I am 6ft 3 inches tall and have a 29 inch draw. I shoot 3 under and every time I try to shoot a 60 inch bow they are very unforgiving. I shoot 62 inch bows and they shoot excellent. Is a 60 inch bow just to short for me?
I think it's totally an individual preference, jv. I only draw about 28" but find 60"+ bows are easiest for me to shoot. I let a bowyer talk me into a 58" once...won't make that mistake again. I hunted mostly out of a treestand last year with a 62" Schafer, and killed my first buck.
Some folks like shorter bows. I like em longer. Shoot what you shoot best!
At 6 foot 3" I think you should have a little longer draw than that. I'm right around that height and I draw a little over 31"s. Most 64" bows and a few 62" bows work well for me. I don't notice the extra length much when I'm hunting.
A longer AMO bow will always be more forgiving. I'd be willing to bet hit has to do with the apex and angle of the string to reach draw. The less angle, the more straight the string is... for your height, 62" or 64" would be a happy place... I am 5 5 and shoot a 62" AMO longbow and a 56" recurve. My ideal recurve AMO is 58 with my 28" draw... bottom line, the fact that you are over drawing (29") and taller than 6 ft, I'd go with at least a 62" AMO. THe bottom, bottom line is shoot what is comfortable and accurate for you...
Good luck.
I'm also 6'3" and have a 29" draw. I like recurves of at least 62", and longbows 64". If I go any shorter than that they just don't seem as forgiving of my frequent form breakdowns.
I can miss with any length bow, but when I stick to the longer ones my misses aren't quite as bad. :rolleyes:
I'm 6'1" and draw 31". I have bows from 58" to 64". I do like shooting the 64" bows a little more but I just got a one-piece that is 60" and it's a blast to shoot. We call it "that new bow feel." I think "mrpenguin" was right when he said "shoot what is comfortable................."
I am 6'4" tall and draw 30 1/4 inches. I find that any of the shorter bows 62 inches and under tend to stack at my draw length and have some finger pinch. Those two things combined make them unforgiving for my shooting. I avoided that whole process and shoot 68 inch longbow. Sweet drawing, smooth firing, quiet, and incredibly forgiving.
I'm 5'10 and shoot my best with 62" recurves or 64/66" longbows.
I'm 5'7" & draw 27.5" AMO & a 60" Recurve seems to fit me the best but I can shoot a 58", 56" starts to get interesting to me tis why I don't shoot my Grand-dads 56" 69' Grizzly.
I am 6'5" with about a 30.5" draw and I shoot everything from a 70" Hill style to a 64" Thunderstick III and they shoot different for me but equally comfortable.
im 6ft1.5 have a 29 inch draw and hunt with a 58 inch black widow pma2.i haveshot other 58in bows and cant shoot those.i think alot of it is bow design...
I'm 5'9", but I've got long arms and my draw length is 30". My favorite recurve bows to shoot are 66" in length.
Just pick up a 70" longbow and you'll be happy and never want a short bow again. :saywhat:
Sounds like your compensating for something else...LOL
I am also 6'3" with a 30+" draw and I like my 66" Hill
I am 5'6" and my knuckles are a long way from scraping the ground with my 25.5" draw. It would sure be pleasant walking behind some of you guys on a spider webbed infested woodland trail! My son is 6'2" and he hates walking behind me because of the limbs that hit him in the face.
I have 56"-62" bows. Mostly 60" ones. I sometimes wonder if I'm getting all the potential out of my two 62" bows. I just ordered a 58" Schafer they have recommended for my draw length.
i think its more how wide your shoulders are , than how tall you are, just my 2 cnts.
Yep, shoulder width, shooting form, and bow grip style (high or low wrist) all contribute. I'm 5-6 and used to draw 28ish when I wore glasses, since my Lasik surgery 15 years ago my form and anchor have changed a bit, I stretch out a little more, and I pull a true 29+. My shooting has improved, I get more zip out of my bows too.....oh yeah, to the question at hand, as far as I'm concerned the longer the bow the better. I shoot recurves and have shot 64 inch bows for years, shooting a 66 inch recurve now.
Ryan
I have a drawlength of 30,5-31" and feel that the most comfortable recurve length is 64" +.
Except for my Black Widow PMA. This bow is 62" and no stack, so I guess it is different ways to make the limbs that does it.
( btw I`m 6`2")
I am 6'1" with a 31.5" draw. Up until recently I have preferred 66" bows. However, currently I am shooting a 56" Shrew Classic Hunter and just love it. It is very smooth and I shoot it as well or better than my longer bows. I plan to take it hunting in a couple of weeks and look forward to carrying such a light weight and manuverable little bow.
I am only 5'9 but draw 29 inches. I like bows NO LESSS than 60 inches and prefer 62-64in bows in most models. That is my preference and I suggest you shoot whatever fits you. Comfort is different for everyone.
6' with a 29 1/2" DL. 62" is my favorite bow length. Longer is OK but shorter I do not like very much.
Bisch
Im 6' and have a 31" draw.I had a hard time when i designed our 60" Tornado recurve.I did design it for a long draw to shoot without problems.Now,with that being said my personal recurve is a 64" Safari Elite.
QuoteOriginally posted by Gary Sorensen:
I am 6'1" with a 31.5" draw. Up until recently I have preferred 66" bows. However, currently I am shooting a 56" Shrew Classic Hunter and just love it. It is very smooth and I shoot it as well or better than my longer bows. I plan to take it hunting in a couple of weeks and look forward to carrying such a light weight and maneuverable little bow.
I am also 6'1" tall, but after shattering my left collar bone a few years ago, my draw length is down to 29.5". Gary makes an excellent point here, which is that the design of the bow makes a huge difference in what length you need in order to have it shoot well at your draw length. Like Gary, I have some 56" Shrew Classic Hunters that shoot very well at my draw length, and even my 54" Shrews are fine even though not quite as nice as the 56 inchers. A 60" Super Shrew which has a longer riser and relatively shorter limbs than the Classic Hunter also works great for me. I can shoot a 56" Morrison Mini 14 with "C" longbow limbs very well, but the "D" limbs work better and produce a 58" bow that is about as smooth shooting as any bow. I also recently got a 60" Brackenbury Peerless which is a static tip recurve that feels more like a 64" bow of a more standard design. Also, I have a 58" Treadway Black Swamp that accommodates my draw length about the same as a 56" Shrew Classic Hunter, although I like the Shrews significantly better overall. In the standard bow designs, a 64" is a very good balance of length versus comfort, and a 66" bow feels a little better but is starting to also feel pretty long and less maneuverable. I understand that some of the Black Swans and other makes of bows also do well in short lengths for those of us with longer draws, but I have not tried them all. David Knipes swears by the Black Swans, so I have no doubt they are great and would be a good alternative for someone who wanted a shorter bow that felt good and performed very well. I have also heard good reports about Big Jim's 56" Thunderchild, which looks great too. I would like to try one some day.
I am certain that you do not need a longer bow in order to have one that shoots well, but heavier, longer bows do tend to be more stable and more inherently easy to shoot accurately. They also are more of a pain to haul around and to shoot in tight spaces. In a hunting situation, I shoot my 56" Shrews and my 56" Morrison as well as any of my longer bows, and even at the target range there is not a big difference in my shooting as I go from a shorter to a longer bow or the other way around. Know your alternatives and pick what works best for you and the conditions where you will be shooting.
Allan