[Kompound Killer]

Is it bad to shoot a 70lb bow at 65lbs? Or a 60lb bow at 55lbs? Does it make the bow less acurate? I was told that you should shoot any given weight bow at its maximum. Does anyone have a 60lber they shoot at 55? Lets say (hypothetically) you have a 70lb that shoots around a 380 gr arrow at 310-315fps real chronoed speed. What would be a good fps estimate of the same model bow but a 60 lber with the same arrow?

 

[Grandad]

I've had some experience with two major bow lines, Bowtech and Matthews. I shot both at max draw weight and I shot both with reduced draw weight and couldn't tell any difference in how well they shot.

Most shooters will tell you that bows function best at their max draw weight, but I couldn't tell any difference.

Personally, I prefer to shoot my bow where it feels most comfortable which is a bit less than max. No need to overdo it, and your shoulder will thank you for it.

 

[team_realtree]

i don't have experience to back it up but i have been told by bowtech that there products perform the best with the limbs maxed out.

 

[xman59]

yuo would have to take each bow as an idividual, some bows work very well let down and others will not,

i personaly have never had anything but good futune with reduced weight,, most of my 70 # bows get shot at about 63# and there has been no loss of accuracy

 

[RonnieB54]

I have a 60# bow that I set at 55lbs after hunting season is over so I can shoot longer, I can't see any difference at 20 or 30 yards. Our hunting season is just around the corner and I jacked the bow up as much as I could now it's at 62lbs and when shooting at 20 yards I didn't have to move my 20 yard pin but out to 40 yards I had to move that pin just a little bit. It's nice to have a micro sight a lot easier for fine adjustments. I am no expert on this but to me there isn't much of a difference. The best thing to do is shoot whatever you are comfortable shooting whatever that can be. If your shaking to hold a higher draw weight you will miss whatever you shoot at and all that speed will never help you.

 

[bfisher]

With very few exceptions a bow will be just as accurate backed off as it is maxed out. The only real difference is a very slight reduction in percentage of efficiency.

Take a 70# bow maxed out that has a hypothetical 85% efficiency rating. Back that bow down to 65# and it might only be 84.7% efficient So slight you'd never know it.

It is true that bows tend to be more quiet with more tension on the rigging, but again, very very slight in most cases.

Answering the second question about speed difference, a 70# bow backed off to 60# will lose about 20-30 fps shooting the same arrow. However, when you drop the weight you can usually shoot a lighter spined, lighter weight arrow. In this case most speed loss can be overcome. If you keep the arrow weight in proportion to the poundage ther should be very little difference in speed.

Take a 70# bow backed down to 60# with a 300 gr arrow that shoots 290 fps, for instance. Shoot that same arrow from a 60# bow maxed out and it'll shoot maybe 294 fps. Again, not enough for most people to detect.

 

[mathews86]

my friend shoots his sbxt(65) just as good as i do at 70

 

[Wile_E_Coyote]

Technically...

...the bow changes in geometry slightly when you back it down much. Realistically, however, I know several who shoot at reduced weight from the maximum and have never experienced any real noticeable disadvantage. When the bows are designed, if I'm not mistaken, all calculations are done with the limbs tightened down to max to derive the correct limb deflection numbers, etc. But for the largest portion of us, I think it's negligible, at best. Just my perspective, for what it's worth. Not necessarily meant to be taken as gospel.

 

[WCH]

I think personally if you can it is better to shoot maxed out. Less Noise, and easier to keep track off.

 

[Stevo413]

Shoot a 70# Diamond @ 61#'s....also have same bow 50-60# and shoot it maxed...no difference!:darkbeer: