Hunting and Fishing in NJ - A forum for NJ Hunters and NJ Anglers

You sure can

yes,
you might want to crank down the poundage and resight for the summer... target bows are a lot less draw weight, so they can shoot many arrows without getting tired..

i would shoot around 40 lbs for target if it were me..no need for 70 like most hunt with

JerseyJaysTaxidermy wrote:yes,
you might want to crank down the poundage and resight for the summer... target bows are a lot less draw weight, so they can shoot many arrows without getting tired..

i would shoot around 40 lbs for target if it were me..no need for 70 like most hunt with

In addition to less fatigue, a lighter bow will produce less vibration for a given amount of force applied. This translates to higher repeatability (less change in arrow flight from shot to shot).

Keep in mind your bows range - it is designed to shoot within that range... lower than that can actually increase vibration... not good.

On the down side, less force means lower arrow velocity for a given arrow mass (weight)...

What this means for you:

If you decide to lower your bow poundage you may want to use lighter arrows so they travel just as fast - and therefore just as "flat" (less drop per distance)... Make sure to check the spine weight charts if you do this. Don't want to hurt yourself or your setup.

If you just want to do it for fun, and if there is nothing in the regs against shooting at your draw weight - keep it the same as not to mess up your sighting for hunting season (when things count )

If you really want to get serious about target shooting, consider dropping your bow to its lowest rating and switching to lighter arrows. Even better than this would be to buy a target bow...

YMMV.

Let us know how / what you're doing! Sounds like fun