[goat 834]

I have that scale and just pull down and note the peak weight. I think you would only subtract weight if you were to say hang a deer on it with a real heavy gambrel. Say the gambrel weighs five lbs. you know what I mean!

 

[Dave Nowlin]

This has actually been discussed before. You don't consider the weight of the bow as you are supporting hat in your hands. You only consider the amount of effort needed to draw the bow. If it is a spring scale I wouldn't give you five cents for it. if you are looking for accurate readings get a Pelouze digital scale. This is especially important which checking letoff.
Dave Nowlin

 

[nuts&bolts]

Spring scales are approximate

It hangs from the roof and we pull the bows down to get a reading. Any input to help us here. Lionel

To be as accurate as possible with a spring scale, attach a pulley to the hook in the roof. Tie one end of the rope from the pulley to the spring scale hook. Tie another rope to the other end of the spring scale and tie it off to something permanent.

Now take the other end of the rope from the pulley and attach to your bowstring. This will give you a reading within the accuracy of the scale.

 

[Hunter440]

Dave is right

If someone tells you to figure in the weight of the bow---tie a 20 lb weight to it--you will see that the scale will show the same draw weight.

 

[tjb357452]

The peak weight is the peak weight. The hold weight is the hold weight. You don't have to do anything to adjust the readings you get. The gross weight of the bow has nothing to do with the readings you get from your Viking. While the readings may be off by a few pounds, they're still plenty accurate enough for quotes on the measurements you're taking. There is a "zero" adjustment on the Viking Scales that will set the scale to read zero with no load. This is where you should start before checking draw weight. There's no need to complicate the measurements.

 

[silverback]

Not again...

It is what the scale says it is.

If you hand the bow on there by itself, the scale doesn't read "0".

It reads the weight of the bow.

so, if you hang it at the nock point and it says "5" there are already 5 pound of force being applied.

Then when you push and it maxes out at say 70, it means the bows weight is contributing 5 pounds of force and your hand is contributing 65.
However, it is still taking 70 pounds of force to roll the cams.

But when you hold the bow horizontally to shoot, the bow's weight doesn't contribute to the draw weight.
So you are actually pulling 70.


If you zero the scale to the bows mass weight, then you would add the madd weight to the reading.

But you don't do that, you zero the scale with nothing on it.
Therefore, you don't add or subtract the bows weight to the peak weight.

 

[Ohio_3Der]

Yep, don't add anything.

If you want to check it, attach the scale to the floor and pull up on the bow. The reading won't change.