Too long of a bow?

[GWild]

My younger brother is looking to upgrade his bow setup. He is 14, and 5'10. he will probably grow another 2-4 inches (his other brothers are 6', 6'3 and 6'5.) He shoots a martin Jaguar that has bow fishing limbs that measure 52" AMO (i think). He was looking into getting a 60 inch bow that he can keep when he is finished growing. what kind of issues is he going to run into with a longer bow? From what I've gathered so far i'd imagine a slower arrow speed and maybe a bow that would possible be a little more forgiving? am i missing something here? any help would be appreciated. Thanks - Grant

[Bisch]

60” is certainly not too long for someone that is 5’10” tall! Performance is based more on design than length. I would think a 60” bow would be a great fit for him, maybe even longer if he is going to grow as big as his brothers and end up with a longer draw length.

Bisch

[Zradix]

60” is certainly not too long for someone that is 5’10” tall! Performance is based more on design than length. I would think a 60” bow would be a great fit for him, maybe even longer if he is going to grow as big as his brothers and end up with a longer draw length.

Bisch

Great answer

[Sam McMichael]

I am 5'9" tall and all my longbows are 68" long. I like them and have no issues at all shooting them, even from elevated stands.

[Yooper-traveler]

More importantly than his height is his draw length.  It’s amazing how fast a boy will grow!  I started my young son off at 58” when he was 10-11. He is 15 now and shooting 64”.  Draw weight and length are more important than the bow length.

[Steelhead]

60" is probably the most versatile length in a recurve bow.Not too short and not too long for most archers.I think it would be a good overall length for him at 5 feet 10 and as he grows as you expect him to.The poundage will go up as well if he grows and he increases his draw length.Which is probably a good thing as he will get stronger as well.

[Stumpkiller]

My younger brother is looking to upgrade his bow setup. He is 14, and 5'10. he will probably grow another 2-4 inches (his other brothers are 6', 6'3 and 6'5.) He shoots a martin Jaguar that has bow fishing limbs that measure 52" AMO (i think). He was looking into getting a 60 inch bow that he can keep when he is finished growing. what kind of issues is he going to run into with a longer bow?

Less finger pinch, smoother release, possibly quieter.  Speed is not related to length - it's draw weight and limb design (in a one-piece, anyway).   One of my fastest and quietest bows is 62".  Relatively narrow limbs and small tips.  It's a pleasure to shoot.  (I'm 6'2" and draw 29-3/4" of 31" BOP arrows). 

I have a 56" bow and it takes a perfect release and is hard on my fingers

[hvyhitter]

When my daughter started shooting about 20 yrs ago. Her second bow was  40# 68" leon stewert longbow. With her 23" draw at the time the limbs just didn't flex enough to be in the bows power band. Sad cast unless she drew to her ear. Traded for a same weight58" recurve and it was a major difference...….. 60" is about perfect. Short bows tend to be more twitchy on your release. I can shoot shortys but just a little sloppy on release and arrows go everywhere...…………..YMMV

[Terry Green]

I've killed most of my animals with a 60 incher...and I'm 5'9"

[Don Stokes]

I'm 5'-8 with a 28-29" draw depending on the bow, and I have no trouble shooting bows from 62-68". I don't like to go below 62 because I have to be more perfect with my form to get accuracy.

[pavan]

You posted this on the 12th, it is now the 19th, your younger brother is probably getting closer to 5' 11" by now.  I would say either a 68" longbow or a 64" recurve.  Get him into a longer bow that is not too stiff for him and sooner than you think, he will be out shooting you.   He will learn how to handle the longer bow soon enough, but if his bow is too short he will learn bad habits because of its short comings.

[Terry Green]

Pavan....your comments are too broad a brush....you know better than that. 

[pavan]

Not really, the op asked for a bow suggestion that he could keep shooting when he was finished growing.  The young man could easily end up with a 31 inch draw and sooner than people think.  Teenage boys grow very fast, I get a stiff neck just hanging out with my kids and grandson.  If they get him into a bow that he can easily shoot now, he has a chance that his strength will gain along with the coming draw lengths.  I am thinking a good take down that is about 64" will give him lots of room to grow with no sacrifices. 

[monterey]

Shooter height is not an accurate criteria for selecting bow length for several reasons.  First off, height doesn't predict draw length.  It's a contributor, but physical build is also a factor.  I'm 6'2" and draw 28 1/4". My son in law is 6'2" and draws 31".  No gorrilla arms, he's just very broad in the chest.

Second, bow length is not an accurate predictor of it's max draw length.  I consider the point where stack begins to be the max draw length.  I once drew a 62" bow that stacked starting at 26"!  OTOH, I have a 54" that doesn't stack until just over 30".

But, finger pinch might be a factor for some shooters so it so that should be a consideration too.

One way to figure out what bow will work is to shoot them and measure against the criteria mentioned by myself and others in this topic. 

[jonsimoneau]

I’ve only got a 27 inch draw, I’m 5’10, weigh 143 pounds and I don’t like bows less than 62 inches. Longer is easier to shoot.

[limbshaker]

I'd go longer than that. At least 62-64". Easier to shoot and likely no speed difference.

Between a 60" and 64" bow: The difference in handling and banging it on stuff while hunting will be about as much difference as bumping your head with a hat on vs without one.