Long Draw

[del]

I have a long draw, 30 1/2 inches.  Most bows are say 55 @ 28 inches.  When I  shoot and pull back to my draw, I feel like I'm pulling the guts out of the bow.  Is pulling a bow more than it is designed to draw hurting the bow. Am I making a bomb out of it?  Just curious.    

[robtattoo]

A lot depends on the length & design of the bow.
It sounds like thebow you're shooting is stacking. Very generally speaking, stacking occurs at longer draws, when the bow is too short. There are many other reasons, but too short of a bow is 95% of the culprit.

If it is too sort, you could well be in for a whack on the head at some point.

I draw the same as you, a smidge over 30", & I won't shoot anything less than a 62" bow these days. Too many bruises!

[BobW]

many/most, yes..... some, nope.  Those are the ones you want.  Best thing to do is talk with the bowyer (assuming you are talking about "custom bows" here).  They will know what their bows can handle.  Any bowyer worth his salt is going to tell the truth - the risk of a lie is pretty damaging to his business when you find out it wasn't the truth.

I draw 32"+ - there are bows out there....

[Night Wing]

I have a long draw. Mine is 30". Since I have a long draw, I have custom bowyers build me a bow close to the poundage I want at my draw length. I also listen to their recommendations when it comes to the length of the bow.

[Dean Lintz]

I to have a long draw 31 1/2 inches. I had bow issue after shooting shorter bow. Only shoot 64" bows now.

[del]

Thanks for the help!  I will make me one about66-70 inches and go from there.  thanks again folks.   del

[wingnut]

Yep, I also have a 30 1/2 inch draw and most short bows will run out of limb before you run out of draw.  You need to match the bow to your draw and weight to make it shootable for you.

Mike

[Shaun]

Working limb length is more important than overall bow length. The working limb is that part of the limb that bends. Some very long bows have a long stiff riser and/or non bending tips resulting in short working limbs. A self bow that bends through the handle and all the way to the tips could be 60" and still have long draw potential.

[BobW]

Excellent points all.  I have been fortunate enough to find some of the "long draw" bows.  Funny part is, they range from 56" to 68".  Quite honestly, I have had bowyers tell me that their bow isn't for me.  I respect those guys the most.  I have also had some that were unsure, and actually made a prototype because they wanted to know too.

Sure, a longer bow behaves better at long draws, but shouldn't be the only choice.  You just have to do your homework.