The draw weight marked on the bow differs from what the archer actually pulls at their own draw length

The summary today

The two studies that measured it seem to contradict each other, and in fact they describe the same rule: the marked figure holds at the reference draw length, and drifts away from it the more the archer's draw length differs. In 49 university beginners, with the figure referred to 26 inches, the women pulled 21.24 lb against the 26.18 marked and the men 30.55 against 33.52, a significant difference in both cases; in the women, moreover, the marked figure said almost nothing about the actual draw weight (r 0.039), in the men a good deal more (r 0.851). In six Japanese university archers drawing between 27.5 and 29 inches, that is around the reference, the measured draw weight was 36.5 lb against the 36 stated. The same paper shows that the reference itself depends on the maker: one brand measured at 28 inches from the back of the bow, the other at 26 from the pivot point of the grip, two conventions that match only because the pivot and the back are about two inches apart. A machine test from 2025 confirms the favourable case: 52 lb limbs measured at 28 inches give 231 newtons, about 52 lb. Under the registry's rules the studies on archers point in opposite directions and the status is contested; what is missing is a measurement on archers of different levels saying by how much, on average, reading the marked figure leads you astray.

Also phrased as: "the pounds marked on the limbs"; "draw weight at 28 inches"; "actual versus marked draw weight"; "how much am I really pulling"

Evidence

• 1967
  For Archers Published later

  49 university beginners, 28 women and 21 men, with draw weight measured by tensiometer at each one's draw length and compared with the marked figure, referred to 26 inches: women 21.24 against 26.18 lb (t 5.28), men 30.55 against 33.52 (t 3.41). In the women the marked figure said almost nothing about the actual draw weight (r 0.039), in the men it did (r 0.851); the authors ask that every future study measure draw weight at the actual draw length.

  Relationship between Perception of Pull and Draw in Archery · Helen M. Eckert, Dorothy M. Wendt

• 1981
  Against Archers Published later

  Six Japanese university archers with draw lengths between 27.5 and 29 inches (28.1 on average): draw weight measured with a dynamometer at each one's draw length of 36.5 lb against 36 stated, practically the same. They draw around the maker's reference, which is exactly the case in which the marked figure holds.

  Physical Fitness and Energy Metabolism of the Archers (1) · Koji Tsuji, Hide Takeyama, Hideo Koishi, Yoshiho Katayama

• 1981
  Context Archers Published later

  In the same paper the two brands in use measured the stated draw weight from different points: Hoyt at 28 inches from the back of the bow, Y.G. at 26 inches from the pivot point of the grip. The pivot and the back are about two inches apart, so the two references match, but only if you know each maker's convention.

  Physical Fitness and Energy Metabolism of the Archers (1) · Koji Tsuji, Hide Takeyama, Hideo Koishi, Yoshiho Katayama

• 2007
  Context Kyudo archers Published later

  19 university kyudo archers with a bow instrumented at the grip, eight shots at 28 m each: with the same bow the force applied to the grip changes from one archer to the next, and the authors attribute this to how much string each one draws. It is the authors' interpretation, not a comparison with the stated draw weight.

  B39 Quantification of TENOUCHI for Playing Kyudo · Sekiya Koike, Takuro Sugiura, Sakura Murata, Toshio Mori

• 2025
  Context Equipment tests Published later

  A shooting-machine test with an Olympic recurve, Hoyt Formula XI riser and 52 lb Hoyt Velos Formula limbs: at the standard draw length of 28 inches (71.12 cm) the measured draw weight is 231 newtons, about 52 lb. At the reference draw length the marked figure and the measurement match.

  Improving the arrow selection process in archery: the stiffness variation pattern matters · A. Kuch, P. Laguillaumie, F. Durand, J.-F. Debril, T. Monnet

Status history

1. 1967 Reported The first direct measurement, on 49 university beginners, finds the actual draw weight below the marked one in both sexes: 21.24 against 26.18 lb in the women, 30.55 against 33.52 in the men, and in the women the marked figure says almost nothing (r 0.039). A single study, on beginners whose draw lengths differ from the reference: reported.
2. 1981 Contested A second study points the other way: in six Japanese university archers drawing around 28 inches the measured draw weight is 36.5 lb against the 36 stated. The two results fit together, since the gap appears when the draw length is far from the reference, but under the registry's rules the studies on archers now point in opposite directions: contested. The same paper notes that two makers measured the figure from different points on the bow.
3. 2007 Contested From kyudo comes an observation about mechanism: with the same bow the force on the grip changes from one archer to the next, according to the authors because the amount of string drawn changes. It fits the rule, but it does not compare the stated figure with the actual one: the status stays contested.
4. 2025 Contested A shooting-machine test measures 52 lb limbs at 28 inches and finds 231 newtons, about 52 lb: at the reference draw length the figure holds. It is the favourable case, not that of an archer with a different draw length, and the status stays contested.

Related

Related articles

• The parts of an Olympic recurve bow, one by oneThe parts of an Olympic recurve bow, from riser and limbs to arrow rest and clicker: what each one is called, what it does and what the rules allow.
• How to choose arrow spine and read the manufacturer's chartHow to choose arrow spine: what it is, why draw weight at your draw length matters, how to read a manufacturer's chart and how to check it by shooting.
• Common beginner mistakes in archery and how to avoid themThe most common beginner mistakes in archery, from posture and release to equipment, and what the measurements made on beginners actually show.

Research lines

• 27 studiesHow many pounds archers draw: measurements since 1967
• 63 studiesThe archer's physical profile: strength, endurance and size

Other claims in this domain

• CorroboratedAlong its flight the arrow loses an appreciable part of its launch speed12 studiesStatus since 2011
• CorroboratedAs it leaves the bow, the arrow flexes and snakes around the riser instead of leaving straight19 studies · 47 archers measuredStatus since 2012
• ReportedA camera-based scoring system misreads some arrows: the ones barely sticking out and the ones that shift the target face7 studies · 2 archers measuredStatus since 2017
• ReportedA chest band with fibre optic sensors measures breathing and mean heart rate with small errors, and an archer can wear it while shooting2 studiesStatus since 2019
• ReportedA compound bow stores between 70 and 100 joules and sheds about two thirds of the force at full draw4 studiesStatus since 2015

See all claims on equipment and tuning