Ashford wrote: I can be found scaring fish with a fly rod, startling elk with my clumsy hunting; or walking past pheasants with shotgun in hand.

Hahahaha! Great line 😆

I’m about on par with you I think, so I’ll let others with more experience reply. A good piece of guidance I have read somewhere is that when beginning you should select a weight you can pull 10 times without fatiguing, so you give yourself the opportunity to practice without tiring quickly.

I’m sure you’ll get some great advice here 🙂

Most people get a bow that is too heavy for them to start with, myself included. It is better to start light and move up in weight as you have already surmised. Most strapping young men can handle 45 lbs easily, and so that is a popular starting weight.

And as you thoughtfully figured out, increasing weight by too much is a bad thing. 5 lbs is a pretty good increment and you will really feel it. 10 lbs is too much to increase imho.

And you really don’t need to get above 55lbs to hunt most anything that edible. So a 3 bow series is probably all you will need to go through.

That said, now that you are joining the toxophilite ranks, you may be bitten with the “got-to-have-another” bow disease. Traditional bow’s are so full of spirit, craftsmanship, and basic human joy that you may just have to have another, and another, and another…

And then of course, there is the joy of making bows too.

The good news is that used bows can be had pretty cheaply. Look around your area, and you will probably find a trad store with used bows.

Everybody is different I think.

I can only speak from my experience. I consider myself a pretty strong guy. I’m in the gym 4-5 times a week and used to do competition bench press.

I started out at 50lbs. My second bow was 55lbs and now I’m at 57lbs. I don’t see a need to ever go higher than that.

I will say, there is a massive difference between 50lbs and 57lbs. Those bows are night and day by comparison.

living in Co and the age you are .I would buy 50 to 55# and shoot like crazy have a great time and never look back. My 1st bow was 61# too heavy – bad habits arm injuries on and on . I am 55 and a bow aholic oh crap wrong topic – I am 55 – all my bows are 50 to 55 and I think that will be all you will need the rest of your days,elk, deer, bear, grouse, sheep, goats , moose. Good luck

My opinion . Go with 50# . It’s plenty for what needs done .Like some one else said ” shootin’ should be a pleasure’. If your straining it ain’t gonna work out .