I would think it would depend on the person shooting the bow.

 

I've been at 70lbs for that last 16 years and my bow I bought in August is 70lbs. That being said my next bow in about 5 years will more then likely be a 60lb bow

 

Dang you shoot a 70# trad bow?

 

I shot 70-75 pounds for 35 years. I dropped to 62 pounds several years ago. My 62 pound bow is more effective than many of the 70 pound bows I’ve owned. With 62 pounds I’ve shot through one elk and multiple deer.
If elk is on the menu, my opinion 60 pounds or more is best. If whitetails, 50 pounds or more. And regardless, you have to be able to pull it easily and shoot accurately. Also, arrow weight and broadhead type and sharpness are important.

 

I shoot recurve bows between 40 and 50 pounds. 46 pounds at my draw length is my preferred weight. I have only shot Elk with a rifle. My late father shot an elk with a 47 pound recurve. It worked fine, but I would guess most traditional hunters are pulling at least 50 pounds.

 

I shoot 60LB when hunting from tree and ground blinds and 70LB from my western bow for spot and stalk. I prefer 60LB in case I need to hold longer when hunting blinds, but western hunting the shots have been faster for me so I am not holding the weight as long.

 

45lbs

 

I think it depends on the bow also. My newer Hoyt RX5 with HBX cam is 70LB and is Easier to pull and hold at draw then my Hoyt Carbon Spyder with ZT Cam set at only 60LB.

 

This is in the Traditional Archery section so I guess we're not talking wheel bows.

 

What's comfortable to hold for 30 seconds...that's 50 lbs for me.

 

45# for me.

 

What is the minimum bow weight in your state? That + what ever extra weight you are capable of pulling with out sky drawing.

 

47# blacktail for me

 

id say theres a lot of things to consider , one is how far you intend to take a shot ,if your shooting deer out of a stand at 25 to 30 yards 40 to 50 pounds is plenty. if you plan on taking shots at 40 yards and more for deer id say 45 to 60 pounds .for elk id say you want to be 55 pounds and up..

 

I am near 81 years old. I started bowhunting in 1956 & have 6 decades +. In my young & stick bow days b/4 compounds I used for hunting "mostly" in the 55# s for hunting. Couple years 60#s..(Elk, Hogs & many Deer with 55#s) I competed heavy then & I used 38#s & 42#s for field (112 arrows) & Target (90 arrows) & indoor (60 arrows). Compounds took over & I "still" kept in the 55# range on average thru the 70s, 80s. Early 90s I went to 70#s with a 40% letoff for about 10 years. Then, I dropped back to 60#s again where I am now for hunting. I had no problems shooting the 70#s just realized the tech was much better & anything I was hunting 60#s was more than enough. Now, still competing I use 45#s 75% for ALL outdoor targets (Field 112, target 90 & 3Ds 40 arrows on average). Indoor gets 50#s & 70%. Bowhunting is 60#s & 70%. Now, my Longbow, used for both is 50#s & I shoot with fingers, no sights. I did the 5 day NFAA Field Nationals in Pa in 2015 with it. You do fingers & 112 arrows a day + xs FOUR & 28 the last day & you will know what tough is.. 70#s & 60-70% letoff will be a breeze. When I went back to 60#s the FIRST critter I took was a Cow Buffalo at 42 ranged yards & a complete pass thru at least 20 yds beyond the initial hit.. If a person is into back yard shooting & bowhunting only with an occasional 30-40 arrow shoot 70#s & high letoff may great for you. IF you have 1 bow, 70#s & are going to shoot a field round (112 arrows from 10 thru 80 yds) or a target 90 arrow round, you will "know" if your overbowed by the end.. Heavy bow for "most" requires several arrows in practice & on a regular basis. I say, if you can sit on a bucket & shoot 20 arrows accurately your good to go. Old bowhunter, old ways. Top down pics.#1 animal-Bear 55#s #2 small buck 53#s BUT LOOK at the leg. I had a pass thru that exited into the ground & never broke the leg, just a 3 blade hole you can see. #3 pass thru 55#s #4 55#s pass thru, watched him drop #5 55#s 20 yds pass thru. #1, #2, #4 # 5 all with the same Darton SL50. #6 53# Groves Spitfire recurve, 35 yard pass thru.#7 Caribou, 70#s #8 Water buffalo

Water B, bowhunted hard, 70#s & 800 grain arrow but never got close enough. 1 shot 225 yards with my guides Elephant gun after nearly being trampled, last day, last hour of my hunt. NOW, the top photois what happened when I leaned in close to the scope. A reminder scar in my brow of my one & only ever biggame kill with a firearm.

 

Off season 65-70#s to keep the bow muscles strong, during the season 55#s, can draw and hold that all day, in any weather in North Eastern Michigan, but this is whitetails at 30 yards and in.

 

50# minimum in Wyoming.

 

A 45lb recurve with a perfectly tuned arrow is more lethal on any ungulate than a 60lb shooting sharpened noodles. 45lb, in tune, is plenty I reckon.

That said, my hunting bows are a 9.3GPP arrow from a 54lb recurve (deer bow - Red, Sika, Rusa, Fallow) and an 10.3GPP arrow from a 57lb longbow (big boar bow). I like the assurance and range.

SPT training is on a 68lb longbow.

 

Pull as much as you can comfortably and accurately. Having more stored energy is never a bad thing - whether you want to spend that energy on speed or arrow weight (or maybe a bit of each) it will make you more lethal. Again - this cannot be at the expense of accuracy.

if you can comfortably pull 75lbs, don’t take a 50lb bow on an elk hunt just because some guy on AT said so

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edit: whoops - trad forum, I’ll just back away now …

 

Both of my recurves are 50# +\-

 

So there is a minimum draw weight in every state?

 

Your own state may have, and most do have a minimum, but some of them have no minimum. In the 1960's Bear's biggest selling bows were 45#, regardless of what some folks think....over 60% of their hunting bows manufactured were at that weight, plus or minus a pound or two. Most bows over 55# had to be special ordered so the talk of ultra-heavy bows being normal is not so. Yep a few guys could do it, but most can't keep up with it....talking traditional bows of course. I've been a student of the sport of archery and bowhunting for over half a century and can tell you guys "effectively" kill elk and moose with sub 50# bows...longbows and recurves. If you can shoot 60#, good for you, most really can't do it well. The state minimums were figured out over time by hunters so they are valid, best case is to say above that minimum to be legal and as heavy as you can """control comfortably""" otherwise. I use a 48# recurve and a 47# longbow and never had one issue with penetration. Perfect arrow flight resolves that issue anyway, so learn to tune to your best shooting.

 

For hunting; I like 45#s. In the off season, I prefer more like 42#s. I never pulled over 53#s in my earlier days.
A lot depends on the individual, and what they feel comfortable with to make an accurate shot.

 

This bull was 45lbs at my draw length. Clipped a rib on entry, took both lungs and completely severed the aorta. I will admit that I felt somewhat under bowed. Never again will I underestimate the power of a sharp stick regardless of what it's launched from

 

try this again

 

Interesting question.
If you would have asked me when I was shooting;
1) compounds with light arrows- I would have said 65#
2) compound with heavier arrows- 55#

Now that I’ve been hunting with a recurve for over a decade and seeing how effective a 2 blade BH is….I would say 40# recurve is a killer.

With the 47# 553g setup I had been using for the last 2 years, 10 of the 12 critter I killed were pass thrus. Surpisingly good performance. A tuned arrow with an efficient BH is a killer even in very light bows.

 

Bear Escape 70lb. @ 30" draw. I lift year round so it's still comfortble at 51. The trajectory advantage of 305fps and deep penetration of 92lbs. KE is a confidence factor for me. That being said, less power will certainly get the job done.