Taking a sample of data found in my collection of vintage Traditional Bowhunter Magazine Harvest gallery write ups, I was able to compile approximately 130 listings where bow draw weight was recorded. The resulting table below of average draw weights from successful hunters demonstrates how hunting draw weights have reduced from the 1990's
In the 1980's the majority of hunters shot more than 55 pounds of draw weight for hunting. It is a rarity to find a Hill style longbow made by folks like John Schulz, Louie Armbruster, Pete George even in the 50 pound range. Most bows you find are in the 65-85 pound range. While learning good form it is important for beginners to have a comfortable lower draw weight, however once you learn to shoot consistently there are many benefits to hunting with a little more "umph". The current low poundage trend has swung the draw weight averages far to the other end of the spectrum. While it is true that modern high performance archery gear is a little more efficient now than some of these older bows, I still believe in then the old adage of, "for hunting shoot the highest draw weight you can comfortably pull". I will attempt to explain that a little, and communicate what value I have found in going "against the grain" and working into a higher draw weight.
Choosing a draw weight that is "comfortable" for the individual is the key. No one range or optimal weight can be determined for all hunters. Differences in health, age, strength, injury history, general physical ability all play a factor. Since higher draw weight is subjective, and has changed throughout the preceding years, for the purposes of this article I will define it as draw weight at, and above, 55 pounds at your draw length.
The first consideration is to look at your ultimate goals. If you wish to shoot a 300 round, or run a couple 3D courses in a day, or be able to shoot 30-50 arrows at a session, a higher draw weight bow may not make sense. However, if you are a hunter choosing a heavier draw weight has some very real advantages in the field.
Many folks will immediately fire back with the argument, why should I hunt with higher weights if the lower poundage will still kill most North American game efficiently? While it is true bull moose have been killed successfully with bows, especially more modern and efficient designs with heavy front loaded EFOC arrows, I propose that you may desire some of the other benefits that higher poundages offer.
First and foremost is Kinetic Energy (KE) and penetration. Nothing adds to ease of blood trailing than 2 holes from which to leak. Getting a pass through when the shot is perfect and only through the rib cage can be done easily with sub 45 pound bows, but what happens when our shot is not perfect and bone is hit. I prefer being able to punch through the offside leg if possible and get that other hole leaking outside the cavity. How about punching through the spine? The energy that is retained in the arrow is directly proportional to the speed and mass of the arrow. If you play around with the spine calculators enough you will soon realize how much increasing your draw weight adds to the KE equation without loading your arrow weight and adversely affecting trajectory.
Speaking of arrow trajectory, that is the next big benefit to increased draw weight. While it is true most hunting shots are under 20 couple yards, being able to shoot flatter can transmit to more opportunities if you put in the practice work to be proficient at those ranges. A flat shooting trajectory just helps make that shot more accurate which is why target archers typically use very light arrows. I recently shot a buck that was much farther than I usually shoot. I didn't realize the distance but only that I was confident I could hit it. I made a darn good shot and he was down in seconds, but when I paced it off later it was 38 steps uphill back to my tree! If I had been shooting my old 48 pound bow the shot would have probably been too low. To boot, my arrow went completely through both front shoulders and made two holes.
When I was working up in draw weight I was careful to continue my good form, or what I thought was good form. I learned quickly that heavy weights call for a lower draw. It is easier for you to pull a heavy weight down near your chest, rather than up near your ears. I realized my form wasn't as good or as strong as it needed to be. I was "muscling " the lower poundages and that fact was hidden by a lower weight. The heavy practice allowed me to listen and correct my drawing alignment issues and use more back tension. Bonus! The heavy weights do not cure a lot of ills with your shooting, but they do improve success if you are shooting them with good form and not flinging haphazardly. There are many older gentlemen I know that are over 60 and 70 years old and still shoot very heavy draw weights. I think that some of this success and avoidance of injury is due to the swing draw as taught by Hill and Schulz. This draw starts low where shoulder position leads to increased leverage. The popular target style of the set straight arm target style places the arm and shoulder in a compromised position for the weight. When you look at doing rows at the gym, your arms are low at chest height to get that power. If you lean forward and lower your head, keep that bow arm with a slight bend and the draw lower, I believe this will allow an easier heavy draw without the risk of injury. Just keep in mind that shooting a heavy bow is not something you work into overnight. You need to incorporate stretching and slow progress upwards. Make certain you are in control at all times and come to full draw. I cut my broadheads and judo points so the back of the head is against my finger as a draw check while building up (and actually for hunting as well). This is a built in draw check and clicker.
Note in the series of photos above that the string elbow is far to the rear when the bow weight starts to build. Is it easier to pull heavy weights up by your ears, or down low to your chest? If one starts pulling with the bow arm extended that string elbow is far forward and much weight is introduced when the shoulder is at its least mechanical advantage. I propose to draw low and safely, and bring that bow and string up to anchor.
Note the high elbow and poor shoulder position for pulling heavier weight in this classic target stiff arm high draw. Try this with a heavier weight and it will be more difficult and you will be more prone to shoulder injury.
Heavier bows also assist with the cleanliness of the loose. The heft pushes those fingers out of the way with less chance of string deflection issues. This help could pay dividends with stressed shooting at game and with those unorthodox shot positions that the Hill style longbow also makes easier. All this leads to better chance of hitting game in the woods. As long as your not suffering from Target Panic (TP) and let me broach that issue next.
It is commonly known that lowering draw weight may help one address TP issues. I do not disagree, however I will propose that lowering draw weight is not a "fix all" for TP either. Eventually even the lower weights will display TP issues if the shot is not corrected. The real fix is your shot process, the weight you pull is not the determining factor for beating TP. I will propose that the problem is between the ears, not between the shoulders. If you start to have issues with TP, lower your weight and fix your shot first. Draw and hold with your back muscles only. Then, move back up in weight to hunt. You can just as easily get TP at 45, 40, or even 35 pounds. To me the biggest thing is using the correct back tension and low draw to hold that weight properly. In short, shooting a heavier draw weight taught me better mechanics, the swing draw was the guide. Hill shot 60 plus pounds toward the end of his life as did Fred
Bear, why can't most handle those weights now? Maybe we should stop promoting the lowest poundage we can, and follow the old advice of the heaviest draw weight for hunting we can handle.
