How Long Is A Bow?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Most recurves commonly come in lengths of

58, 60, and 62 inches

. The old rule was if you had a short draw length, less than 28 inches, you should shoot a 56 or 58-inch bow.

How long should my bow be?

Draw Length (inches) Bow Size (inches) – AMO
19-21


58
21-23 60-62 24-27 64-66 27-29 66-68

How long is a longbow?

The English longbow was a powerful medieval type of bow,

about 6 ft (1.8 m) long

, used by Welsh and then by English armies as a weapon of war, and for hunting.

How long should my bow draw be?

To measure your draw length, stand with your back to a wall stretching your arms out against the wall. Measure the distance from the end of your middle finger to the end of your other middle finger, basically the length of both arms, hands and chest. This measurement, minus 15 then divided by 2, is your draw length.

How do you size a long bow?


A longbow should fit to your height plus a couple of inches

as a rough guide. If you shoot one that is too short, you will find the bow won’t feel smooth to draw. Too long and there is a waste of energy with the extra height of the limbs at full draw.

How do you measure bow length?

ANSWER: The easiest way to measure the length of your traditional bow is to start at the string groove, follow the curvature of the limb along the belly side of the bow, across the riser area, and follow the curvature of the other limb to the other string groove. This will give you the a.m.o. bow length.

Is 70 lb draw too much?

Some shooters are capable of shooting 70, 80 or 90lbs, but

most adult males shoot between 60 and 70lbs

. Today’s bows are extremely efficient and 40lb compound bows are more than capable of harvesting many big game animals. For whitetail deer hunting anything above 40 lbs is fine.

What is let off on a bow?

Let-Off. A compound bow

uses cables and cams to store energy and reduce the holding weight at full draw

. This reduction in holding weight at full draw is called “let-off,” and is calculated as a percentage of the overall draw weight. For example, a 40-pound bow with a 75 percent let-off would be ten pounds at full draw …

What is draw length in archery?

Draw length is

the distance you pull back the string for comfortable and proper shooting form

. This measurement matters because compound bows have a mechanical stop that is set to a specific draw length.

Can you survive an arrow to the chest?

Arrow wounds to the thorax had to be evaluated carefully for penetration into the lung, in which case the individual would die 72% of the time [2]. Unlike a bullet wound,

arrow wounds rarely resulted in the collapse of the lung

, as the arrow usually remained lodged within the thorax.

How far can an archer shoot?

Famous archers of the time had record-breaking shots accurate over 300 yards, but

the average archer was only accurate up to about 200 yards

with the standard practice range being 220 yards. In battle, this effective range was even lower due to fatigue and stress.

How far do Olympic archers shoot?

Archers shoot up to a distance of

70 metres (for recurve) and 50 metres (for compound)

in standard competition. Archers aim at the five-colour target, consisting of 10 scoring zones in gold, red, blue, black and white rings.

What length arrows do I need?

A good rule of thumb is to cut it

no shorter than the middle of the riser

. At full draw, your arrow end would sit right in the middle of the shelf. The best way to determine how long you want your arrows to be is to nock a full-length, uncut arrow and draw it back.

How long should arrows be for 27 inch draw?

The arrow must be

29′′

in length and supported by two points, which are 28′′ apart.

What size arrow do I need for a 28 inch draw?

The standard way to measure arrow length is from the back of the point to the throat of the nock. Your draw length and arrow spine will influence your arrow length. If you’re a 28-inch draw length and want an arrow that ends at the front of the riser, your arrow length would be around

27 inches

.

What is an American flat bow?

A flatbow (as the name suggests) is

a bow which is flat and has relatively wide limbs

. They tend to have a rectangular cross section. And they have a less pronounced curve (or sometimes no curve at all) in their limbs, unlike their recurve bow counterparts. They are usually widest as the handle.

Is arrow length and draw length the same?


The main difference between draw length and arrow length is the way these two are measured

. Draw length Is the distance from the deepest grip of the throat to the nock point plus 1.75′′ at full draw. On the other hand, arrow length is the distance of the arrow shaft.

What is a good draw weight for a 12 year old?

Most 12 year olds should be able to pull

40-50

.

What does 400 mean on an arrow?

The numbers refer to the spine of the arrow. The different spines refer to the stiffness, a 400 spine arrow is generally for

bows 40-60 lbs

. 350 spine is for bows roughly 55 – 75 lbs, and a 500 spine arrow is for bows roughly 30 – 50 lbs.

Is bow length measured strung or unstrung?


Bow length is the same whether the bow is strung or unstrung

. Techically for bow manufacturers, AMO length of a give bow is 3′′ longer the the AMO string length. For example, if a bow take a 57′′ string, then the bow is maked as AMO 60′′.

What does Amo mean on a bow?

The industry has a standardised method of measuring arrow length, and you will often see this referred to as AMO Length. AMO stands for

Archery Manufacturers Organisation

. This is the method where a measurement is taken between the groove of the nock and the front end of the shaft.

How do I know my draw weight?

The standard for determining their draw weight is taken at 28 inches of draw length.

The draw weight is marked on the bow’s lower limb with the pound sign (#)

,such as 35# @ 28”. That translates to 35 pounds of draw weight at a 28-inch draw length.

What draw weight should I shoot?

As a rule of thumb,

40 pounds of kinetic energy efficiently kills whitetails, and 50 pounds or greater is required for larger game such as elk, moose or bear

. When I bought my first Mathews bow, it had a 70-pound draw weight.

Do I need a bow stringer?

Bow stringing and unstringing are basic skills, but

require a specialized tool called a bow-stringer

. This device helps archers safely and easily string and unstring their bows. You can use other methods for these tasks, but a bow-stringer provides the safest method for you and your bow.

How are bows rated?

There are

two classes of speed rating; IBO and ATA, and then there’s the actual speed rating

. The speed rating is measured in feet per second (fps). The International Bowhunters Organization (IBO) measures speed at a draw of 80 lbs, maximum available draw length, and a 400 grain arrow.

What does let off 50 mean?

The most typical “letoff” is 65% but when they were introduced they were 30-40%, then 50% became popular, then 65%, and now bows with as high as 80% letoff can be purchased. The letoff percentage is

how much of the draw force is taken off

, so a 40% letoff would reduce the peak weight by 40% at full draw.

What is lbs in archery?

Draw weight, or poundage, is

a measurement of the force needed to draw a bow

. You might hear someone say, “I shoot a 40-pound bow.” That means their bow’s draw weight is 40 pounds. Every bow has a draw weight.

Jasmine Sibley
Author
Jasmine Sibley
Jasmine is a DIY enthusiast with a passion for crafting and design. She has written several blog posts on crafting and has been featured in various DIY websites. Jasmine's expertise in sewing, knitting, and woodworking will help you create beautiful and unique projects.