How To Measure A Bow's Draw Length

THIS IS PERSONAL: DRAW LENGTH

What is a draw length? Compound bows are a fiddling different from traditional recurves and longbows. Different traditional bows which can be drawn back practically any distance, compound bows are engineered to draw back only so far - and then terminate. This distance is known as the bow's "describe length" - and it's controlled by the mechanical systems on the bow. The trick is ... the mechanical setting of the bow and the physical size of the shooter need to match. If your physical size requires a bow with a draw length setting of, say, 29 inches, and so it tin can be said that "your describe length" is 29 inches. And so both Yous and the BOW have a draw length to friction match up. Determining describe length fitment begins with measuring the person (more on that in a moment) and then finding a bow which can adapt to fit that person - not the other way effectually.

What is full draw? It's important to note that compound bows are designed to exist shot but from the total-draw position - that is, with the bow drawn all the way back (until information technology stops). If a compound bow is set for a 29" describe length, for case, information technology should always exist fatigued dorsum to a full 29" and and then shot from that position. You should never attempt to shoot from the heart of the powerstroke. You only shoot subsequently you reach full depict. If you haven't shot a compound bow earlier, don't worry. It'southward much easier to "feel" than explain. It's almost like opening a car door. Yous just know when the door is all the way open and when to terminate pushing, right? Aforementioned with a bow. You'll know when y'all're at total describe; it's quite obvious. Y'all draw the bow back until you experience the mechanical finish - then you accept aim - then y'all shoot! Easy.

Overdrawing the bow? On near compound bows, the mechanical stop at full depict is quite firm. Once you hit the finish, it's exceedingly difficult to pull the bow back any more than (and you shouldn't endeavor). A bow that's gear up for 29" depict cannot be drawn dorsum to 30" or 31" without modifying the mechanical setup on the bow. Never endeavour to forcibly overdraw a bow beyond the mechanical stop. Draw your bow in a slow and controlled manner. Just after your bow achieves full let-off, yous will feel the touchdown at "the wall." That's it. Y'all're ready to shoot. Most modern compounds take less than 20 lb. of pressure to hold back at full draw. So if you're nevertheless grunting and straining at full draw, you lot're trying to forcibly overdraw the bow (which can damage you and the bow). So just be cool. When you get to total draw, relax. You made it.

What is a "proper" draw length? Ask ten different archery experts for advice most your draw length, and you're likely to get ten different answers. In that location are a number of methods and devices commonly used to make up one's mind a "proper" describe length - few of which agree. The truth is ... your "proper" draw length is the depict length at which yous are the most comfortable and the most accurate. No matter what a nautical chart or device (or expert) says, if you shoot best at a given depict length ... THAT'S your perfect draw length. Some shooters experiment a little and "tweak" their draw lengths up or down as their technique evolves, but about adults just find a comfortable draw length and stick with it. If you're new to the sport, don't worry. We'll help you guess a good starting point.

how to measure your draw length for a compound bow Armspan method works! Here's a reliable measurement method nosotros have utilized for xv years ... the trusty Armspan/2.v method. To measure your draw length, make up one's mind the length of your arm-span in inches. Stand with your arms out and palms facing forward. Don't stretch when measuring. Just stand up naturally. Have someone else aid you, and measure from the tip of one eye finger to the other. Then but split that number past ii.5. The caliber is your guess draw length (in inches) for your body size. If you lot are a person of average proportions, your arm-span volition be roughly equal to your height (in inches). And so there is often a directly correlation between a person'south height and their depict length, so yous may use the scale beneath if y'all wish. But if yous are particularly lankly, stocky, etc., the arm-span/2.v method will probably yield the most reliable estimate.

height vs draw length for a compound bow

Speed freaks beware! About shooters tend to ready their bows for too much describe length - particularly men. This could exist a side-consequence of male machismo (nosotros all retrieve we're a little taller than we actually are), but sometimes information technology's a witting determination to gain more speed and power. The longer your draw length, the longer your bow's powerstroke volition be - and the faster your bow will shoot. As a general rule, 1" of depict length is worth about 10 fps of pointer velocity. Bows are IBO Speed rated at 30" draw length. And then if your item bow has an IBO speed of 340 fps, and you intend to shoot the bow at 27" draw length - you should await an approximate 30 fps speed loss correct off the peak (310 fps max). This is one of the reasons that and so many archers - particularly shorter guys - cull inappropriately long draw lengths. Nosotros strongly discourage this practise, as the added speed is a poor trade-off for the loss of comfort and control. A fast pointer is no adept if y'all can't reliably put it on target. Become that barbed-wire tattoo if you must, but don't make the macho mistake of shooting more than draw length than you need.

Does a string loop add depict length? Information technology seems to exist common knowledge amid archery enthusiasts that a cord loop equals an extra i/2" of draw length. To be honest, information technology would exist easier to just agree and motion on, just that'due south not technically correct. Forgive u.s.a. for popping the industry bubble hither, but here's the deal ... the AMO/ATA specs for measuring describe length reference the actual bowstring at its nocking bespeak - non necessarily the point of zipper from which it is drawn. If y'all draw a compound bow back to full describe, the official draw length is found by measuring the altitude from the nocking point on the string, in a line perpendicular to the middle line of the bow, to an imaginary point above the pivot betoken of the grip, plus ane.75 inches. Did you get that? If non, you tin can os up on more than compound bow techno-bits past reading our Compound Bow Selection Guide afterwards. Simply the fact is, a string loop - or lack of a string loop - has nothing to practice with the (official) mechanical draw length of a chemical compound bow ... but ...

Does a string loop change the "feel" of my draw length? Ah-ha! That'south the ameliorate question. The reply is maybe. At full draw, your anchor point should be comprised of several key reference points (physical connections betwixt you lot and the bow), whatever yous prefer those connections to be. Mutual reference points are nose to string, arrow nock to corner of oral cavity, kisser push touching lip, mitt against the cheek, knuckle in the ear, etc. A cord loop will have NO result on how the cord touches your nose, or how the nock of the arrow touches the corner of your lip, but a cord loop will position your release hand nigh one/2" farther back on your cheek. If that makes you "feel" like you lot have a longer draw length, then yes. Otherwise, no.

A concluding thought on draw lengths: If y'all're new to the sport, don't get besides carried away dissecting yourself down to the micron. You lot'll have improve luck if you just play the averages and choose an initial depict length that'southward like to others of your aforementioned size and stature. Fortunately, on most bows, making a minor draw length change is pretty simple. So it'due south not quite a life or death decision to get-go. Nonetheless, as you go more than immersed in the sport and begin to "fine-tune" your game, you lot may wish to experiment a little with your draw length.

A HEAVY Decision: DRAW WEIGHT

What is depict weight? The draw weight of a chemical compound bow is the amount of pulling forcefulness required to draw the string back - simple enough. Only continue in heed, the describe weight of a compound bow is neither static or linear. That is to say, it isn't like pulling on a rope with expressionless weight at the end - and the draw weight doesn't get progressively harder the farther y'all draw the bow dorsum (like a longbow). The draw weight of a compound bow is controlled by the geometry of the cam organization, so the required effort rises and then falls during the describe bike. That's sort of what makes a compound bow "compound." The describe bike is mechanically manipulated to maximize energy storage and requite us some ergonomic advantages that traditional equipment cannot. Equally a general dominion though, less effort is required at the beginning and at the end of the compound bow drawstroke, and somewhere in the heart you'll hit the dreaded "peak weight" - the hump - the point where your maximum try is required. This is where a chemical compound bow's depict weight is measured - at the heaviest point of the bike. When selecting a depict weight, this is the mark you should be concerned virtually.

Comfort is the key: There are several factors to consider hither, beyond only fauna force. Kickoff and foremost, we strongly recommend that y'all choose a draw weight that is COMFORTABLE for you and suitable for your particular purpose. In recreational archery pursuits, a bow with besides much draw weight will simply make you less successful and make the sport less enjoyable to you. A good rule-of-thumb is to choose a depict weight that requires about 75% of your "maximum" forcefulness. If your bow is too heavy to draw dorsum (overbowed), and you can only shoot a few times before you're fatigued, so you'll be reluctant to practise and improve your game. With that said, you as well desire your bow to shoot with as much gusto as possible, specially if you're big game hunting, then you lot shouldn't choose too piddling weight either (underbowed). Again, the correct balance between comfort and performance will probably exist at your "75%" mark.

overbowed with too much draw weight Hail the manlike man! We bowhunters tend to exist tough-guys - and some of us simply can't resist choosing heavyweight bows (+75 lb. top). Unfortunately, a heavyweight bow selection unremarkably turns out to be a mistake. Just because you finished your P90X DVD set and your goatee has filled in, that doesn't necessarily mean you possess the back and upper-body force to comfortably manage an 80# hard cam bow. Few guys do. Unless you lot've been shooting hundreds upon hundreds of arrows per week, and you take been specifically workout yourself to use a heavyweight bow, we suggest you lot leave the heavyweights alone. Shooting a powerhouse draw weight sounds glamorous, but it will likely only ruin your experience. If you lot've never used a chemical compound bow earlier and have no idea where to start, here are some full general guidelines. You should utilize your mutual sense here and interpret this chart with due respect to your own historic period and full general physical status.

65-75#: Large Frame Men (180+ lbs.)
55-65#: Med. Frame Men (150-180 lbs.)
45-55#: Big Frame Women (160+ lbs.)
45-55#: Pocket-size Frame Men (120-150 lbs.)
twoscore-l#: Athletic Older Boys (130-150 lbs.)
30-40#: Med. Frame Women (130-160 lbs.)
25-35#: Modest Frame Women (100-130 lbs.)
25-35#: Larger Child (100-130 lbs.)
15-25#: Small Kid (70-100 lbs.)

What near speed? Contrary to pop belief, more draw weight doesn't automatically yield a significant increment in hunting pointer speeds - particularly for draw weights above threescore lb. superlative. Since industry standards require at least v grains of arrow mass per pound of draw weight, a 60# summit bow only requires a 300 grain (5 ten 60) arrow. A 70# superlative bow requires a 350 grain (five x seventy) arrow, and an 80# acme bow requires a 400 grain (5 ten lxxx) pointer. So although the heavier bow volition generate more KE (penetration) at the target, the increased arrow mass requirements tend to offset the potential speed gains of shooting more than depict weight. So if you decide to pull twenty% more than draw weight, you probably won't get 20% more than arrow velocity. A responsible pro-shop never sets upwardly a bow to shoot underweight arrows. The v grain per pound rule must always exist followed for safety reasons.

Dangerous game! With all that said, there may be some specific applications where heavyweight bows really are chosen for (African Elephant, Black Rhino, Greatcoat Buffalo, Nile Crocodile, etc.). Of grade, if you're going to chase THOSE animals with a bow, you really should be a Macho Man. If you lot're going on a special dangerous game hunt, and so by all means, bring whatever firepower your outfitter requires. But for North American big game animals, a heavyweight bow is completely unnecessary, though we should probably note, some states require a compound bow to meet certain draw weight minimums (ordinarily effectually xl#) in lodge to hunt big game like Whitetail Deer. Check with your state'south governing agencies, and always find the rules and regulations for legally harvesting game in your country.

Pump it up! If you lot still don't feel good almost your level of bowhunter brawn and buffness, don't worry. The "archery muscles" used to draw a bow are primarily large musculus groups in your upper back (the aforementioned muscles yous use to row a gunkhole or pull-start a lawn mower). Most people don't specifically piece of work to exercise these muscles. So you lot will probably observe that one time you lot do put them to work, your "archery muscles" will gain force quickly and drawing your bow volition become easier over time. Fortunately, virtually bows come with at least 10 lbs. of draw weight adjustment. And then if you are a new shooter, you may wish to begin with your bow set at a lower describe weight - and gradually "crank-upwardly" the describe weight every bit y'all get more conditioned.

If you're still not sure nigh all this, requite usa a call and we'll talk information technology over: 877.410.7811.