# How much poundage for deer minimum?



## medicblue (Apr 17, 2011)

K, Drew a general Season Buck Archery Tag for 19c. My first hunting season as a resident of Utah. From all the stuff going on over the last 2 years, I haven't pulled my bow at all. Went start practicing and getting my pins set on my new sight and began having trouble, Got three pulls the first time, about 15 a few days later, then it started dropping to the point that I can't come to full draw at all. at least in form. If I put the bow grip on my foot, I can sit there and pull to my hearts content. I think its really just the last few inches that is the problem. I'm set at 58 lbs. (Was keeping 4" groups at 80 yards at on point), I'll be happy with 60, or even 50 just so I can at least get out. 

So I've set up a make shift exercise pulley in the garage, but it make sense to also drop my poundage on the bow so I can at least work on holding steady. 

My Q, what would be the minimum poundage set for deer and out to what range? I'm sure I'll get pumped back up eventually, but season is creeping up every day. 40 lbs and 50 yards?


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

40 lbs 30 yards max


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## bookshunter (Jul 6, 2012)

from what i know the min legal pounds to hunt in utah is 45 pounds. i had the same problem when i started shooting this season. lucky i started shooting everyday starting in may. the first few weeks were painful but you have to block the pain and eventually you will get back to where you once were. good luck.

what tag is 19c? these new units are very confusing to me.

Steve.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

bookshunter said:


> from what i know the min legal pounds to hunt in utah is 45 pounds.
> 
> Steve.


it 40 pound to hunt in utah.


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## bookshunter (Jul 6, 2012)

ok thanks for the correction. my bow is set at 62 pounds. it is the perfect draw for me. i hope the first guy posting here gets everything worked out.

Steve.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

40 lbs


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

Two things- 

1. Shoot every day. You'll work the muscles and they'll get more and more comfortable with the weight.

2. Have a pro watch you shoot. Accept some suggestions on the way you draw and on your form. They might catch some small thing that will help you.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

The legal limit is 40#.

The functional limit is a bit different in my view. My reasoning is that the legal # limits were set prior to the accelerated developments in modern compounds. So 45# draw on modern compounds delivers very different arrow velocity than on a 45# recurve. 

And based on my very, and I mean VERY limited archery hunting experiences, arrow speed directly translates to distance. Deer move before the slower arrow gets there, and that reduces the range. My thought would be to chrony your bow at the lighter draw weight and at the max you can pull and compare the differences. This can really help you see what the functional max distance you should be shooting and still have the arrow speed to penetrate the animal without it "jumping the arrow." Most of the local shops with in-house ranges can chrony your arrow speed.

And a disclaimer here - I am by no means an archery expert - very far from it. So guys that know more than me, if I am completely wrong, please point that out.


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## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

GaryFish said:


> The legal limit is 40#.
> 
> The functional limit is a bit different in my view. My reasoning is that the legal # limits were set prior to the accelerated developments in modern compounds. So 45# draw on modern compounds delivers very different arrow velocity than on a 45# recurve.
> 
> ...


Even at the fastest current speeds, a deer can "jump the string" (duck under the arrow) at only 20 yards. Yes, they're that fast! An elk is usually slower, but not by much. Speed is important, but more because it creates a flatter trajectory than as an effort to prevent "jumping the string". What prevents "jumping the string" is a quiet release with little movement. It's much less startling and usually just invokes a stare if anything. A slower quiet bow will outperform a fast noisy one in the field almost every time. And speed doesn't necessarily translate into distance because a lighter arrow may be faster out of the bow, but will quickly lose momentum and speed past 50/60 yards.

There's all kinds of math involved regarding arrow weight, front of center weight, momentum, kinetic energy, penetration, arrow speed, draw weight, tuning, etc. which you can get off the internet or at a pro shop, but bottom line is; Does it work for you in the field? Can you consistently hit a paper plate size target at various distances with a broadhead and do it the first time and under pressure and in various positions? It's nice to be able to put three or five arrows in a quarter size target while standing exactly 30 yards away, but deer don't have little red or blue dots on their flanks and they don't always want to stand there for two or three shots and you don't always get a shot at 30 yards while standing.

As stated, the law says 40 lbs, but feel free to crank it up as high as you can so long as you can do the above. And as GF said, a modern bow at 40 lbs or more will do just fine!


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

+1


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## medicblue (Apr 17, 2011)

K, hmm, I had tried a reply earlier but it didn't seem to take,

to bookshunter, 19c is #1527 West Desert, Tintic http://wildlife.utah.gov/HAM/public/det ... ary_id=624 I'm hoping to find a good area here.

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I had found the min required for the state and I'll be heading down to my local shop to drop the poundage on Friday. After that, shooting everyday? Isn't the goal to build the muscles needed? I'm 54 now and the time needed for the repair is a little longer now isn't it? I had started at 40# and had built up to 58 where I am now over time but I had waited 2-3 days between to build. Thinking that was the way, but is that the general feeling here? Everyday? I'll start then, I want to get out to 50-60 yards asap. That's where I encounter most deer, sometimes 30 but not often.

Yea maybe I need to have someone watch me again, I've had lessons by a couple of the best around but it HAS been 2 years so........

Thanks again for your quick answers, hopefully I'll get built back up.

Oh, pulled an antlerless elk tag too, any legal weapon. Maybe I can be ready for that too.


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## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

medicblue said:


> Oh, pulled an antlerless elk tag too, any legal weapon. Maybe I can be ready for that too.


Be sure to check out the additional opportunity, page 25 of the Field Regulations Guidebook (Proclamation). You might be able to take that cow during the archery deer/elk season!


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> I'll be happy with 60, or even 50 just so I can at least get out.


 :shock: What re you whining about! My bow wont even shoot an arrow that far!


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## Flyfishn247 (Oct 2, 2007)

Pushups, start working out a bit and continue shooting a comfortable poundage. By the time the hunt rolls around you will be fine.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Hes already shooting 58 lbs. This will kill anything in north america just fine.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> > I'll be happy with 60, or even 50 just so I can at least get out.
> 
> 
> :shock: What re you whining about! My bow wont even shoot an arrow that far!


Oh Please! Yes it will!


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## medicblue (Apr 17, 2011)

K, went to the Archery shop on Friday and they helped me get it back down to 40# so I'm starting all over, 40# was almost too easy, did 5 sets of 6 real easy but feel it in my back. I've moved up after 4 days to what should be about 42.5ish. I'm hoping to go up a bit like that every 4 days. Might not work out that way but at least I'm back shooting. (every day).

Thanks for all the advice.


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## Theekillerbee (Jan 8, 2009)

To build muscle the basic formula is 3 sets of 10, every other day (medical/sports/science based fact). The exercises need to be fatiguing. That means you complete about 27, 28, or 29 of the reps, but cannot finish all of them. When you get to 30, add more weight, and repeat. Daily exercises will not build mass as quickly.

As you get older, it is harder to build muscle mass...unless you have access to some Barry Bonds' Hand Cream :twisted: Just got to work against nature.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> unless you have access to some Barry Bonds' Hand Cream


I tried that stuff, it made my wiener HUGE!


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## Flyfishn247 (Oct 2, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> > unless you have access to some Barry Bonds' Hand Cream
> 
> 
> I tried that stuff, it made my wiener HUGE!


So...where can a guy pick up a tube of that stuff TEX? :lol:

medicblue, I would suggest not continually adjusting your draw weight. You will have to constantly adjust and move your sight pins/bracket. My suggestion is to set your draw weight at a comfortable weight, but one you can still move up into (50-55#), and shoot until you are worn out every other day. This way you will gain strength, set your pins and fine tune them more easily, and be more accustomed to what you can do at that weight when you are finally in the field. With the hunt only a month away, you don't want to making major adjustments to your setup, just fine tuning if anything. Then again, you only need 40# to hunt with so don't strain yourself if you don't need to.


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## medicblue (Apr 17, 2011)

I'm holding off setting any pins right now because I don't want to keep adjusting over and over and right now I"m shooting only 20 yards in my yard because that's all I have. once I get to a poundage that seems like its making me work a little I'll be going up slower. And my current arrows are rated up to 60#. Pretty much why I had stayed at 58#. Plus had been told that much faster, and the arrow itself might make a louder noise while in flight. I'm wanting a good strong poundage for better down range performance and a little extra yardage. I found, (with San Diego mulies anyway), that I could usually get between 30 and 60 yards. That's my goal now. Might not be there by opening day but eventually I will be. The biggest hold back will probably my consistent groupings. I won't take a shot at ANY range of I'm holding sloppy.

Right now every day is working well, slow is fine with me, at least I'll be able to get out. Should be at least at 50ish#. That should be good for 40-45 yards, I'll be way happy with that.


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## Duckholla (Sep 24, 2007)

Medic,
A common problem I see often is people trying to draw their bows using their arm and shoulder strength. This makes drawing a bow extremely difficult, and extremely fatiguing. This isn’t proper form, and it will inhibit what poundage you can handle, and for how long you can handle it. A suggestion that I would make, is to draw your bow using your back muscles, rather than your arms. A way to check and ensure that you are using your back muscles is to imagine that there is a soda can between your shoulder blades, as you draw your bow you want to crush that soda can between your shoulder blades. Doing this will basically pull the bow though the highest poundage of the draw, and require very little arm and shoulder participation until the very end, but you should be dropping into the valley/wall of the bow at that point.

I hope this makes sense. You may be doing this already, and if you are it’s just a case of strengthening the muscles by shooting more. I’d suggest checking that either way.


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## medicblue (Apr 17, 2011)

That does make sense and I remember being taught this. But I think your right, I may be using more arm right now. After the break, I try to use those to help hold steady. A messed up left rotator cuff isn't helping much right now either.

Also, I recently went and replaced my peep, it was suggested that I get one, I think 3/16ths, so I could see my pin set and its ring as a whole. I don't mind that except that now I gotta train my eye to pick up on that picture faster.

I might be hunting at 20 yards to begin with till I can get that and tighten up my grouping.


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