Short draws and riser length

[yamapup]

I built a 58" longbow with a 17" riser. I have a short 24" draw. Would it be possible to improve the bow performance by building another bow with an 18 or 19' riser? I would keep the weight about the same. I'm thinking that shorter limbs on the same length bow would cause the limbs to store more energy. What do you guys think?

[mater]

It would perform better. You will gain weight with a longer riser. I think its 3 pounds of gain per inch.

[Bill Carlsen]

mater: I think you have it backwards,,,shortening the riser will increase bow weight. I do a lot with ILF bows and that is just how it works.

A number of years ago I had a custom bow made for me by Jim Elrod at Groves before they closed the doors. I wanted a 56" bow. I had been shooting a 60" Groves. When I got the bow I realized the limbs of the 56" bow were identical to the 60" limbs. The difference was that the risers were different lengths. I called Jim back to ask about that and his explanation was simple...you will get more out of a set of limbs mounted on short riser than you do if the same limbs were on a long riser. The limbs on the shorter riser actually store more energy.

[yamapup]

I'm talking about a one piece bow and a 24" draw length. It seems that at full draw the shorter limbs will be stressed more, therefore storing more energy. I think bows may have a sweet spot where they work best for a given draw. I noticed that Marty of Z Bowsticks used a 20" riser on a 58" bow that he did a build a long on. You can see it on The ***********. Its called How I build A Bow. It seems that if a shorter riser and longer limbs store more energy, than he would have used a shorter riser.Pup

[Hill Hunter]

Maybe I am missing something here, but if your limbs store more or less energy due to riser lenght won't you have to build your limbs heavier or lighter to reach your desired weight?
So to me it seems that if you want to store more energy with any length riser, pull more weight.

[yamapup]

Adjusting the limb thickness to get the same draw weight isn't a problem. Since almost all bows are designed around a 28" draw, they are most probably more efficient at that length, or thereabouts. I could go to a shorter bow, but shorter bows tend to be a little less forgiving. Since I don't care if the bow stacks past 27 inches as long as it is real snappy in the 23-25 inch range. Both Bob Lee and Black Widow recommend their shorter longbows for shorter draws.I guess,I'll have to make a bow and see what happens. Pup

[Sixby]

I build for short or long draw by adding or adjusting power lams in the stack. This allows you to use a conventional length riser and shorten or lengthen the working area of the limb so that it performs best at the draw length you want it to. You will never get a short draw to perform like a bow with several inches more string time but you can get a short draw to perform at the best level for that draw. A bow designed to draw 28 inches does not cut the mustard for a 24 in shooter compared to that same bow designed to perform at 24 inches. A really good bowyer can make the difference for you. God Bless, Steve