# Draw weight lower than bow rating?



## jakethesnake (Mar 29, 2016)

Hi guys, I picked up my first bow recently and have a safety related question about draw weight limits...

I have a Hoyt PowerMax that's rated 50-60# but when I was going through the whole setup at the shop the guy suggested I start at 45# and increase it as I go once I'm more comfortable with the bow. Is there any danger to that?

I'm under the impression that if it's rated 50-60# then the draw weight should be within that range? (ie: those are the upper and lower limits) As there are only X amount of threads on the weight adjustment screws is it dangerous to have to too loose, or is that a normal practice?

Really new to archery, so I relied a lot on that shop guy's advice, but it didn't cross my mind to ask him about that at the time.

Thanks!


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## Luke Cool (Oct 16, 2015)

Most bows have about ten pounds of adjustment potential for the Draw Weight. 
That means that a 60 pound bow will adjust a low as 50 pounds.
You can put longer limb bolts and adjust it a little lower than that, but I would not do this.
I would stay within the design specifications of the bow.


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## jakethesnake (Mar 29, 2016)

Thanks, Luke. So it sounds like I should bump mine up to at least 50# to be in the safe zone, since my bow is max 60#. I measured it today and the shop had actually set it to 43#, so it sounds like it was kind of low.


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## SparkyLB (Dec 27, 2015)

Your owners manual should tell you what the absolute maximum number of turns you can unscrew your limb bolts safely. After you've taken it down that far, you can put it on a draw board and see the resulting draw weight. The Defiant can be taken down 8 turns max, but don't use this number for your bow until you've read the manual.


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## Luke Cool (Oct 16, 2015)

On the Hoyt PowerMax, the manual says 8 turns.
DRAW WEIGHT
Weight adjustments can easily be made by turning the weight adjustment bolt
clockwise to increase weight or counter clock-wise to decrease weight. To ensure
your tiller stays equal always turn the top and bottom adjustment bolts in equal
amounts. Hoyt bows are capable of being reduced to 10 pounds lower than the
peak weight. For example, a Hoyt bow with a 60 lb. max weight can be adjusted to
as low as 50 lbs. Do not let out or loosen your limb bolts more than 8 turns (10 turns
on Ignite Series bows) doing so may cause limbs to pop out during adjustment or
while shooting, causing serious injury to you or a bystander. Bows adjusted to their
peak weight may draw up to four pounds heavier than the labeled max weight.
https://hoyt.com/uploads/manuals/81547b7384139c7d302a02014640bc5b820b4b22.pdf


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## jakethesnake (Mar 29, 2016)

Thanks guys.


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## TMan51 (Jan 25, 2004)

jakethesnake said:


> Thanks, Luke. So it sounds like I should bump mine up to at least 50# to be in the safe zone, since my bow is max 60#. I measured it today and the shop had actually set it to 43#, so it sounds like it was kind of low.


Depending on the mounting system, most of the newer hoyts use a 1/2" steel rod, tapped to the size and diameter of the limb bolt. As long as the bolt sits in that 1/2" rod, the strength of the combination remains the same. The new specs tell you how long the bolt is, and it's easy to measure as you back the bolt out. On the Hoyt's I've owned in the past "long time", the bolts on every bow I've owned were long enough to back them out far enough to remove the rigging, by rotating the cams with my fingers. My current Hoyt's with the cross bolt still have a fully engaged bolt backed out that far.

Backing the limbs off too much might not leave enough tension on the rigging to keep it in the tracks when shooting, but I know that not from personal experience.


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