Humbled Again

[Where's Bruce?]

In February I got a couple of recurves for my birthday...a Blacktail Legacy and a Hoyt Satori. Started out shooting the Satori w/ 35lb limbs to develop my form, the next month began shooting the BT w/ 45lb limbs. Love the bow so I shot it for six weeks before stepping up to 55lb limbs on the Hoyt. Had not shot a bow in like ten days until today and promptly shot this 25 yard group..





Feeling pretty good about myself I decided to step up to the 65lb limbs. Struggled to string it and then shot this healthy serving of humble pie.



I shoot 68lbs outta my Elite Energy but 65lbs with a stick bow is a whole different animal. Wore me out quickly too. But this is what I need if I'm gonna hunt Kaibab elk with what Aron aptly calls the "strugglestick." Man, trad sure has peaks and valleys eh? We gotta be just a tad masochistic to hunt with a stickbow don't we? I'm actually sore and need to soak for a spell. Maybe take some vitamin M. (((sigh)))

 

[ozyclint]

I've only shot trad since I started bowhunting and I'm the opposite. I can shoot my 70# recurve but ask me to draw a 70# compound and I struggle to get it back a few inches. It's what you her used to.

 

[ozyclint]

What you get used to I meant. Where's the edit function gone?

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Well I have 4 months to do just that. I'm taking the first bull to get within 25 yards...antlers don't matter.

 

[Wrench]

I shot a #70 longbow for years and then bombed a shoulder. I had to work my ass off to get to #55 again.

I know for a fact that I have no business on another 70. Good luck and be careful.

 

[sneaky]

I shoot low 50s on my recurves. I like my shoulders too much to try and prove anything by going heavier. Long draw helps, and it was effective on my Montana bull last year.

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[Kevin Dill]

50-55# is certainly enough for the biggest elk on any mountain. 65# offers more energy with resulting; 1) greater potential penetration and 2) lower trajectory. Of course you know those things, but it helps to know that neither of them matters a whit if the higher poundage harms accuracy. I am confident in saying this: Find a man who shoots 55# accurately, and then ask him to shoot the same shots with 65#. In at least 95% of the cases, accuracy will instantly suffer because of a lack of physical strength to shoot the bow with complete control. If the same man has enough strength to calmly master the bow and shot, his accuracy (or group size) will be fine.

It always comes down wholly or partially to strength. Shooting the bow a million times probably isn't the answer. Working out with the bow in a deliberate plan to build sufficient muscles and strength is the way to go. When you can slowly and deliberately pull a bow to full draw....anchor...and calmly let down.....all without shaking or tremoring....you're in full control of the bow. And at that point it surprisingly becomes much less of a 'strugglestick' and more of a powerful weapon in your hand.

 

[BradArnett]

I feel your pain. I shot 60# wes wallace "mentor" recurve from the time i was 20 up until i turned 37. I ended up with epicondylitis in my draw elbow. I had to drop down to a 25# longbow and work my way back up. I got back up to a 50# centaur carbon elite longbow and just stopped there and have been killing whitetails with it for the past 5 years. Im 42 now and dont see myself bothering with anything heavier.

 

[GLB]

Ill be hunting moose this year with a 53lbs bow. A couple years ago I had to dropped down on my normal draw weight of 60 and 62 lbs bows. 30 plus years has taken a toll and I needed to do this if I wanted to continue to shoot.

So to make my lighter setup more efficient I switched from wood arrows to carbon arrows and added some FOC. I am also using single bevel Broadheads and have tuned my bow so that Broadhead arrows and bare shafts groups together at 30 yards.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I like how much quieter the bow shoots the 65lb limbs (have Limbsavers on em) while the 55lb limbs are loud. Odd, I know. But unless the groups tighten up I suppose I can always drop down if need be if ya think 55lbs is adequate for a pass thru.

 

[sneaky]

I like how much quieter the bow shoots the 65lb limbs (have Limbsavers on em) while the 55lb limbs are loud. Odd, I know. But unless the groups tighten up I suppose I can always drop down if need be if ya think 55lbs is adequate for a pass thru.

Loud in what way? Sounds like it could be a brace height issue, or limb hardware might be loose. Have you put any dampening material on the limb butts of the Satori limbs? A little moleskin type material between the riser and limbs seems to help quite a bit. Comparing damped to undamped limbs isn't really fair either ya know lol.

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[Where's Bruce?]

I'm too new to this to know and planned to drop the bow off at a shop and let em tell me if they can quiet it down or if the limbs are just cheap. Need whiskers anyway so I figure I can hand the Satori to em while I practice with the BT.

 

[sneaky]

Brace height can make a huge difference in noise and shootability.

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[Kevin Dill]

Interestingly enough, I can attest to certain lower poundage bows making more noise. Lots of factors contribute to bow noise. String type is a major thing, as is brace height. Arrow weight matters. It is sometimes said that guys get a cleaner, faster release with a higher poundage bow.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

sneaky nailed it. The limbs on the 55 were ever-so-slightly different than the 65. Put a new string on and viola! Problem solved. This may be why my 65lb groups sucked to. Taking the 55lb limbs out for Memorial weekend...hoping for a razorback with a recurve.

 

[LostArra]

I like how much quieter the bow shoots the 65lb limbs (have Limbsavers on em) while the 55lb limbs are loud. Odd, I know. But unless the groups tighten up I suppose I can always drop down if need be if ya think 55lbs is adequate for a pass thru.

55# pass thru on elk?
Absolutely.

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[Beendare]

IMO, About the only reason to shoot a heavy bow is if you are doing a Cape or water buff hunt.

Heck you can kill anything in North America with a 45# bow and the right arrow/BH combo. ( trying to get some time to prove just that!) Those 2 blade BH's are super efficient. I know a bunch of guys that hunt with 45#- 50#- 55# bows and get it done. If I'm not mistaken the Dryad guys do a moose hunt every year with about 50# bows.

Its just silly to be overbowed and sacrifice repeatable accuracy.

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[sneaky]

IMO, About the only reason to shoot a heavy bow is if you are doing a Cape or water buff hunt.

Heck you can kill anything in North America with a 45# bow and the right arrow/BH combo. ( trying to get some time to prove just that!) Those 2 blade BH's are super efficient. I know a bunch of guys that hunt with 45#- 50#- 55# bows and get it done. If I'm not mistaken the Dryad guys do a moose hunt every year with about 50# bows.

Its just silly to be overbowed and sacrifice repeatable accuracy.

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That's why when you go to trad shoots all you see for sale are 65# bows and up. I have nothing to prove to anyone. Dead is dead.

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[Where's Bruce?]

If the 65lb limbs prove to be a bridge too far then fine, I built some muscle and will fall back to 55. But if I can continue to increase my DW and accuracy I most certainly will try. I may not succeed but I must try. The 65lb limbs are the carbon laminates that Hoyt makes and have Limbsavers built into em making them so silent! Love that. I just gotta make sure I am measuring the brace height and twisting the string enough...screwed that up before.

 

[Beendare]

My advice; strive for consistent accuracy....not Draw weight. Guys are just begging for shoulder, elbow, joint issues trying to increase draw weight quickly.

Get to where that bow feels like an extension of your arm. Its amazing what an arrow with a very efficient BH will do from a stick bow. I just blew one [543gr] through a small boar and it buried so deep in the ground I had a heck of a time finding the arrow.

$100 says this isn't a 65# bow..../grin

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