# Typical FITA barebow draw weight (mens and womens)



## Targets3D (Jan 25, 2010)

Hi - I am trying to get a feel for the typical poundage on barebow rigs for FITA competitions (both men and womens). Shooting a lighter poundage is easy to control (say 22lbs) but not sure if it is enough. What to competitors typically use in both divisions.

Thanks
K


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

I use 36# limbs to give a 50m point on, or more, for FITA field. That gives me 40# on the fingers. 
With entry level limbs it took 34# limbs to reach 50m, with Borders I was able to reach it with 30#. 
Unfortunately, they belong to my wife so I'm back to 36# limbs. Light arrows help here.
Good quality limbs allow for lower poundage.


For indoors I use whatever I'm using outdoors.


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## ArtV (Jan 29, 2008)

You will find you have a cleaner release with more poundage. For indoors I shoot 34# outdoors I shoot 38# Indoors the poundage allows for a 6 oclock spot on the center ring...outdoor the poundage allows me a spot on at 50 yards. Alot will depend on the arrows you use and your particular shooting style.
Personally I think 22# is to light.
Art


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## Targets3D (Jan 25, 2010)

Greysides said:


> I use 36# limbs to give a 50m point on, or more, for FITA field. That gives me 40# on the fingers.
> With entry level limbs it took 34# limbs to reach 50m, with Borders I was able to reach it with 30#.
> Unfortunately, they belong to my wife so I'm back to 36# limbs. Light arrows help here.
> Good quality limbs allow for lower poundage.
> ...


Wow - I amazed what a difference limb quality will do here - so essentially Borders is giving you same FPS with a bow that is 4lbs lighter? One more thing, I heard people use longer arrows for string walking to reduce the amount of crawl needed, will this make the arrows too heavy? Thanks


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

Targets3D, to keep the same dynamic spine a longer arrow will need to be stiffer. This also will help reduce the PO distance.
The comparison I quoted was with the same arrows and no tuning done, although they flew straight. I was just playing around.


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## Targets3D (Jan 25, 2010)

one more question - what bow length is more common for field barebow shooters for women 5'5-5'6 tall?


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

You could do a 23" riser and medium limbs for a 66" bow, but finding a BB specific riser in 23" is a little challenging.

Long arrows do more then reduce the PO distance, they also act like having your sight further out.

-Grant


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## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

I use from 44 1/2 to 48 pounds to get a good sight point at 90 meters. Arrows are the key. My arrows are full length ACE 430 which weigth 344 gr. That is a bit heavy but I have a 32 1/2 inch draw length. Typically I am split finger on the target at 70 meters and three under on the target at 50. Depending on the bow, I switch from ACE to Navigator 430 to fine tune my sight points. I call the Nav's my slow arrows. The last FITA I shot I used my fast arrows at 90 and 50 and my slow arrows at 70 and 30. The nice thing about the ACE and the NAV's is that they tune the same for me so they are easy to switch between. I am currently reconfiguring my FITA bow, going to Border HEX6 limbs. Depending on sight points, I could set up long and short bows or stick with a single bow and multiple arrows. The alternative to multiple setups is to stringwalk which I do not do for FITA target, except for 30 meters a few years ago. I have learned to aim off points other than the center so there is no need to complicate the shot by stringwalking. I am currently stringwalking field and indoor, however.


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

grantmac said:


> You could do a 23" riser and medium limbs for a 66" bow, but finding a BB specific riser in 23" is a little challenging.


I asked my wife what height she was. She wouldn't tell me. Junior is checking daily to see if he's taller than his mother yet. High heels are the order of the day.
Anyway, I read out the post and got the reply 'That's me'.

So, armed what those vital statistics I can say that she shoots the bow described above.

She uses a 23" Spigarelli Explorer with medium TXBs. She can not experience the smoothness of my long Border limbs. 
She doesn't draw them enough on a 25" riser to have the string loops lift off the recurve.

This highlights the importance of getting limbs in a size to suit your draw length. She is 28" AMO.

For 23" barebow-orientated risers, there's the Spig Explorer and Revolution, the Bernardini Nilo and the Best Zenit.










The bow on the bottom is my wifes Explorer- one integrated weight and one screw-in weight.
It's well balanced and relatively light.


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## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

Greysides said:


> I asked my wife what height she was. She wouldn't tell me. Junior is checking daily to see if he's taller than his mother yet. High heels are the order of the day.
> Anyway, I read out the post and got the reply 'That's me'.


Greysides,

Got to get out the tape measure and corner your wife. My wife would get taller every year, according to her own assessment. Finally, the children measured her and she was shorter than claimed. She thinks she is shrinking....I am not so sure. Maybe she was worried about meeting some sort of minimum height requirement for a tall husband. Anyway, at 5'8" she shoots a 25 inch KAP Winstorm 2 riser with short limbs, and she shoot barebow. No weights, even though I have mounted a Zenit barebow kit on that riser.


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## rambo-yambo (Aug 12, 2008)

Before I broke my last set of limbs, I shot with a 21" riser with 65" overall length with stated 31# @28". However, my DL is only about 26.5" so my draw weight is about 29#. I did not have any problem shooting from 20 yad to 70 m. I used 1 anchor point for indoor and another anchor point for outdoor. I do point of aim and no string walking nor face walking. 

For my new set up, I have a 23" Excel with 66" overall and a 25" GM with 66" overall. Limb weight at 28" are both 32#. I think I will be able to use this set up to 90m, but I have tried that yet.


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

Hank, what's her DL and her limbs? 

I'll be asking Sid about which size limbs would be best for her before I order her next pair. 

Of limbs.

Thanks.


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## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

Greysides said:


> Hank, what's her DL and her limbs?
> 
> I'll be asking Sid about which size limbs would be best for her before I order her next pair.
> 
> ...


I asked her about her draw length but she would not tell me. I guess I will have to corner her with a tape measure. She uses shorts to make a 66 inch bow, although she could probably shoot mediums as well. And yes, my kids do have longer draw lengths than she does.


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## tgross144 (Dec 18, 2006)

i think the formula for draw length is height in inches divided by two. take that number and minus 8. that should give you a rough starting point for someone of average build. I did mention rough, right.
So as an example someone that is 5' 6" would be 66". Divide by 2 is 33". Minus 8 is 25" draw, aprox.

Tim


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

Hank D Thoreau said:


> I asked her about her draw length but *she would not tell me*. I guess I will have to corner her with a tape measure. She uses shorts to make a 66 inch bow, although she could probably shoot mediums as well. And yes, *my kids do have longer draw lengths than she does*.


Ouchh!






tgross144 said:


> i think the formula for draw length is height in inches divided by two. take that number and minus 8. that should give you a rough starting point for someone of average build. I did mention rough, right.
> So as an example someone that is 5' 6" would be 66". Divide by 2 is 33". Minus 8 is 25" draw, aprox.
> 
> Tim


Thanks Tim, that average would be my wife alright.

Good to see you around, BTW.


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## 2413gary (Apr 10, 2008)

My wife 5'7"tall shoots 37# at 27"draw on a 68" formula 28"670 ace 80gr point 45yd point on. I shoot 43# at 29"draw on a 68" formula 30"easton 500 lightspeeds 100gr 42yd point on. and boy let me tell you 90 meters is a LONG WAY for us barebow shooters.


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