Is it just me, or do fantasy literature and "historical" film give the impression that the bow is the ideal weapon for women, delicate elves and effete men? Think of a battle-axe, war-hammer or broadsword, and you probably imagine them in the hands of some big, burly male warrior; think of a bow and, apart from Robin Hood, you probably think of elves and heroines from fantasy films. But in reality it is the exact reverse. A war bow required incredible strength to pull. These were not recreational toys. If they were to cause any real damage from a distance and pierce armour, they needed to pull more than 75 ibs. This was not a weapon suited to effete, delicate creatures. Wielding a blade effectively required less strength than pulling such a bow. So, it does irk me somewhat that the bow is thought of as the weapon for slender pretty boys, not least because I am not one.
That being said, there is today the other extreme. Tell people about the kind of poundage war bows had, and suddenly the attitude (at least amongst men) is that the higher the poundage the better. I find this irritating because there is really no need for war bows anymore. If you are bow hunting, then you need a bow that pulls at least 40 ibs (and arrows suited to such a pursuit). That aside, unless you are taking part in flight archery competitions, I see little point in having a bow that exceeds 50 ibs.
What's more, I have noticed archers who are proud to have a bow that pulls 50 ibs or more, yet they never manage to pull it to full draw. In other words, they are not actually pulling the draw weight of their bow, as the draw weight is measured according to the draw length (usually 28 inches). So what is the point of bragging about having a 50 ib bow when you are only pulling 40?
If you want to shoot far or penetrate anything of value, it is not a powerful bow you should be concerned with, but acquiring the strength to pull it.
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