Pretty soon I have to make a decision on bow length for a new longbow. Up until this point The longest bow I have hunted with is a 58" recurve. My current longbow is 54".
I plan on keeping the 54" but kept thinking I need to try a longer bow. My hunting shots and 3d shooting with the short bow are pretty good but it is a bit critical of form and release.
My options are 60" to 66" in a mild r/d D shaped bow. I don't think I will have problems in a tree but my favorite ground setups usually have me shooting from my knees.
What are your thoughts? Play it safe with the 60" or dive in and go longer?
Rob
I say dive in and go longer. I shoot a 64" Great Northern Critter Gitter and love it. Shooting out of my Double Bull Dark Horse blind requires canting the bow, but I do fine. Out of a treestand, I don't have any problems, but I use pretty big, homemade, wooden ladder stands.
In my opinion, longbows are meant to be long. But that's just my opinion.
:goldtooth:
Just about in the same boat Rob. I just bought a 64" Toelke Super D. Up to now I have hunted with a 56" recurve and a 58" hybrid.
I think it's all about the setup in terms of hunting with a longer bow, but man is that 64" SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTH and way more forgiving!
In terms of ground hunting, I don't do much, but to me it's more important what's in back of you than in front of you. That's what keeps you hidden.
Anyway good luck
I really like the smoothness of a longer bow. In my opinion, they are also much more forgiving to shoot. A bit of a bad release or sloppy form on my part will cause more problems on a short bow than my longer ones.
Once you get used to it I don't think that you would find the longer bow to be much of an issue. I can shoot my 64" bow while sitting on my heels from the ground with no problems at all. Granted, I am fairly tall at 6'3", so it could be different with a smaller torso.
Remember that increasing a bow by 4" overall is only adding 2" on either end. That really isn't a huge issue as far as clearance for the limbs goes.
I have been practicing shooting sitting down and kneeling with my 66in. Hill no problem.
You are gonna' love the longer bow-kneeling or standing. The longer bow will be smoother, easier to shoot accurately, and most likely faster.
I draw 28 1/2. on recurves I shoot for 60-62" and longbows 60-66" but 66" being the absolute longest. I think you'd love the 64" unless you have a really short draw
I draw 28" and I'm 6'2".
I'm 5'7", and 62" is good for me and my 28" draw. At over 6', I think you'll end up drawing over 28" in time with a longer bow. Since it won't stack as bad I'm almost positive you'll get a new appreciation for the length. Use that powerstroke!
Go long my friend, go long!! 64-66" you won't be sorry!!
I always though the shorter bows were best till I shot 64-66" bows. Will never go back.RC
I've had a 60" and a 66" longbow and I shot the 66" a lot better, even from treestands. My draw is 27.5"...
Going long you'll never be wrong !
I love the look of short bows but I have learned to accept the fact that I just don't shoot them that well compared to my longer bows ... 60 minimium in a recurve and 66" in a longbow at my 27 draw .
I'm 6'2"
I shoot a 62" bow all the time from my knees.
I practice that way a large percentage of the time as I mostly hunt from ground blinds and that's how I'll be shooting at game.
I've thought about going to a 64" just for some added forgiveness.
Sooo I taped on a couple pieces of wood scraps to the tips of my bow just to see what it would be like ( didn't shoot of course)
That extra inch on the bottom limb made a big difference for me.
I did NOT like it.
Just took my bow from " hardly have to worry about it" to " if I hold it normally my tip hits the ground"
The extra inch took it right out of my comfort zone.
I have gone the other way. I used 66" and 64" longbows and they are smooth shooters for sure. However, on steep angles out of tree stands I have found them a hindrance. I am currently shooting a 60" Schafer Silvertip recurve and find it give a nice blend of stability & compactness but not so short as to be so critical to form errors. ~Steve
I've never found a 70 inch bow a handicap. I only hunt from the ground. Longer - better. Unless you drive a sub-compact.
I have used 68" r/d bows for years without any problems but practice canting my bow different amounts. A couple of years ago, I took a turkey out of a regular size Double Bull blind with a 70" Howard Hill longbow but I have to admit, a 66" would have been better. Go with the 66". You won't be sorry.
Go 64" you wont be disappointed.
Rob, I have always shot 60 to 62" bows and I do fine with them. However, I did shoot a 64" recurve when I was ordering my scorpion and it was really smooth. I thought i wouldnt't like the length but now wish I would have tried it. At your height, I would go for the longer.
Joe
I hunt from ground level. With that said, I'm 5'9" and I can shoot both of my 66" bows held vertically, without canting, while shooting on one knee. The lower limb never touches the ground upon arrow release.
Nightwing...
You brought to my attention something I didn't mention...and makes a big difference..
When I'm shooting from "my knees" I'm sitting on my heels.
If I raised up and got my thighs vertical I could shoot a longer bow comfortably too.
Thanks for leading me to clarify that.
Hate to lead the guy the wrong way with bad info...
:thumbsup:
I shoot 68 inch bows. I hunt in heavy brush, on the ground every year. I have zero problems. Make sure to practice shooting from the ground so your can't is uniform.
I have bought every short longbow out there...well almost think. I really just shoot better with bows that are longer. I can even tell the difference on a 62" longbow. Maybe my form stinks :) My 64" longbows are hands down my best shooters and I really don't have any problems out of treesstands or on stalks for that matter with the length. Good luck! Mike
Depending on the style of bow that your using, your 28" draw gives you lot's of options. I personally like my 60" Super Shrew with my 29" draw. It's a forward handle reflex deflex design and is very accurate and handy. For years before that I used r/d longbows such as JD Berry and Robertsons in the 62-66" length and those shot very well, but were not as handy as the Super Shrew. I've also used my 68" Howard Hill deflex only longbow and taken deer and bear with that. I would not go any shorter than that for my personal draw length in that style of bow.
Fred Bear used a 60 inch recurve for his personal bow, even though his company built shorter and longer bows. I think a recurve in that length is very handy and forgiving at 28-29 inch draws (I'm shooting a 60 inch 1971 Super Kodiak that's a joy to shoot at my 29" draw).
I can't personally say that I notice a difference between the shorter and longer bows with my accuracy at my hunting ranges (25 yards or less and average is probably around 15 yards). Having a shorter bow gives me a little more flexability in my stand/blind location and setup.
There's a plethora of bow choices out there today and designs are taking into account shootability and length. Consider your hunting situations and stand/blind types. Take a stick the length of your proposed bow out to some of your blind/stand locations and pretend draw without looking at the ends. Do you hit something without thinking about the bow position?? For me the most natural shot sequence is drawing my bow in a hunting situation without thinking about my can't or style while the game is right there in front of me.
Good luck with your search.
QuoteOriginally posted by kbetts:
I'm 5'7", and 62" is good for me and my 28" draw. At over 6', I think you'll end up drawing over 28" in time with a longer bow. Since it won't stack as bad I'm almost positive you'll get a new appreciation for the length. Use that powerstroke!
I have a feeling your right about the draw increasing with the longer bow. I had some issues short drawing and used a clicker for awhile. Now with no clicker I'm at 28". I think shooting this short bow for so long has me almost numb to pinch and stack.
Im shooting 58# @ 28" now. I'm actually considering losing a few pounds on the new bow anticipating atleast a small draw gain.
Rob
Exactly! I wish I had longer arms. It's taken me about three years to stretch out to 28". In fact, I just traded a 56" recurve that was 56#@27" because I could feel it coming real tight at full draw. I think at one time I said I would never part with that bow.....
You will love the way a 64" bow shoots!!!! I have shot much shorter bows but for smoothness of draw and over all accuracy, the longer bow wins hands down!!
Go to the 64". You can dig a little deeper ground blind. Always hunt with what you shoot best.
I've been hunting with 66" longbows for a number of years and I don't remember a single time where the bow length was a problem.. And I hunt a lot !!
Good luck.
I went from 62" to 64" limbs on my TD Signature and I love it. Huge difference. A lot more comfortable to shoot. No problems kneeling or canting. And I should have a 66" longbow arriving tomorrow.
I Hunt with 64" and up recurves. Currently a 66" Silvertip takedown recurve. Since dropping the shorter bows(58-60") back in the early 90's, I've never looked back.
Love longer bows, much more fun and easier to shoot for me.
Very personal preference however.