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SideWinderSyd t1_ixty8ra wrote

Reply to comment by Fat_IRL in ELI5: How are archers “efficient” in combat? by Environmental_Point3

In ELI5 terms, does a draw weight of 50 lbs mean I need to be able to lift up a 50 lbs bag of sand with one hand?

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Fat_IRL t1_ixu4oej wrote

No. Not in the way you're probably thinking. Drawing a bow (correctly) is almost all in the back muscles. Or really they ARE muscles that control your arm, but they are located in your back. In theory. But unless you're an Olympian or have impeccable technique or something like that, your arm is gonna be involved.

Kinda like how a pull-up isn't an arm exercise, it's really your back muscles moving your arms.

If you're using a modern bow and don't know what you're doing, it's gonna be difficult now matter how strong you are, or what the weight is. 50 pound draw and your first time? Its gonna suck. But 12 year olds can hand a 50 pound draw on aodrrnn bow if they know what they're doing.

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SideWinderSyd t1_ixuxds3 wrote

Thanks for the insight - TIL!

Drawing a bow sounds pretty impressive! And now I realise why I wasn't able to do pull-ups as a kid.

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StatusBattle9300 t1_ixws4g7 wrote

Professional archer here; no 12 year old can pull a 50lb draw, especially any recurve or longbow format. Re. compound bows, maybe if they were abnormally strong they could get to the let off point just once where the cams drop the weight down to 8lbs, but I doubt it. They’d have to pull 50lbs many inches to get there. Most 12 year olds will start on 14-18lb bows and by the time they’re full adults age they’d be pulling 54lbs ish if they were really fit, had great technique and a decent enough amount of muscle. I shoot every day and pull 56lbs, by the end of sessions I’m absolutely shattered.

Apart from that nitpick, really good explanation of the muscle use.

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