why a heavy bow?
01-16-2008, 06:09 PM
#21
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,876
RE: why a heavy bow?
ORIGINAL: Arthur P
A physical fitness issue. Or maybe a manliness issue?[8D]
True to a large extent, but far from the whole story.A bow with more mass really is easier to hold steady and it will be less affected by the movement of the limbs and cams than a light one will.
The heavier an object is, the more difficult it is to overcome it's inertia. Simple physics. Plus, muscle tremors in the shooter's arms and shoulders will cause less movement with a heavier bow, and for much the same reason. Now we have both physics and kineticstelling us that a well tuned bow that weighs a pound more than another well tuned bow is going to be more stable, all else being equal.
Then you have the experience of entire generations of tournament competitors, even going well back before the existence of compounds,who have proven that bows with more massare more stable.
Does that help in a hunting situation, putting that one arrow in exactly the right place? Maybe, maybe not. But it sure don't hurt.
Well, besides thediscomfort of having to carry that blasted boat anchor around all day trying to get a shot that is. 
It wont resist movement long as it will quickly become to heavy to hold...
...and stability is a tuning issue
The heavier an object is, the more difficult it is to overcome it's inertia. Simple physics. Plus, muscle tremors in the shooter's arms and shoulders will cause less movement with a heavier bow, and for much the same reason. Now we have both physics and kineticstelling us that a well tuned bow that weighs a pound more than another well tuned bow is going to be more stable, all else being equal.
Then you have the experience of entire generations of tournament competitors, even going well back before the existence of compounds,who have proven that bows with more massare more stable.
Does that help in a hunting situation, putting that one arrow in exactly the right place? Maybe, maybe not. But it sure don't hurt.
Well, besides thediscomfort of having to carry that blasted boat anchor around all day trying to get a shot that is.
That mass is spread out is it not?
01-16-2008, 06:29 PM
#22
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,876
RE: why a heavy bow?
ORIGINAL: Paul L Mohr
It doesn't matter if you "buy it" or not, those are the reasons target shooters prefer a heavier bow over a lighter one. And long stabilizers are not for balance, you can balance a bow just fine with a shorter heavier stab. The longer the stabilizer or the farther out you can get the weight the more the bow will resist side to side movement when you are aiming. It takes a bit longer to steady out, but will supposedly hold better once it gets there. It works, I have tried it.
Paul
It doesn't matter if you "buy it" or not, those are the reasons target shooters prefer a heavier bow over a lighter one. And long stabilizers are not for balance, you can balance a bow just fine with a shorter heavier stab. The longer the stabilizer or the farther out you can get the weight the more the bow will resist side to side movement when you are aiming. It takes a bit longer to steady out, but will supposedly hold better once it gets there. It works, I have tried it.
Paul
Can you get used toa heavy one, sure. When I hunt I have pack and stand on my back, hip quiver on my side andI carry my bow with the oppisite hand. I can't just let it hang as it will get snagged on all kinds of stuff. Stealthing your way in takes a lot of time and I'm often having to hold the bow up. Sometimes I carry it on my head like antlers, fools game and gives my arm a rest. 1lb. is a lot and it would not benifit me in the least.
I'd love hunting with a light trad bow. One of these days.
01-17-2008, 10:34 AM
#23
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blissfield MI USA
Posts: 5,293
RE: why a heavy bow?
ORIGINAL: nodog
A stabilizer is a stabilizer. Stability is balance.
A stabilizer is a stabilizer. Stability is balance.
Stabilizers are used to make the bow more stable, V-bars and other devices are used to balance the bow. Some use a stabilizer so long they need a counter balance to balance the bow the way they want it. And most don't want the bow perfectly balanced in the hand, they want it forward heavy so it rolls out of the hand at the shot.
I think when you talk about the difference between a heavy and light bow it is pretty hard to relate it to hunting. The added advantage you would get from a heavier bow, long stabilizer and other things like V-bars and the such just won't be noticed in a hunting situation where distances are usually close and precise aiming is not normally required. With a hunting bow you are more concerned with a set up that is easy to carry and maneuver and still shoots reasonably well. With a target set up you are concerned with accuracy, period. With a target bow it goes from the case to the bow stand, then you pick it up and shoot 1-5 arrows then set it down again. This normally takes less than a few minutes. With a target bow draw cycle is more important in most cases since you will be drawing and letting down multiple times.
3-D would be a combination of the two if you were getting hardcore with it. I prefer to use my hunting bow for 3-D, and I will be honest I don't shoot a lot of 3-D. I use 3-D courses for what they were originally intended for, practicing shooting under hunting conditions. I like to use the same equipment I would use hunting and I only concern myself with whether the shot would have killed the animal or not. I don't even keep score. I went once with a buddy from work that used a fancy target bow with a magnified scope and all sorts of stuff sticking out from it, fancy expensive arrows, cards that showed where the scoring rings were and he actually asked me once to put my hands up in front of him to shield the sun so he could see to aim. I laughed at him. This was the same guy that 20 minutes ago was whining because I wanted to use a range finder. I use one when I hunt, why wouldn't I use one when I practice? And besides, if I don't keep score how can I cheat
.Paul
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