky shots.

Anyhow, I said to the two guys,

1)Aspire to shoot accurate with a low power and develop disciplined form first and foremost. Then increase weight.

2)Shoot a properly tuned bow with properly chosen arrows

3) select a bow with a rock solid back wall, 7" brace height and don't use a whisker biscuit.

4) get a bow that is light enough to practice good form and can allow you to crank up the weight over time. This may mean buying another bow down the road. Lets cross that bridge when we get to it.

Sure some of that is very strong opinion, Shoot me!

This day and time, a lot depends on the bow. Cam design and geometry allow the 70# bow to feel like less weight. Smooth draw cycles and the ability to make speed with high letoff make those much needed practice sessions much easier

I think that's an excellent post, though you're taunting the whisker biscuit fans.

I was a whisker biscuit user for a very long time. I loved it and really thought it was the best game in town.

I could shoot arrow touching groups for dozens of shots and then have one end up several inches away. High low, right left. It was just my crappy shooting I guessed?

Then at the Pro-shop one day I was listening, or eavesdropping maybe? on the conversation between the owner and one of his Professional circuit archers. The comment made was that the whisker biscuit is fine except for the flyers you get every once in a while, and the additional sound level of the draw and the shot.

I asked them about that, because it's exactly what I get too! Well the explanation made it all come clear to me. When people speak of a 7" plus brace height being more forgiving then a 6" brace or height or less, that's a difference of only an inch or so. When you have a whisker biscuit you have a Zero brace height which is a difference of 7 plus inches!!

There is no forgiveness with the Whisker Biscuit. You're connected to the arrow until the nock leaves the whiskers using one. I took this guidance to heart. I switched to the QAD. The smoothness of the draw, and silent shots, along with the total elimination of those weird flyers has been gone from my shooting ever since.

I like the WB for what it is. It's a great dependable functional half way decent rest. It's not a Precision device for shooting 1" -2"groups at 25-40 yards. It's also noisy when compared to the decent drop aways available. I've never looked back, the flyers are gone, or at least I know why when they happen from a poor release.

Right. A really wary animal will never let you draw on them with a WB without being alerted. Anybody that thinks otherwise, ain't hunted really wary animals.

A crossbow has quite a bit of power, accuracy and has to be easier to let off undetected?

I got one when they made them legal here.

Although I have had a long bow since the recurves came out I never used it much.



Draw Weight 130 lbs

Recruit crossbow

There's a "new kid in town" rest wise. The Rip cord ACE is everything the QAD should have been. Got all the right features and micro adjustability. Stays up during let down. Fully outboard rest cord. No felt needed. If I were to go back to a cable driven rest, this would be the one