I'm getting into bow hunting after a long absence and wonder about lbs. What is wrong with a 40 to 50 or a 50 to 60 lb. bow? It seems the stores carry mostly 60 to 70 lb. bows as i'm told thats what the buyers want. I believe a 50 lb. setting will kill anything if the shot is correct. At the same time the dealer is saying he has mostly 70 lb. bows he tells me a 70 lb. bow will eventuality tear your sholder up. WHAT GIVES???

Well, I think you should go with what feels good FOR YOU. A 40 pound bow shot in the vitals will kill faster than a 70lb bow that made a bad shot. Accuaracy IMO is the most important part when you shoot an animal, not arrow speed. Whatever you feel comfortable with is what I would recommend.

as much as you can comfortably pull. period!!! but, remember if you practice enough you will get stronger. so, ya might wanna leave urself alittle room for adjustmant

x2

Its those cold chilly mornings that get you with to much poundage. I practice all the time pulling slow and sitting down.

I bought a 60 lb bow. Which means it's maxed out at 60. You can buy a 70 lb bow and have it set at whatever poundage you want. My old bow is a 70 lb but shot it at 52 lbs for years till I bought a new one. I went with a 60 lb bow cuz I know I will never pull anything more than 60.
Now, on the other hand, if you were to ever sell it, you could sell a 70 lb bow quicker than a 50 or 60 lb bow IMO. I see this all the time, when somebody takes up archery, they think they have got to have a 70 lb bow.

Mine is a 70 lb bow, which I shoot at 62 pounds. I would have been perfectly happy with a 60 pound bow, but I usually buy used equipment and this one was available in the brand/model I wanted. Agree with above...shot placement is paramount.

I have a 60lb bow set at about 56lbs. It's just the right weight were I can go shoot for practice just about as long as I like with out getting tired. There is no grunting or straining to pull it back just a nice smooth pull. I crono'd mine (56lbs, 28draw) against a guy shooting 70lbs, same draw lenght and there was only about 60-70fps difference in speed. Not sure what that means for KE energy. But I can tell you his draw cycle was a lot more strained and jerky than mine.

what if the shot is wrong with 50#? u just wound the deer. more chance for a pass thru with higher poundage. a hole with an arrow in it wont leak, but a hole all the way thru will.