So I've been working on my hunting buddy for years to loose the wheels and he's finally at a point where he wants to get his own stick. The problem is, he has what I like to call (in jest) t-rex arms. He and I are the same height and I think he's going to pull about 3.5 inches shorter than me. I can help him with bow choices, grip styles, lengths, tuning, etc. but I was curious if shortening a draw length acts proportionately or disproportionately on the reduction in expected momentum? I want to steer him in the right direction and advise him on a suitable bow weight, but I've always concerned myself with understanding the dynamics of a draw longer than 28.
So, what is the practical difference (if any) between the energy transfer from a bow that draws 55 @ 28" versus one that draws 55 @ 26"? I don't want to assume that him shooting a bow with X pounds at his draw would be as effective as me shooting the same X pounds at my draw. I know I'm thinking about this WAY more than he is, but I know he's going to want to hunt with his new rig and I need the peace of mind.
Many thanks.
Ooooh. My brain hurts.
I draw 26.5", and most of my bows are 43-46 pounds at that draw. They will kill deer and black bear, and that's all I care about. Short power stroke, long power stroke, I dunno, I just work with what I've got.
Killdeer
imo, shorter draw lengths will typically work better with efficiently designed shorter length stick bows. if you wanna get techie, there are other factors to consider, such as brace height, string fiber type and strands, arrow weight, how the operator shoots the rig. a good bowyer will advise you best on bow spex that are dependent on your criteria. ymmv.
Just like in compound world shorter draw loose out to long draws. If he is pulling 55#'s @ 26 he will have enough to kill a deer. More important would be a clean release, arrow weight.
Dave
If I could add one twist to this. Back in the early 70s I had a large collection of Bear takedown limbs and handles. I found that the long handles with short limbs shot a faster arrow than the short handles with the longer limbs at the same final draw weights. If the bow is a Hill I would suggest a shorter 64" for speed, but 66" at 55 pounds will work for everything with a cedar arrow and good broadhead anyway. If you want to try to match speeds then your buddy will need to find the fastest short limbed recurve you can match, and it still may be slower. He could always shoot lighter arrows, unless of course you are going to Africa or planning a moose hunt. My son has a two inch longer draw than me and when shooting the same style bows and arrows there is a 12 pound weight difference to get the same performance. That is what I get at 70@26" he is getting at 56@28.
Thanks for all the info. I feel like I'm advising on a fine line between having a bow that's very shootable for him (a beggining trad archer)and also one that will be effective on game. And in the spirit of full disclosure, I'm primarily concerned because we bowhunt elk together. I've killed elk with bows in the low 50's and would not be hesitant advising him if his draw were similar to mine. But like I said, I really don't know how things work out for short draws.
From what I'm gathering here, he needs a 54" Shrew Classic Hunter Carbon with foam cores that pulls 60@26 with a new SBD string :biglaugh:
But then again, don't we all? ;) Maybe I should buy one so he has an opportunity to try it out!
Thanks again for the advice.
I was shown pictures of several elk killed with a 52pound @ 26" Schulz longbow and a Wing that was drawn about the same that I used to own got a passthrough for its new owner with a 2016 with a Grizzly up front. A strong shot with a 50 pound bow has more killing power than a weak shot from a 60 pound bow. You may be over thinking this a bit. If your friend can handle heavier, fine, but I am not sure that he needs to break the bank or wait for a custom bow to find out if this is what he wants. Get him infected first with something that is easier to to try. I usually had to borrow a bow to a friend to get them on the fun side of archery, after that they took care of themselves.
I draw 26" and currently shoot a Jim Jones Firefly which is 55# at my draw. I am very comfortable with this weight and it's ability to kill most of the stuff I want to hunt. I will be shooting this bow when I come over in September for an Elk hunt. I will be using CE Heratige 250's with a total weight of 625gr. I think a well shot sufficiently weighted arrow out of most modern(cant say about older bows as i haven't shot any yet) trad bows will do the job. I personally like an arrow of about 600-650gr out of my 50-55# bows.
I would get him into a recurve at 60".Dont get crazy on the bow weight but something he can enjoy shooting all day at a 3d shoot.But can shoot that elk when the season rolls around.47# min.at his draw length.Arrow matched min.500 grns.If you are looking at a bow built ?#@ 28".Remember most recurves + or - 2.5 lbs.per inch of draw.Example:Recurve marked 50#@28" and he pulls 26" he would be drawing 45#.If the bow is crafted custom for him,the bowyer would build it his desired draw weight at his draw lenght.Hope this helps.
Mike