100lb Compound
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: XbowfromNY
29-Aug-19
Over the last many years, here and there, I have heard stories of guys who get custom limbs put on compound bows that allow 100+lb. draw weights. My 3 questions are- 1. Who here has shot one or seen one shot? 2. What are the shooting speed specs out of these types of bows? 3. What was the purpose of this heavy draw weight- hunting, target, or just fun? I am simply curious, not trying to have one built. Thanks.
From: x-man
29-Aug-19
There are some limb weight minimums for Africa dangerous game. I believe most of these bows are built for that purpose only. Speed is not any more than what we have now because the arrows for these bows are extremely heavy.
From: Supernaut
29-Aug-19
I can remember when I was in high school probably around 1987 or 1988 there was a compound ( I think it was a Quadraflex?) that was 110 lb. pull. There was a sporting goods store in the area that had a promotion at the local mall and they had one of these bows and a contest to win it, whoever could pull it back the most times in a row got it. I had a friend on my wrestling team that was an unreal strong farm boy and we went up to the mall with him, he entered and won....by a lot. We shot together all the time and that boy totally blew up on him at full draw about 6 months after he won it. It was a sight to see and a sound to hear when she let go, he actually ended up with stitches in his forearm from something that flew off the bow when it blew. I never shot the bow, I wrestled lightweight LOL.
From: SaltyB
29-Aug-19
I worked at an archery shop that ordered in a Mathews safari for a guy. It drew just over 115lbs on our scale. I shot it a few times to set it up. It shot pretty decent really. I couldn't shoot leagues with the thing but it drew smooth enough I would've felt good about going in the feild with it.
From: GF
29-Aug-19
Not shocking! Unless we was using fishing arrows, he was probably shooting about 3.5 GPP....
From: Shug
29-Aug-19
I think at the Anderson Archery clinic years back they had a 150-170# bow that someone drew for a contest. Not 100% sure
From: XbowfromNY
29-Aug-19
Thanks guys. Keep it coming. I believe PSE in Arizona custom made 100lb+ limbs.
From: DadOfTwins
29-Aug-19
That sounds like work, I'll stick with my HTR at 46 lbs shooting 246FPS!
From: Az Rancher
29-Aug-19
Jennings had a bow that was called the elephant bow that was pushing 100.
From: StickFlicker
29-Aug-19
Those bows are made for guys that want to have their shoulders rebuilt when they get older...
From: Shug
29-Aug-19
From: StickFlicker
29-Aug-19
A happy Mark Stretton on August 16, 2004...
A happy Mark Stretton on August 16, 2004...
A happy Mark Stretton on August 16, 2004...
From: Bowboy
29-Aug-19
I knew of a guy here in WY who use to shoot 110lb PSE Jet flight Express this was the late 80's. He had arms the size of most people's legs. There no need today IMO!
From: fubar racin
29-Aug-19
I hear a lot about heavy bows destroying your shoulders seems like every guy that turns wrenches for a living should be retiring to a desk by year 2
From: Boris
29-Aug-19
Guys shot them back in the early days of the IBO and ASA. to get flatter arrow flite. I know of guys that did that, an they blow out their shoulders. Now they can not pull a bow at all.
From: GF
29-Aug-19
And Martin Archery used to make the Warthog...
From: ESP
29-Aug-19
I shot a 110 lb bow in the mid 90’s. PSE made it for Lou F. The old Incredible Hulk. I was in my early 20’s and power lifting. Now at the age of 42 I’ve had both shoulders operated on and shoot a 51 lb. recurve
From: Boreal
29-Aug-19
I have a 100 lb PSE Big 5 that was built for me in their custom shop. I had it built in the early 2000s for a planned cape buffalo hunt. The hunt never happened due to some family issues but I still have the bow and shoot it a couple times a year. I last hunted with it and killed a doe in September 2017. The last time I shot it was early July. My arrows are Carbon Force Black Mambas with weight tubes weighing in right about 800 grains.
From: Boris
29-Aug-19
Guys would use 2440 for hunting Africa
From: Scar Finga
29-Aug-19
I knew a huge monster of a guy in California in the early nineties that shot a 95lb recurve all the time! I don't remember his name, but this guy was huge and an avid traditionalist! I would guess he was 6'5" and close to 250-280lbs of solid muscle! he was not a body builder type, just very big and strong! He pulled that bow like he was shooting a 40lb recurve, and could hold it for a long time at full draw! I think he was a freak on nature! It must have made an impact on me as I still remember his face to this day!
From: JSW
29-Aug-19
My second compound was a Browning Explorer 2 with 85# limbs. My next bow was a Golden Eagle that I shot at 96#, until a deer walked by one cold morning and I couldn't pull it back. It was all about ego. I could shoot it so why not. In the early 80's in Kansas someone had a bow that would go about 150# and guys would compete at the end of bow shoots to see who could pull the highest weight. I helped Ironbow, Todd, build a bow with iron leaf springs for limbs to give him something to work out with. I watched him shoot it at about 130#, once. Todd is not a big guy but he could shoot a very heavy bow. Now I shoot a 52# recurve. I expect a 70# bow today has as much energy as a 100# bow 35 years ago. My how times have changed.
From: Rgiesey
29-Aug-19
I hunted with Larry Pilon in Ontario in the 90s. He shot a115 lb Oneida eagle. He was a very good moose caller but thought he needed more weight to get though the shoulder. We shot some moose with our recurves and then I think he got a predator.
From: Burly
29-Aug-19
Back in my earlier years I shot a Pearson Spoiler cam model that was 100# and a Golden Eagle Hawk that was 90#. I shot the GE with fingers and the Pearson with a release. 2317 and 2419 arrows tipped with 130 muzzys. Like what has been said earlier, that's probably why I've had shoulder surgeries on both of my shoulders. Hine sight It wasn't very smart.
From: hawkeye in PA
29-Aug-19
Use to shoot with a guy that shot 90 to 100 pound compounds. He always had a identical spare in the trunk. He was a excellent shot, just never new when the bow would fail.
From: lamb
29-Aug-19
had a couple of Jennings elephant bows[105lbs] a long long time ago. I shot 2419 arrows out it
denton hill pulled mike fedoras 150 lb bow to anchor. still shoot my 90 lb ilf limbs jim belcher made me a couple of years ago keep dreaming of cape buffalo someday
From: HUNT MAN
29-Aug-19
Deerslayer shoots 90 pounds . Lots of Energy that’s for sure plus he can shoot anything at any angle.
From: Shawn
30-Aug-19
I shot 95#s for a few years in the early 90's several different bows. PSE Fireflite was one of them. Finally blew it up shooting too light of an arrow. Shawn
From: Mad Trapper
30-Aug-19
I know a guy who was pulling 110. He handed me the bow and I couldn’t get the cams to break over! I believe this guy took all four na sheep with that bow in one year...I think that he is now pulling a lower poundage now though.
From: jstephens61
30-Aug-19
Drop extended rockers under the limbs of a older 80# Hoyt and you have a 100# bow. Used to do it all the time. I shot 93# with a 2317 and 200 grain Snuffer. Slow as hell but hit like a sledgehammer.
From: GF
30-Aug-19
And just a quick thing...
You guys DO realize that while it’s a tricky thing to build a #100 Compound, there have probably been more longbows built OVER #100 than under, historically. The English War Bows routinely ran over that... bows salvaged from the Mary Rose tested at between about #115-#185.
And foot bows can run over a couple hundred pounds... the Turks were doing that way back, IIRC.
Not saying that the English bowmen weren’t Thick Boys, but they weren’t Giants, they just built up to it from an early age.
Nowadays we think of that as requiring a freakishly strong man to draw >#100, but slender women can do it if they have good technique...
From: GF
31-Aug-19
If you had any sense, you’d be skeered spitless!
No videos; just the word of a world-record-holding flight shooter who has seen it all.
From: r-man
01-Sep-19
I shot a 90Lb bow for 8yrs , I am 6'2" , while in my prime 25 yrs ago it was nothing , and 80Lbs felt light . I drew 31.5" , never had an arrow not pass through at any angle I hit a deer . I gave it to a family member in 2008, he said thanks . I had next to no arrow drop under 25yrds. shot 4bld 1.5" heads . It was a SOB to pull in January .
