tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post2943672142717955214..comments2024-03-18T11:38:13.384-02:30Comments on Elfshot: Beothuk Bows - Finished!Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11473674521424237610noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-69100874186648727852013-10-13T10:04:02.326-02:302013-10-13T10:04:02.326-02:30The studies of draw weights for Native American bo...The studies of draw weights for Native American bows come primarily from the field of experimental archaeology and lots of experimentation and bow building by archers and bowyers who may not be professional archaeologists themselves. The tricky part of it is that archaeological specimens are not suitable for stringing and drawing themselves, so we have to rely entirely on reproductions based on careful examination of original artifacts. The impression that I get is that on average, most bows were on the low end of the draw weight range, 30-45lbs is a range that I hear tossed around. Other bow builders can get 60-80lb bows out of the same wood and same dimensions, but I don't know if that was ever the norm.<br /><br />You make very good points about draw weight and accuracy. Someday I want to try these bows again with a high draw weight as the goal rather than something safe for a display case. There were a few places along this build where I made safe choices rather than try for higher draw weights. I would take the 20-25lb draws on these bows as the absolute minimum on a range extending upward.<br /><br />Here's a pretty cool clip of an experiment with a 40lb bow and small stone points:<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LsqrlaIef2o<br />Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11473674521424237610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-24089533610506219232013-10-13T01:37:41.816-02:302013-10-13T01:37:41.816-02:30Neat project. I'm curious, though: Has any stu...Neat project. I'm curious, though: Has any study work been done on draw weights for various Native American bows? I ask because I was a competitive archer ("instinctive" and "field archery"-- none of that fancy hi-tech crap punching holes repeatedly in some perfectly-spaced target face) and used a 40#. It would have been too light for hunting where a 50-60# would have been the right weight. Too light a weight would have reduced accuracy because you'd have to increase angle; a heavier weight allows you to aim dead-on (more or less) and eliminates a certain amount of guess work.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-15192798364946135312013-10-11T15:22:32.489-02:302013-10-11T15:22:32.489-02:30Correction: There are two holes, not one, in our d...Correction: There are two holes, not one, in our dining room wall from bow/string mishaps.LoriWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04450142685082437734noreply@blogger.com