Making " My" weight

[Badger]

  Since I retired my draw strength has been creeping downward, haven't been shooting enough either to keep it up. About 2 months before the flight shoot I decided to go back to the way I was building bows before I found the internet. I didn't own a scale. I just built them to where I could draw them back far enough. My normal draw is about 26 1/2 but I like to stretch out just over 27". I started tillering my bows out without a scale until I could draw them about 24" max and then shooting them till I could get them back. I didn't know if I was getting stronger or the bow was getting weaker and it didn't really matter, when I got that one all the way back I built another that I could only get to 24" and started over. When I first started I could only draw about 54# max. Within about 2 months I am closing in on 70# pretty soon, ( on a good day) My goal is about 80#, I haven't been able to draw that much since I was about 50,  17years ago. Not using a scale sems to be working, I tend to phyche myself out pretty easily.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Steve I still don't use a scale much, unless its for somebody else and has to be a specific weight. I always mark my bows, but Ive come to the conclusion my guesses are light as I'm told they feel heavier than they are marked. Its just a number to me. I want killer arrow flight, more than 40# and balance in my bow hand, that's about it.

[Pat B]

If you are making bows for yourself it really doesn't matter. Just make them so they are comfortable for you to shoot.
 When I got a bow scale I was making my bows to 56#@26" and that was comfortable for me. Turns out the scale was off and my bows were actually 10# heavier than the scale said.  Ignorance is bliss I guess.
 I haven't shot in a while so I'm curious to see what my comfortable draw weight is now. 

[Badger]

Before I bought a scale most of my bows went from about 57# to 62#. When I bought the scale I started making them at 50# because it felt so good to shoot and it spoiled me.

[Del the cat]

It doesn't take long to get back up there. I find it's not the strength, it's the elbows that give me trouble 75-80 at 28 is plenty for me or about 90# at 31". Shooting heavy arrows help keep the strain off the elbows. Some warming up and strapping helps too.
I can remember when I considered warming up was for sissies
We can still show them young 'uns a thing or two
Del

[Selfbowman]

I usualy don't weigh my bows per say until time to mark the bow. However I have a three hundred pound scale that hangs in the door of my bow shop. I pull down on this and try to keep from  over drawing the bow during tiller . Usualy not till I feel the bow is reaching tiller weight. This is how I check my tiller.   I don't have or use a scale and tiller graff at this time. Probably one coming in the future.  It would be easier to see the tiller for sure. You get a better view.  I build most all my bows in the 45-53 # range . They just find their  owners. Some I keep for a long time others go fast . I just wait till the right guy pics it up and says I have to have this one. If it's not my hunting bow down the road it goes. As far as hitting my bow weight . It's about 47# for target and hunting. That gets it done for me . Girly bow maybe but I have big shoulders and can handle those comments.
Arvin

[Badger]

   My problem has always been the same , I hate training of any kind. What I am doing now is excersising the bows I build by hand instead of using the tiller tree. I think that might be the thing that is helping most. I still haven't found a way to engage my middle of the back muscles. It seems My upper shoulders and neck area are doing all the work.

   I really don't like shooting heavy bows but I kind of need to have the ability for flight shooting in different classes. I figure it might take me about 75# to hit the 400 meter mark.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Steve I notice the same muscles working. For me? That means my draw elbow is too high. The second I drop it down level I can feel my back muscles grab on. When my elbow is high I can really feel my shoulder joint working OT and that isn't what I want. Plus, my arrows fly like crap and sound like crap

[Badger]

Steve I notice the same muscles working. For me? That means my draw elbow is too high. The second I drop it down level I can feel my back muscles grab on. When my elbow is high I can really feel my shoulder joint working OT and that isn't what I want. Plus, my arrows fly like crap and sound like crap

  I am going to try that right now, I feel like my elbow does always wind up being too high.

[Spotted Dog]

It's wild to read this. I don't own a scale either. I have always went to my strength.
Retiring does takes it's toll though. I'm in the same boat.

Dog

[DC]

I've found that if I exercise the bow by hand my joints give out, too many reps. If I draw and hold it as long as I can it seems to work but that starts to be awfully close to exercise. The best way is to go outside and fling arrows. More fun and I can work on what I call "form"

[Badger]

I've found that if I exercise the bow by hand my joints give out, too many reps. If I draw and hold it as long as I can it seems to work but that starts to be awfully close to exercise. The best way is to go outside and fling arrows. More fun and I can work on what I call "form"

   I wished I enjoyed shooting more than I do. I enjoy shooting at things that are not targets. I enjoy roaming and hunting and even 3-d but it takes a lot of will power for me to just practice shooting. Before a hunting trip I always spend about a week tuning myself up for 20 yards and under and thats about as good as it gets for me. I always fling a few arrows shooting in a bow, if it wasn't for that I wouldn't get any practice.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Again, same boat as you Steve. I was a damn fine shot 4-5 years ago. Then I got into a super bow building streak and never shot much more than breaking in and testing bows. And at that point all I was doing was feeling the bow and watching arrow flight never really aiming or trying to. My shot went to complete crap, my friends will vouch for that, and I didn't even feel right hunting. So I didn't shoot AT anything but still hunted 25-35 times a season. This summer I forced myself to shoot and shoot a lot. My shot is finally back to acceptable and my new bow output has slowed considerably. I'm still not where I was, but now I can at least go hunting and feel just fine about dropping the string. Talk about one sad dude, it totally ate me up knowing I let my shot get so bad.

[bradsmith2010]

great concept Badger,, I always thought I would just make bows and mark them ,, and if they suited someone great,,,I always get tempted to use the scale to hit a weight,, but really more efficient if you make the bow till it is tillered and stop,, what a nice concept,,, I dont practice like I used to ,, so cant pull the weight I used to as well,,, african drumming keeps me tuned up a bit,,but making and shooting bows is the best practice,,, especially like you said when you are exercising the bow by hand,, you get more exercise than you think ,, which is great,,good luck on your shoots,, keep up the good work and you will pull the weight you need, we just have to work a bit harder as we get a bit older

[DC]

we just have to work a bit harder as we get a bit older

EWWW! That's not the way it should be.