The amount of strength needed to pull the string back to a reference point on the archers face is measured in pounds. It can be measured using a spring balance gauge. This is the draw weight.

When looking at a bow, the draw weight is usually marked on the inside of the lower limb. You will see that it is usually quoted at a 28 inch draw length so that there is a standard to compare different bow strengths to. In practice the draw weight that a particular archer is pulling is calculated relative to their own draw length with increments of 2 pounds added to or taken away from the quoted weight for every inch the draw length is over or less than the 28 inch standard.

For example: A bow is labelled 26 lbs @ 28”

The archer drawing the bow has a draw length of 26 inches, some 2 inches below the standard 28 inch as labelled. Therefore, taking 2 pounds off the stated poundage per inch below standard (2lbs x 2” = 4lbs) shows that our archer is actually drawing 22 lbs @ 26”

The draw weight is effectively the measure of the power of the bow, propelling the arrow forward, but is not the only factor in bow performance. Bows made out of different materials can have the same poundage draw weight, but the material of one may be more elastic and so the bow limbs are faster reacting as the arrow is loosed. The result is a faster arrow speed as well as poundage weight. Compound bows display this well, however, recurve archers upgrading to limbs of higher quality materials will notice increased performance for the same given draw weight.