What is the Minimum Bow Pull for Hunting?

[Miss-Lin]

<font face='Comic Sans MS'></font id='Comic Sans MS'><font color=red></font id=red>
I was thinking of getting a Bow to hunt with, however, I can not pull/draw my husbands compound bow at all, he tried to lessen the pull. But by the time it got to where I felt comfortable...I am wondering if I should even bother. I appear to be a real weakling in this area, and it is frustrating me. I don't want to put forth the money/effort/etc. if my strength isn't enough for a kill? Please help?

Miss Lin
Boyd County, KY
aabr@wwd.net

[INKYHUNTER]

Years ago when I first started hunting with a recurve I used a 40# pull. I took several deer but I don't think I would use less then 40#. I later went to a 48# and like the results better. Just my opinion. Good hunting!

[GSP]

Miss-Lin, I would agree with INKY's numbers.
40-45 pounds would be my min weight. If you can start
with a 30-35 (or less) weight recurve and practice as much as
possible, you will work your way up to 45# in no-time.
DON'T GIVE UP, you'll get there! I wish you luck. It is great
seeing someone new trying the outdoors sports!


Life is too short to hunt with an ugly dog!

[MrBowhunter]

Miss-Lin, when my wife started shooting a bow back in 96, she only pulled 35#. But from dedicated practice, the muscles needed developed and she now shoots 52#. And the only reason she stopped there is because that is the maximum of her bow. When she's ready for a new one we will get the 50-60# limbs on it. Keep trying and by next year I would bet you are up to at least 50# and will never have to worry about it again.

Kenny

[Rawhide]

Don't forget, no matter what pound pull you have, those broadheads heve to be razor sharp. Good luck !

Danny Roberts

[Miss-Lin]

Thank you, one and all! Where I am comfortable with right now is 35#. I see several mentions of recurve bow as a start, does that mean a compund bow would not help me advance my poundage? If you use a quick release, does that hamper your building your pulling strength?



Miss Lin
Boyd County, KY
aabr@wwd.net

[GSP]

A compound is a great hunting bow and with practice
you will build up strength. A recurve will just
help you build up your strength quicker since you are
holding back 35# verses 15-20# with a compound. You
may try picking up a used recurve, they are very
inexpensive and use it for practice. After you feel
comfortable, you can get a compound with probably more
weight (pull) than you originally thought.

[Xtreme]

Miss Lin, dont be discouraged at your lack of strength on drawing a bow.The muscles required to shoot a bow are not muscles that we use normally every day. Start out with what you are comfortable with, then work your way up a half turn on your bow every week or two. Before you know it your bow will be bottomed out and you may be able to shoot one with even more pounds.

My wife started shooting with me 6 yrs. ago. When she started she could hardly pull 40 lbs. Now she shoots 52 and to make a long story short, there are 6 state chmp. titles in our house . 5 are hers. We travel to shoots all over 3 or 4 states and we both really enjoy it!!

Dont be discouraged and dont push yourself to the point it's not fun.Practice and it will come to you. My wife will tell you that shooting a bow is a lot of fun. She does not want to hunt but she loves to shoot 3-D and indoor 300rds.

In closing I will tell you to make sure your draw length is correct and dont try to make do with a bow that is to heavy or to long of a draw. A bow is like a fine shotgun, they shoot the best when they fit YOU!!! I wish you the very best of luck!!!

[CSS archer]

Extreme is absolutely correct about draw length. If a bow is too long a draw for you, it will be very difficult to draw, even at a weight you can handle. Make sure it fits you, or you will get discouraged very quickly. Good Luck!

[Miss-Lin]

Ok, Ladies & Gentlemen - after careful evaluation of posts, reading materials & pestering the be-jesus out of every archery person I could find to "corner" & talk to....I have jumped in & bought a Hoyt Banshee compound bow, had the bow & arrows measured & fitted to me specifically. My draw length is 24" and I have the weight (for now) set at 35# (can go up to 50-52#). I went to NEKF&G (Northeastern Kentucky Fish & Game) indoor archery range at about 11:30 pm & tried it out. (No one around to incriminate me!!! *LOL*) I was extremely pleased with what I was able to do with it at this point. (Hubby was sincerely surprised, too!) Until I can draw it back with a bit more consistancy & without that straining "wobble" I decided to do a close approximation of sighting it in at a short distance & held a really good & consistant pattern. I went yesterday & again today. Hoping to do this every day until I strengthen my muscles up, then hone my sights & technique. How does this sound as a plan for right now. Really want to hear any advise you have, or any sites that might help with stance, technique, why's & wherefore's. I don't want to start out with any bad habits that I will have to overcome later. Right now I am only shooting once a day about 15-20 times, as this is all that I can do before my muscles begin that dang quivering from lack of strength. I figure after that, I am defeating myself to continue shooting, until I can hold steady better. Your thoughts, please.

Miss Lin
Boyd County, KY
aabr@wwd.net

[Xtreme]

It sounds like you are a pretty sharp lady. Your basically doing what I did with my wife. Starting out slow and light. Your are doing the right thing by not overpracticing. When you get tired you shoot bad and when you shoot bad you are practicing missing, not good. All I will add to what you are doing is that if on days you dont shoot you may want to just pull your bow back a few times. Dont dry fire it of course but just pull itback a few times. This creates"muscle memory" as well as build strength.

By shooting close targets you are building your form as well as confidence. Archery is nothing more than doing the same thing the right way every time.

In closing I will tell you dont push yourself to the point it's not FUN!! I know most ladies want to make their husbands proud but just dont overdo it. Enjoy this sport with your husband and laugh when you shoot good and laugh when you shoot bad. Archery and bowhunting are supposed to be fun, keep it that way and you and your husband will have many happy memories from it. I wish you the best of luck and if I can help further dont be afraid to holler for the ole X-Treme man.

[MrBowhunter]

Miss-Lin, great news. Glad to hear you found one that you like. My wife also started at 35# on a Browning Dianna competition bow. We enjoy shooting alot so she shot almost every day or at least every other day in our little yard inside the city of Lockport NY. Before summer was over, she had conditioned the muscles used to crank the bow all the way up to the maximum 42#. She continued to shoot with me with that bow until one summer she decided she wanted to hunt. So we bought her a Martin Jaguar. By the time the season was here she had the 50# limbs maxed out and I debated buying her a new bow versus new limbs. She still has it at the 50#, we're waiting to see if the boy wants to use it, he's 10 and we have a new one for him too. One of these days I'll have to break down and buy her a higher poundage bow I guess. We can package the 50# one up for when we get older and the strength isn't there anymore.LOL

Good luck and enjoy!!

Kenny

[45 Caliber]

Lin

My mother used to shoot a PSE compound bow. She has her poundage set at about 42 pounds and shoots 1716 arrows and was a good shot when she would practice. You can get speed with these smaller shafts. You can get more speed with an overdraw. I would not recommend an overdraw to begin with though. Do you shoot with a mechanical release aid?

[Miss-Lin]

CSS Archer:
I found out the hard way about the correct draw being a pain, tried out a bow that was cranked down for my poundage, but way too long....TWANG & $^#^@(&)(*!!!!! hit my arm & it is still hurting! That's when I went down to find a bow that fits me! (I learn FAST when pain is involved!) *LOL*

Xtreme:
Thanks for the "sharp lady" comment, made me feel pretty good! Never knew so many muscles were involved in bow hunting!!! I actually only pulled the bow back about 10 times yesterday, as my muscles were a little too sore to push any further. I was glad to read your post about muscle memory, because I was wondering if just pulling it back would be enough for now.

45 Caliber:
I tried a wrist strap quick release (don't recall the brand) and hated it, tried to adjust the release a bit as it kept releasing without me touching the thing. Got me so I was so afraid of it, I decided to get a glove instead. Went to Borders to talk to Todd about it, he showed me some gloves (but they were all extra large) he showed me one called a trigger release (without the pivot head), and I tried it out, so far I really like it. Had a small problem after using it a few times due to wanting to turn the handle angle a tad & the arrow would either partially or totally un-notch/nock so Todd added a rubber button that keeps it in place (I don't twist/turn it alot, just to conform to the angle of my face/chin) I feel very confident with it, as even when it did un-nock or notch (what is the correct term there?) I was still able to control the release without any problems, and I am secure in knowing it won't release unless I push the trigger.

I have a question for all of you, regarding the length of my arrows. If my draw is 24" what shaft length should my arrow be? I think the one I have right now is way too long (28") but hubby was afraid I might pull back too far (with a broadhead tip) & end up with it in my hand, but I don't think this a real concern, from my practice, so far. (Isn't it amazing how the questions come as you go? My head is whirling with em!) Where is the kill zone/aim point for a Turkey? There are about 25-30 on the Family farm just waiting for me! *LOL* (Of course I'm not good enough to go for em, maybe next year, but just wondering!)

Lin



Miss Lin
Boyd County, KY
aabr@wwd.net

[Big58cal]

Miss Linn, to answer your original question, there isn't a minimum poundage to bowhunt in KY. I have see a female friend of mine shoot completely through a deer with 35#, so don't think that you 'absolutely' have to go up in poundage. Shoot what is comfortable to you and you enjoy. Another tip on the "correct" poundage for you while hunting is to sit down in a chair, raise your feet off of the ground/floor, hold the bow straight out, and pull it straight back. If you can't do this, you're pulling too many pounds. You need to get used to holding the bow straight out and pulling it straight back because that is what you should do while hunting. The least amount of movement as possible when drawing on an animal. Also on the poundage thing, the limbs on your bow have a lot to do with how noisy your bow is. If you can, use limbs on your bow that are just about maxed out. If the limbs will go 35 - 50#, then try to shoot 50#. The closer you get to maxing out your limbs, the quiter you bow will be because there's less room for vibration (in other words, don't get a set of 55 -70# limbs if you have no intention of shooting 70#).

As far as the release, you may want to try either a knocking loop or a rope release. The people at Borders really know what they are doing, so if you go in there and ask for either one, they will know what you're talking about. The thing about the knocking loop or a rope release is that it allows you to torque (twist) the release without messing with the arrow or string. With either one though, it will probably shorten your draw length about a 1/2". Also, if you shoot fingers, you'll shoot a longer draw than you will with a release.

On the arrow length question, for right now, I would have the arrows cut so that the point is at the back of the riser (the part of the handle that's facing the target) when you are ready to fire the arrow. Normally what happens when people draw is that they will draw the bow to, let's say 29". After they settle in and get their pin on the target, their draw is anywhere between 28 1/4 - 28 3/4". This is called "creeping". Most people do it to some extent, with some more than others. It's where you're muscles kinda' get used to the poundage, but start relaxing a little. By cutting your arrows off at the end of the riser when you first pull back, there should be little danger of cutting your finger on a broadhead or the arrow being too short for your bow. In this situation, "length does matter"! (SORRY!!!)

Hope this stuff helps.



Edited by - Big58cal on 01/05/2002 8:00:47 PM

[Xtreme]

Well said yall, I am glad to see so many fellow bowhunters come to this SHARP ladies aid!!!!..So far I concur with what has been said. Make no mistake about it, when these ladies decide to shoot a bow they get serious and they get good QUICK!!!!

I get asked from time to time if I am jealous of all the titles that my wife has won and my answer is always H!@# No!!!..I love to see ANYONE ,be it male or female shoot good and enjoy archery and bowhunting!!!

Keep at it Lin, we are on your side!!!!