What is Let Off on a Compound Bow?

What is let off? Let-off is a term that’s used to describe the percentage of a compound bow’s draw weight that is reduced when at full draw. When you draw back the string on a compound bow, you’ll feel the weight of the bow increasing. This is called the draw weight, and it’s the amount of force required to pull the bowstring back to a full draw position.

With a compound bow, however, the draw weight is reduced as you reach full draw. This is because of the bow’s design, which uses cams or wheels to create a mechanical advantage. As you draw the bowstring back, the cams or wheels rotate, reducing the force required to hold the bowstring in place.

The amount of let-off you experience will depend on the specific bow you’re using. Most compound bows have a let-off of somewhere between 65% and 85%. This means that if you’re shooting a bow with an 80% let-off, and the draw weight is set to 60 pounds, you’ll only be holding 12 pounds at full draw.

Let-off is important because it allows you to hold the bowstring at full draw for longer periods of time without getting fatigued. This can be especially useful when trying to make a precise shot or waiting for the right moment to release the arrow.

When asking the question, “what is let off?“, It’s important to note that let-off can affect the arrow’s speed. The factory settings on most bows are set at the optimal let-off for the advertised IBO Speed of the bow and may only have one let-off setting. The most common is 80% let-off. Some bows have the ability to increase it to 90%, thus decreasing the speed of the bow and/or decreasing it to 70%, increasing the speed of the bow.

Many high-performance compound bows have a lower let-off to increase the arrow’s speed. However, a higher let-off can make shooting more comfortable, especially for those who have difficulty holding the full draw weight for an extended period.