# 22 inch draw, 40#, Am I in trouble?!



## BowHunterChck13 (Jun 1, 2008)

Hey ladies, I need your help! I'm 5'2 with not much muscle mass and since it is my first season, I'm worried that I won't have enough kinetic energy to properly harvest a deer. The LAST thing I want to do is harm an animal. I have a 22inch draw and I am pulling back around 40-42 pounds. This is the max. poundage of my bow because of my short draw length! Is there anyone in my situation out there? Any suggestions?? ...Luckily, I have practiced A LOT and I can confidently make a great shot from a tree stand. I'm just hoping I can do that with the real deal. Help!


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## atomic archer (Jun 14, 2008)

Not that you don't know your own body.....but are you sure that's your draw length? The reason I ask is that my 10 year old has the same draw, but he's quite a bit shorter than you are. I know the whole wingspan (approx. height) divided by 2.5 isn't always correct, but using your height (which is generally the same as the person's height), I get 24.8 inches for you. That's a big jump from 22".

If you have any doubts about your draw, maybe post a pic here for us to look you drawing your bow. Perhaps you're a bit short and you could squeeze out more energy by lengthening a tad. 

Have you looked into something like the Bear Odyssey or Darton Ranger? They go up to 50#s, I believe, with very short draws. It will take you awhile to gain the strength to pull it, but you could grow to use it over time. And Bear has a new youth bow out now, the Young Gun, so you should be able to get a deal on the Odyssey. You could also use the bow now too since it goes down quite a ways in draw weight. Good Luck!!!! *oops....just read your sig and saw that you had a bow up to 50#......try getting yourself one of those exercise things and work up the weight!!!*


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## Cybercat (Aug 4, 2003)

Height has nothing to do with DL. I am 5'3" and at 23.5 DL I have long legs my inseam is the same as my hubbys and he is 5'11". So please do not make judgements based on height for arms do not follow that gadge. One must remember that chest,back width also plays a factor and men and boys usually will be wider than women.

:cat:


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## atomic archer (Jun 14, 2008)

I'm not trying to make snap judgments. It's a statistical fact that the average human arm span is the approximate distance of their height (see link for one clinical test Study on Arm Span vs. Height. And actually, Leonardo Da Vinci was the first to conclude this observation in the majority of the public. Doctors use it as one of the three methods to predict a child's future height as well. Obviously, not everyone will fall into this category. But since the average person does, it was worth questioning. 

Let's be realistic and just look at the sheer numbers of people on this sight who come and question their draw length. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be a valid question to ask her. If the OP has the incorrect draw, maybe that's all she needs to adjust. 

If it's her correct draw.....then it's not something to be concerned with. But when someone is having difficulties, I think it's worth looking at all possibilities.


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## atomic archer (Jun 14, 2008)

I re-read this and I don't want it to come off snotty....it's not meant that way. I'm just trying to get across that the average human body is made in proportion. Just like the distance between your wrist and elbow is the approx. length of your foot. The size of your wrist is about the same as the span between your thumb and middle finger. I could go on.....but the point is that most people fall into this approximation. I can't see a picture of the OP, so I can't tell if she has short arms, or really long legs. I can only offer a suggestion. It's not uncommon to be sent away from a dealer with the wrong draw information. Shoot, the five of us each got a different answer at the 4 stores we went to. I read of others all the time on here that have encountered the same thing. It's a simple and cheap thing for the OP to check. If she comes up with the same information....then she's lost nothing. But if she finds she does have the wrong DL, she's saved a lot of money and worry....and maybe an opportunity to go hunt like she would like to.


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## DeeS (May 12, 2005)

BowHunterChck13 said:


> Hey ladies, I need your help! I'm 5'2 with not much muscle mass and since it is my first season, I'm worried that I won't have enough kinetic energy to properly harvest a deer. The LAST thing I want to do is harm an animal. I have a 22inch draw and I am pulling back around 40-42 pounds. This is the max. poundage of my bow because of my short draw length! Is there anyone in my situation out there? Any suggestions?? ...Luckily, I have practiced A LOT and I can confidently make a great shot from a tree stand. I'm just hoping I can do that with the real deal. Help!


If you are pulling 40 pounds back and are making good shots, you shouldn't have any trouble making a good ethical kill on a deer. The first doe I killed with a bow I was only pulling back about 45. Everyone has their opinions and this happens to mine. 
Good luck and shoot straight!

Dee


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## Horses&Hunting (Oct 10, 2007)

Sounds like you are setup already. You are shooting good so no need to worry about not making a good clean kill. Thats unless you want to get a new bow that offers a heavier draw weight. I'm 5'7 and the size of a twig. lol I pull back 26 5/8. My better half is the same height as me, and there draw length is 28. Odd. I was real surprised to see that that there dl was that. Because I've been letting em practice with my bow and all seemed ok. But took the browning in yesterday and was told different lol. But anyways. If you are shooting good don't worry about it. Just remember to post pics of your deer when you take one.


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## HuntinChick (Oct 12, 2007)

BowHunterChck13 said:


> Hey ladies, I need your help! I'm 5'2 with not much muscle mass and since it is my first season, I'm worried that I won't have enough kinetic energy to properly harvest a deer. The LAST thing I want to do is harm an animal. I have a 22inch draw and I am pulling back around 40-42 pounds. This is the max. poundage of my bow because of my short draw length! Is there anyone in my situation out there? Any suggestions?? ...Luckily, I have practiced A LOT and I can confidently make a great shot from a tree stand. I'm just hoping I can do that with the real deal. Help!



Have you shot it through a chronograph to get your FPS (feet per second)? That will also help determine if it can shoot fast enough and hard enough to make the kill. If you have an archery shop close by, they should have one. I think you'll be okay with a short shot, though. My DL is 24" and my DW is 43#. I'm only shooting out to 25 yards to make sure it's an ethical shot. I've been lifting weights to bring my DW up, but until then I decided 25 yards is my limit. So, I think you'll be fine as long as you don't try a 40 yard shot or anything! :wink: Good Luck!


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## BowHunterChck13 (Jun 1, 2008)

Thank you for all of your posts!!

Okay, where do I begin. 

1) When I draw back my bow, I have a slight bend in my right elbow (I'm lefty). Basically my elbow isn't locked. That is the way 9 out of 10 people have told me to shot and honestly, it feels comfortable. A couple of months ago I added an inch to my draw length and it messed me up. I just felt really awkward and I wasn't shooting as well as I was so I changed it back. I'll post pictures of my form as soon as possible.
2) I don't know the proper way to say this but I am going to try to explain as clear as possible. On my bow, when I go to "up" my poundage, those nobs on the risers are as far forward as possible. I had thought that the smaller the DL the less # one could get out of the bow.. If I am wrong, please correct me. I just bought my bow in January, I love it and my current financial status does not leave me room for a new bow purchase. lol :tongue:
3) I will only take a shot from maximum 25 yards. I'm not confident when shooting any farther away. 

So I don't know.. I'm a little worried now! I mean I have a DL the same as a 10 year old :wink: I've shot at Cabelas, at Flying Arrow multiple times (store in Carmel, NY), gotten lessons, practiced with other hunters shot at my bowhunting safety course..no one ever told me my draw length was too short. Hopefully you ladies can tell me the truth! 

Thanks!


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## z28melissa (Feb 8, 2007)

BowHunterChck13 said:


> Thank you for all of your posts!!
> 
> Okay, where do I begin.
> 
> ...


It sounds like you'll be just fine, especially with your max shot at 25 yards. Go get 'em! :wink:
BTW if I were shooting a regular caliper style release, my DL would have to be around 22" as well and I'm a bit taller than you. If it feels right, it probably is!


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## Horses&Hunting (Oct 10, 2007)

When we were at the pro shop lastnight. My better half asked the guy about their arm if it should be straight or have a little bend to it. He said that he likes to see a little bend in your arm. Which makes sense, because if you have your hunting outfit on and your arm is straight your strings will hit off your clothes. Is what I've heard and saw on tv anyhow. When I pull my bow back I have a small bend in my arm thats about it. I really can't go anymore on dl only because my bow maxed out at 26. 25 yards is ok. I went up to 40 but found that is just to far. Thats unless that huge buck comes along and I can't talk myself out of it lol. I would say stick with what you have. Seems to be working for ya.


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## hrchdog (Dec 13, 2004)

My wife is 5'3" and has a 23.5" draw length, she shoots a bowtech equalizer at 40lbs and killed her first deer at 30yrds last year. She practices at forty but will only shoot out to thirty on a deer.


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## atomic archer (Jun 14, 2008)

Don't worry!!! What I said wasn't meant to frustrate you or make you feel bad. Given your situation, checking your draw length would just be a natural response....and the cheapest fix to your problem...if that was what was wrong. 

Have you seen the exercisers they make to work on your draw weight? I forget the name of them, but they cost around $20, I think. They're made in different stages so you can get the poundage that would suit your needs. You can also use one of those exercise bands you can buy at a sports store. They should cost under $10. Or you can use hand weights, although you have to watch your form a bit more with those so you isolate the correct muscles when you use them. About 15 minutes of exercise a day should help you increase the weight you can pull. It won't solve anything overnight, but by next season you should be using a higher poundage and feeling more confident shooting for the kill. 


You don't need to buy another bow, but in the future, you might consider it. From your post, I thought you had a 40# bow, and didn't notice your signature. But, you're correct that the draw length effects the amount of weight you can get out of your bow. In the future, you might want to call around to the diffferent bow companies and find out what the expected draw weight would be at your DL for their different models. When we searched for our kids' bows, we did it because we were looking to find one that would fit our daughter, who was on the borderline of pulling 20#. So, she was basically in between bows, so to speak. She would grow out of the 20# bows too quickly, but might not be able to pull a 30# set to it's lowest notch. 

They explained to us that it really depends on the bow and what DL the manufacturer has the draw weights set for. For example, we were looking to get just under 20# for our daughter. She has a 20" draw. If she were to get the 20-30# Diamond with a 18-28" DL adjustment.....you would think that you would be able to get 20# out of the 18" of draw. But, it doesn't work that way. It depends on what the minimum DL the bow manufacturer has set for their 20#, and every company is different. You really have to call and find out. Diamond may have it set at 18", or they may have it at say, 20". So, then at 18", you might be pulling less than 20#. When we learned this, we found that many of the youth bows wouldn't work for her because she would end up pulling more than 20# at her draw and she couldn't do more than about 18# at the time. 

The reason this might help you out, is that you might find that another bow will get you more poundage at your draw (the exact reason that bows wouldn't work for our daughter....would benefit you). For instance, the Odyssey goes down to 13" of DL. I don't remember what DL Bear has their minimum weight set to, but if it's set to a length shorter than Diamond, you'll get more draw weight for your specific draw length. I hope this makes sense. It's hard to explain over the net. 

You also lose kinetic energy the lighter your arrow is. So you might want to consider shooting with aluminum instead of carbon (or possibly one of the dual material arrows). You can get the aluminum cheaper, and the fact that they are heavier arrows will help you increase your KE. Easton makes some good options for shorter draws and youth that will keep you spined correctly, but increase your arrow weight at the same time. But, a heavier arrow is less forgiving if you misjudge your yardage because it will fall faster towards the earth than a lighter arrow....so keep it in mind. Of course, at under 30 yards, you probably won't see much of a difference in it's trajectory, and since most misses during hunting are actually high..not low, it shouldn't hurt you at all. It would actually help you to lose some of the height. 

I hope this helps.


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## BOWGOD (Aug 11, 2004)

a good sharp 2 blade cut on contact broadhead and a well placed shot you will have no worries.
my wife shot her first deer pulling 36 pounds at 23.5 inch draw that deer didn't make it 60 yards.


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## MN_Chick (Jul 13, 2008)

It is legal to hunt here as long as you have a 35# draw weight. I am just guessing that there was some research put into that decision, and they didn't just pull a number out of a hat. With 42#, you should be fine. But if you have questions, then by all means keep your first shots to a shorter range and see how it goes. Good luck out there!


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## BowHunterChck13 (Jun 1, 2008)

atomic archer said:


> Don't worry!!! What I said wasn't meant to frustrate you or make you feel bad. Given your situation, checking your draw length would just be a natural response....and the cheapest fix to your problem...if that was what was wrong.
> 
> Have you seen the exercisers they make to work on your draw weight? I forget the name of them, but they cost around $20, I think. They're made in different stages so you can get the poundage that would suit your needs. You can also use one of those exercise bands you can buy at a sports store. They should cost under $10. Or you can use hand weights, although you have to watch your form a bit more with those so you isolate the correct muscles when you use them. About 15 minutes of exercise a day should help you increase the weight you can pull. It won't solve anything overnight, but by next season you should be using a higher poundage and feeling more confident shooting for the kill.
> 
> ...



=) Thats funny..I'm sitting here in my NYC dorm watching my Gettin' Close DVD and USING my bow fit. =P (I go to Hunter College...Oh the coincidence =P ) Last saturday I increased my bow 8 pounds because I have been using it every night for the past couple of weeks. Anyone who is reading this and is thinking about increasing their poundage, INVEST IN A BOWFIT!! It is amazing how well it works. But anyway I've pretty much maxed out my bow..Thanks for the great information..I do understand what you are saying. Right now I am shooting Easton Axis Carbon-Infused Arrows 500 with Muzzys 75 grain...


Thank you everyone for all of your advice...I think I have decided that as long as I maintain this # and continue to practice so I make a great shot, I'll be just fine. And if during the season I learn that I am not, then I have more than enough information here that will help me figure out my next move.

Thanks again!


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## LLove (Jul 27, 2008)

If you're pulling 40 i doubt you'll have any problems. Thats the minimum limit in most states so it obviously will work. You're not the only one!! there are plenty of children and adults with small frames who only pull 40# and hunt regularly. 
As a matter of fact on the Drury brothers the other nite, (i dont remember which brother it was) but his daughter went on a trip with him and was only pulling 40# and the deer only ran 40-50yards. If its a correctly placed shot, you'll be fine. 





HuntinChick said:


> Have you shot it through a chronograph to get your FPS (feet per second)? That will also help determine if it can shoot fast enough and hard enough to make the kill. If you have an archery shop close by, they should have one. I think you'll be okay with a short shot, though. My DL is 24" and my DW is 43#. I'm only shooting out to 25 yards to make sure it's an ethical shot. I've been lifting weights to bring my DW up, but until then I decided 25 yards is my limit. So, I think you'll be fine as long as you don't try a 40 yard shot or anything! :wink: Good Luck!


GREAT idea! :cheers:


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