Needing help with draw length.

[Sam Zirkle]

In need of help new to traditional archery.People have been selling me bows that are 56 to 60 pds at 28 inches. I'm 33 years old 6ft3in. I am only able to get those bows back to 28and 7/8". A friend of mine had a recurve that was 16pds at 22", I drawed that bow with an arrow on it marked it at the far end of the bow it came out 30 1/8". My question is I'm wanting buy a new bow that fits me. I'm having a hard time figuring out my draws guys could somebody give me some help? Those heavy bows are way to much for me to draw I messed up my left shoulder and my back so could you give me an idea of a poundage that would be good for me, I'm thinking somewhere between 47 to 52 pds. I need it to hunt deer, bear and turkey.Want do you guys think a good poundage would be and what should I do about figuring out my draw? I like to shoot alot of 3D. That 16 pd recurve was 66" long and I want to know if there is a difference between recurve and long bow draw lengths. When I was measured for a compound my draw was 30" Thanks in advance for your help and you guys can call me anytime 304-591=4891

[Arkansas Osage]

Measure your wingspan (outstretched arms fingertip to fingertip measurement) and divide by 2.5 Then maybe subtract an inch, depnds on whats comfortable for you. My draw length according to that formula is 28" but I'm more comfortable at 27". Most guys draw to the corner of the mouth, or the canine tooth, or the corner of your jaw where the upper and lower jaw meet. Best to start with a lower poundage bow and work your way up, you don't want to be overbowed. Most states have a 40# minimum draw weight for hunting big game.

[Sam Zirkle]

i divide and it 30 1/2 i have been drawing to the corner of my mouth

[Arkansas Osage]

For a draw length that long you will need a fairly long bow. When it comes to longbows, draw length is basically a little less than (and this can vary from bowyer to bowyer) half the length of the bow. So you will need at least a 62" longbow and for your height I would suggest a 64". Recurves are a different story when it comes to draw length, a 48" bow might pull to 28" or more depending on the construction. I think you could easily handle 45# draw weight, more than adequate for hunting deer, turkey and black bear. Accuracy and shot placement is more important than power for penetration.

[VictoryHunter]

I agree with arkansas osage. A 62" bow @45lbs would be perfect. I hunt with a 45 lb bow consistantly get pass throughs on deer. You will enjoy shooting much more with a lighter weight bow and with practice be more accurate because you aren't fighting the bow as much.

[Sam Zirkle]

im thinking a 66 or 68" longbow what do u think at 45 to 50

[Arkansas Osage]

If thats what your comfortable at your height go for it. Try out a few first though if you can. One thing I will say... once your in the woods with the sticks and the branches and the leaves and the twigs and the thorns getting in your way you may wish you had 4 inches off each end of that 68" bow, its alot less to get caught and tangled on stuff when your in the thick of it.

[legends1]

I would find someone 64" longbow or recurve and try that before you buy anything. I also have a long draw 31".  I build my bows to be smooth all the way out. Not all bows feel good at long draws. Try as many as you can. I would stay in the 45#-50# range. You want a weight that you can enjoy shooting a round or two of 3D's without killing ya.

[chanumpa]

I agree with LEGENDS 1, Sam.I would try for about a 50 to 52#@28 62 to 66" bow.I have been down this road.2" of length smooth out 5#s a bunch.64" would be best in my opinion.

[Fanto]

I would recommend 45# to 50# at your draw which would be 38# to 43# @ 28" marked on the bow

64" in a mild r/d longbow

60 or 62 recurve or aggressive r/d

[mahantango]

Yeah, remember that a bow that's marked 45#@28" is going to be around 51# at your 30" draw. The recurve/longbow thing is purely a matter of preference. Try as many as you can, your tastes will evolve as you get deeper into this sport. Bows 62" and longer will probably be easier to start out with, just don't over-bow yourself.

[Bladepeek]

I don't have the years of experience that most of the guys on here have - I got started REALLY late in life with trad archery.

FWIW, I've been through 20 - 25 bows right handed and now I'm starting the search for lefties. I've found that, for me, a long longbow feels more comfortable than a short one and when I carry it sneaking through the woods, it goes tip-first and the length doesn't bother me. In a blind, it's a bit different story, but not too much. Recurves, on the other hand, can be quite short and still comfortable, depending on the bow. I'm currently shooting a 66" "D" type longbow, a 62" r/d longbow and a 58" RER Retro recurve with static tips and all draw comfortably to well beyond my normal draw length of around 29.5". If I boost the draw weight a bit too much, then I start struggling with any length bow. I tried shooting a friend's 66" longbow last night. It's only 6 pounds heavier than mine but I couldn't comfortably reach anchor and shot lousy when I strained for that last 1/2".

I think the best advice given above and repeated often on many posts is to get your hands on as many different bows as possible. I've never had anyone refuse a request to try his bow unless it was a self bow, or obviously, grossly mis-matched.

[SCATTERSHOT]

I agree with mahantango. Your bow will gain 3#/inch as a general rule of thumb, so your extra 2" of draw wil translate into 6# of bow weight. With that said, though, your draw will shorten by 1-2" when going from a compound to a longbow.

When in doubt, go with the lighter weight, too. You will develop bad habits that you may never overcome by overbowing yourself.

Good luck, and good shooting!

[katman]

45-50# at 30", 64" bow would be a good place to start. Then slowly strengthen your back muscles so you can easily draw top 30 1/8".

With your long draw you will gain arrow speed so no worries keeping it under 50#.

[manitou1]

You definitely DON'T want to start out at 50 lbs!!!

My draw actually increased quite a bit by not using the release on a recurve vs. release on a compound.

You will gain approx 2.5 lbs. per inch of draw past 28".  If your draw is 30", then I would go with a 40#@ 28" bow MAX.  That will put you at 45# and will zip through deer, black bear, and turkey.

You will gain considerable speed with that draw length.

If you over-bow, you will not enjoy shooting and will struggle with form issues and accuracy.  You can't kill animals if the arrow doesn't hit them in the vitals.

Best of luck... and welcome to this great lifestyle!