How many pounds are you shooting?

[tracker x-2]

Im in the market for a new bow and think i have one picked out, but the only thing im not sure of what poundage range I want 50lb to 60lb or 60lb to 70lb I will use it mainly for whitetail in MN. when I went to scheels today I shot one at seventy lbs and I can pull it back no problem. Im just wondering what every one else shoots or what your opinion is on it.

[Code-Man]

I have a bad shoulder and got a Mathews 50-60 and It's maxed out around 57/58 lbs. Probable should have gotten a 60-70 now that my muscles are trained and worked but when it gets cold I don't want it to be an issue for drawing back.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I shoot at 56 lbs.. no need to pull more in my opinion.. I want to be able to pull back slow at any temp.

[FishingWebGuy]

Mine is at about 55lbs right now. My old one was at 70lb but I found out real quick that what I can pull back standing flat footed at a range is different that what I can pull back at odd angles in a stand.

Personally, I'd worry more about sharp broadheads than lbs of pull. At least for white tail. Unless you have some killer aim and are planning to take one at 50, 60, 70 yards.

Just my $.02

[Meat-Run]

Yes you can pull back the bow now in nice warm conditions of the store but when your out in the ugly elements that mother nature tosses at you 70lbs is like pulling a frieght train. I started out at 68lbs until I was challenged with a very large buck and couldn't hold the string long enough and had to let down and the buck saw me. Now I shoot at 60lbs and I see almost no difference in my arrow flight/pattern out to 28 yards. So don't get caught up trying to shoot at maximum poundage that your bow has but DO get one that goes up that far so if you want to chase mulies, elk or other big game you have the bow to do it. Most deer are shot and killed within 25 yards or less anyways so you don't need at all that power to drive home the arrow. Once you try hunting the later part of the fall with all your gear on you will see what I mean it's not easy and then when you put a buck infront of you 60lbs might be to much to hold for 2 minutes. It's up to you and your conditioning.

Good luck and I'm sure others will chime in and suggest a poundage that will fit your needs.

mr

[HOT SPOT]

It is very important to be able to pull back in any conditions. And to be able to hold it half way for a while to. I shoot at 65 lbs witch is easy enough for me. Its not about how fast your arrow goes its where it hits. But If I were you If you can pull 62-68 lbs easy get a 60-70 lb bow.

[tracker x-2]

thats what i was thinking maybe this will give me some motivation to hit the gym again lol.

[bigbucks]

I shoot somewhere in the 62-64 lb. range. I've killed deer as far as 45 yards with that, albeit that one was lucky. Underestimated the range pretty severely, pretty sure that was a God guided arrow.

[gr8icefishinmind]

I shoot 58lbs and it is plenty i think! Killing a deer is more about having your pins dialed in than shooting more poundage!! I shoot a bowtech that says it ranges from 60 -70 lbs and have dialed it as low as 48 lbs for shooting indoor 5 spots!!! Usually a 60-70 pound bow can be turned down quite a ways!!

[sticknstring]

I pull 70# until Thanksgiving, then I usually crank it down to around 64# or so. Different ball game in December with lots of layers on.

[B-man715]

I pull 70# until Thanksgiving, then I usually crank it down to around 64# or so. Different ball game in December with lots of layers on.

Why not just pull 64# all of the time????? That seems like a pain in the arse having to re-sight in during mid-season..........

[DonBo]

I have a 50-60 lb bow. I shoot at 55 lbs. Your bow is more efficient towards the higher end, so if you were to shoot at 60 lbs, you'd be better off with a 50-60 lb bow than a 60-70 lb bow set at it's lowest poundage.

BTW, my 50-60 bow will max out about 65 lbs.

[sticknstring]

The difference in weight is 2-3 inches at 40 yards. Not a big deal. I've got a single pin slider so I don't have to change a thing. You'll get better performance shooing peak weight rather than having your limbs backed out 3-4 turns.

[JeffB]

Mine is set at 74# which is stll comfortable, but I'm sure it I'll be turning it down in a few more years. I guess it all depends on your comfort level.

[Rippinlip]

Was shooting at 72 pounds last year, then the late season told me to do some different.

I now have set it back to 58 pounds and really like it and that is where it is staying, I can hold solid for a length of time and the arrow flight was hardly different at all out to 25 yards, my practice pins at longer yardage had to be adjusted, but they were just for practice anyways.

[harvey lee]

55#'s. I can hold the draw back for quite some time without shaking and thats plenty of power out to 30 yards. My arrows blow through the deer.

I also like the lighter poundage for the cooler days after sitting for a few hours its still easy to draw back after then muscle stiffen a bit from the cold.

[buckx37x]

yea i like the 50-60 range as someone said in a earlier post you want to make a real slow easy draw back. in my opinion i would much rather be assured my draw was liquid smooth and slow in any position than take even the slightiest chance my draw could spook one. 50-60 will kill real good maybe if your taking a longer shot and your not worried about any draw issues then go higher.

[jeffreyd]

i pull 65 or a tad higher, at first i started lower and as i built up power in my arms ( had the shakes real bad) i found that around 67-68 was the best. have tried 70+ but just could not doing it comfortably. 50-60 is a great lb for killing a deer. i am for the slow methodical move to ensure you are quiet as possible. good luck

[DoubleLunger]

64 year round. No need to resight this way.

[riverrat56]

After working in an archery shop I'd make this generalization (mind you this is just what I've seen)- Most new guys to the sport want to shoot as high of a weight as they possibly can, but the guys who have done it for awhile are mostly settled around the 60lb mark or slightly below it.

With the speeds the new bows are generating there isn't alot gained by shooting a bow at 70+lbs.

[MikeEiden]

I have a 50-60 lb bow. I shoot at 55 lbs. Your bow is more efficient towards the higher end, so if you were to shoot at 60 lbs, you'd be better off with a 50-60 lb bow than a 60-70 lb bow set at it's lowest poundage.

BTW, my 50-60 bow will max out about 65 lbs.

My Diamond 50-60lb bow is close to being maxed out and measured 61 lbs. I heard the same thing about the efficiency when I was looking for my first bow plus I was told by a couple of close friends that shoot competition that 70 lbs can be tough while hunting.

[archerystud]

I used to shoot 68-70 but now I'm at 63.

I would shoot a little less weight if I had a longer draw length, my bow has only a 26.5 inch draw. I blame my parents for that.

[jeffreyd]

My pull is 31.5 so it makes it tough to find a bow to fit unless it is custom for long arms. My hoyt is a 30inch but had a longer loop tied on which helped a ton. love the guys who want to pull 80, only one time, i was shakin like a leaf

[slopmaster]

i pull my matthews reezen maxed out at 70 and plan on keeping it there all year. with my short 26 inch draw i like all the speed and power i can get.

[eyeguy 54]

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