65% or 80% let off, which do you choose?
02-09-2002, 10:01 AM
#32
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: .. NH USA
Posts: 970
RE: 65% or 80% let off, which do you choose?
Straightarrow--
You may be able to DRAW 70lbs and comfortably hold with 80%, but I highly doubt that you will be as consistent a shooter as you would if you shot a 60lb bow with 65%, simply because 1)You will have much less slop in the system which will help accuracy, and there is basically no need to be drawing 70lbs for anything but the largest of North American game nowadays anyway. 2) You can get just as much speed by utilizing carbon arrows at 60lbs, and enough KE at 60lbs to hunt virtually all game here in the States. Of course, if you want to hunt huge species, you will need heavier draw weights and more KE, but this is called "specialized applications".
Fact-- back in the 80's, more bows were sold in the 60-70 and 70-80 range.(and even some in the 80-100lb range were not all that uncommon!) Nowadays, more bows are sold in the 50-60, and 60-70 range, mostly 50-60. Few companies even offer the 80lb bows anymore, and only a few offer "African poundage" bows in the 100lb range for specialized use. 80% bows were the rage,(and still are to some extent) but manufacturers have quickly also developed 65% mods for them not only for P&Y issues but because they realized the shooter-error input was greater on the 80%. As stated, now some are dropping back to 55% options. Something to chew on.
I believe that 55-65% letoff greatly helps eliminate shooter error due to lesser slop in the system, however I do not know where the numbers fall off and go the other way, somewhere in the middle I would imagine. That would be the area where you would then have too much holding weight even though you could safely pull the max draw weight. In technical terms and theory, the lower the letoff is, the less slop in the system, so the shooter error aspect in relation to this would assumably be affected down to 0% provided one could control the max draw weight. (lower letoff would be better no matter what, in other words) Unfortunately most cannot comfortably hold that high of a holding weight, so there has to be a compromise somewhere, I'm thinking anything less than 50% and it would probably go the other way. Without true comparasons I cannot say for sure. (maybe grounds for some new testing!<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>) I do know one thing, 65% is much better for ME than 80%, and I'm looking forward to shooting the 2002 55% option on the new Merlin Supernova when they are released! Good shooting, Pinwheel 12
You may be able to DRAW 70lbs and comfortably hold with 80%, but I highly doubt that you will be as consistent a shooter as you would if you shot a 60lb bow with 65%, simply because 1)You will have much less slop in the system which will help accuracy, and there is basically no need to be drawing 70lbs for anything but the largest of North American game nowadays anyway. 2) You can get just as much speed by utilizing carbon arrows at 60lbs, and enough KE at 60lbs to hunt virtually all game here in the States. Of course, if you want to hunt huge species, you will need heavier draw weights and more KE, but this is called "specialized applications".
Fact-- back in the 80's, more bows were sold in the 60-70 and 70-80 range.(and even some in the 80-100lb range were not all that uncommon!) Nowadays, more bows are sold in the 50-60, and 60-70 range, mostly 50-60. Few companies even offer the 80lb bows anymore, and only a few offer "African poundage" bows in the 100lb range for specialized use. 80% bows were the rage,(and still are to some extent) but manufacturers have quickly also developed 65% mods for them not only for P&Y issues but because they realized the shooter-error input was greater on the 80%. As stated, now some are dropping back to 55% options. Something to chew on.
I believe that 55-65% letoff greatly helps eliminate shooter error due to lesser slop in the system, however I do not know where the numbers fall off and go the other way, somewhere in the middle I would imagine. That would be the area where you would then have too much holding weight even though you could safely pull the max draw weight. In technical terms and theory, the lower the letoff is, the less slop in the system, so the shooter error aspect in relation to this would assumably be affected down to 0% provided one could control the max draw weight. (lower letoff would be better no matter what, in other words) Unfortunately most cannot comfortably hold that high of a holding weight, so there has to be a compromise somewhere, I'm thinking anything less than 50% and it would probably go the other way. Without true comparasons I cannot say for sure. (maybe grounds for some new testing!<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>) I do know one thing, 65% is much better for ME than 80%, and I'm looking forward to shooting the 2002 55% option on the new Merlin Supernova when they are released! Good shooting, Pinwheel 12
02-09-2002, 03:46 PM
#33
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,413
RE: 65% or 80% let off, which do you choose?
Well, you guys have convinced me to consider 65% letoff on my next bow, instead of the 75% I have now. 
I'll have to think about reducing draw weight to 60 from 70 lbs. It's those less than perfect hits, I'm worried about. I'm not sure I want to give up the K.E. when those occur.
I'll have to think about reducing draw weight to 60 from 70 lbs. It's those less than perfect hits, I'm worried about. I'm not sure I want to give up the K.E. when those occur.
02-09-2002, 11:43 PM
#35
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Tennessee USA
Posts: 17
RE: 65% or 80% let off, which do you choose?
I also have a personal opinion on let-off.
I would like to reiterate "Personal".
I feel that, based on my experience, my bout with target panic came on with a bow that had high let-off. I figure I started aiming "too" long.
In the old days 50% let-off was the norm and if you shot a bow with over 60 lbs. of draw weight you were an animal.
Most people I shot with were using bows with 50% let-off and set on about 55 lbs. Also, 28 inch draw seemed to be the average draw length.
Now it is 70 lb bow with 80% letoff and a 30 inch draw, probably an inch or more too long for most people.
Like I said in the beginning, I felt like I was aiming when before I just pointed and seemed to have more control with a lower let-off bow. That is why I went back lower let-off. I was more accurate.
It didnt have anything to do with being able to hold longer to be accurate. It was all about not holding too long for me.
Hope that makes some kind of sense.
I would like to reiterate "Personal".
I feel that, based on my experience, my bout with target panic came on with a bow that had high let-off. I figure I started aiming "too" long.
In the old days 50% let-off was the norm and if you shot a bow with over 60 lbs. of draw weight you were an animal.
Most people I shot with were using bows with 50% let-off and set on about 55 lbs. Also, 28 inch draw seemed to be the average draw length.
Now it is 70 lb bow with 80% letoff and a 30 inch draw, probably an inch or more too long for most people.
Like I said in the beginning, I felt like I was aiming when before I just pointed and seemed to have more control with a lower let-off bow. That is why I went back lower let-off. I was more accurate.
It didnt have anything to do with being able to hold longer to be accurate. It was all about not holding too long for me.
Hope that makes some kind of sense.
02-10-2002, 10:04 PM
#36
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Havana IL USA
Posts: 56
RE: 65% or 80% let off, which do you choose?
Straightarrow,
With todays modern bows at 65% let off and less poundage: the less than perfect hit will be no different than 75% let off. Remember the 65% let off increases stored energy which increases speed slightly. Once you shoot 65% next to 75% you can hardly tell the difference anyway. You will have no trouble even if you just reduce your draw wieght to 65#. One of your best judges of KE is arrow speed. You should always chonograph your set ups and know what speed you are shooting. IMO anything over 280 fps is less forgiving.
With todays modern bows at 65% let off and less poundage: the less than perfect hit will be no different than 75% let off. Remember the 65% let off increases stored energy which increases speed slightly. Once you shoot 65% next to 75% you can hardly tell the difference anyway. You will have no trouble even if you just reduce your draw wieght to 65#. One of your best judges of KE is arrow speed. You should always chonograph your set ups and know what speed you are shooting. IMO anything over 280 fps is less forgiving.
02-10-2002, 10:18 PM
#37
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: calgary alberta canada
Posts: 250
RE: 65% or 80% let off, which do you choose?
Bob, I can completely tell the difference, 65% is far better from my point of veiw, but as for anyone esle that want's to shoot the higher let off, by all mean's, I just won't do it. I picked up a mathew's with low let off and it almost ripped my arm off letting it down. I am an olympic style recurve shooter, and the higher letoff's make me shake like a leaf while aiming on a target. 65% is solid, every movement you make is solid, and the sight window is solid, with small clean circles around the bullseye. I picked up and shot a hoyt tec something a rather at the local range, I beleive it had 80% letoff with 70# draw, It made me shake like a dead leaf, I've picked up other bow's with 65% and after you are at full draw, you get good strong back tension, and everything feel's right, for me anyways. That's my thoughts on the letoff of topic.
Good shooting.
Dylan
>>>>--------o-->
Good shooting.
Dylan
>>>>--------o-->
