Excuse the lame rhyme, it's late and I'm sleep deprived :D . I was reading Asbells article in the Traditional Bowhunter on the longer bow. I shoot my 62" recurve better than my shorter bows. I am even thinking about using it for deer hunting and buying a larger pop up blind. Anyone else think it's better to put up with the slightly longer length when ground hunting or from a blind?
I shoot a 62" H2 and sometimes have trouble in pop up groundblinds. I don't shoot with alot of cant. I have an Ameristep blind that I love (extra tall) but the name eludes me right now. I think it's a penthouse.
I always have prefered 62" recurves for hunting,,I own two 58's but niether are anywhere near as smooth drawing as my 62".
I have nothing shorter than 64 to 70. Never had a problem with length. H
I love my recurve. It is 62 inches and I draw about 29 inches.
62 is perfect for me also...
Hi, My draw is 29/29.5, my bows are from 52" to 64" but I prefer 60" (Black Widow) and/or 62" (Bob Lee or Gamemaster2) to shoot in 3D games. I think the 62" lenght for long draw shoooter is preferable.
Bye from Italy
Carlo
i do believe that going longer is always better for shooting accuracy, but not necessarily for hunting manoeuvrability. everyone's different, everyone needs to decide what's gonna work best.
for me, 62" longbow for hunting, 68" longbow for really enjoying shooting and better overall accuracy.
I have 68" Longbows, 62', and 60" recurves, and also a 54" solid "Farbenglass" Herters recurve #65, that stacks like crazy. To be honest, I see no difference in length of the bow. I'm 6'2" and pull 30" at my anchor point. Long bow, short bow, it matters little, as I seem to miss with them all on an equal basis! Seriously though, if I pick one and spend a few days shooting just that one bow, no matter the length, everything seems to work better. I think practice and just shooting ONE bow with good arrows is the answer for me.
Remember as a kid, with either a bow, slingshot or an airgun, how deadly you became over the course of a summer, just shooting that ONE weapon, day after day?
The longer bows are smoother to draw and feel a bit different through the power stroke. I don't shoot any length of bow better than another to where it would effect hunting. Smaller bows in the stand are always welcome.
Maybe it depends on your draw length? I prefer 58" bows, but I only draw 27".
I've shot shorter bows for a while... my first was a 56 Wasp, then I had a 58 Robertson, then went back to 56 with a Black Widow PSR and now am using a 62 Howatt Hunter. In all honesty they all shoot about the same for me. The Widow had some mojo in it and I just couldn't miss with that bow!! But the the Howatt is a smooth drawing shooter. I practice shooting in crouched positions and from behind trees with a practically horizontal cant and find the bow shoots the same for me as if I were shooting it Olympic style with 'proper form.' It really comes down to what feels good for you, the rest (like how to maneuver in the woods) you'll figure out!
G. Fred Asbell needs to write one more article to complete the Trilogy - "The Case for the Medium Length Bow". :o )
I shoot a 62" in Double Bull Matrix, no problems, and have used a 64" out of tree stand for years,wouldn`t think of going to the woods without it,
I have recurves 60-64", draw 29", and hunt with the 62" on a regular basis. I hunt from the trees and ground but do cant the bow at 45 degree in my regular form. 3d, indoor and hunting the 62" gets the nod for use as they are smooth and quiet. Have no problem with tree stand or ground due to cant.
i'm far from being a rocket scientist, and it only takes some shooting to realise that a 68" longbow just feels and shoots smoother than the same bow in a 62" length. if the form makes you feel better, the good function will follow.
imho, shorter is waaaaay better for bowhunting - it's an advantage most of us can't live without. but shorter ain't better than longer if you take the equation out of the realm of bowhunting.
QuoteOriginally posted by Rob DiStefano:
but shorter ain't better than longer if you take the equation out of the realm of bowhunting.
Better is subjective. After shooting shorter bows for the last 10 years, longer bows just feel markedly slower and definitely more unweildy. They also seem to take waaaaay longer for the limbs to stop their harmonics...short bows seem to go whump and stop...long bows seem to go sproiiinnngggggggggg to me. Quite disconcerting when I shot a longer bow a while ago, thought there was something wrong with the bow but then realized after shooting 5 or 6 different bows of long lengths at the state shoot two weekends ago it was the difference between what I was used to shooting and long limbs. Shot some long limbs last night Bob sent me to test. Same materials as short limbs, same beloved riser, but felt the same unwanted (at least for me) characteristics I had experienced with other long bows...so I know it's not just differences with the brands of bows I've shot but in limb lengths themselves.
I will admit long limbs do seem to feel like they are less poundage than marked, and they certainly have an advantage for those with a longer draw that can make use of them.
To each his own. Thankfully, there's plenty of choices for all of us! :campfire:
QuoteOriginally posted by JC:
... I will admit long limbs do seem to feel like they are less poundage than marked, and they certainly have an advantage for those with a longer draw that can make use of them. ...
bingo! the common denominator's gonna be yer effective draw length.
at my 29" (or more) draw, longer just feels and shoots better for me. a 'longer' (bow) would be shorter if my draw length was less than 28"
Sure wish I had 29....I could shoot 55-57 and still get the same as my 63@27.
I prefer 62-64" bows for my 29.5" draw length. Never had a problem with that length either from the ground or out of a stand.
62-64 in longbows are my fav hunting lengths-tried 58" and sold it; draw is 27".
The saying, "what goes around comes around" comes to mind!
I shot a 68" longbow for alot of years, in a treestand, treesling, and ground hunting. Never remember a time or shot where I thought. "should of had a 58"! Maybe a V8 :D
I feel the maufactured ground blinds, have brougth about more for the short bow, "needs" than any!
Shoot whats accurate for YOU, not to be part of a trend! You'll be more confident, and that carries over to success! :thumbsup:
58" -62" all shoot the same for me. I shoot 60" from groundblind and 58" from tree stands.
What issue of TBM is Asbells "case for a shorter bow" in?
I have two 62" one recurve and one longbow. But I prefer to shoot 58" when hunting.
I like 64" recurves best and no shorter than 62". Need all the forgiveness I can get.
My draw is 29.5 on a longbow, 30 on full-riser recurve. 62" on curves, 64" on LB's, even hybrids. It's the only way I've found to get comfortable with a bow.
All these guys bragging about their 56"er being smooth and accurate with thier 30" draw... Methinks there be some arrow hanging off the shelf.
66" longbows out of a pop up ground blind?????
No problem! :thumbsup:
FOX 62" maverick works just fine.
My primary hunting bow is 62", although with my cheap pop up blind, I am going to use my 60" limbs for turkey hunting. How long of a bow you can use will really depend on the individual blind.
Some say they like the longer bows for accuracy but prefer shorter bows for hunting. :confused: It seems there's something wrong here, huh?
Why choose a less accurate bow for live animals but want an accurate one for paper and styrofoam? :rolleyes:
I agree, Blackhawk. I think it's better to get a taller blind than a shorter bow, if you can't shoot it as well. I have a Yukon Tracks that's 84" tall, so bow length is not an issue. I shot a 68" longbow for years from tree stands, and sometimes I might have passed a shot that I could have taken with a shorter bow, but it's more important to me to make the shot well than to make a shot poorly. There's always tomorrow.
My two bows I hunt with are 62inch. I've used them both and taken game with both while in my Double Bull T5 recurve. Might go to 60 inches some day but not really in the market for a new bow any time soon.
My bows range from 64" down to 54" but for hunting 58" works well for me.
My Pro Medalist Hunter (Hoyt) is 62" and one of my favorites... 62" is good!
It is in my hand in my pic to the left...
I too 62. Out of a ameristep penthouse.
I shoot 62", and 64", and you can't beat the smoothness. As far as accuracy goes; I got a 58" PCH lately that surprized me. I shoot it more accurately than my longer recurves. It all depends on what fits you, and what you have confidence in. That being said; again, you can't beat how smooth a 62" recurve draws.
Lots of guys shooting the longer bows. Not everyone jumped on the short bow bandwagon.
Black Hawk,I belive guys that say this are not saying their "bad shots" as such with the shorter bow.
Just that they prefer it for close range hunting.
Like who needs the balance and smooth of a 62" to 66" recurve that they want for shooting all day on a field course out to 80 yards,when their only planning on one shot from 20 yards.
I certainly like my 58" bows but do shoot my 62" and 66" bows better on a field target course.
The reason I settled on 62" as an all rounder was that I wanted to shoot one bow for everything.
If I shot only field archery,I'd carry my old 66" pro medalist an nothing else.
If I was hunting only,,my Martin Mamba would be my only bow.
Both do their jobs beautifully,,,but my 62" Hoyt does "everything" pretty good to.
Nothing "wrong" with any of em',,:)
QuoteOriginally posted by Earthdog:
Black Hawk,I belive guys that say this are not saying their "bad shots" as such with the shorter bow.
Just that they prefer it for close range hunting.
Like who needs the balance and smooth of a 62" to 66" recurve that they want for shooting all day on a field course out to 80 yards,when their only planning on one shot from 20 yards.
I certainly like my 58" bows but do shoot my 62" and 66" bows better on a field target course.
The reason I settled on 62" as an all rounder was that I wanted to shoot one bow for everything.
If I shot only field archery,I'd carry my old 66" pro medalist an nothing else.
If I was hunting only,,my Martin Mamba would be my only bow.
Both do their jobs beautifully,,,but my 62" Hoyt does "everything" pretty good to.
Nothing "wrong" with any of em',, :)
selwyn, i like yer thinkin' - spot on fer me! :thumbsup:
I have lost a couple of inches off my draw length in the last couple of years so most of my bows are 60" and fit me well. I have two longbows that are 60" also and they shoot great.
I too....62........
62" Dale Dye Trail's End...54@28.....Macassar Ebony w/ Pacific Yew limbs.....best shooting bow I have.
I just went from 56" to 62" and I love it. The longest I ever shot was 58" recurve, so 62" seemed long at first but I think this is going to work.