What weight recurve do you draw (men)?

[StinkyPete]

Now its time to show my colours. I only shoot 30lb, in fact in our club and another one I know in the county your hard pressed to find anyone shooting over 34lb. This suprised my new coach and myself having read and chatted a lot on mail/newsgroups. When I suggested I was going to go up to 38lb - you should have seen the reaction

Well I'm borrowing some 38lb limbs that my coach's other half shoots (female). That should suprise 'em!

Thanks to everyone participating in the poll (ladies too) . I have some hard evidence to confront them with now.

[Armchair Archer]

Just cos most people do it, don't make it right though, pete !

[joetapley]

I shoot around 38# (to be honest I've never measured it) and with ACC arrows can comfortably get 100yds and clout. There are a number of advantages as regards groups/scores to higher draw weights hence competitive archers at top level pull around 50#. A number of club (weekend) archers do shoot high (>45#) draw weights but on the whole they're probably worse off as you need a sensible daily training regime to handle high draw weights.

[Shirt]

I'm around 48 with my Axis/G3s, and 50-something with my GM and random Italian limbs. The difference isn't much in actual poundage, but feels a hell of a lot. I think this is because the G3s are pretty smooth limbs and the Italians... well, they're not, but they're still nice to shoot!

Why? Because:
My first bow that didn't have a wooden riser was around 41#, and I've never shot less (well, not that's worth talking about)
It's damn quick.
It feels nice.
It covers up my utterly horrible release.

[geordie_online]

I shoot 34lb on the fingers and managed to reach my first 100yrd target this week. Well 3 out of 12 arrows hit the target

I feel that with more practice my bow would reach, but I feel the bow would need to be stronger to gain any consistant accuracy; perhaps 38-40lbs.

[sky_high30]

68in Hoyt FX, 40lb wound out to 36ish. I find that if I shoot much less than 32lb it seems too "easy" - It doesn't feel like i'm using my back like I should be. It just feels "right".

[panrixx]

I have been in the sport since June and use a GM limb with 32lb Evolution II limbs. As I have a 30" draw length I was pulling around 36lbs on my fingers but I recently 'wound' the limbs up to their maximum poundage.

I have measured my current draw weight, using scales, at 38lbs. This poundage is just about OK for me and I could not cope with any more at the moment. I am hoping that my back muscles will strenghten to make this poundage slightly more comfortable.

[JohnK]

I currently shoot about 36-37lbs I would guess, but this is because I'm using some KAP Challenger limbs to rebuild my technique following an injury in a car accident.

My normal limbs are either 34@28 or 35@28in. I used to draw these to about 40-42lbs, but now my draw length has increased following some form corrections (it's hovering around 32") I would guess I'd be drawing 43 or so when I switch back again.

[Rik]

I've got limbs marked at 38lbs and have them at the top of the adjustment range. The weight on my fingers is about 39lbs according to my scales (which I calibrate using kitchen scales and a number of readily available household items )

I always smile when I see people recommend the "+- 2lb for every inch of draw weight" rule of thumb for estimating actual weight. It might work, if:
1. all manufacturers measured their limbs at the same point. (Hoyt measure in the middle of the range, W&W at the bottom).
2. all bow handles adjust by the same amount.
3. the marked weight is always accurate (and by *that* I mean no more than +- 1lb from what it purports to be).
Nowadays, if someone asks me what their bow weight is, I measure it (or tell them to go measure it, if I'm not there, or scaleless). I wouldn't trust any estimate.

And that's just the start really. Are they modern design limbs, or old style? String material? Stabilisation? What most people want to know the weight for, is in choosing shafts. There's just too many damn variables, even before you have to figure out if you can trust the manufacturers charts to give a good result!

[Dave]

Hi Rik,

Originally Posted by rik

Hoyt measure in the middle of the range, W&W at the bottom

Sorry to be Mr. Thickie, but I've heard this said before and I just wondered if you could clarify it a bit and what's meant by middle of the range and bottom of the range?