# draw weight



## nytrapper16 (Jan 9, 2008)

i have a quick question the bow i have selected the diamond black ice has an pick between 50-60 or 60-70 i am going to be hunting mostly deer and if i get a chance black deer if i get a chance to get to my camp in the adirondaks. can i use it on elk and moose if i go some day


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

Oh most definately, you will be perfectly fine with even 50 but if you can pull 70 back with ease, even better


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## bretts (Feb 24, 2004)

Like USS said, fifty pounds is plenty, killed the first deer with a 39 pound compound. Personally, I like a draw weight where i don't have to have trouble pulling back at all, I have my bow on 64, while i could pull 70, certain shooting angles or environmental conditions might cause me to do some grunting. Have fun!


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## ics400 (Oct 12, 2007)

I might add in addition to what bretts said, that a big part of it is the broadhead. What ever you use, make sure it's shaving sharp and poundage becomes less of an issue. The lower draw weights are much easier to pull when it's cold or your shooting angle gets extreme.


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## mossy512 (Jan 7, 2006)

Go for the most you can pull *easily*. If you can pull more than 60 but can't get to 70 then get a 70# peak and set it around 65. That's about where mine is set.


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## Pabowhunter92 (Jan 21, 2008)

I keep my diamond marquis around 55 for both target and deer. Bowtechs are so fast that you can effectively hunt big game with lower draw weights


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

mossy512 said:


> Go for the most you can pull *easily*. If you can pull more than 60 but can't get to 70 then get a 70# peak and set it around 65. That's about where mine is set.


 :beer:

You should always shoot the heaviest weight you can comfortably handle. If you can shoot 70 lbs comfortably, DO IT! Hedge your bets, youll be glad you did when/if you ever get a less than ideal hit.


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## AlpineArcher24 (Mar 1, 2008)

I do a lot of late season bowhunting so a lot of time its 40 dgrs. I have my bow set at 62 and that can be pulled back around 20 times comfortably. The last thing i want to do is not being able to draw my bow cause i went with too much poundage.


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## cabowhunter (Apr 18, 2008)

Pull back the heaviest weight you can and still maintain accuracy, start at 50 and work up, I would rather be super accurate at 50 than just average at 70.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

AlpineArcher24 said:


> I do a lot of late season bowhunting so a lot of time its 40 dgrs. I have my bow set at 62 and that can be pulled back around 20 times comfortably. The last thing i want to do is not being able to draw my bow cause i went with too much poundage.


I just gotta say, 40 degrees? pfffft, that aint cold  . Thats just when the hunting gets good. :beer:


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## derrickoh01 (May 21, 2008)

All good advice here. You need to find your "comfort zone" on what you can draw without straining. If your draw weight is too much your form will suffer = missed or poor placement of your shots. I never got much into all the mechanics of my bow. I just know that I can kill deer at 30 yards & in and I practice from that distance from a stand the same height as I hunt.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

barebackjack said:


> AlpineArcher24 said:
> 
> 
> > I do a lot of late season bowhunting so a lot of time its 40 dgrs. I have my bow set at 62 and that can be pulled back around 20 times comfortably. The last thing i want to do is not being able to draw my bow cause i went with too much poundage.
> ...


I was thinking the same thing, 40 degrees isn't even cold enough to get rid of the skeeters yet!!!!!  :lol:


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## carp_killer (Nov 24, 2006)

ill go against all these guys i dont feel anybody should shoot as much as they can pull i no guys that have target practiced with 65-70lbs and could shoot it just fine then come hunting season there out there and have a shot when its below zero they go to pull there bow back and cant do it. i have almost always shot 55lbs but am only shooting 45 now and it has more then enough power and i can pull it a heck of alot easier and smoother when you have a deer 15 yards in front of you at eye level you need to be able to slowly pull your bow back and possibly hold it for a while, not struggle to pull it back and not be able to hold it for along time. just my 2 cents


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## whitehorse (Jan 28, 2008)

trapper_2 said:


> ill go against all these guys i dont feel anybody should shoot as much as they can pull i no guys that have target practiced with 65-70lbs and could shoot it just fine then come hunting season there out there and have a shot when its below zero they go to pull there bow back and cant do it. i have almost always shot 55lbs but am only shooting 45 now and it has more then enough power and i can pull it a heck of alot easier and smoother when you have a deer 15 yards in front of you at eye level you need to be able to slowly pull your bow back and possibly hold it for a while, not struggle to pull it back and not be able to hold it for along time. just my 2 cents


I agree, i would keep it 45-55lbs as well. I used to shoot about 65, but am down to about 50 now. There is just too much to gain from lowering the draw weight, you'll learn this with experience


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## Dodgedude (Dec 30, 2007)

Ideal draw weight to me is what I can pull while sitting. I see a lot of archers who muscle their 70# bows back at the range, but couldn't do sitting on stand to save their bacon.

Plus, cold shoulders while like you better with lower poundage.


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## weasle414 (Dec 31, 2006)

Whichever one you go with, make sure you shoot each one personally in different positions. Last year for instance, I cranked my bow ALL the way up to 70 lbs when I was used to 65 lbs. I could draw it back great standing up shooting forward like I did at targets, but then the "real life" situations came. I spent a whole day on my belly crawling through tall grass, through the woods, through swamps, through every bit of filthy crappy place you can possibly crawl through stalking this one deer. Oh how I wanted to get my first bow deer while stalking it, dad would be proud! It never even knew I was there the whole stalk and I finally got it in a good close range, 20 yard shot. "Dang that'll be easy," I thought to myself. She (yes I spent all day chasing a doe... she looked tastey...) was broadside with her head turned away from me eating on a patch of green grass. Wow it was set up perfect! So I got off my belly and crouched on one knee behind a big white pine and held the grip of my bow in my let hand, knocked the arrow that was supposed to cut clean across the top of the heart and double lung shot her, and tried to draw back while kneeling down. What happens? I can't get it all the way back. I just couldn't get it all the way to where it would let off and I could take aim. I ended up falling backwards because I lost my balance trying to pull the stupid bowstring back and she was gone. I went hungry that night; why? Because I couldn't draw back the way I was positioned. :eyeroll:

Nice story, isn't it? Think about it when you're making your purchase. :wink:


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## striped1 (Aug 17, 2005)

Keep in mind to that your are marginally better shooting a 50-60 lb bow at 60 than a 60-70lb bow at 60


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Back in, oh shucks I can't remember, about 1982 (when York introduced the tracker with aluminum cams) I was shooting an 84 lb York Tracker. I knew I didn't need it, but when your young and working with young people they want to barrow other peoples things all the time. I don't barrow bows, rifles, etc. Anyway, this was a polite way out. Sure you can use my bow.
Today I shoot 60 lbs. I got in trouble with the 84 lb one time. I was dumb enough to sit for three hours at -30 degrees (with airforce bibs, jacket, and military bunny boots). I don't know which was dumber, being in the stand that day, or shooting an 84 lb bow. I didn't know that when you get that cold your muscles just don't want to work. The deer came and the bow felt more like a crowbar. I got it back on the third try, but there was no way I could hold for an accurate shot.
My Mathews Switchback gets complete penetration on 60lb. You don't need anymore penetration than that. I remember pacing it off to my arrow beyond a nice deer one day (84 lb Tracker). 80 yards beyond the deer didn't kill it any deader than if the arrow simply fell out the other side. 
If I am not mistaken some states have a lower limit of 60lb for elk. I would buy the 50 to 60 and set it on 60 pounds rather than buy the 60 to 70 and set it on 60 lb. I have not tested it for years, but I do remember comparing this over a chronograph. Because the 50 to 60 set on 60 lb is prestressed more than the 60 to 70lb set on 60 it shoots a little faster. For you fellows more into it, is that still true today?
My latest bow is only 48# at 28 inches ( I draw it to 51 lb). It is a custom Montana Bow, called the Whip, made by Dan Toelke. There is no doubt in my mind that I can kill a deer with it. I shot my first deer with a $4 fiberglass recurve that was 28 lb, when I was 12 years old. Looking back I would never have needed anything over 60 lbs at any time in my life.


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## Turner (Oct 7, 2005)

40 # or 80#, what it all boils down to be is accuracy and the kenetic energy that arrow delivers to its target. With out those two your success rate will be very poor. I was talking to an individual the other night about the urban hunt in Fargo and since it has been in operation, they have had right around 6% of the shooters fail the proficiency test. That test consists of putting 4 out of 5 arrows in the vitals of a 3 D deer at 14 yards. As a hunter you owe it to the animal to be able to deliver an effective kill shot. Know your limitations on shots and yardages and practice, practice and practice some more. Get in a habit of shooting with your clothes that you will be wearing while hunting and from different positions, sitting, standing, kneeling, bending over from the waist, turning sideways and with a pack on your back are just a few suggestions before you hit the bush this fall. Time is drawing nearer and before we know it we will be hunting again.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Turner said:


> 40 # or 80#, what it all boils down to be is accuracy and the kenetic energy that arrow delivers to its target. With out those two your success rate will be very poor. I was talking to an individual the other night about the urban hunt in Fargo and since it has been in operation, they have had right around 6% of the shooters fail the proficiency test. That test consists of putting 4 out of 5 arrows in the vitals of a 3 D deer at 14 yards. As a hunter you owe it to the animal to be able to deliver an effective kill shot. Know your limitations on shots and yardages and practice, practice and practice some more. Get in a habit of shooting with your clothes that you will be wearing while hunting and from different positions, sitting, standing, kneeling, bending over from the waist, turning sideways and with a pack on your back are just a few suggestions before you hit the bush this fall. Time is drawing nearer and before we know it we will be hunting again.


I will add. I was at those testing times, as I was in the program. The people that didn't pass were very, very, very new at archery. Like maybe shot once or twice. I know one of the guys had just had shoulder problems so he haden't shot since the previous year. He was having troubles even pulling the bow back.

As stated, it comes down to pairing the right poundage, arrows, and broadheads. You can kill a deer just as dead with a 40 LB bow as a 80 LB bow. IN fact more then likely faster. As the 80 LB bow will be like steel shot as the 40 # will be like lead shot. More of a blow, then a fast pass through!

I have my switchback at 67#. It just shoots the best at that weight.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Turner, I agree. At one time traditional is all I shot. I have not done that since some time in the early 1970's. My second son got me back into it. He shoots a 55 lb Toelke Whip. In the past I gave him a lot of advise. Now getting back into traditional I take his. 
I can not ever remember shooting as good with traditional equipment as I do this Toelke Whip. For the first couple days I was kicking myself for spending $650, but today I don't regret the money spent. Now if my right middle finger had some feeling I think I could get a better release.


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