Have a question. I have about a 26" draw length. Given this short draw, would there be an inherent mismatch for me shooting a 70" long longbow? I know with recurves there can be issues with a short draw "not engaging" the limbs, but was not sure for longbows. Would I be giving up a lot of performance - vs. my effective draw weight on a shorter length bow? (say a 64-66" longbow)
The bow is a Harrison Black Wolf, 70"
Depends on bow really, what type of longbow? Hill styles really shine at longer lengths don't think you are handicapped with that
Length with a Hill besides extra mass in limbs some say slows the arrow somewhat but acts as a effective lever with heavier shafts .
A Harrison Black Wolf is the type of 70" longbow I had in mind. It should have limbs pre-stressed just by stringing it.
with that style i would opt for something around 62" to 64" @26" draw 70" would be unreal smooth however!
i had a Harrison hss one time it was 64" and was smooth out to my 29" draw!
My draw is about 26-1/2". I had a 66" Blackwolf that was perfect for me with my draw. My HH is 68" and it shoots very well and fast for me as well. Personally I would not get a Hill style bow less than 66".
My only concern would be string angle if you're hunting from a tree or shooting downward. As far as performance, long bows are great...and easy to shoot!
The problem we short draw folks can have with 70" bows is string contact to the body with canted shots. Of course a 70" bow drawn to 26" only needs about a third of the limb to be working to have a smooth draw, that does make a nice shooting bow. My favorite is a lean tipped 68".