Measuring a Recurves Length

[Seeking Trad Deer]

What is considered the length of a recurve?  Is it with the bow strung or the bow unstrung.  Thanks!

[Ga.boy]

Unstrung. Measure from string groove to string groove along the belly of the bow following all curves.

[Carbon Caster]

AMO length of ANY traditional bow is the length of the string that it takes to brace it correctly plus 3".  If it takes a 57" actual length string it is a 60" AMO bow.  If it takes a 54" actual string it is a 57" AMO bow, etc.  That goes for longbows and recurves.  AMO is (THE) standard.

[Seeking Trad Deer]

GA boy...do you hold the tape measure taut or bend it to follow the lines of the bow?

[Orion]

You bend it to follow the lines.  Actually, you should measure on the back of the bow, the part away from you when shooting, from nock to nock.  Measuring on the belly side will yield almost the same result, but going over the handle section usualy screws it up a little.

[Carbon Caster]

Guys, I just don't get it.  What is the deal with measuring any other way than AMO standard?  What does any other measurement mean in the real world?  I am not trying to be contentious, I am seriously confused by all the methods and WHY?  Are we just trying to stick our head in the sand and deny there IS a correct way to measure?

[LBR]

The "catch" is a lot of bows/bowyers don't follow AMO specs.  

Some (actually most, at least in my experience) are not marked according to AMO--which is, as stated, 3" longer than the string length.  That's the "rule", but consider this--you have the same model and length bow, but one guy likes it braced at 6.5", the next likes it braced at 8"--so what's the AMO length for that bow?  Depends on who is shooting it.

I've seen bows get strings anywhere from 1.5" to 6" shorter than the marked bow length.  Then you have bows that aren't marked (selfbows, ink worn off, refinished, etc.).

The correct way to measure a bow without a string is start at the "top" of the string groove, follow the contour of the limbs, through the center of the riser, to the "top" of the other string groove.  You'll need a flexible tape, like a steamstress' tape, to do this.  You can do it with a bow strung or unstrung--it will measure the same.

Chad

[Jeremy]

Chad nailed it.  Of the 20+ bows I've had on my bow rack over the last few years I think ONE of them was actually marked correctly by AMO standards.  That's production and custom bows.

[stripe55]

All diferent. Just came into several older bows.  A Damon Howatt High Speed54"amo, Browning Mowhawk 54"amo, Wing(pre-Head Ski)Red Wing Hunter58"amo and several older Bear models. The Browning and Bear models matched up pretty well amo wise to 4" shorter string lengths. The DH braces WAY to low with a 50" as does the Wing. I will start twisting away today but with both of these bows the amo to string length is way off. Will my serving withstand an inch and one half shortening of the string?

[LBR]

Actually it sounds like the DH and the Wing are closer to AMO specs.  AMO does NOT specify 4" shorter for a recurve--it's 3" shorter, period--longbow, recurve, flatbow, whatever. Actually the way it's stated, as noted above, is the AMO bow length is 3" longer than the string that gives you the proper brace height. Note that the string is to be measured under tension.
 http://www.texasarchery.org/Documents/AMO/AMOStandards.pdf

I don't like to put that much twist in my string, but you might get away with it.  I draw the line if the string coils up when the bow is unstrung.

Chad

[stripe55]

LBR, as I look at the RedWing, it is 58"amo, I have it strung with a 54" string and the brace height is 5 1/2", way too low. If I understand what you are saying, a minus 3" string(55") is right?? would not that make my brace even lower? The DH isn'tstrung but the 54' amo bow with 50" string braced at 6.5" for me also too low. I need to be on the same page with you as I have ordered some strings from you and well... thanks for any and all.