Anybody adjust their Draw Weight on their bow for higher altitudes?

Kilboars

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I'm heading from sea level to 11,000ft for the Utah "Total Archery Challenge" Wednesday and just wondering if I'll need to turn down my draw weight to adjust for the thinner air. Anybody doing that?
 

Brock A

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I wouldn't adjust my draw weight but I would definitely check my zero once I got there.
 

RosinBag

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What’s the farthest shot there typically?

I would check your long ones to see as even at 11k it won’t be much. Maybe three or four inches at 80 depending on the speed of your bow.

I wouldn’t mess with taking poundage out as it could mess with your tune. I would move your sight slightly or just take yardage off the distance as needed.
 

Brock A

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Making sure my pins are still on (20 through 60). Traveling from Florida is a long way, like Rosin said. Elevation wont be much of an effect. I'd be more worried about heating up in the bow case and getting string stretch or something like that.

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RosinBag

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Zero = checking your sight pins or marks to see if they are the same as when you sighted in.
 
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Kilboars

Kilboars

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Making sure my pins are still on (20 through 60). Traveling from Florida is a long way, like Rosin said. Elevation wont be much of an effect. I'd be more worried about heating up in the bow case and getting string stretch or something like that.

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Thanks much.
 
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I have some experience with this. The research I did led me to adjust the draw weight on my bow when I was going from Phoenix (1,250 ft) to a high country elk hunt (11,000+ ft). I checked my POI when I arrived and I was most certainly hitting high at all yardages. A half turn down on each limb got me to a perfect POI. It wasn't much but it definitely helped. Remember to turn down each limb an equal amount.
 

Trial153

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It’s not uncommon for me to have to make a few clicks of my sight when I hit some altitude
 
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Kilboars

Kilboars

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I have some experience with this. The research I did led me to adjust the draw weight on my bow when I was going from Phoenix (1,250 ft) to a high country elk hunt (11,000+ ft). I checked my POI when I arrived and I was most certainly hitting high at all yardages. A half turn down on each limb got me to a perfect POI. It wasn't much but it definitely helped. Remember to turn down each limb an equal amount.


Thanks you.

I'm shooting #70. How much adjusting have you noticed based on DW?
 

wapitibob

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Your pins will be off, if you're good enough to tell. You can take maybe 1/4 turn out of the btm limb and probably be good. Your biggest hurdle will be dealing with the uphill/downhill/sidehill shots if you haven't had much experience with that stuff.

Make sure all your camo matches and you'll want to wear a full set, gators to the hat.
 
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Kilboars

Kilboars

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Your pins will be off, if you're good enough to tell. You can take maybe 1/4 turn out of the btm limb and probably be good. Your biggest hurdle will be dealing with the uphill/downhill/sidehill shots if you haven't had much experience with that stuff.

Make sure all your camo matches and you'll want to wear a full set, gators to the hat.

You think the foam targets can tell?:)
 

Riles1050

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I wondered about this in the past. I hunt above 10k feet the majority of the time. I bring a target and practice at that altitude. Haven't needed to make any adjustments. I also don't shoot past 50-60 yards max.
 

RosinBag

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You generally won’t need to make any adjustments until 89 and farther. Randy Ulmer wrote an article years ago about this and the difference was negligible. So negligible that most archers don’t shoot well enough to see the difference.
 
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Kilboars

Kilboars

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Your pins will be off, if you're good enough to tell. You can take maybe 1/4 turn out of the btm limb and probably be good. Your biggest hurdle will be dealing with the uphill/downhill/sidehill shots if you haven't had much experience with that stuff.

Make sure all your camo matches and you'll want to wear a full set, gators to the hat.

Only down hill shots I get are from a tree stand.
 
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Kilboars

Kilboars

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You generally won’t need to make any adjustments until 89 and farther. Randy Ulmer wrote an article years ago about this and the difference was negligible. So negligible that most archers don’t shoot well enough to see the difference.

I remember reading that but forgot his conclusion. Thanks

I think I'm probably in that category.
 
K

Kootenay Hunter

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I understand temperature effects, but what's the theory behind elevation? Less dense air?
 
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Kootenay, yes less dense air will impart less drag on the arrow and arrows will shoot slightly higher at longer ranges. It is potentially a bigger issue in CO with timberline at 11,500' and goats living up to 14,000' than here in BC where our hunting usually tops out at half that.
 
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