Determining Draw Length

[benjiec]

The closest archery shop to me is 2 1/2 hours away.  How can I determine what my draw length is?  I want to have a bow built but need to know what draw length to tell them.

[BTH]

One way to get close is to put one end of a yardstick perpindicular to your breatbone and reach out with the fingertip of each hand.
Do you know anyone close by with a bow? If you do ask that person to help you determine your draw length. Take an arrow, nock it, come to full draw and mark the arrow on the back of the riser. That's your draw length. Draw a few times like that to get used to what your full draw is and then measure.

[benjiec]

Thanks, using the yard stick method I get 25-inches.  I had done the full draw on the bow thing but was having the arrow marked on the FRONT of the riser thus showing 27.5 +/- that's where I was getting majorly confused.  According to this traditional draw is approximately 2-inches shorter than a compound bow draw length.  Is that correct?

[Orion]

Do you mean the back of the riser?  The back is the side of the limb you can't see when you draw the bow.  It's the side facing away from you, and it is the correct side from which to measure your draw length.  So if what you're calling the front is in fact the back, then 27 1/2 is your draw length, if you took the measurement using a recurve or longbow.

You should take your measurement with a traditional bow, not a compound.  Most folks take a more formal/target stance with a compound, i.e., body is exactly perpendicular to the target rather than turned in toward it a little, straighter upright posture, straight locked bow arm, high wrist grip and perhaps exaggerated back tension.  All of these things lead to a one to two inch longer draw using a compound compared to a stick bow.

[BTH]

Back of the bow is the side facing away from you. Belly of the bow is the side facing you. So you are right when you say 27.5 inch is your draw length. I never trusted that yard stick method but that is one method I've heard and read of being used.

[Hawkeye]

The yardstick method is three inches shorter for me than my actual draw.  I figured my draw length out "back in the day" by clipping a wooden clothespin around the arrow shaft and letting the back of the bow slide it down the arrow a I drew.  Did this several times with my eyes closed to get the right feel of full draw.

That gave me my 29" draw length.  Added 1/2" to that to leave room for my finger behind the broadhead, and that gave me my 29.5" arrow length to back-of-point.

By the way, I used to have a 31" draw back in the dark ages of compound, so it was 2" less for me with a trad bow.

Hope one of these methods works for you!

Daryl