Preferred Hunting Bow Weights

[PeteDavis]

WEIGH IN HERE

I just built an osage/hickory bow. It's a little weird, with 7/16th positive tiller in the upper limb. After sanding and finish is pulls an honest 48 pounds at my draw and shoots smooth and even. I plan to hunt with it, although that will be the lightest weight I have hunted deer with.

What are your preferred hunting weights?

PD

[Pat B]

I generally build bows in the 55# range but last year both of my hunting bows were 47# and 48#@26". It will be easier to pull a lighter bow during crunch time and 45# is plenty strong enough for hunting!

[PEARL DRUMS]

I like 55# plus, not for the power alone. If my bow doesnt "fight back" some I gain bad shooting habits and dont shoot well at all.

[wildkatt]

  I use a 55# Osage bow for deer and other small game and a sinew backed Osage bow thats 70# for elk and buffalo.


Katt

[blades7558]

I took a doe last season with a gut shot from a 50 lb hickory backed hickory.  Use a smaller broad head if you can is the only thing I would suggest

[Justin Snyder]

I make all of my own bows at 65# because it is a comfortable weight for me. My recommendation for anyone is a comfortable weight, not a weight that anyone else thinks will work.

[half eye]

Pete,
     Got to go with Justin on this one. Shoot what you shoot good...In my younger days it was pretty high weight, now I shoot mid to high 40's. I do it cause I'm old and bent up some. But I can tell that some of my friends who are very good archery deer hunters shoot 40# and have no troubles at all.....but they shoot at asprin tablets too
rich

[JW_Halverson]

In the 50's and 60's there were plenty of people hunting and killing deer with 35-40 lb bows.  A kid's bow of mine that drew 32# at 24" took a doe a couple years ago.  I chewed the guy's butt about it because 1) I gave it to his kid, not him 2) He had the ability and the resources for a bow of better hunting quality.  He just wanted to see if he could kill a deer with it.  He was lucky, in my estimation, and got a clean kill.  If you don't KNOW FOR STONE COLD CERTAIN that the bow is up to the job, don't even think of using it.

When confound, ooops, typo, compound bows came out the rage for 60-70-80 lb recurve bows exploded on the scene.  Most states have confusing requirements, some claim draw weight is all you need, others go to kinetic energy, still others require a certain grain weight arrow fly a certain distance (trying to imagine a Conservation Officer upholding that law - talk about needlessly complicated). 

I think the best rule of thumb is a minimum of 40# draw weight and shooting at least 10 grains per lb of draw weight, and non-mechanical broadheads so sharp that you often wake up in the middle of the night with screaming terrors of them slicing through everything in sight.

[gstoneberg]

I've shot 60lbs for the last few years, but it's getting hard on my shoulders.  This year I'm using a 51lb osage bow.  I've probably killed more deer with a 45lb Bear recurve than anything else.

George

[mstrick96]

Haven't bow hunted yet.  Just built a 40 pound flatbow.  I was showing it to a friend who is an outstanding, avid hunter.  I mentioned that I wanted to make a 50 to 55 pounder to hunt with and he said that 40 pounds is plenty IF you can hit what you aim at!!

Sort of like the handgun caliber discussion.  A .22 will do the job if you hit what you aim at and are close enough!!

[hillbilly61]

40# for me. Any deer around here can be taken efficiantly with that poundage.

[Pappy]

High 40's low 50's. 550 to 600 grain arrow.
   Pappy

[beetlebailey1977]

45# is plenty for a deer at a reasonable range, but I say to shoot as heavy as you can while being able to keep your accuracy.  And just because you can shoot it in the summer time does not mean that it will be easy to draw when your muscles are cold in the freezing winter.

[johnston]

As for what I like its between 45 and 55 depending on the day. The older guys know what I mean.
Had a very smart feller tell me one time that his state DNR had ruled 30 # minimum after considerable research. Don't know about the research my state , South Carolina, did but they go with the following;

"Archery-means a longbow, recurye bow, compound bow or crossbow(50-11-565)There are no restrictions on draw weight/length, arrow weight/length, or broad head weight, width, or style." Taken verbatim from the SC Rules and Regulations.

Lane

[Gordon]

I prefer shooting a 50-55# bow, but for hunting elk I don't go with anything less than 60#.