Lets talk BRACE HEIGHT

[jacobsladder]

Im familiar with finding the sweet spot...the spot that makes the bow shoot the quietest , vibration free etc..

I'm aware of the fine tuning with braceheight...raising brace height makes an arrow act weaker...lowering makes an arrow act stiffer..

adjusting braceheight changes string nock location/heigth

ok...heres a question...take a bowyer ..same model ... different lengths..say 54" to 68".the bowyer recommends brace heights from 7.5 to 8

I understand this is only a recommendation....will the longer bows typically have a higher brace/sweet spot than the shorter bows....... i guess my question is ..where does bow and limb length come into play with braceheight and the sweet spot...

also...does string material make a difference..or will the sweet spot be the same with multiple string materials.... what are you guys finding out...... thanks!!

[Chuck Hoopes]

Iam guessing that particular Bow design,would have more effect on Brace ht. "sweet spot" than differences in bow lengths.  I do think diff. string materials, number of strands is going to cause varitions in brace ht. sweet spot.
I really don't know, any of this for sure. Also,individual shooting styles, particularly method of release is likely to have an effect on what the "sweet spot" turns out to be.  I think you just have to experiment for yourself w/diff. equip. and string material.  I don't think its a one size fits all,kind of thing.

[Predator Man]

It really depends on the bowyer.  I have had longbows from 56" to 66". Recurves from 58" to 62"  I like a lower brace. Every bow I have ever owned except for my Super diablo and my widows ran about 7" give or take a quarter inch. My super d needs a 7.5 - 7.75 and my widows from what I remember ran 7.75 to 8.5.  

Widow recurves are really high brace but I start everything else at 7 regardless of the length and go from there.

[jacobsladder]

thanks guys..ive also heard from a very good shooter/friend that is retired and is a state champion..he spends hours fiddling and tuning daily... He has found some bows to have more than one sweet spot..which i find interesting... the spots can be between 3/4" and a full inch apart... he says both spots shoot exceptionally quiet and shock free.... i havent fiddled that much , but find it interesting.

I wonder how much arrow choice and spine plays into finding the sweet spot/ optimal braceheight...

will a different arrow spine change the sweet spot much.

[Bjorn]

String material plays a dramatic role........B50 could be 7" as an example, and the same bow would be best using D97 at 6.5" and 6.25 with a skinny string.
Competiton archers change brace heights and strings types, or strand counts, to accommodate various arrows and optimize flight.

[jacobsladder]

Bjorn.... interesting..thank you...great info..

[wtpops]

Also it could change from bow to bow in the same model with same specs due to vearations in the natural woods used to make the bow. JMO and personal findings i am not a bowyer... ah boywer ah... I dont make bows...

[jacobsladder]

Rick....hmmmmm...this is getting good..thanks for the info..makes sense to me!

[Gordon martiniuk]

yes indeed diffrent string materals will  vary brace hight for me I find that with skinny strings I can brace my recurve a little lower and it is Quiet and shock free most bows will tell you what they like change you brace height a little at a time and when it gets vibration free and quiets down you have likely found its sweet spot, every bow will have a sweet spot .. I find if I brace my bows too high they will become less forgiveing and will rob you of some energy, but that is secondary to a vibration free shot which will naturally be more quiet ,,  

[Steelhead]

On bows from the same maker and same  model with the same riser length I usually set the brace height higher on the longer one than I would on that same model in a shorter length by just a bit.I think the longer working limb needs a bit higher brace hieght to dampen out the limb vibration a bit.

I too brace a tad higher in general with B-50 vs FF strings for the same reason as mentioned above.I think the limbs dampen out better with B-50 at a higher brace hieght.Always pays to test the bow ofcourse as you know.

I sometimes see recommndations for high brace hieghts for a quieter hunting bow.I have found that many bows do shoot quieter at a lower brace height as Gordon mentioned above.Not only quieter but more accurate and pleasant feeling.The limb wants to recover a little bit more and when the brace height is too high its like the limb is saying let me go a little further please!Thier can be a slight rough feeling when the bows brace hieght is set to high in my experience.You might be barely able to notice it but its thier if you pay attention.

Thats why it pays to adjust up and down a few times or more to work the kinks out and be sure you got the BH where its best at.

[jacobsladder]

Eric....typically d shaped bows will have a lower sweetspot than heavier r/d bows...and recurves usually higher yet...... are you finding a lower braceheight "may" work on all of these types?

thanks for all the info guys.... there is no right or wrong answers...just find this great food for thought.

[Steelhead]

Good question.

Most of those bows I tested that I had that were different lengths and that I had the brace height lower on the shorter ones were mild R and D bows with a D shape when strung.

I just have happened to own alot of those type bows from different makers and was able to play around with them quite a bit in lengths from 62 to 68 inches.Mostly 64 and 66 inchers though overall.

I think the same rule may apply in general but maybe not necassarily specifically to a specific bow.We need to test the bow to come to some conclusions.The mileage may very.Risers lengths differ and limb lengths differ,string types we test differ,arrows weight etc.

For instance the centaurs being very reflexed have shorter brace hieght  recommendations for the short bows vs the longerbows.I believe some other bowyers bows are likewise?

I had a few liberty chiefs in 66 and 64 inches that has a moderate reflex design and I shot the 66 incher at a higher brace hieght.

I think a lower brace hieght may work better than some poeple realize for the reasons Gordon stated and or they just have thier brace hieght to high possibly and dont realize it.I know on a few bows I had been testing recently I had played with them a bit and had it high for a bit and I thought this just does not feel as good after shooting it a few days and dropped it down and presto more pleasant shooting.Like i mentioned above I think the limb hits a wall and says please lower the brace a bit and let me recover a tad more.Some ofcourse just shoot and sound better at high brace hieghts and some lower.

Man its getting late and I am running on fumes and got to get up at 6:00.Bummer.Pardon the rambling

A bows kinda like a grey area and when you get it you have to play around with brace hieght,a few string types and arrows etc till you get things working like you want.Takes a little time sometimes eh.Like you said.Food for thought!

[legends1]

I build a 64" models and 60" models,i recommend 8"-8.5".for both models.What that means is that with a 16 ff string in my recurves they are more forgiving and quieter.Now,shooting style and arrow choises can make diffrence in brace height as well.I actualy shoot my personal bow with a 8.5" brace.I like it best there for my shooting style and arrow choise.

[Rob DiStefano]

most bowyers and production bow manufacturers have brace height guidelines based on their testing with a string the same or very similar to the one on the bow offered for sale.

for the most part, different string materials and strand counts, as well as your shooting form and other criteria, can easily modify your bow's brace height.

experimentation and testing are required.

[Last of the Breed]

I just put a new string on my MOAB, 60".  I bought a 57" string and put it on and left it strung for a week to let it set.  came back and set the brace height, but the string just isnt long enough.  On my old string I ran 6 1/4" brace height, on this string i could only get to 6 1/2" .  so i decided to try it, put my nock point the same as the old string and bare shafted, came out nock hi.  Put my old string back on and perfect.  Tryed to lower my nock point on the new string and could not get rid of my knock hi, also moved the brace height up a little higher but didnt help.