Been bitten by the Bear bug and am wanting another recurve. I currently have 2 and 1 longbow with the lenghts of 62 & 66 on the recurves and 68 on the longbow. I have read that the shorter bows of 58" or less can be tough to shoot. I only draw 27" and shoot 3 under so finger pinch is not a problem. What is your experience shooting shorter bows? Is longer definetly more forgiving?
I had a 48" supermag and it shot well just touch on release due to the string angle. However the high brace helped some.
Everyone is different. I dont like shooting recurves under 64" and prefer 66". For all hunting.
My buddy will not shoot anything over 58".
You've really got to shoot to see. No two bows of the same length are equal either.
A 60" Bear does not shoot the same as a 60" Fazio Ballistik. If you can get to a shop that has the shorter bows, it will be worth your while to shoot them for yourself. You might love them, you might not.
I actually prefer a shorter bow and have been shooting for over 50yrs.
My newest bow is a Don Dow 54" longbow,shoots great.
I like shorter bows. I have a 46# '65 Kodiak Magmun that is as fast as a couple of 50# bows I have and it's a lot handier. My draw length is 28+" and I could not tell you what finger pinch is because I have never experienced it. But, I have small hands and my release is pretty consistent. I think your form has to be good to shoot a shorter bow as they are less forgiving of form errors.
Some very good shooters like them and some don't.
The best thing is to try different bows and see what works for you.
I draw 26". My LONGEST bow is 54". My shortest are 2 46" Maddog Machetes.
Personal decision. I draw 31" and shot a 60inch recurve. I find that how a bow draws is much more important than its length. I perfer the shortest bow that I can shoot accurately.
I would love to shoot one of the Toelke Kestrel recurves @52 inches. All of their bows draw so smooth I find it hard to believe that would not be the case with that one...
In most instances longer seems to be more forgiving , with that said in some bow designs now its not always the case. Also being your draw is 27" you should have no problem shooting a k mag which is only 52" long . I have 2 and shoot same as you with no problems at all . Hoots also makes a great short recurve .
critman i shoot horse bows of 50" and 52" and they are easy to shoot no finger pinch and i have a 27" draw and when i get tired a 26" draw and its no problem at all :thumbsup:
I'm 6'3" and draw 30" and longer is definately more forgiving. The finger pinch I get on shorter bows (below 58") make them uncomfortable for long days of shooting, and my release suffers as well.
I like the 66" and 62" field bows (recurves) for shooting - and I hunt with a 62" Explorer - but for hunting in a tree stand the 58" is a lot handier. Shorter than 58" I can't say as I never owned one and most guys won't let me try theirs.
I always liked a 58" Recurve, but I shoot longer ones much better overall. 60-66" ,longer is better for me!
27" draw. For me I want a bow 60" or longer. Doesn't have to do with finger pinch, but being able to have a nice group of arrows. I think shorter bows tend to shoot faster for me, but in the end they get sold or traded.
My personal experience is to double your draw length as a minimum bow length. I'd say this is especially true if you shoot with more of a target style(ie. hold at full draw while aiming)
I have a 30 inch draw and 60" bows are my minimum but like 62 inches better(recurves).
JMO
I draw 28 and I like a 56 inch bow
I have a 27.5" draw and I find that I can shoot bows that are 52" okay but do better with bows 54-56" and longer.
I'm only 5'6" and have a 26" draw. One would think I'd like bows 56" and shorter just fine. I have a couple 56" bows but I prefer 60".
I've done no objective evaluation of the 56, 58, 60, or 62" recurves I shoot. The longer ones just feel better to me.
Had a bear Kodiak Mag back in the day. It was 52" and I got finger pinch and stacking from it and I only have a 27" draw.
As has been Stated you gotta shoot it to see. I have a 52" Browning that is 54#, I use it for carping and get no finger pinch with my 31+" draw.
Bob Morrison's MAX I limbs have radical recurves. There is minimal string pinch at 28" with a 56" bow. Currently he is shooting a 52" bow with a 26" draw. His MAX I limbs are amazing to shoot and you can go real short with them. I was going to get 58" limbs but decided that the 56" limbs on my wife's bow were really nice for me and my style of shooting and blind hunting. Fast, quiet and accurate.
54-56 is about the limit for me with my 27in draw and I tend to shoot 58-60in bows better, but love the bow being as short as possible but still comfortable to shoot so I tend to favor 56-58in bows now.
I have a 52" 45 lb Kodiak magnum that is just fine and very handy in the stand or on the ground. At my draw of 28 inches I have no problems. You just need to shoot differtn bows and see what works for you.
If its a static limb or semi static the 50 and 52s shoot great. If its a full working recurve then too much string pinch. In reference to this topic I would suggest that you check out the thread on the Yeti that Bigfoot bows is building.
God bless, Steve
Reading over the replies, it once more drives home the point: IT DEPENDS...
Depends: On your draw and on the bowyer apparently...some can get more draw length out of a limb length than others without finger pinch...
I am so glad there are those who love to fiddle with such stuff to uncover those secrets... Just don't need to understand it all to enjoy the fruits of their labors...
Dave Chapman makes a really nice 52" recurve. I have one of his longbows and it shoots great and i shoot it better than any bow I own. He no longer makes longbows but makes a very reasonable priced recurve.Really nice guy to deal with and he stands by his work.
21st street Archery
Different for everyone I guess...I draw a true 30"..there are only a few 60" bows that I can say are really comfortable for me to shoot...the old super kodiaks work..a friend of mine has a 60" widow that I've shot quite a bit and that's ok too..but mostly I like 62" or 64"..they just feel better at full draw..
Us short draw shooters ( I draw 26.5 ) can shoot short bows or long bows ( in length ) without any problems,
(http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h477/njloco/IMG_1679-1.jpg)
Shot with a 1966 Bear 48" magnum.
i draw 28" and shoot a 58" howatt bow.
compared to a 62" i do find it pinches my fingers more, and that I can be a little more prone to wayward shots with it. If I can manage a 62" bow i prefer to use one.
cheers
Thanks for all the great input guys.
Critman gone.
its personal. My draw with trad bows is a little under 27.5" and I will not go below 60" anymore. I have had a 52", 56", 58", 60", 62", 64", 66"
My hunter bow longbow is 58" and is a really nice shooter though. but i had short limbs for my titan ILF riser and that was a 58" set up and it didnt like it compared to my long limbs or my 60" kodiak. Just wasnt as accurate with it. Shortest bow I had was a two tracks ambush, which honestly wasnt to bad, never really got to see its full potential since the grip was really bad for me and the arrow rested on my hand. So for wha tit was I shot ok with that set up and probably would have liked it alot if the grip was made for me.
I own and shoot a Tom Kelley that is 52 lbs at 28" and it is perfect for sitting on the ground on my behind in a Ghillie. That thing is easy to shoot, its arrows hit like a hammer and I highly recommend it.
I draw 28" and my Orion shoots as well as any bow I have ever had...it's 56". I have it for sale, not because of the length, but because my aging body appreciates a lower draw weight. I think the static limbs make a huge difference in eliminating finger pinch. There is none with this bow, nor is there with my 58" RER.
I did have a 52" Herters that was a finger pincher deluxe! I think there are better designs now though and some of the better short bows should be very smooth shooters, especially at 27".