How to Choose a Draw Weight for Bows

One of the most important decisions a new archer will make is what draw weight they'll get.

​In this article we'll break down why draw weight matters and how to choose the right one for you!

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Why The Right Draw Weight Matters

The biggest mistake archers make, especially when they’re new to the sport, is using a draw weight that’s too heavy.

They get wrapped up in this ego trap about being able to shoot a heavy draw weight and don’t have the patience to build up their draw weight…

So they go too heavy from the get go.

Once this happens, it immediately leads to bad shooting form and inconsistent accuracy.

To consistently shoot accurately, you have to be shooting a draw weight that you’re strong enough to handle.

So how do you choose the right draw weight?

What Are You Using Your Bow For?

First and foremost you have to look at what you want to use your bow for.

Are you just shooting target archery for fun?

Are you going to enter archery tournaments?

Or maybe you want to go hunting with your bow?

All of those scenarios have different draw weights you want to go with.

If you’re just getting a bow as a fun hobby and aren’t concerned about shooting competitively, then you don’t need a very heavy bow.

Depending on your body type, you can get away with something as low as 15 or 20 pounds without a problem.

If you want to start shooting archery competitively, then you’ll likely have to go up in draw weight to something in the 30 pound range…

Again, that range depends on your body type & build.

Lastly, for all of the hunters out there, you need to check with your local hunting regulations to see if there’s a minimum draw weight to be able to legally hunt.

In most states in the US there’s a minimum draw weight in the 40 pound range.

How Much Archery Experience Do You Have?

Another factor to consider is your archery experience.

If you’ve never picked up a bow before, you’ll want to start on the lower end of draw weight.

This will help you to maintain proper form as you build up the muscles you need for archery.

If you’re a more experienced archer looking to increase your draw weight, then you’ll have a little more wiggle room on this…

But make sure to keep an eye on your form as you start shooting at a higher draw weight…

You don’t want to start picking up bad habits, just because you’re shooting heavier.

What Type Of Bow Are You Using?

Another important distinction is whether you’re shooting a compound bow or a recurve bow

The biggest advantage of shooting a compound bow is something called ‘let off’.

This is where the weight you have to hold back at full draw is less than the maximum weight during the draw cycle.

Every compound has a different percentage of let off, but an average amount is around 75%.

So that means if you’re shooting a 60 pound draw weight at full draw you’ll only be holding back 9 pounds.

So what does that mean when you’re choosing a draw weight?

It means you can shoot a much higher draw weight, with proper form, on a compound than a recurve.

For example, when I got my first recurve, I went from a 70 pound compound to a 35 pound recurve…

And even with that big of a drop, that first month I’d still get tired after 10 or so shots.

Related: Best Compound Bow for Beginners

How To Choose The Right Recurve Draw Weight

If you’ve never shot a recurve bow before, you’re going to want to start low and build your way up.

Start with something between 15 & 30 pounds.

One of the nice things about recurves these days is that most of them are takedown recurves, meaning the limbs come off the riser…

So you can start at a certain draw weight & then buy stronger limbs later to have a much higher draw weight once you’ve got your form dialed in.

With recurves the most weight you’ll ever need is around 55 pounds and that’s if you’re a serious bowhunter chasing the biggest animals on the planet.

For the average archer, going over 30 pounds would be overkill.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

What poundage do Olympic archers use?

On average, between 40 and 50 pounds is a standard draw weight for Olympic archers

Is a 50lb bow hard to draw?

For most people, especially beginners, a 50 pound draw weight on a recurve is going to be too much to start with.

For men with a compound bow, 50 pounds can be a reasonable starting point, but you have to pay attention when you’re out shooting to make sure you aren’t losing consistency from having too heavy of a draw weight.

What draw weight should my bow be?

​If you’re just starting out and a complete beginner, a good starting point would be in the 25-40 pound range.

This helps you learn correct form without too much strain.

The number one problem new archers have is picking too heavy of a draw weight to start with leading to inconsistent shots.

When you’re new this is extra discouraging and is the main reason most people don’t stick with archery for longer.