Draw Weights

[Matty_2004]

Today i had my 2nd go at field archery and at the end of the day i had a shot with a Martin Jaguar so they could find my draw weight and draw length. I am usually fairly medium ranged when it comes to weight lifting and what not, although with the bow i could JUST pull 38lbs smoothly. This is considered quite a low weight i believe when it comes to archery, and now that i'm trying to to purchase a bow, i realise that most of the bows are a minimum of 40-50lbs. . .i am only 15 and am still developing although i really want to buy a compound bow now.

What can i do?

[Bruce]

It won't take long with proper technique and traing to up you bow weight , I would buy a bow that is 40-60 if you can and get it set at the shrtest possible draw length that matches your draw length at the moment . For example if your your draw legth is 28 then buy a bow that will grow from 28-31 inch so as you can grow into it .

Which club are you shooting at in Gippsland

Bruce

[Flehrad]

Most compound bows start around the 40lb, but depending on the make of the bow, even a 50-60lb bow can be wound down quite a lot.
Most bows will only have a recommended 10lb weight range though, so it might be hard to find a 40-60lb.

Currently my girlfriend shoots a Protec which is a 50-60lb range but she is shooting it at 43lb, which is as far as we can wind it down.

Normally, you are only supposed to wind down the limbs 4 turns as there is the risk that any further, the strain on the limb bolts can strip the threads and the limb come flying out under pressure. However, from experience, you can go more than 4, as depending on the weight range, since you wind it so much down in poundage, it's not too hard on the limb bolts.

for a 15 year old, you probably won't really want to shoot more than 50lb anway, as it might stunt any late growth on your arms :lol:

But, you could always purchase higher poundage limbs once you settle in.

[robbo]

As has been said, most 50 pound bows can be taken down under 40 easily.

[Matty_2004]

So i will be right getting a 40-50lbs bow and be able to run it at say 33-34 lbs? I will be able to make these adjustments myself without any trouble or without damaging or risking damage to the bow?

[Bruce]

I would probably look at 50-60 set up short abecause as the draw length increases so does the weight .


Which club are you shooting at , if it is Phoeinix they will help you

They are a great club , the club at Drouin is very good as well .

I have not visited the other clubs in Gipplsland , but I have friends at eeach of the clubs in Gippsland


Bruce

[Flehrad]

That is true of most bows that the draw length will change the weight, but Cam 1/2 modules allow draw change without weight change right?..

Do the Martin Jag cam modules have the same ability?....

[Matty_2004]

I'm with the Boola Valley Field Archery Club.

I would not have a chance in hell of using a 50-60lbs bow more than a couple of times.

[Bruce]

ll I am trying to say Matty , Is that if you buy a 40-50 pound bow , you will outgrow it quickly .

Mal Thomas will be a good help with your archery equipment

[Matty_2004]

ll I am trying to say Matty , Is that if you buy a 40-50 pound bow , you will outgrow it quickly .

Mal Thomas will be a good help with your archery equipment

I highly doubt i would outgrow a 50lbs bow in under a year and a half. I need a bow that will suit me at the momment and still have some adjustment, such as a 40-50lbs, a 50-60 lbs bow will just be un-usable to me.

[Bruce]

Thats cool Mat , I just don't want to see you waste your money , remember to get it set to your draw length , and that should be the shortest length on the bow .

[Matty_2004]

Thats cool Mat , I just don't want to see you waste your money , remember to get it set to your draw length , and that should be the shortest length on the bow .

Yeah, i told the shop i need a 29.25" arrow length...is that all they need to know? That's all my club told me after measuring me up.

[dman]

Matty
as a bloke who was shooting sice he was 13 and is now 26 I can tell you for sureBruce is correct and it will be a suprisingly short amount of time before you will be able to draw over 50lb with the correct method saying that BE CAREFUL as mentioned before you are still developing make sure you don't feel at all uncomfortable through the day or like me you will pay for it later trust me

[Matty_2004]

So what do i do? Buy a bow way too heavy for my current capability and get alot of use out of it or get a lighter bow that is suited to me currently with a little bit of adjustability?

[OldDog]

Matty why dont you just buy a cheapy at the lower poundage and work your way up to the draw weight you want. Then buy the bow you want. :D

[Matty_2004]

Matty why dont you just buy a cheapy at the lower poundage and work your way up to the draw weight you want. Then buy the bow you want. :D

I am - Martin Jaguars aren't exactly a high class bow.

[DanceswithDingoes]

I'd strongly advise you to look at purchasing a 20-30# recurve (just a cheap Internature or similar) and work on developing muscle strength and form through repetition at lighter weights. I've seen too many young archers ruined by the insatiable need to get the 'ferrari' of the compound world at the expense of their physiology and/or technique. I will guarantee that if you shoot 30-50 arrows per week properly from a 25# recurve in 3 months you will draw a 40# compound will absolute ease, confidence and most important, authority.

[TJ Mason]

I agree with DanceswithDingoes -- go for a lower poundage recurve.

Reason #1: health. I know several archers now in their thirties who were over-bowed as teenagers, and all of them now have back problems.

Also, younger archers are more likely to get decent scores with a lower-poundage bow. A couple of months ago, a 16 year old at our club switched to a bow that's too strong for him, and his scores have dropped right off. He's getting frustrated and disillusioned with archery.

I'm not sure why anyone needs a high poundage bow anyway, unless they're hunting or flight-shooting. Technique is more important than power, and you'll develop better technique on a low-poundage recurve than any other type of bow.

[Flehrad]

Matty, if you remember our conversation on MSN.....

There are plenty of people with the experience here saying similar things. :P

[Matty_2004]

If it is possible to wind a 40-50lbs bow down to 32lbs (what i should be using), than i will be fine and i won't do any damage, my technique will improve, everything will be fine as i should be using about 32lbs - and if i can wind it up to 56lbs (ish) than it'll last me a bloody long time.

[Bruce]

Matty , Mate , you have obviously made up your mind , all we are trying to do is give you our opinion , you have had many people offer you advise its time for you to make a decision .

1. The best thing to do is shoot at a poundage you can handle safely and get your technique right .

2. I see to many parents buy there kids bows that are unsuitable and the child outgrows the bow in 12 months .

3 You are still growing and will grow and develop strength quite quickly in the next 18 months .

4. Ask for the advice of your club members , they can watch you shoot , now how physically big you are and understand where you are with you technique. We can only advise via what we read here and so far I think everybody has given you good advice .

Please feel free to pm me If I can be of any further help , and I hoe to see you at the state title shoot in October at Phoenix archers in Sale


Good luck and I hope to catch you on the range sometime soon .

Bruce

[Matty_2004]

I'm not even close to making a decision - it's all too confusing :lol:

I am most deffinitly still open to your opinions, the only reason i am slightly rebutting the opinions by questioning is so i can get more info and try to get a more thourough understanding.


So, would it be possible to get a 40-50lbs bow down to 32lbs and up to 55lbs? If that is possible than i should have no troubles. I would expect to have upgraded the bow after 2 years anyway, 50lbs sounds like plenty - the only problem is getting a decent compound bow that will go low enough. I believe that part of the reason i was stuggling with the 38lbs bow was because i hadn't eaten, it was 2pm and i was tired as all hell. . .probably just fatigue - although i want a bow i can shoot all day without having to strain to pull the string back and risk muscle damage.

[Barry]

I thought the Martin Jaguar had a weight range much larger than 10 lbs???.

You will be surprised by how quickly your strength increases 40-50 but wound under sounds like a reasonable option to me. Even though I can comfortably pull 80+ lbs I can still shoot well at 50 so a bow at this weight should last a while....