I have a bow that I got used and don't have any paper work with it.  I need to tune for some new arrows and would like to know how I can determine the min / max brace height.  The bow is Ben Pearson ROGUE, 7058 it's marked 77325-373  AMO 58"
45XX -28.  Any advice would be appreciated.

TTT, I have the same issue. Bow has no name or markings. 62" recurve.

For 99% of recurves starting at 7-1/2 would be a good point. There aren't many that are braced lower than this.

You can check the archery archives website for a general idea, by manufacturer.

start with enough clearance so the fletch clears the riser than shoot a few arrows,probably wont like it set so low but its a starting point. twist the srting a few turns (assuming its a dacron/flemish string) and shoot a few more arrows. do this until the bows shoots well/quiet. thats your BH. takes some playing around but you'll get it.

The right brace height is where...

1.  the fletch clears the bow at brace
2.  the arrow flys cleanly
3.  there isn't excessive limb vibration after the shot


Manufacturers recommendations are just that, recommendations.  I guess it's possible to hurt a bow by bracing it wildly too high (like ten inches), but other than that brace height is an individual thing fit to your arrows and your shooting style.

Brace height is called fistmele for a reason.  Put the edge of your hand on the riser, extend your thumb toward the string, start there.  It's as good a place to start as any other.  In the end, you just have to try various heights until it meets criteria that Jeff mentioned.

On a recurve with no guidelines, I start with the bow strung so that the string lies fully in the grooves on the belly side of the limb, and go from there.

Also, since it's 58" AMO, you might start with a 54" string. That will get you close, too.

Dave...that is meant for longbows, not recurves at pivot.  Scattershot has the best suggestion.
A recurve that has AMO designation on it, just use a string about 4" shorter and adjust to "what works for you!"

One of the issues regarding brace height is folks don't seem to "get-it"....you must adjust brace to suit you.  The manufacturer's suggestion is just that...a suggestion....a place to start.

Brace is as personal as arrow length, type, etc.
It is not set in stone for each model.  May I repeat...it must be set to one's personal specifications..where it works best for that shooter.  One thing great about this sport is the individual dynamics involved; you have a lot of parameters to adjust to personal taste.

If you must have a starting point, use 3" shorter for longbows and 4" shorter for recurves.
With a flemish twist type string, you can start 3" shorter for recurves as well and twist until it's right.

7 1/2 puts ya close on most recurves, except the shorties (48"ers) they usually go around 8 1/2 in my experiance.

If the bow is true AMO you need a 55" string.

All great advice above.I think of brace height as being the lowest brace height I can get with the least noise.the longer the string stays in contact with the arrow,the longer the power stroke and the more efficient the setup.This doesn't necessarily mean a LOW brace height.There will be a sweet spot where limb vibration and noise are at their least.You may hit that spot and go way higher and still be quiet but that shortens your powerstroke.I would leave the string silencers off till you get it figured out,find that spot where things feel and sound best and then record the brace height distance you come up with.Your string will continually stretch and if you don't record or remember the number,you will go through this experimental process each time you have to put it back.Write down that number and just set the brace height back to it's sweet spot-unless you are like me and can't remember where you wrote it.

JimB,

I remember someone telling me way back when I started this pastime to record the vital stats on your bow on a small white sticker on the belly side of one of the limbs.  Things like brace height, string length, nock point position, etc.  Then you always had a reference handy, even if you hadn't shot that bow in years.

Seems like good advice.

Dave,
I thought longbows were amo 3" less and recurves 4" less?
That would make a string length of 54"?

I Googled and found  www.archery  archives.com. Check it out

AMO strings are 3" less than bow length regardless of longbow or recurve. Unfortunately more than a few bowyers don't really know the AMO standards. A lot of the older bows don't say AMO on them and just have a bow length. Many times those recurves take strings four inches less. A couple of modern recurves take strings 2" less. If folks just stuck to true AMO, it would be a lot easier to know what you needed for a string.

My ben pearson likes 8". I would start 7.5" and go from there making sure it is resting in the string grooves well.

take a arow and mark it up from 7 inches to 8 inches with eighth ticks and keep in your quiver so you can alwas monitor your prefrence you could posibly like a height and not know you like it better a little lower. so when you shoot it into that sweet spot you can make note.

My Predator is 60" AMO and bgraham made me a 56" string. My brace height is right on at 7.25".

JimB

Its true that the shorter the brace height the longer the string is in contact, which usually does mean more efficiency.

But the longer the brace height the higher the draw weight and the more energy the arrow will have.

Longer brace = more KE, more draw weight, more stack, and often more noise.