Author Topic: Lighter bow for cold weather?  (Read 4420 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Black Moshannon

  • Guest
Lighter bow for cold weather?
« on: January 11, 2022, 05:47:37 pm »
Is it just my poor shooting or does the cold make shooting harder? I just got out of the woods. Didn’t see any deer which is a good thing cause I shot at a hay bale with my numb hands and the first shot was absolute trash. I felt like I was struggling with the bow. Maybe I’ll take a lighter like 45-50 pound bow out in the cold so it’s easier

Offline WhistlingBadger

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,576
  • Future Expert
Re: Lighter bow for cold weather?
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2022, 06:07:50 pm »
Extreme cold can add some weight to a bow; how much depends on how cold it is, and probably on the specific bow.  I have a devil of a time getting a clean release with numb fingers.  Try getting some convertable/flap mittens.  That's about the only thing that will work for me when it's really cold.
Thomas
Lander, Wyoming
"The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail.
Travel too fast, and you miss all you are traveling for."
~Louis L'Amour

Offline Pappy

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 31,712
  • if you have to ask you wouldn't understand ,Tenn.
Re: Lighter bow for cold weather?
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2022, 06:11:29 pm »
Ya you muscles get cold and stiff and the bow feels heaver, it is a struggle to shoot after a long cold set in the woods. Doing some calisthenics and drawing your bow once in a while can and as you said a lighter bow couldn’t hurt. Pappy 
« Last Edit: May 19, 2022, 08:11:21 am by Pappy »
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Black Moshannon

  • Guest
Re: Lighter bow for cold weather?
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2022, 09:28:47 am »
I will have to get those mittens I saw them at Ollie’s. I should try moving around and drawing my bow some too. This morning two deer came up twenty yards they were upwind but I had another downwind snorting and blowing just after it was light enough to see so the other deer were alerted. I just raised my bow and waited but they never came any closer and twenty yards is way too far and with how frozen my hands were it seemed like a 100 yard shot.

Offline Strelets

  • Member
  • Posts: 93
Re: Lighter bow for cold weather?
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2022, 09:19:24 am »
Cold very definitely increases the draw weight of a wooden bow, and yew is much more prone to this than hardwoods. See this previous thread:

https://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,67204.msg945765.html#msg945765

I have summer and winter bows for this reason. To make matters worse, muscles get weaker in the cold while the bow is getting stronger.


Offline bradsmith2010

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,187
Re: Lighter bow for cold weather?
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2022, 03:10:13 pm »
I think its a good Idea,,
also practice your first shot at home too,,
sometimes I draw my bow during hunting if I getting to stiff,,

Black Moshannon

  • Guest
Re: Lighter bow for cold weather?
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2022, 10:22:03 pm »
I was shooting way too heavy at 55-60 pounds. I reduced most of my bows to fifty and under with added benefit of re working some of them and adding reflex. I found 45-48 pounds seems like the sweet spot. No need to struggle anymore

Offline bradsmith2010

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,187
Re: Lighter bow for cold weather?
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2022, 02:41:34 pm »
sounds good,, sometimes its hard to re work a bow,, but a good idea