# Samick Sage Takedown Recurve draw weight for beginner



## rawcomrade91 (Nov 24, 2015)

Hey all,

I've been eyeing the Samick Sage Takedown Recurve bow for months now, and I may finally be getting one soon. This would be my first foray into archery, so I've not a clue as to which draw weight would be appropriate for my purpose, skill, strength, and size. 

To explain that: I'd only be shooting for target practice (no hunting) and I'm around 6'3" and 280lbs. I would imagine, given my size, I'd need a heavier draw weight, but being a novice only looking to shoot targets, I'm unsure a full 65# is necessary. 

I referred to the "Selecting a Draw Weight" guide here under the General Archery Information forum which said, for my approximate size, 65-75# would work, but that was for compound bows, so I don't know if that would be different for recurves. 

If any of the more experienced archers here could lend some advice, I'd greatly appreciate it. 

Thank you!


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

raw - 

Ya need to do a lot more research buddy... 

Those weights you mentioned are your compounds, not recurves.
Start with this: http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1588147
Note the weights in that thread come with the qualifier "at your draw length". A 35# bow, which might be fine and dandy for a guy with a 28" draw length, might be well over 40# at your draw length. 

Basically the more serious you are about shooting accurately, the lighter you're going to want to start off. 

With your specs, the Sage ain't gonna work (well). It's too short and with stack (increase weight too rapidly) before you reach anchor. 
It has a bigger brother or two, like the Polaris or Journey, but given your potential draw length, I'd go straight to an ILF bow. 
It will be a little more expensive initially, but will save you money in the long run, as the bow will be able to grow with you better. 

If you can find a range or club near you, taking a lesson or two with a qualified instructor or some one who's been around the block a few times would be the best thing to do. They can let you try a few different draw weights and bow types and determine your best starting point. 

Viper1 out.


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## Bfrising (May 1, 2014)

You don't need any more advise. Listen to Viper.


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## j.conner (Nov 12, 2009)

Get some lessons and use the classroom gear for a while. If you buy anything, keep it inexpensive at first as your skills and preferences may change quite a bit.

The Sage is a good hunting size bow. Shorter bows are geared towards short distances and being easier to maneuver in the brush or up a tree stand. For target shooting, I recommend a more comfortable standard 68" bow. BTW, you can still hunt with a 68" bow, nothing wrong with that - longbow shooters have been doing it for eons.


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## horseman308 (Apr 17, 2006)

Ditto. He won't be the one to toot his horn, so I will. Viper also wrote the book - literally - on the subject. "Shooting the Stickbow" by Anthony Camera. It's got tons of useful info and has been highly informational to many of us. That and his personal advice on here.

But yeah, go low poundage - much lower than you think at first. Even for a big guy, if you've never shot archery before, there are several muscle groups you won't have used in quite this way. They will take time to develop and strengthen. Starting off too heavy will do three things: 1) make it harder to develop good consistent shooting techniques, leading to 2) poor accuracy and greater frustration, and 3) a chance of pulling, tearing, and/or other injuries.

Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk


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## rawcomrade91 (Nov 24, 2015)

Viper1 said:


> Ya need to do a lot more research buddy...


Which is why I'm here.  thank you for your detailed response!

Thank you to all else who responded as well. I'm heading to local archery shop/range (with a seemingly outstanding reputation) after work today and will report back with my results. But yeah, based on what you all are saying, it sounds like, as far as draw weight, I should go lighter than I'd previously thought, which now makes sense to me. 

Thanks again for the info, everyone, and I'll report back with what I find after tonight.


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## Azzurri (Mar 10, 2014)

Particularly if your goal is target shooting, what helps you improve is coaching and practice. In terms of practice, you need to be shooting dozens of arrows per practice trip to the range to start to drill form in. Even if you can handle a bow for a handful of shots think about it like is this something I could use for an hour. If you only last a few shots, 15 minutes, you will struggle to accumulate strength or hone form. If you can't, for example, hold the shot at anchor very long (or get there period) you aren't teaching yourself right.

Initially draw weight may be a "moving target" because you will gain some archery strength just from the process of starting the sport and doing the reps. So ideally do some lessons before you graduate to your own bow but if you do buy early, get a takedown where different limbs can be gotten over time, and don't spend a ton on the first bow. I found the process of practicing the sport itself will start to inform your future equipment purchases, do I want more draw weight, heavier riser, lighter riser, different composition (wood, metal, carbon), different type of arrows, etc. Key thing is get a weight you can handle with properly matched arrows that fly right, and just start enjoying it.


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## rawcomrade91 (Nov 24, 2015)

So I checked out the archery shop I mentioned. I told the person who helped me I was looking into the Samick Sage and that I wasn't sure if that would be appropriate for my size, etc. He had me pull a Sage 35#, which felt comfortable to me, and said something in the 35-40# range would be good to start with, and I could always upgrade the limbs down the road. He also recommended some gear, like finger guards, arrow rests, etc. but I'll deal with those another day. Does the Sage 35# sound like a good place to start?

Also, their arrows went for about $10 per arrow and up. Is that standard, or is there somewhere cheaper to get decent arrows?


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## Soopy (Apr 21, 2015)

I'm about the same size as you and probably should have started with a long ILF setup around 25-30# rather than my 40# Sage. Its a decent quality bow, especially for the price, but it doesn't fit taller people. My form and strength improved with experience and my draw length got longer, the stacking became a real problem.

If you do end up going with a Sage, I would go lighter and look at it as a bow strictly for trying out the sport and expect to upgrade soon. Sell it, pass it on, or keep to lend to a friend who wants to come out to the range with you.

I pay about $10 for an inexpensive ready to shoot arrow at my shop. All those other little items add up on purchasing your first bow, but you shouldn't need much more for the next bow!

Viper's book is also a great help.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

raw - 

Go with the 35# as a max. Like he said, you can always go heavier later on.

Viper1 out.


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## j.conner (Nov 12, 2009)

Raw,

At 6'3" 280#, the Sage is short for you. You should consider the longer Journey or Polaris model or a 68" ILF rig if your intent is target. Sage would be OK if you just want something to mess around with and expect to sell/trade/loan later.

Arrows can definitely be had for less than $10 each. I would say that is pretty expensive for beginner arrows. The challenge for you is not knowing what to get. We would need to know your draw length and actual draw weight to advise you.

At your size, the 35# will likely draw more like 40#. That is alot for a beginner. For reference, I shoot 40#-45# after decades of shooting, both target and hunt. Being able to pull the bow easily once is not a good indicator of suitable weight - you will be pulling about 100 times in each practice session.

Again, the best thing to do is get some lessons and use classroom equipment for a while before buying anything. That will give you a much better idea of what to get.


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## GBUSA (Jun 6, 2013)

You can get pre fletched Easton Tributes for half that price at Lancaster Archery supply.
You will also need points and inserts to match the arrow size.
Having a few extra nocks for repairs is always a good idea as well.

As others have mentioned, I'd look at the Samick Journey over the Samick Sage.
The Journey uses the same wood riser as the Sage, but with slightly longer limbs. That added length will likely work better for your size and probable draw length.


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## rembrandt (Jan 17, 2004)

I recommend a 30lb bow to start off......You will more than likely end up there anyway so don't do as I did and start out with a 45lb bow, then a 40lb limbs and then I wised up and got a 28lb ILF bow and now I have a 30lb ILF bow for 3-D and targets.......Be sure and get Viper1s book...."Shooting the Stickbow" by Anthony Camera who is viper1.....It is the Bible for us trad shooters.......


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## SIG9 (Jun 30, 2013)

Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt. Buy the book. It is fun to read and explains everything in a very easy to understand way. Wish I had bought it before I wasted a lot of money on what the "Experts told me what I needed" at the local bow shop( what they were pushing). Randy


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## Treeman732 (Nov 19, 2010)

I have a Samick Polaris 66" which is #34 at my draw. I tell you this bow is a good shooter! I have heavier, shorter bows for hunting but can't shoot for long so I end up shooting the Polaris. I think about going ILF all the time but I can't justify the expense when this cost so little and shoots so well, and all I do is shoot in my yard anyways.


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## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

I am a tall guy and hate the feel of pulling the Sage back a long way. It may feel fine only because you do not have anything to compare it with. You should have a 68 inch bow if you are going entry level, and 70 inches if you go ILF as Viper suggested. 60 inches is hunting bow length for someone smaller than you. The sales guy may not tell you this, or may think you have your heart set on the Sage. Also, a lot of shops have folks with compound experience and maybe a little knowledge of recurves.


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