If I shoot a 65 lb compound, how many pounds would I want to shoot with a traditional bow?
Compound draw weight vs trad weight
bigsky2
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Conventional wisdom is, on average, to start with a bow that is somewhere around 2-3 times the holding weight of your compound. So, as an example, if someone is shooting a compound at 50 lbs and 80% letoff (I totally made those numbers up), you're holding 20% of 50 pounds at full draw 10lbs. So, a trad bow around 25-30 lbs would be a starting place.
The reason for the big reduction is that it allows you to make sure you're more focused on developing good shooting form and habits than on fighting the bow. If you have good form shooting a compound, you'll be ahead of the game. But many don't, and trying to shoot a >50lb recurve or longbow without working up to it is a great way to develop bad habits or get hurt.
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The reason for the big reduction is that it allows you to make sure you're more focused on developing good shooting form and habits than on fighting the bow. If you have good form shooting a compound, you'll be ahead of the game. But many don't, and trying to shoot a >50lb recurve or longbow without working up to it is a great way to develop bad habits or get hurt.
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I shoot 65 lb on compound and 40 is where I am comfortable on a recurve. I've tried a 50 lb recurve and that was waaaaaay to heavy for me.
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30lbs
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It seems wimpy to go light when starting to shoot stick bows but there are good reasons for this.
Holding a lot of weight at full draw puts a lot of stress on your joints
Learning to hold good form with a heavy bow is tough...much easier to start light.
A guy that benches 275 doesn't need to start with a 25# bow......but typically between 30#-40# is a good starting weight.
I'm 6'4" 240# and a fairly strong frame and I started with 45# and was overbowed.
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Holding a lot of weight at full draw puts a lot of stress on your joints
Learning to hold good form with a heavy bow is tough...much easier to start light.
A guy that benches 275 doesn't need to start with a 25# bow......but typically between 30#-40# is a good starting weight.
I'm 6'4" 240# and a fairly strong frame and I started with 45# and was overbowed.
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Taking advice from others I started at 30lbs and I’m glad I did. I stayed with that for four months then bought a set of 40lb limbs. After a few months I knew that 45lb would be my max for a hunting weight so I bought 45lbs. limbs.
I started out with a 50lb recurve many years ago but switched to compounds later.
Thirty pound limbs are great to have for working on form but not very satisfying other than that. Forty and 45lb limbs fly with more speed and hit with a bit more authority, feels much better.
A recurve is definitely not a bow you want to be over bowed on.
I started out with a 50lb recurve many years ago but switched to compounds later.
Thirty pound limbs are great to have for working on form but not very satisfying other than that. Forty and 45lb limbs fly with more speed and hit with a bit more authority, feels much better.
A recurve is definitely not a bow you want to be over bowed on.
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It really depends on you,what recurve you get,how long it is etc etc.
Recurve draw weight is measured at 28".
Shorter bows stack harder and faster,so thats an issue to face as well.
I've always shot 70# compounds,with 75% and 80% letoffs,when I started recurve shooting,I thought I had to have 50#.
I'm 6 foot,and 215# and stout as heck,but wish I would have started with 35 or 40 # to begin with.
It would've let me develop better form,easier and faster.
But I didnt....and I built myself up to it,and I'm used to it now.
Just remember for every inch your draw length is over that 28" you gonna actually add about 3 pounds to the draw cycle.
And youll lose 3 for every inch your short of it.
Recurve draw weight is measured at 28".
Shorter bows stack harder and faster,so thats an issue to face as well.
I've always shot 70# compounds,with 75% and 80% letoffs,when I started recurve shooting,I thought I had to have 50#.
I'm 6 foot,and 215# and stout as heck,but wish I would have started with 35 or 40 # to begin with.
It would've let me develop better form,easier and faster.
But I didnt....and I built myself up to it,and I'm used to it now.
Just remember for every inch your draw length is over that 28" you gonna actually add about 3 pounds to the draw cycle.
And youll lose 3 for every inch your short of it.
I think most healthy adult males young through middle age can fairly rapidly get to 40# draw weight.
That doesnt mean start with a 40# bow. Start with something lighter like 25# - and cheap. But get a 40# bow soon and use it to build strength before you star shooting it regular.
i really think the whole % of compound weight is a red herring.
That doesnt mean start with a 40# bow. Start with something lighter like 25# - and cheap. But get a 40# bow soon and use it to build strength before you star shooting it regular.
i really think the whole % of compound weight is a red herring.
35lbs at your draw length will be enough to feel the weight on your fingers but low enough for you to control your form and release. I started at 42lbs and was fine but I think 35lbs probably would have flattened that learning curve some.
That said I tried a 28lb draw weight and it sucked. Not enough string weight to get a clean release consistently.
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That said I tried a 28lb draw weight and it sucked. Not enough string weight to get a clean release consistently.
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big -
When I was teaching HS kids, 20# across the board was the norm.
Oddly enough, healthy adult males typically do best in the 25-28# range, depending on draw length; women 20-25#.
(I mentioned the HS kids because typically within one semester, they were out shooting the veteran trad guys by a health margin.)
Been -
G -
That's just reality.
It's why a number of companies made 5# training bows in the past, and current Olympic shooters train with stretch bands.
All you're doing is relying on the weight of the bow to mask a flaw in technique.
Viper1 out.
When I was teaching HS kids, 20# across the board was the norm.
Oddly enough, healthy adult males typically do best in the 25-28# range, depending on draw length; women 20-25#.
(I mentioned the HS kids because typically within one semester, they were out shooting the veteran trad guys by a health margin.)
Been -
Happily, both bench presses and drawing a bow use the same muscles and technique...
G -
If you can't get a "good release" from a 5# bow, it's not the weight that sucked.
That's just reality.
It's why a number of companies made 5# training bows in the past, and current Olympic shooters train with stretch bands.
All you're doing is relying on the weight of the bow to mask a flaw in technique.
Viper1 out.
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40-45 any more than that you will be over bowed and inconsistent
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Great information. I’ve been looking at recurves and had no idea where to start. I currently shoot a 74# compound. Think I will start with 35# and work up.
there is no correlation between the two. holding weight on a compound is static weight, it doesn't increase as you pull further. recurve essentially has no "holding weight" as you are pulling the bows peak weight that increases the farther back you pull the string. so the "holding weight", or the bow's peak weight....for the sake of giving it a name, is variable depending on your draw length.
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Also note your draw length is also way different - my draw on compound is 29" but only 27.5 on trad as I shoot split finger and anchor at the cnr of my mouth - and as has been said at 65# your only holding about 10-15 lbs at full draw - even with a 35# lb recurve - you'll still be holding more than double your usual full draw weight.
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