Longer bow more forgiving?

[buckeye_hunter]

I talked with Bob Lee today about ordering one of his bows and he recommended his 54in recurve due to my short draw length.  I was wondering if getting a longer bow would make it more forgiving to errors.  He seemed to feel the short bow is fine.  Now, I have just spoken with the renouned boyer himself, but still have that nagging question.  Is a longer bow more forgiving or is he correct in saying it really does not matter.  My guess is, he knows what he is talking about.

[LBR]

Generally speaking, in a given design you will find a longer bow to be more forgiving, and a shorter bow a little faster.  There's a point where you loose more than you gain either way--too long, you are loosing performance without gaining much if anything.  Too short, you get stack, finger pinch, instability, etc.  You won't see serious target shooters using a short bow.

If you plan on only short shots, it probably won't make a difference.  If you plan to compete, or take longer hunting shots, it will--unless you have perfect form and a perfect release.

That's my 2 cents, FWIW.

Chad

[Chortdraw]

Some say ,depending on the style of bow, that a longbow is more forgiving and probably so. But todays r/d bows and recurves are making shooting a shorter bow much easier due to design. Having a short draw you loose efficency of the limb if you don't load it where it does the most for you.
  I don't find a short 54-58" anymore difficult to shoot than a longer one and get a little more speed to help with that short draw   The right feel and grip that fits you well is very important. The smoothness of the draw and the pointabilty of the bow is important.
  I have a very short draw and find that if you work on your form the short bows are a advantage to the short draw. The most difficulty I have noticed is the guy with the long draw wants to shoot a short bow for conveniance in blinds and stands, he has to play around with a few bows to find the one that will pull smooth at his draw without stacking. It seems that there pros and cons at both ends of the draw spectrum.
  Personally I like shooting my short bows better than my longer ones.............Chort

[Chris Wilson]

Chad nailed it pretty well.  
I've come to appreciate a longer length bow over the last few years.  To me, they tend to feel better/smoother during the draw.

[Gordy]

Ditto what Chris and Chad said.
Short bows are fun, but I'm more consistent with longer limbs

[James Wrenn]

I also agree with Chad.If you hunt in a blind a lot a short bow is nice but all the rest of the time a longer one is nicer.  

[**DONOTDELETE**]

what about a longer bow because the riser is longer with short bow working limbs. If you see what I mean?

You get a longer bow but you dont have to have the longer limbs. I make my self bows this way and have had good results.

[AkDan]

Ragi,

Wouldnt you want a shorter riser on a short longbow?

I also prefer longer longbows.  Seems to be getting harder to find bowyers willing to even build them anymore.  

for me personally I have yet to find a bow under 64"es I can shoot and enjoy or even shoot it good for longbows.   Recurves I feel pretty comfortable down to 60"es.

[LV2HUNT]

For a first or beginning bow I would definitely go longer, 58" minimum.

[vermonster13]

It all depends on bow design. Riser length, working limb length, preoad, etc. A short draw can get away with a shorter bow much easier, not just because of finger pinch but because the load can be set-up to where it will work efficiantly for a short draw a lot easier than a longer one. What do you plan on using the bow for? Is it going to be a treestand/blind bow where only the first shot will be real important or do you plan on shooting target/3D? The use of the bow is helpful in deciding what you need also. Like all things in life there are usually trade offs.

[buckeye_hunter]

Vermonster....It will be a hunting bow, but I just like to shoot too.  So, for me, I want an all around good bow.  I have definitely narrowed it to;

  Bob Lee Hunter Recurve Bicentennial 60in 50# @ 25 3/4in(reviewed in TBH magazine),

Byron Furgeson Patriot Longbow 64"  60# @28 in = about 49# @25 3/4in  

or the Savannah 62" 55# @ 28in = about 48# @ 25 3/4in.

I just wish I could shoot a Bob Lee before buying.  I have shot the others and liked them, but I need to figure this out.  Byron says he wouldn't shoot anything but a long bow, but Bob Lee says you take away all the performance when the limbs are straight vs. recurve.  Any recommendations?

[vermonster13]

At this point it depends on you. If you've shot ones you like and know them, plus they fit your budget, nothing wrong with giving what you've tried a shot. If I had a Lee around still I'd let you try one. Maybe someone else would be willing to give you a shot or two with one. Has to be someone near you who  has one.

[john gerrard]

Buckeye, Myself I can't tell a nickels difference between my 62" long recurve and my 52" recurve. The guys above are liking longer bows because that works for them. But try to find a 54" 56" Shrew for sale on the classifieds. Try to find a 56" or 58" Centaur for sale on the classifieds. Guys are buying them up as fast as they hit the classifieds. There are alot of people out there shooting short bows and loving them. The Bear Kodiak mags were a very popular bow for Bear and they were 48" and 52". There were thousands of them sold. The bottom line is this, they are not for everyone but on the other hand there are thousands of short bow shooters out there. Shoot a short bow and try it out. It could be just the bow for you.  Brokenwing

[Orion]

A 54-inch bow isn't a bad fit for a less than 26-inch draw length.  I tend to like them a little longer myself, but it's a personal thing.  One thing to keep in mind is that bows on either extreme, very long or very short, are more difficult to sell later, and 54 inches borders on the very short.

[Bjorn]

Buy from a bowyer who offers a try before you buy program. And just because a seller recalculates the pounds at a shorter draw and scribbles new numbers on the riser does not mean it is designed for optimum performance at a 26" draw. Production bows are made for a 28 inch draw. Bow length and draw length are not intertwined-it is in the design. I have a 70 inch recurve that even at my draw will make you feel like the fletching is going to catch on fire. For your apparent budget you can get a custom bow with riser and limb length designed for you and your draw, and not some average. As vermonster and Ragi said short draw folks get great results from longer riser/shorter limb bows. Talk to someone who builds custom bows and will let you shoot some examples for a week or so before you commit your hard earned dollars.