Something I have been thinking of lately, if I draw around 70#, usually 1 or 2 #'s heavier if I can crank the limbs down enough, what would be the advantage, if any, of getting a bow with 80# limbs and shooting on the low side then getting a bow with 70# limbs and shooting with everything cranked down tight. Would there be any difference in the feel of 72# pull on a bow with 70 or 80# limbs? I would love an 80# bow just so I could crank it up all the way one day if I wanted to. I'm in the market for a new bow fyi, this is why this came to mind just recently. What is your opinion or experience with 80# bows?

Don't need an 80lb bow anymore with todays technology.

X2. PLus, I imagine it might be hard to resale.

I agree and I would doubt that I hunt with a weight close to 80lbs, but look at it hypothetically... What would the difference be, same draw weight, 70 vs 80 lb bows...

I was told bows perform better when they are set at the high end of their weight range. I don't recognize any difference in a 10 pd range bow, but maybe some of the bows that run 20-30 lb ranges it would affect. Not sure.

A bow cranked down to or close to maximum is SUPPOSED to be more quiet. That's what I have read....

Ahh ok, that makes sense to me. Ok, next question, does 72lbs on a 80# bow pull the same as 72lbs on a 70# bow?

Would that be like whether a pound of sand weighs as much as a pound of goose down feathers?

Well does it?

72# should be 72# no matter what it is coming off of. I'm agree. Just wondering if anybody had actually "researched" it...

As long as it doesn't change the draw length (which changes the draw force curve), then yes. Most likely you won't notice.

A bow will be more efficient, quieter and faster cranked all the way down to 72# vs. backed down to 72#.

I used to shoot a 80 lb bow set to right at 80 lbs, but I grew older and wiser. I now shoot about 61 lbs. Deer wind up just as dead....Maybe deader.

I would go 100 lber

The weight range on my old PSE Fireflight that I bought new in 1989ish is 75-85 or 75-95. I can't remember what the sticker on the lower limb says, but I ordered it that heavy. I shot 90lbs for a long time. I was young and cockstrong back then. Even at 90lbs the limbs were nowhere near bottomed out. A buddy of mine and I were shooting one day in Boaz and we cranked it down as far as it would go and drove to a bow shop that use to be on 168 in Boaz. It was pulling 115 or 125lbs, I can't remember which. I pulled it back once at that weight, but I was scared to shoot it. They DON'T make 'em like that anymore, thankfully. Although, that's one tough son of a gun. I've probably shot that bow 50,000 times or more. After I quit deer hunting with it, I retired it to bowfishing. With the limbs backed out as far as I feel comfortable, it's still shooting about 60lbs. The only problem I ever had with that bow was a teardrop came off the cable during a bowfishing tournament one night.

Even at 90lbs, with an overdraw I think I was shooting around 240 fps. Faster than the speed of smell, but not near as fast as my Hoyt at 65lbs.

had a Bowtech rep tell me that efficiency of a maxed out bow is better than a backed out bow and I tend to agree. think about it. If your limbs are torqued down to a max they will have more of a load on them than a bow with heavier limbs backed out even if the cams are pulling the same weight.

Like others have said, you dont need an 80lb bow. why pull 80 pounds when you can buy a bowtech, pse, or other binary cam bow that will perform much better at 60-65lbs.

My 61lb insanity will shoot the same as your 80lbs mathews safari edition.

Choiceguy, that's great advice from all.

I'm kinda like you... I can snatch a 70 lb bow back without a problem and "hold it"... so I wish they made a 75 lb bow b/c if I could get more speed and KE with the extra 5 lbs and still experienced what a 70 lb gives you in quietness and other attributes, I'd do it. 75 lbs would be my max but I do NOT fault a guy for taking advantage of higher lbs IF he can realize some advantages.

I agree. Like everybody else in this forum, I know it's not all about speed. But man isn't it fun to shoot 1 pin out to 35 or 40 yards if you can! I love to shoot and I have a lot more fun when those arrows slam that bag without any drop from a longer distance. The question I asked was nothing more than food for thought, what was the difference in performance in a bow with the same draw weight on different limbs. I think the general consensus was take the lower poundage limbs and crank them down all the way, and that's what I did. I got 72# out of 70 # limbs and it's just about the right pull. Thanks for all the input!

I'm a question asker too. I ask questions many times to validate what I already think or analyze the answers if they differ from my opinion. I don't accept just because.

I have to admit.... I love speed!!!! And I'd pull 75 or 80 lbs if they were more common to find. It's all relative in poundage!

Bear makes a bow that will pull out to 80 I think.