As for the Comanches, they used a pinch draw of very short length. The arrows were very lightweight. It’s hard to see the bows being very stout with a pinch draw of such a short length. I can’t see them being more than 40 or 50 pounds. Dr. Pope said Ishi’s bows drew about 40 pounds. Ishi also used a pinch draw of very short length.
There is an old Indian on YouTube who makes traditional Comanche bows and arrows at Fort Sill. He makes the arrows out of dogwood limbs and they are very slender.
Asian horn bow style would employ a sort of pinch draw by using a thumb ring made from horn. The thumb would be locked under the index finger with the string against the wide flat part of the thumb ring.
According to the Traditional Bowyers Bibles a light bow would be used for hunting big game and a heavy bow for war. What we found in fields and called bird points were actually big game points which needed to be small to penetrate well from light weight bows. Larger points were made heavy to do damage when rained down on an enemy at long range. I've read accounts of natives claiming many large game animals were shot so close that the arrow didn't leave the bow before striking the animal. I don't think it a total fabrication since I know some initiations of young warriors included being able to get close enough to a big game animal to touch it.
