80# bow?

[Jpsmith1]

Currently shooting a 70# hoyt powermax that's maybe 8 or 9 years old.

I've never had an issue drawing 70 except for a short period of time during rehab from an injury when my strength was at an absolute bottom. Within a month, I was back to shooting it like normal.

I'm also 50 years old and starting to have worries about longevity in the sport.

Are there any real physical drawbacks over time to shooting a heavier bow? It seems like most of the guys I talk to are shooting 50-60.

 

[LostArra]

After getting pass thru on elk with a 50# longbow I see the only indication for an 80# compound would be possibly dangerous game like cape buffalo or brown bears. I've not hunted either so I don't know.

I have killed a good number of elk, deer and hogs with 45-55# trad gear and 55-60# compounds. I've never felt I had too little horsepower. I like being able to draw my bow with very little movement and lighter draw allows that even in cold weather. If I was strong enough to have decent practice sessions and draw it easily in the cold I would probably shoot a heavier bow. I'm almost 73 yr old so I'm just pleased to still be hunting with a bow.

The effect of draw weight on causing injury or shoulder tweaks varies from one individual to another. Sometimes you don't know if you are an unlucky one until it happens.

 

[Matt5266]

I don't see the need for a 80 lb bow at all to be honest except if it's just a want?

Flatter shooting? Sure probably, but just shoot more and figure out your drop. I see it being more of a hindrance than a benefit, such as extended periods at full draw.

 

[Billy Goat]

I have a friend who's older that is now needing to take a year off shooting, he first shot RH, switched to LH after a shoulder issues. Has been chasing a few things, had dropped down to 40# and now can't handle that.

Neurologist thinks its combined years of shooting wear on his nerves. Don't know all the specifics, but its not joint/muscle issues, its nerve damage. I told him to stop shooting a tuning fork, get a Mathews.

I think our bodies are like engines, your joints can lift or move (X) amount of weight in a lifetime before wore out. An engine will make (X) amount of horsepower, can burn it up in 300k or 30k, depends on how you run it.


Proper form is the main thing, but yes, repetitive motion causes wear. More draw weight increases the forces on the joints.

I haven't met an archer who wishes they use to draw more weight.

 

[mattmann]

I stepped up to an 80# now this year with my PSE Mach 33. It’s the absolute smoothest bow I’ve shot and felt like my Mathews 70 so I didn’t notice the difference in weight. I’d suggest trying one if you’re interested. I was sold after the first shot!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Catterz]

If your shoulders are solid and you don’t take time off shorting you will be fine. Nothing wrong with 60# either

 

[Halligan]

Honestly, shouldn't be problematic if you take care of your shoulders from both a mobility and a strength perspective. If you wanted to be cautious, you could shoot at 75 lbs for a bit, then make the move to 80.

 

[neandth]

I run 80# and I've got long draw length for my height. #1 issue is arrow selection.

I haven't had any accelerated wear at all with the VEC99 strings and I've been running them for two years. Serving separation, sure, but not any actual wear or stretch. You can't drag race on street tires. Peep twist is essentially zero. Usually it's because my center serving is slipping and it's turning my D loop. I had the same issue at 70# so that means nothing to me either.

I also run the shortest carbon I physically can, with the most point weight I can.

Just work out more. If you skip chest and triceps, you'll cause more issues in the long run with the muscle imbalance.

 

[Wilderlife]

It's less about the poundage and more about your ability to pull back 80# repeatedly, with good technique, and being strong enough to do it consistently.

People love to whinge about it because we know you can kill animals with bows that are much less than 80#, so it's like people genuinely believe 80# is a complete waste.

For the most part, if someone is strong enough and has good enough technique that they can handle a heavy bow well, why not shoot it? That doesn't mean for a dozen shots in your backyard after work, either. I'm talking genuine reps, no breakdown in form, etc. I shoot a 78# compound bow consistently and easily and I'm only 5ft 7in and about 180lb myself. I've shot it at local field archery competitions where we shoot minimum 80 arrows. I do lift weights consistently.

I've seen many older and weaker people injure themselves pulling bows that are much lighter than 80# because their technique is terrible and they don't look after themselves.

A lot of the trends in the US at the moment are on either end of the spectrum - people shooting sub 450gn arrows for elk, and people preaching the super heavy arrow debate. The fact is, a lot of people like arrow speed to be at a level that helps with their longer distance shooting and reduces pin gaps. Shooting 80# can easily get you to that point with an arrow of around 500gn, so that's nice.

Of course, you don't need that much power, but it's nice to have. I've killed animals with trad bows that are less than 50# with arrows between 450-550gn plenty as well, so I'm comfortable with the idea that killing animals isn't really about speed. Having said that, I might chase water buffalo next year, so I'll be working on my compound and trad bows as heavy as I can get them. Part of building that confidence will involve shooting a lot of smaller animals in the lead up, and shooting a heavy setup with a heavier arrow definitely allows for a lot more forgiveness in shot angles.

 

[Jpsmith1]

It's less about the poundage and more about your ability to pull back 80# repeatedly, with good technique, and being strong enough to do it consistently.

People love to whinge about it because we know you can kill animals with bows that are much less than 80#, so it's like people genuinely believe 80# is a complete waste.

For the most part, if someone is strong enough and has good enough technique that they can handle a heavy bow well, why not shoot it? That doesn't mean for a dozen shots in your backyard after work, either. I'm talking genuine reps, no breakdown in form, etc. I shoot a 78# compound bow consistently and easily and I'm only 5ft 7in and about 180lb myself. I've shot it at local field archery competitions where we shoot minimum 80 arrows. I do lift weights consistently.

I've seen many older and weaker people injure themselves pulling bows that are much lighter than 80# because their technique is terrible and they don't look after themselves.

A lot of the trends in the US at the moment are on either end of the spectrum - people shooting sub 450gn arrows for elk, and people preaching the super heavy arrow debate. The fact is, a lot of people like arrow speed to be at a level that helps with their longer distance shooting and reduces pin gaps. Shooting 80# can easily get you to that point with an arrow of around 500gn, so that's nice.

Of course, you don't need that much power, but it's nice to have. I've killed animals with trad bows that are less than 50# with arrows between 450-550gn plenty as well, so I'm comfortable with the idea that killing animals isn't really about speed. Having said that, I might chase water buffalo next year, so I'll be working on my compound and trad bows as heavy as I can get them. Part of building that confidence will involve shooting a lot of smaller animals in the lead up, and shooting a heavy setup with a heavier arrow definitely allows for a lot more forgiveness in shot angles.

50 to 100 arrows at a stretch isn't an issue for me @ 70#. No break in form, nothing. Just arrow after arrow.

I spent time working on the proper rotational draw technique in hope to be able to continue to enjoy this sport.

Speed is a bof what I'm thinking of. I'm middle of the road with arrow weight. Went to almost 700 and reeled back to about 480 but can't get over 265 with current rig. I'd like to be hitting that 'magic' 280-285 and I'm not wanting to sacrifice any more arrow mass to get there.

I'm probably replacing my current bow in the next year or two.

 

[Halligan]

50 to 100 arrows at a stretch isn't an issue for me @ 70#. No break in form, nothing. Just arrow after arrow.

I spent time working on the proper rotational draw technique in hope to be able to continue to enjoy this sport.

Speed is a bof what I'm thinking of. I'm middle of the road with arrow weight. Went to almost 700 and reeled back to about 480 but can't get over 265 with current rig. I'd like to be hitting that 'magic' 280-285 and I'm not wanting to sacrifice any more arrow mass to get there.

I'm probably replacing my current bow in the next year or two.

OP, why not expand a bit on what ur current set up is, for all we know, it’s just a matter of ur current bow rather than draw.
Additionally, while I like where your head is at in terms of ur goal arrow performance, there is also nothing wrong with shooting a slightly lighter arrow with good coc heads

 

[Wilderlife]

I don't know if there is anything magic about 280-285fps besides it just seeming like a spot where a lot of people land. A lot of the pros have longer draw lengths as well so that should definitely be something that's considered.

Me shooting 525gn at 78# and 28in is about 275fps, but my mate shooting 580gn at 80# and 31in is about 285fps.

Speed is nice for a better trajectory but I think a lot of people focus far too much on it. I say that, but plenty of people hunting the western states probably shoot further than other hunters anyway, so it might make a difference to them. I never really shoot past 40 metres so I'm not that concerned, and I find most of my hunting inside about the 32m mark sees me being able to have my sight set to about 27m and I shoot most things without making an adjustment anyway.

 

[nphunter]

50 to 100 arrows at a stretch isn't an issue for me @ 70#. No break in form, nothing. Just arrow after arrow.

I spent time working on the proper rotational draw technique in hope to be able to continue to enjoy this sport.

Speed is a bof what I'm thinking of. I'm middle of the road with arrow weight. Went to almost 700 and reeled back to about 480 but can't get over 265 with current rig. I'd like to be hitting that 'magic' 280-285 and I'm not wanting to sacrifice any more arrow mass to get there.

I'm probably replacing my current bow in the next year or two.

A lot has to do with the bow you pick and your goals. I built a custom bow for myself. There’s a post somewhere, target cams on a long ATA bow. I’m shooting a 440gr arrow 292fps at 27.6” draw, bow draws smooth and the 34” bow holds and shoots excellent shooting 74lbs.

Many 80lb bows will not hit numbers like that at 27.5” draw. With my cams I’m shooting off of the very top of the cam at my draw length.

 

[TheHammer]

If it’s something you want to do, go shoot as many as you can in that draw weight, find one you like. I’ve been shooting 87+lbs for 13 seasons, only issues are high maintenance. The new bows are great, I’m guessing one at 80 will be as smooth or smoother to draw than your current bow. Let off and tuning opportunities allow more forgiveness than ever. My newest bow is set at 76lbs, very enjoyable to shoot. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Beendare]

I haven't met an archer who wishes they use to draw more weight.

Well said. I shot 80# for about 20 years but now I realize that was silly.

I have residual shoulder issues I can keep in check with bands and rotator cuff exercises...and shooting my recurve vs my compound. No matter what you do, doing the same thing 30,000 times is going to cause some wear and tear.

A couple facts;

Every bowhunter I know [many] thats been shooting 3+ decades has shoulder issues.

A 50/60# compound will kill any critter in North America....in fact with an efficient BH you could kill 2 or 3 with one shot.

 

[Robobiss]

I shoot 80# with a 30.5” draw. I am slinging 490 grain arrows at 310 FPS (chrono’d). But I’ve killed plenty of stuff at 250 or 260 fps.

80 lbs is not needed, nor is 70 or even 60. I personally like the arrow speed and flat trajectory without shooting a “light” arrow. The speed helps with the animals reaction time as well as being more forgiving with ranging discrepancies.

I am very physically active, lift weights. I do bent over rows with 100 lb dumbbells and a crap load of pull-ups for my Bowhunting exercise. I shoot 80 lbs because 80 for me is like 60 for most. I wouldn’t shoot 80 lbs if there was a reasonable chance for injury or if it was difficult to draw.

My dad also shot 80 lbs until he got brain cancer last year at 67, but he has a hobbit draw length (27.5”). He hasn’t been able to shoot for a year and lost a lot of strength, we just put 50 lb limbs on his rx8 and he is back in business.

 

[ganngus]

I haven't met an archer who wishes they use to draw more weight.

I guess I’m in minority, I started archery shooting lighter poundage bows and every year I wish I could find more bows above 80lbs to try. Then again, I hope to stick a Cape buffalo one day and would like as much energy as possible.

 

[Jpsmith1]

So, I just got back from R100.

I executed over 100 shots with no fatigue and was joking with my crew that we should "iron man" it and do both courses the same day.

Shooting 70 isn't and really never has been an issue except for that short time when I was injured and couldn't do ANYTHING so I lost a to of muscle tone.

I KNOW i don't 'need' it, that isn't the point. I'll shoot a couple if possible but finding a lefty 80# bow isn't exactly easy.