hunting vs target design

[AJMag]

I was reading through something yesterday (article or thread somewhere, I can't remember) and there was some talk about making a hunting bow wider and backing just for added safety even if no gain in performance. It was yet another question that got me thinking. Do many of ya'll do things different in design for a hunter over a target shooter? Or does it not really matter just as long as the tiller is sound and the bow shoots good? I consider my environment a little extreme with the humidity and temps, even in fall, and wonder if I should do anything different under the circumstances if I plan to leave it strung up while sitting in a tree.

[Badger]

  John, I make a target bow a bit wider, lighter in draw weight and shoot lighter arrows. 3d bows to me should mimick hunting bows but I still make them slightly on the lighter side for more accuracy and a bit longer.

[Pat B]

All of my bows are made to be hunting bows no matter what the use is. I've made selfbows, backed bows and all wood lam bows and all were made to hunt with.

[AJMag]

But is there anything you really keep in mind while designing, or pay attention to while building with a hunter in mind, over a bow you might just want to shoot? At least compared to things you read from others or just know as a fact. I'm really interested to know what people do different for hunters.

[bubby]

the only thing i do differant is if i'm making a bow for someone that i know just target shoot's is make it a lighter draw weight, just so's it's easy to shoot all day, say 35-40#, most everything else start's at 50# and go's up to about 70-75#, Bub

[hedgeapple]

I shot the bow that I'll probably be deer hunting with this season at the TN Classic 3D course.  While I really loved their course this year, many of the target were beyond the 15 yard limit that I have set for myself for shooting at real deer.  So, I was shooting a hunting bow on a target course.  It was a  53# bow. It had a slightly bendy handle. I can feel it bend at full draw. If I were to build target bow that I might hunt with, also. I would probably cut in an arrow shelf to make it center shot.  I would have a stiff handle. It would 64" instead of 58" and it would be 40-45#.

[lesken2011]

When I used to shoot a lot of 3-d, I tried several different things. Shooting a hunting weight bow, which for me at the time was about 57# at my draw length, would wear me out after shooting a couple hundred times and walking a range 2 or three times. Then I switched to a lighter bow in the 45# range and shot lighter arrows with a similar trajectory as my hunting bow. The problem was, when hunting season came around, I had to build back up to that weight to shoot consistently with the heavier bow. So after all that, I agree with Pat. The 3-D was primarily for hunting practice anyway. (I'm not much of a trophy guy), so now I just shoot what I plan to hunt with, which is generally somewhat lighter now than it used to be.

[crooketarrow]

The reason I got into building bows in the first place was I wanted a long bow to hunt with that fit me better. I can't see any difference other that draw weight. I do'nt know of a design just for a target bow. O nthe other exstream there is for war bows

[Marc St Louis]

Many people want a short bow they can shoot tournaments with and then go hunting with in the Fall.  This just does not work.  Wood is wood and the more highly stressed it is then the faster it will break down.  If you want a target bow then build it longer so that it will last and leave the short bow for hunting. 

[George Tsoukalas]

Same as Pappy. All my bows are for hunting and also get used for 3d. Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

My hunting bows are all self-bows. i won't hunt with anything but a self-bow. I don't want a backing coming loose. No nock overlays either for the same reason. Jawge