Recurve draw weight for deer?

Hello. I have hunted/taken deer with a crossbow and compound. I am going to buy a recurve and use it. What draw weight bow is sufficient for taking a whitetail buck? Not the lightest or the heaviest. Can I use my carbon arrows from my compound? Thank you for your time.

50 lbs is plenty...and I use the correct spine weight ,Cedar Arrows....And Zwickey broadheads

I've taken a lot of deer with 45pd recurves. Sharp fixed blade head and a heavy arrow will get it done. Just keep your shots as close as possible and practice a lot. You can use your carbon arrows but I would suggest adding weight to them, lots of ways to do that. Good luck

I believe a minimum of 45 is required by law here in NE

It’s extremely important to use the correct arrow spine and broad head weight. It’s kinetic energy that’s most important no matter what bow or crossbow you use not the arrow speed or poundage. Ted Nugent uses a 50# pound draw weight bow. I believe in VT our minimum is 45# bow draw weight.

Shooting a lighter draw weight will help to ensure good consistent form. Genealogy guideline for arrow weight is 10 grains for every pound of draw weight.

I kilt my first 20 deer with a 45# recurve

45# is plenty.

Have fun.

With a recurve bow you really can't just go by the draw weight marked on the bow. I believe most recurves poundage is based on drawing a 28 inch arrow and may even be marked for draw length and poundage. When I shot my recurve regularly that is marked as a 45lb pound bow with 28 inch arrow. I was shooting 31 inch long arrows, which was my draw length. That means I was actually always over drawing the bow. With a scale on that bow and drawing it to the point I was drawing it. I was actually shooting it a 52 lbs. Part of being able to shoot accurately with a stick bow of any type is drawing it consistently to the same draw length for every shot. Here in WI bows used to hunt deer had to be minimum of 35lbs I believe? I haven't kept up with it so don't know if that has changed. You do need to look at what your state may require for poundage. I personally believe accuracy is more important than poundage so shoot what you can accurately shoot that is legal. Keep your shots at reasonable ranges and on target. It's best to scale a your bow to your draw length. Over draw you maybe shooting heavier than marked. Under draw and you maybe shooting less that the bow is marked.
But it doesn't matter if your talking bows, sling shot, guns, or cannons. There is always the go big or go home crowd needs to shoot crap out of everything..

Mac

Bows are marked for 28" draw, arrow is typically about 1 1/2 more than draw length.

You will usually see them marked like this: 45# @28".

I just went to full length arrows (31") to shorten my gap but previous was at 29 1/2 arrows with my 27 1/2 draw.

Carbon arrows work well from a recurve, as long as they are spined correctly for your setup.
You can add weight to the front of the arrow by using brass inserts instead of the standard aluminum ones.
Feather fletching with helical twist, either right or left hand.
Cut on contact broadhead.
I always use Bohning nocks to replace the usual brand name that come with carbon shafts.
I would suggest starting with the minimum weight required by state regulations for your draw weight. Big difference between shooting a compound and shooting a traditional bow.
Go to the Three Rivers Archery website and search, or call them with any questions. They are very knowledgeable.
Practice............a lot.

Like noted above...all bows are marked....57 pounds at 28 inch draw lenght

Not true. Usually yes, but I have a Saxon Selkirk made by Randy Dahnel that is marked 71# @ 30” I also have a green “Grayling” Bear Archery Grizzly that is marked “Amo—-56” and below that 60#

The advice on leather wall is spot on. The forum is sponsored by 3Rivers Archery they have very knowledgeable people on staff. If you’re arrows for your compound fly good from your new recurve it will be a happy coincidence. They probably won’t!! Especially if your compound’s arrows have plastic vanes. If you match the spine weight an point weight and length of your arrows to your bow and your shooting style, arrow flight should be nearly as good as a well tuned compound. If you’re arrows are fishtailing or bucking, you ain’t there yet. If they spin like a drill and almost dissapear in flight ya got it. This is critical to developing good accuracy and is important to good penetration as well. Good luck with your new path.

50 years ago, a very popular recurve with us teenagers was the 45 lb Bear Grizzly. When I finally saved enough to get one, there wasn't one to be had anywhere in La Crosse, so I ended buying a 45 lb Browning Nomad Stalker, which stands 4-6" shorter than the Grizzly, but a nice recurve nonetheless. Still have it.

I have a 45# Bear Grizzly that my 3 younger brothers bought for me when I came home from Nam in 71. I have never been a good bowman or bow hunter. When I retired in 2006 I brought the bow out to practice and practiced 2-3 nights per week but never got what I felt good enough to be ethical to be in the woods shooting at game. I have been pondering a crossbow as I have shot a couple a few times and found them to be very accurate, but I will not part with my Bear Bow as it has a lot of memories and importance for me.

Bryce

AMO Is the string length code, then I believe the 60# is at an assumed 28" draw. Is that correct cmcf?

me too

Yep..Pass Thru at 50 yards at 50 lbs..

TurkeyTime,
When ready, if you purchase a take down recurve and decide at a later date that you would like to try shooting more weight you could always order another set of limbs. Example, buy a 45lb bow, that will be 45lbs at 28" draw. All AMO measurements are at 28". The numbers you are seeing here are custom made bows. They may vary from AMO. Most good recurves will increase in pull weight 3lb for every inch past 28". So a 45lb draw bow would likely be 48lb @29", and 52lb@ 30", etc. Some bows "stack" and may not show a linear draw weight curve.
I believe there are traditional used bow websites if you wanted to become familiar with the makes and models.

3 Togo is correct... your production bows will be measured at 28'', custom bows will vary because you can order them at what ever you want. I have a black widow that's 53# @29'' I have a custom longbow that I ordered 47# at @28''. I would highly recommend not going over 50# and 45# would probably be better. too heavy and your form will suffer.easier to learn the right way than to unlearn the wrong way...whatever you get practice,practice,practice. if your only comfortable to 15 yards so be it, don't feel handicapped cause you could shoot you compound at 40.. I will guarantee when your out there this fall and you've practiced a bunch and that deer comes down the trail and gives you that broadside at 10 or 12 yards and you feel the grace and simplicity of the limbs flex and see that arrow disappear exactly where you were looking you'll wonder why you didn't do this a long time ago! good luck this fall and don't forget to post some pics when it all comes together!

Traditional Bows ...put the ARCH....back in Archery. When your looking for another bow...after the recurve....you can get your self a Yew Selfbow....and have more fun ! Had this one custom made in 2000... still in love !

I see no one said what the weight of broad head to be used with the 45 lbs recuve 28" arrow. I was wonder about that .

Coydog2 brought up a good point. Broadhead/fieldpoint weight. This is how you “tune” a traditional bow. I’d suggest ordering a test kit from someone such as 3 rivers. This will come with several different weight heads, and you will then judge arrow flight, arrow impacts from a bare shaft to see what your bow likes. There is no reason in the world to do this step, until your form is spot on.

For example. I’m shooting a 50# @ 28” Bodnik Slick Stick, I’m pulling 29.5”, shooting 31” Easton XX75 2016s, with 175gr up front.

A 45@28 I’d be running a 170+ up front if it was me.

I have two different arrow setups for my 65 lb. longbow. The first is a 2419 aluminum, 34.5 inches long with 250 grains up front. Total arrow weight about 820 grains. The second is an 80-85 spine doug fir shaft, 32 inches long, self nock, and an approx. 200 grain sharp rocks up front. Both arrows kill stuff just fine.

Doesn't matter. Shoot whatever weight broadhead that shoots best. Likely won't be a nickels worth of difference in flight between weights. Studies show that penetration increases when the weight is forward in the arrow, ie more weight at the tip than at the rear of the arrow. I've shot 125 gr to well over 200 grains without noticeable difference. What is interesting about that, is that I can shoot them all at the same target and notice no difference in impact. Maybe because I use heavy arrows anyway. Made many hundreds of thousands of Douglas fir and larch arrows when I was in the biz.

Would it matter on the weight of the broad head for the impact on the animal beside shot placement ?

More weight up front helps penetration. 125gr broadheads are easy to find, not special. If you want more weight up front, like I said, you can use a brass insert, they come in different weights. With that said, my Predator shoots 2016's with that weight head really well. But the bow will shoot 2018's and 2020's (if you can find them.) It also shoots cedars well, and carbon arrows. Aluminums are cheap for starting practice. I run 5" feathers on all arrow sizes. And also like previously noted, any good cut on contact head will work with lower draw weights. I've used Steel Force for years with good success, even out of a compound. There are also many good cut on contact replaceable blade heads if you don't want to try to sharpen your own. G5 makes one, NAP, etc. There's a bunch.
I think going the moderate route weight wise is a good choice. Anywhere in the 8 to 9gr per inch range. The bow will shoot quieter and you will achieve adequate penetration. Just attempt to shoot at non alert deer unless they are less than 10yds.

Zwickeys ...fly just fine...I put them on the same shafts as my field points...

Thank you for explain better for me to understand and you help to what I was thinking about more weight on the broadheads.