# Draw weight for beginners



## Bushcat (Aug 31, 2007)

Hello every one. From what I understand as an absolute beginner archer, is that a repeatable shooting form is what I must strive to attain.This begins with finding equipment that fits me and not adapting my form to fit equipment. My question is: do you begin to learn with your bow set to a low draw weight and high let off % of that draw weight. As your form becomes entrenched in muscle memory and you become used to drawing the bow, Do you then progress to a greater draw weight, once proficient at the heavier draw weight do you then reduce the let off %. Do I have this correct or am I overcomplicating things, should I just set the bow to the Peak draw wight and lowest letoff and go from there. I think that this will only lead to bad habbits, what do you Guys recon.

Thank you 
Bushcat


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## spatan (Jul 10, 2006)

*spatan*

Hi there Bushcat, 

The answer is most bows are adjustabe wieght wise About 55# to 70# on one set of limbs most hunters(men) start on there min Wieght of 55# and just excisize themselves to the point they have the strength to draw comfortably and hold at full draw for about 5 to 6 sec then let down,(remember to warm up and the dreaded dry fire so hold on to the string really tight, lock your thumb over your index finger especailly if it aint your bow.... preferably with an arrow nocked also be careful not to twist the string off the bow by tourquing the bow side ways this is difficult to do but just be aware of the saftey aspect.) 
Once one is at this stage maybe it takes a couple of days(one indian fellow took a month to draw his new diahblo set at 55# but he had unusally thin arms he shoots fine now though)

With regard to what let off(how much weight the cam will remove at full draw etheir 60% 70% 75% or 80%)depends on you, some say that its better to shoot target set at 60% let off the bow set around 58-60# or so this helps stop you creeping forward on the shot , keeps back tenstion for crisp shot execution.
However some prefer when hunting a heavy 70 to 90# bow there may be a wait for the animal to move so a 80% let off (one would be left holding 20% of the total poundage in sometimes an strange posistion before the ideal shot presents itself). 

Remember this sounds alot to take in but most will become very clear when you've shot a few bows under the watchful guidance of a Pro or Knowledgeable Friend.This is why after all we'er here......


I hope this answers your question. 

Spatan in the U.k:cocktail:


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## RayDando (Feb 2, 2006)

Hey Bushcat,

I broke my wrist in a motorbike accident and can now not shoot anything more than 55#. This low draw weight has done wonders for my shooting and I am posting better scores than ever before. As a target archer I feel you should start as low as you can. Of course if you go too low it becomes easier to torque the bow but anything between 45 and 60# with a lower let off (60-70%) should work well.
Most of the new archers at our club start at maximum draw weight (usually 70#) and they very quickly pick up bad habits during their draw and with their form.
A field shoot takes 2 to 3 days and you will shoot 112 arrows a day, and a FITA shoot consists of 144 arrows a day. That high poundage is going to tire you and your scores will suffer.
Learn to shoot well first and then move your weight up for hunting. If you are going to train a lot for target archery it makes sense to have 2 bows, one lighter rig for target and a heavier bow with more KE for hunting.

Cheers,
Ray


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## Bushkey (Mar 17, 2006)

I concur with what Ray and Spatan said. I have seen many guys at our club walk in there with bows at 80# but they battle to hit the but. 

I have a hunting setup and a target setup. My hunting setup is set at 70# and my target rig is 55#. I can shoot the target bow pretty good the whole day and my hunting bow pretty good for at least 40 shots any given day. But I only shoot with the Hunting rig hunting season.


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## OutaAfrica (Mar 14, 2007)

One of my mates had damaged his shoulder and had to lay the bow down for a year bougt the bow set it at 70# and started to shoot the doc said he had pu to much strain on the shoulder too quick start slow until you can control the bow on the pondage an then go up.


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## RayDando (Feb 2, 2006)

Bushkey said:


> I concur with what Ray and Spatan said. I have seen many guys at our club walk in there with bows at 80# but they battle to hit the but.
> 
> I have a hunting setup and a target setup. My hunting setup is set at 70# and my target rig is 55#. I can shoot the target bow pretty good the whole day and my hunting bow pretty good for at least 40 shots any given day. But I only shoot with the Hunting rig hunting season.


Hey Bush, your wife out hunts most of the guys here in Tzaneen (see vast pictorial proof here on AT) and her bow is set to what? 50#? Her secret? Patience, shot placement, well tuned equipment and, oh yes she is an excellent archer (SA champ and record holder).
Learn to shoot well, have your bow tuned and your arrows matched to the bow, learn good shot placement, make sure your rig is quiet and the poundage isn't such a big issue anymore (unless of course you want to kill buffalo ).


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## spatan (Jul 10, 2006)

*Spatan.*



RayDando said:


> Hey Bush, your wife out hunts most of the guys here in Tzaneen (see vast pictorial proof here on AT) and her bow is set to what? 50#? Her secret? Patience, shot placement, well tuned equipment and, oh yes she is an excellent archer (SA champ and record holder).
> Learn to shoot well, have your bow tuned and your arrows matched to the bow, learn good shot placement, make sure your rig is quiet and the poundage isn't such a big issue anymore (unless of course you want to kill buffalo ).


Here here...its as easy as that.


Spatan in the U.K:cocktail:


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## Karoojager (Dec 20, 2005)

I recommend all new beginner " shoot and practice with a 50 to 55 lbs bow because you need in the beginning all you concentration to the right shooting position ( will mean, correct shoulder, arm position after the shoot and releasing with a bit back tension ) and replicable shoots. "
If you begin with a heavy bow, you need to much concentration to pull the bow and this goes to a bad style. Every shoot must forsake you bow without any act of conceiving like, was my bow arm correct ? or was my release good ?.
My best results by archery I got when I was in this stage of meditation ( no thinking ) by shooting.
From 1998 to 2005 I hunted only with a 60 lbs bow and this was enough for all animals what I could pay:wink:
By a 70 lbs or more bow is only the question " how far behind the animal is my arrow in the mud "


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## btchamp (May 6, 2006)

All great advice. I'm 52, in pretty decent shape and switched to Archery 4 years ago. Started with a 60 pound bow, turned down to 55 pounds. It took me 6 months to work slowly up to 60 pounds. Swapped the limbs out for 70 pounds and spent the next 6 months working up to that weight. I took my two bowtech's to South Africa last year and smoked every animal, complete pass through, with 425 grain arrows. I am headed to Zimbabwe next September and have both of my bows now set up with 78 pound limbs. Again, it is taking a long time to work slowly up to that load. It has taken me 6 months to get from 70 to 78. I will stay at that now for the next 12 months, shooting 2-3 times per week.

Start LOW and work SLOW. Maintain form!


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## Bushcat (Aug 31, 2007)

Hello BT Champ. If you had a passthrough on everything that you hunted in SA and still upped the poundage that tells me that you are after Buff in Zim. I love Zim and if it is your first time there you will to, althought the chimpanzee in charge of the place has realy made a mess. Zim was Eden and still has the potential to be. Why do you have to change the limbs I thought that the bows were adjustable, or is each set of limbs set to opperate within a certain poundage range and once at the maxim poundage of those limbs is reached, does one then upgrade the limbs. Thanks 

Bushcat


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## RayDando (Feb 2, 2006)

Most limbs can be set to 10# lower than their advertised weight. A 70 # bow can be safely set to 60#. This is not always the case: the Martin S4 has a 15# range and it is best to check in your user manual as to how far you can drop your bows limb weight.
So, if you have a 60# bow you can usually set it down to 50# but if you want to go to 70 you will need new limbs.


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## RayDando (Feb 2, 2006)

spatan said:


> Here here...its as easy as that.
> 
> 
> Spatan in the U.K:cocktail:


Well, you don't have to be SA champ and record holder (although that helps :wink, but becoming a proficient archer with good shot placement and well tuned equipment should be prerequisite to heading for the bush.
When are you coming home Spatan? I hope your family has recovered and you are all well.

Ray


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## btchamp (May 6, 2006)

Bushcat,

Pretty perceptive buddy. Yep, headed to Save Conservancy for Buffalo and hopefully one of the 4 sable he's got on allocation. I shoot the Tribute. Had 70 pound limbs when I was in So. Africa last year. I needed to get a bit more punch for buff. Moved to 80 pound limbs (they max at 78 pounds). Pushing my 820 grain Alaska Archery Safari Shafts (210 gr. German Kinetics) at 228 fps. This is all my shoulders can handle, but should give me enough assuming I can hit that grapefruit size target tight behind the front of the shoulder.

I just got a couple of photos back from Tony Rathbone at Field & Stream Taxidermy. He did a super job on my heads. They're about ready to ship. Thought you guys would like to see them. The Nyala, Wildebeest and Kudu are wal pedestals. These Impala and Gemsbok are floor pedestals. Nice work by Tony and his guys.


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## Bushcat (Aug 31, 2007)

Thats Fantastic, the Sable is such an arristocrat and Buff, well we all would love a chance at that.I hope that the hunts are all that you wish them to be as you have worked long and hard to have the opportunity to go for these animals. Your mounts look great as well. Thank you for your input on my bow limb question, I am understanding more each day.

Bushcat


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## spatan (Jul 10, 2006)

*spatan home at last...*



RayDando said:


> Well, you don't have to be SA champ and record holder (although that helps :wink, but becoming a proficient archer with good shot placement and well tuned equipment should be prerequisite to heading for the bush.
> When are you coming home Spatan? I hope your family has recovered and you are all well.
> 
> Ray


Ja man. I arrived for my Dads funeral on wednesday, still hurting a bit. But they say "must get back into the saddle as soon as possible" this will take the mind off things alittle.

Thanks Ray for your concern, I really mean that.

Spatan sooooo in Africa:cocktail:


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## INGOZI (May 9, 2005)

You should be able to draw the bow without doing any excessive moves, raising the bow skyward while it looks like your about to pop a vain in your neck! You should be able to draw the bow back while holding it perfectly still, level with the ground and pointing at the target. There are advantages to shooting higher poundages, but it is certainly not neccisary. You can honestly kill all the antelopes in South Africa with a 50# bow, shot placement at the end of the day will be the key......

Good luck!

Engee


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## Bushcat (Aug 31, 2007)

Thanks Ingozi, and thank you to everyone who takes the time to help answer my questions. 

Bushcat


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## RayDando (Feb 2, 2006)

spatan said:


> Ja man. I arrived for my Dads funeral on wednesday, still hurting a bit. But they say "must get back into the saddle as soon as possible" this will take the mind off things alittle.
> 
> Thanks Ray for your concern, I really mean that.
> 
> Spatan sooooo in Africa:cocktail:


I am sorry to hear about your dad Spatan.
Mine passed away from Malaria last year and it still hurts. Hard to imagine living in a world without your father.
All the best.

Ray


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## Drenalinjunkie8 (Sep 19, 2007)

My wife is starting off with 35lb. She's slowly but surely getting there. AS most of you guys know and have seen Rassie Erasmus shot a huge eland bull with his bow set at 47lb. It did not even run 30m after being double lunged. As you know shot placement is critical. 

As for Zim I agree with you Bushcat, it was eden. My family had a lot of farms there and unfortunately not all of them made it out of Zim in time. 

As for calling Mugabe a Chimp. Well even a chimp would be insulted by comparing him to Mugabe. Rather refer to him as the sifilis ridden K that he is.


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## bern47 (Sep 30, 2007)

*Hello from a newbee!*

Hi All, I'm a new kid on the block but not to archery, Ive been shooting the bow since age ten, hunted with the recurve in my youth and now that I'm an old toppie [60yrs] shooting a compound, well! a recurve compound, an Oneida Eagle, to be exact! I could fill a page with all my tributes to this bow but I won't bore you all, Spatan has a dig at me every time we shoot about my noisy bow! but back to Bushcat's question and all the very good replies, I agree with you all and as an old NFAA coach I always advise to start off with a low poundage and learn good form before moving up the poundage, this is another reason why I like the Oneida, it has a very wide poundage adjustment, my Oneida Areo Force has a draw weight range of 60# to 80#'s but I can bring it down to as low as 45# and as high as 90#, I'm now at 54# @ 28", started at 45# and have plenty to spare! OH! dear I'm rambling again!

I must tell you guys the joke about Mugabi and the ceiling fan, maybe later then?

Bernie.


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## RayDando (Feb 2, 2006)

Welcome to AT bern, will be good to have your experience here.
Now, about that joke?


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