Are you drawing too much weight?
Every bow hunter would like more speed or more energy behind the arrow. More speed can help flatten arrow trajectory and compensate for misjudgements in yardage estimation. More energy can help penetration on those less than perfect shots. The cheapest way to do this is to increase your draw weight. This time we will discuss how to determine your proper draw weight and why heavier weights aren't always better.
If you get the chance to shoot around other archers very much then you have probably seen someone sky draw a bow. If you have seen someone draw like the young man in this picture then you have seen a sky draw. If you draw like he does then you are pulling too much weight. Just because you can get the bow to full draw doesn't mean you should be shooting that weight. Drawing like this can injure you and it will cause damage to your shoulders if you continue to do it. You should be able to shoot your bow more than just a few times with out getting tired. We will discuss why a little bit later on. You have seen one way to check if you are drawing too much, so how do you know your draw weight is right?
If you get the chance to shoot around other archers very much then you have probably seen someone sky draw a bow. If you have seen someone draw like the young man in this picture then you have seen a sky draw. If you draw like he does then you are pulling too much weight. Just because you can get the bow to full draw doesn't mean you should be shooting that weight. Drawing like this can injure you and it will cause damage to your shoulders if you continue to do it. You should be able to shoot your bow more than just a few times with out getting tired. We will discuss why a little bit later on. You have seen one way to check if you are drawing too much, so how do you know your draw weight is right?
My favorite method for check draw weight is very simple. All you need to do is sit down and draw your bow. For this method you need to sit and raise you feet off the ground. If you struggle even a little then you should probably turn your weight down. Your goal is to achieve a smooth consistent draw all the way back. So why do you need a smooth draw?
While hunting movement is one of the biggest reason people get spotted. If you can draw in a smooth steady motion then you have less movement and you are less likely to be spotted while drawing. The sitting down method will also help you find the weight you should be able to draw after sitting in a stand for a few hours on one of the cold fall mornings. It is much easier to draw a bow while standing and in lighter clothing. When you hunt in cold weather you wear much heavier and more constricting clothing, this coupled with stiff muscles after sitting in the cold can equal a disaster while hunting like not being able to get your bow back.
So why does this matter if you are a target archer? You shoot 60 arrows in a 300 NFAA round or 45 arrows in a 450 FITA round. If your draw weight is too high you will get tired before you finish shooting. If you haven't tried shooting while being tired, your bow will begin to move more and more while you are aim as you get more tired. You will also begin to make more mental mistakes the more tired you get.
While hunting movement is one of the biggest reason people get spotted. If you can draw in a smooth steady motion then you have less movement and you are less likely to be spotted while drawing. The sitting down method will also help you find the weight you should be able to draw after sitting in a stand for a few hours on one of the cold fall mornings. It is much easier to draw a bow while standing and in lighter clothing. When you hunt in cold weather you wear much heavier and more constricting clothing, this coupled with stiff muscles after sitting in the cold can equal a disaster while hunting like not being able to get your bow back.
So why does this matter if you are a target archer? You shoot 60 arrows in a 300 NFAA round or 45 arrows in a 450 FITA round. If your draw weight is too high you will get tired before you finish shooting. If you haven't tried shooting while being tired, your bow will begin to move more and more while you are aim as you get more tired. You will also begin to make more mental mistakes the more tired you get.
Another reason heavier weights aren't always better is that it's not usually needed. Deer are the most commonly hunted big game animal in North America. The chart to the left covers the accepted kinetic energy (ke) standards. A minimum ke of 25 lbs is recommended to ethically kill a deer. My wife can get 25 lbs of energy shooting 35 lbs of draw weight. So is 70 lbs really needed?
I am a strong believer that your draw weight is just a number. Shoot the weight that you are comfortable with. Do the chair method that was discussed before and just let your draw weight land where it does. If you shoot a proper weight you can have longer shooting sessions, shoot for a longer part of your life, and when that monster buck walks by you know you will be able to draw your bow. Just remember that the difference between and arrow out of a 50 lb bow and the arrow out of a 70 lb bow is how far the arrow sticks in the dirt after it has passed through that trophy buck.
What draw weight do you shoot? How did you pick your draw weight? Do you have another method for picking your draw weight? Leave your comments below.
I am a strong believer that your draw weight is just a number. Shoot the weight that you are comfortable with. Do the chair method that was discussed before and just let your draw weight land where it does. If you shoot a proper weight you can have longer shooting sessions, shoot for a longer part of your life, and when that monster buck walks by you know you will be able to draw your bow. Just remember that the difference between and arrow out of a 50 lb bow and the arrow out of a 70 lb bow is how far the arrow sticks in the dirt after it has passed through that trophy buck.
What draw weight do you shoot? How did you pick your draw weight? Do you have another method for picking your draw weight? Leave your comments below.