Whats the most accurate way to measure brace height

[Zmonster]

I usually just attach my square to the string and slide it down till the measureing arm is at the deepest portion of the grip. Ive noticed that this isnt always accurate, as if Im not holding the bow perfectly vertical each time, I'll get varied measurments between 1/16".

Ive also tryed putting the arm in the shelf as if Im measuring nock height, and draw an imaginary line straight down.

Its there a better way to get a proper measurment, or am I too paranoid.   :rolleyes:

[Bowmania]

Take the T-square and put it at the throat of the grip.  Look where the string intersects the rule.  Should have the rule perpendicular to the string.

Bowmania

[ChuckC]

Pick a spot on your bow near the grip/shelf area, measure from string to that spot and always measure to there.  It really doesn't matter what the number is, just so it is the same all the time.   A tip might be to coordinate with your arrows so that the fletch ends at the point where it just meets with the belly of the riser, or the dip paint or cresting just meets a certain point on the shelf.  Then you can, at a glance, know if you are still right on.
ChuckC

[Straitshot]

Put a 12" ruler in the throat of the grip and measure to the string. If you are not sure you are exactly 90 degrees to the string move the ruler back and forth along the plane of the string watching the measurements, making sure the end of the ruler touching the throat of the riser doesn't move. The shortest measurement to your string will be your brace height.

[aromakr]

Have you ever seen a person measure it using their clenched fist and extented thumb? It does not need to be that accurate.
Bob

[sidebuster]

I use the back of the bow as the reference point.  You can make the same bow 3 times and I doubt if the throat to string distance would be the same, but the back of the bow in these three bows as a general would hardly vary and would  be constant from bow to bow.

[LAR43]

What Aromakr said. It's called fistmele. IMO it doesn't have to be that fine a measurement.

Larry

[NDTerminator]

I use the aluminium bow square and seat it in the deepest part of the grip, then pull it sideways so the arm is firm against the outside of the grip.  This puts the ruled portion square with the string.  All I have to do then is make sure I'm square with the grip to get an accurate measurment...

From a pure measurment accuracy standpoint, I believe using the back of the bow as your reference base wins...

[the Ferret]

I do it like Bob mentioned on my self bows, however on my wife's recurve I use a bow square turned around backwards, or a ruler. With a deep recurve my hand and thumb doesn't get it.

[tim roberts]

One suggestion is, you can take a dowel cut to length.  Fits easy in your pack.

[joel smith]

once you've established the optimum brace height for that bow nock one of the arrows you shoot on that bow, let it rest on the arrow shelf and mark the point of contact with a pencil. Now take that arrow, mark the rest of your arrows in the same place and put a little cresting stripe right there---it'll tell you your brace height's right or wrong every time you nock an arrow

not a new idea and certainly not my own but it works very well

by the way, if you're using a bow square to get an actual measurement (as opposed to monitoring it as above) , why wouldn't you just snap it on the string the way it's intended, slide it down until it's in the grip throats deepest point and read it ? That way you don't have to worry if it's square to the string or not and it'll always be the same

[Mike Orton]

Folks,

One little trick I've learned over time is that I build my arrows with a measuring device on every arrow.  Let's say my ACS-CX shoots best at a 7 1/2 inch brace height.  Then my arrows are crested with a line at 7 1/2 inches.  Thus every arrow can be used as a measure stick.  I don't consciously check every brace height on every shot but my arrows are capable of doing that.  Of course you've got to get intimate enough with the bow to know what brace height the bow likes best before you sink the time into building the arrows with a specific crest mark.  Sometimes I'll use arrow wraps to accomplish the same thing.