Whats a good draw poundage??

[goose7856]

for deer.......i guess thats what im referring to.......how hard it is to "pull back the bow".......my friend just got a new bow, and i think he is trying to pull back too much for normal hunting situations.......he has it set on about 70 lbs. for deer.......i was thinking more around 55-60 lbs......im just trying to help him out......hes only 15 so hes not as strong as some men may be, but still isnt weak at all......just wondering...TIA!

[willis5]

goose,
you are on the right track. you should be able to draw the bow sitting, kneeling, standing, or whatever without moving the bow. You shoudl be able to put the pin on the animal (to keep the bow still) and THEN draw keeping the pin in the same position. Do this without strain,and you should be good to go. Having a lighter draw makes it easier on you and can help your accuracy to minimize the chance of wounding an animal.
Good luck,
Billy

[Daveinthebush]

When you shoot a bow you are using muscles that you don't normally use in daily life. When I recently bought my new 70 lb. Bowtech I could not pull it back even though my old bow was set at 80 pounds. Different cam, slightly different muscles.

So I cranked her down to the lower limit of the bow, 60 pounds, and started shooting.  In about a month, and cranking her up a little each week, I was back up to the limit of 70 pounds because I was planning a moose hunt.  Since then, and since the weather is colder, I recently cranked it back down to about 65 pounds.  

There is no reason that 55-60 pounds won't kill a deer.  Remember it is not the poundage that kills, but the ability to place a razor sharp broadhead in the vital zone of the animal.  For deer if you find a poundage that you can shoot consistantly with, with the best accuracy, I would stay there.  

Keep practicing and be consistant in how you shoot the bow every time.  He'll get there.

[birdinwithblue]

i have a ? this new bow i got is set at 70 # and i would like to lower the poundage a little just got it tuned and new strings . now my ? is if i back off the lims a little to lower the #age will it change the draw length . you are moving the lims back a little . or are ya ? i would like to get it down to 60 - 65 #'s

[Daveinthebush]

It might a bit. But in shooting compounds since 1978 or so I have never noticed a difference that I could tell with any of mine when changing the poundage.

[willis5]

You won't notice a difference from just lowering the draw weight. make sure that it is easy to draw and hold.

Oh yeah, Make sure that you crank the limb bolts the same amount of times. you want them to be exactly the same.

[tbonecpa]

Help the kid out by balancing the draw weight with the arrow and broadhead.  Try starting at about 50-55 lbs.  Lighter draw weight means using lighter arrows and lighter broadheads.  This will maintain decent trajectory and decent energy.  Those two items tend to be reciprical in the archery equation.  Lighter arrows with a smaller diameter 75-90 grain head like the Muzzy will penetrate well yet maintain flat trajectory.  Most beginners can't judge distance very well so trajectory is pretty critical.  I am working on this same type of package for my 10 year old son.  He will be hunting in two years and his bow maxes at 50 lbs.  I have yet to chronograph it but it should move a 375 gr arrow at 235 fps making 44 lbs of energy.  Plenty of energy for a whitetail out to 20 yds and low enough draw weight to be accurate.

[safetreehunt]

I shoot a Darton Yukon at 50lbs max. That's it. If I try to shoot any more than that I have trouble with my back. I shoot year round at indoor ranges, Outdoor 3D and broadhead leagues. I'm fairly deadly and consistent out to about 40 yards with field tips and about 30 with a broadhead. I can shoot farther, but my consistency drops off. That's jsut me.

While some may say this is a little light for deer, the meat in the freezer can't argue.

[THE#1hunter]

For someone of that age I would say in the mid-60's, good luck to him