Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Whats your draw weight?

It's been a decade ago, but I shot completely through a whitetail doe that weighed 122 lbs after field dressing and hanging overnight while using a 46 lb longbow shooting a 425 grain Beeman ICS/4-blade Magnus Stinger at a whopping 185 fps. She had been standing about 30 paces from the base of the tree I was in.

I also shot a 440 grain Easton Axxis with the same broadhead from my 51 lb recurve at a fresh shoulder blade from a cow elk we had just finished boning out that I propped up against a stump. Back off 20 paces and buried the arrow through the shoulder blade and deep into the stump behind it.

It doesn't take a lot of bow to kill stuff, unless you're trying to do it with really light arrows and expandable broadheads.

My first bow had 70# limbs and they were about maxed out. 68-72 #’s I reckon.

Current bow has 60# limbs. No reason other than that was what they had on the rack. It has an IBO about 20fps faster than my first bow did. Don’t know what the difference would be with equal weight arrows. Can’t imagine it would matter much at all.

28" 65#, right at 300fps through a chrono. Forgot what my arrow weight is

About 48# at 26 1/2 in draw. 125 gr Zwickey 2 blade and Bois d'arc footed shafts, 510-515 gr total arrow weight.

I took the plunge several years ago and bought a carbon limb longbow, 2 carbon layers in the core and wood outer lams. for a nice look. The carbon in the limbs is a game changer for me. Easier draw and much smoother with good speed for the draw weight.. Doesn't fit in longbow trad class for 3d shoots but I don't shoot them so no big deal.

Bowtech Sniper, either 65# or 70#. The bow was a gift about 8 years ago and I never got around to asking what it’s max weight was, but the screws are tightened all the way down.

I also have a Martin Backwoods Hunter recurve that I believe is 48# @ 28”, I go to about 29”, but I still don’t trust myself to hunt with it yet.

I shot 70-72 pounds for about 40 years. Decided I ought to start acting my age and dropped to 63 pounds. I shoot much better at that weight and have no concerns about effectiveness.

I shoot a Mathews No-Cam 29" @65#......Hb

A Hoyt powermax. 60#.. Shot ONE arrow tonight in the shop.. lol .. New, again, to Archery.. Heading over to a buddies in the morning for lessons...

I had a 62# Blackwidow MA2 for a good while (yrs ago).
Borrowed a 72# Zipper for a day............that wore me out!
Heaviest recurve I've owned..........was 65#.

Shot indoors with an 82# PSE twin cam. My 3D bow as well.
It pegged 96# w limbs bottomed (Gorilla Squad).........and I couldn't draw it.
My left elbow would bend before break over.
I could shoot it at 92# but it was brutal. Tried 86# and it was too much.
82# was fine.

I draw smooth and pretty darn level no matter what #.
My Oneida Strike Eagle (smooth rig) was 84#.
Guy got one of the Hoyt Ram Bows when they came out (right ahead of movie).......and shimmed it to go 98#.
I shot it for a day...........whew.

Archery shop had a Hoyt Pro Hunter on the wall.........30" draw, 100#.
I could do it right or left handed.

All that crap was about 30 yrs ago.
Older designs has a bit of give at the start, which IMHO helped.

Today's hot rods are brutal IMHO.
My 2005 Hoyt Protec was 72# and smooth.
And IBO spec was 305 FPS.

One can shoot 10# less draw weight and go faster now.....but man it hurts to shoot these new speedy rigs.
Maybe with practice one could get used to the more harsh draw cycles.
I'm too old and can't/won't.

Rather liked the Hoyt Cam and a half system.
Release and 60-65# would be ideal.

Recurves now are 55# or less. But I don't snap shoot. 48# is pretty darn comfy.

Had a new PSE last yr, one cam, 60#...........it was super easy to draw but I still didn't like the single cam feel so dumped it at a fair loss.
Like what ya like, make no apologies for it

Learned my lesson.

Got to get mine out, Turkey season soon!!

Just perusing this thread and saw my post.

About a week after I posted that I tore the fugg outta my left shoulder.

Was able to draw my bow for the first time a week or so ago. It was ugly. Lol. Didn’t realize how much your bracing arm and shoulder played a part in drawing a bow.

Next year!

My No-Cam is 60. The crossbow, an Excalibur is 220. I used to shoot recurves from 45 to 85. I never could get good accuracy out of the 85, and it took a while to get worked up to it because the heaviest recurve I shot below it was 65 and the jump to 85 was hard to manage. When I look back on that time, I think I lucked out that I didn't hurt my shoulders doing that.

I do a push/pull thing, no straight arm. Don't point at the sky either.
Could be a 45# indoor target bow..........or an 80# twin cam. Same movement.
That kinda throws folks LOL.

I like 70# and 65% letoff on a compound.
Recurve 50-55#.

I can do more, just don't see the need since no more 3D
Have to call dpc today, X ray results in.
Proly MRI next. Lower back is smoked.

At least it doesn't affect bow shooting
Of course sitting in a treestand kills me.

Was 63# on my hoyt, just had the string replaced with a threadz and it jumped it up to 70. I'll probably back it off a little but man that string made a huge difference. Well worth the money.

Both the Mathews Hellium and the Hoyt Defiant around 66 lbs works for me.

70 lbs

Stuff stretches, coulda twisted up your old cables/string and gotten poundage/timing back to normal.

Indoor #52, 3d #64, hunting #68