The short bow

[Hopewell Tom]

When I started out, I borrowed a friends Browning Nomad 52" 54#@28" I believe. I loved it. The handiness and feel suited me fine. I didn't know about "stacking" or hand shock or no doubt a whole host of "problems" the short bow can give you. He wouldn't sell it to me. No wonder, he still had it in the original box.
So I bought a 62" recurve, but found out that I preferred to shoot from the left side(my dominant eye)(and I know that is a whole  other discussion or 2 as I've seen it here).
So now I'm looking at short bows, but have had a few boyers caution me about the "problems" that can occur. But some companies are short bow dominant(Shrews, Anneewakee)and no doubt "up" for the shortie. Are new designs "better" to shoot that older short bows?

[pete p]

better designs, better materials. I am shooting the whisperstik boomslang right now....52" of power,versatility and smoothness. JD himself says he can shoot this little 52" as good as any of his bows.  shouldnt be this smooth, but it is.

[mrpenguin]

Check out Cascade.  He makes a great short bow.  I had one that pulled 60# and felt like 50.

[LongStick64]

Black Widow PSR, kicks A#$

[ripstik]

Where is the cutoff from "short bow" to "long bow?" I ask because I am interested in a short bow.

[Bunny buster]

i may need to be corrected but probably around 56 to 58 inches still being a shortbow. Maybe 58 at the longest.

[mrpenguin]

Black Widow PSR or PCH... Cascades are smaller, around 52" and 48".

[Bunny buster]

wow i dont think ive ever seen an adult bow at 48". Seems like it would stack badly.

[ron w]

Several 48" bows were out there for a while, Bear,Kiko,and a few others. Now most "short" bows are 52"-58". I had a 52" Cascade that was a sweetheart. My first was 52" Browning Nomad in 1967!I have 2 56" bows now,a recurve and a longbow.

[zirnsak]

My go to bow is my Bob Lee Elite 54" 52# at 28". Very smooth and stable. I love the little guy and it shoots just like my brothers 58" Bob Lee at the same #

[Bill Skinner]

You can still get a SuperMag 48.  You can use fastflite strings.  It is a very handy bow but the grip angle may take some getting used to.  Bill

[joekeith]

My son has a SuperMag 48" he really likes.
I've gotta 46" Stalker from Rodney Wright, a sponsor here, and it's one of my favorites to shoot.

[SELFBOW19953]

Black Mountain Bows-Sheepeater Spirit Recurve 48".

Two Tracks-Ambusher recurve 50".

Rodney Wright-Buffalo Stick longbow 50".

Jack Kempf-Grizzly longbow 50".

Abbott longbow 52".

Browning recurve 50".

Bunches of 52" bows.

I have all but the Kempf.

[Hopewell Tom]

I'm getting the drift that the short bow IS shootable and you folks like them. I think I'll go for it. My draw is 28" and I see a short one to be 56" or less. I need to go lower in poundage as I've swtched to the left eyed side and need to get used to everything over there. Thanks for the comments.

[Rob DiStefano]

imo, bow length is both subjective and practical.  

there are times - and for most of us this is rare - where super short stick bows have an added edge for hunting.  the short bow nemesis of usage is 'stack', particularly with the 28" and over longer draw folks.

if you primarily tree hunt, shorter can be, might be, better for maneuverability.

however, for me, and others, longer limbed bows just feel better on the draw, the hold, and the release.  there's a 'stability' factor with longer limbs that makes the bow point better and the shot feel better.  

but, it all still boils down to subjectiveness - and purpose.  ymmv.

[Ground Hunter]

If you shoot heavier bow weights, say 60 or above, finger pinch with a short bow can be an issue.  H

[jesse cales]

i always thought short was the way to go.that is,until i shot a longer bow.i'm way more accurate with a longer bow.

[Zradix]

A really nice short bow that doesn't stack much is hard to find. One that really overcomes this stacking problem is the STALKER by Rodney Wright. It's a 46" and I believe uses a 40" actual length string. You can read a review of it on Pete Ward's site. It is a "clone" of a Herter's Perfection 46. You can find the Herter's on auction sites now and again. I had a Perfection 46 and liked it alot. Then I shot my 60" Bear and the groups shrank. my 2 cents.

[crotch horn]

Lost Creek Bows are one of the best short bows out there now IMO. If you haven't thought of them you should give Chad a call before deciding on something. He makes a great shooting bow and oh boy do they look good too!!!

[owlbait]

Tom, you read my review of my Addiction Recurve, great short bow, put it on your list