Bow owners quick question

[MCavity]

71" Recurve bow here.

[NorthernRaider]

I see a pattern developing here, sacrificing compact size for simple functionality.

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i still love the utter compactness of the compounds, I'll never get rid of mine but I do think I need some TDB type kit as a reliable back up.

[Tartar Horde]

54 inches. Grozer "Avar" composite.

[bigpaul]

68 inches and 40inches.

[Scythe13]

Can I quickly ask how come nobody is mentioning their height or length of their arms in regards to their bow selection. Obviously this doesn't apply to compounds, but you should select a recurve according to your height. The idea being that the maximum power is achieved when the string is pulled to it's predesigned distance from the bow. This is one of the basics of archery. A bow that is too small will be overpulled by a tall person, while a longer bow will be underpulled by a shorter person. Arnie at 6'4" and SD at 5'8" will be using completely different pull lengths, and thus should be using totally different sizes of bow!!!

One thing worth doing, getting yourself measured up for a bow.

If I remember rightly, considering it's been over 10 years since I last show a bow, it should stand, strung, between your chin and nose.

[Arnie72]

From what I have been taught thus far (so may be wrong but its what my club has told me!)

The bow size depends on the arrow length which is the pull length.

If you measure your draw length and add a couple of inches cos you don't want the arrow to fall off then this in turn will dictate the take down recurve bow size.

The bow limbs draw weight is based on a 28" arrow, more length of arrow increases the draw and hence draw weight of about 2lb per inch you draw and likewise a reduction of 2lb per inch for every inch you draw below 28"

A 5'10 man would be about a 28" arrow and a 66-68" take down recurve bow.

Heres a list of arrow length to bow length if it helps

14-16" = 48" bow
18-20" = 54" bow
20-22" = 58" bow
22-24" = 62" bow
24-26" = 64" bow
26-28" = 66" bow
28-30" = 68" bow
30+ = 70" bow

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This optimises the bow as the limbs are designed to be used at a particular draw length range, if you use a bow with limbs to long for your draw length, i.e. you have a 26" draw length and use a 70" bow, you won't be flexing the limbs enough to make them effecient for your draw length, the other extreme is that if the bow is too short then you will pull it so much you will nearly pull it in two.

[NorthernRaider]

(24 June 2013, 18:31)Arnie72 Wrote: From what I have been taught thus far (so may be wrong but its what my club has told me!)

The bow size depends on the arrow length which is the pull length.

If you measure your draw length and add a couple of inches cos you don't want the arrow to fall off then this in turn will dictate the take down recurve bow size.

The bow limbs draw weight is based on a 28" arrow, more length of arrow increases the draw and hence draw weight of about 2lb per inch you draw and likewise a reduction of 2lb per inch for every inch you draw below 28"

A 5'10 man would be about a 28" arrow and a 66-68" take down recurve bow.

Heres a list of arrow length to bow length if it helps

14-16" = 48" bow
18-20" = 54" bow
20-22" = 58" bow
22-24" = 62" bow
24-26" = 64" bow
26-28" = 66" bow
28-30" = 68" bow
30+ = 70" bow

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This optimises the bow as the limbs are designed to be used at a particular draw length range, if you use a bow with limbs to long for your draw length, i.e. you have a 26" draw length and use a 70" bow, you won't be flexing the limbs enough to make them effecient for your draw length, the other extreme is that if the bow is too short then you will pull it so much you will nearly pull it in two.

Yes mate that is what I was tought on my course as well, so its a good list for verage archers using traditional gear. But like all things there are variations on the theme. I notice for example Horse bows, Korean Bows etc running around 48 inches, and on the Quicks site quite a few hunting bows around the 50 to 56 inch length in every draw weight you could want.

ideall I want something around 36 pound draw at 28 inches but as sensibly compact as I can get thats how I ended up with the 40 inch 25 pound Banshee Compound. So I'm looking at these hunting bows much closer

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FYI look at some of the lengths versus draw weights on this page, its mind blowing
http://www.quicksarchery.co.uk/superbask...ws-Recurve

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Arnie this is the sort of thing I'm looking for ( I think) shorter that a club bow spec which would be 68 inches in my case but still having the draw length and power I need
Respects NR
http://www.quicksarchery.co.uk/superbask...ld+recurve

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Hope I'm not confusing or distracting you BTW Arnie, I must admit I have a fixation about keeping bows as compact as I can for moving around indoors or in woodland after TSHTF.

[Highlander]

The American plains Indians never bothered with any of these kind of figures, their traditional bows were extremely small compared to what we use today,.. and they seemed to do know what they were doing

The smallest I have come across was only 37 1/4 inches long with a draw pull of 20inches, for hunting buffalo

[NorthernRaider]

(24 June 2013, 19:37)Highlander Wrote: The American plains Indians never bothered with any of these kind of figures, their traditional bows were extremely small compared to what we use today,.. and they seemed to do know what they were doing

The smallest I have come across was only 37 1/4 inches long with a draw pull of 20inches, for hunting buffalo

Cor blimey he must be a little Injun being only 371/4 inchs long

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Korean bows appear to hover around 48 to 50 inchs and the Hungarian / Mongolian bows from about 36 inchs to 48 inches!!

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I do like the Take Down option of these recurve hunting bows cos it means you can keep your entire bow kit INSIDE a decent sized rucksack.

[Highlander]

,...ok, that was the size of his,.... bow

Incidentally they were made of sheep's horn