Another Brace height ?

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I have been shooting my bow with a brace height of 7 and 1/4 and it seems to be shooting great.  I have talked with other owners with the same bow and they all said they have set their brace height the same or close to it.

Here is where the ember is burning,

My father has run into the Bowyer 2 times in the past month or two and both times he has mentioned that his bows brace height should be 8 1/4 to 8 1/2.  The first time I chalked it up to a brain fart and a miss communication.  The second time I heard it, now I wonder if this is what the bowyer actually said.

Should I twist it up to see what happens or do I leave it alone?

[Night Wing]

Shoot what works for you.

I have two 66" Blacktail TD recurves. From the bowyer's brochure that comes with each recurve bow he sells, the brace height for his 66" take-down recurve bows is 7 3/4"-8". With that said, I lowered the brace height on my 42# recurve to 7 1/4". It shoots lights out. Then I lowered the brace height on my 37# recurve to 7 5/8" and again it shoots lights out.

[cbCrow]

You have got to remember that a lot of things come into play with your style of shooting. I usually use the bowyers reccomended BH as a starting point. Then adjust up and down until I find its sweet spot. That is where I shoot it, sounds like you found yours. If it is quiet and shoots well go with it.

[GREATBROWNKNOCKEMDOWN]

Cyclic,  well it depends. John McDonald tells me his bows should be between 8 and 8 and a half. But thats measured from the back side. Someone once asked me what my brace height was and i told them. they freaked, then someone else said thats the OLD SCHOOL WAY, of doing it. .But if i measure it from the belly side it's 7inches. so it could still be rite depending on which side you measure from. So maybe your pops was talkin to some "OLD SCHOOL BOWYERS"

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Rafael, It was actually John my father was talking with.  I have a Big River and love it to death.

Tonight I shot a round at the local club and found the string had stretched ever so slightly. Enough to notice it shooting,

Since I was twisting it up anyway, I decided to go up to 8 1/2 from the belly of the bow.  I moved it back down to 8 1/4 inches and have to say the bow is still smooth as can be, absolutely no hand shock but I think my arrows flew faster and flatter.  I think I am gonna keep it Long for now and see how it handles longer shots in the morning. I was only shooting 15 yards.

I think I need another Big River, as much use as this one is getting, a back up isn't a bad Idea.  I want a take down model anyway.

[GREATBROWNKNOCKEMDOWN]

Charlie, I feel you bro! John called me the other day to go over my 3rd Big River that he is making me. I cant get enough they are the best i think, but what do i know! Anyways talking about a take down, going to have John make me one of those next spring, thinkin about stabilized spalted maple limbs for that one!! The one he is doing now is red cedar limbs with all osage riser plus some other pretty stuff to add in the mix. One of the other trad ganger guys that goes by the handle Big River ( cuz that what he shoots) said he seen the boards of cedar that John is using for my bow, and said they are very very pretty.  And let me know how that goes keeping the brace that high from the belly side.

[Johnny UMAA]

Originally posted by Cyclic-Rivers:
I have been shooting my bow with a brace height of 7 and 1/4 and it seems to be shooting great.  I have talked with other owners with the same bow and they all said they have set their brace height the same or close to it.

Here is where the ember is burning,

My father has run into the Bowyer 2 times in the past month or two and both times he has mentioned that his bows brace height should be 8 1/4 to 8 1/2.  The first time I chalked it up to a brain fart and a miss communication.  The second time I heard it, now I wonder if this is what the bowyer actually said.

Should I twist it up to see what happens or do I leave it alone?

Leave it alone and shhot wahat is working for you. Sometimes peoplke can get too "anal" about trad hunting. The 7" to 7 1/2" sounds about right and that is what I use and what Paul Schafer recommended to me when I bought my first SilverTip from him. Heck, get the advice from the one who built your bow if at all possible and stick with it.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I shot the bow today with the higher brace height. (8 1/4 from the belly).  It shoots the same but seems faster.   The same smoothness and seems completely quiet.  Of course I was out in the down pouring rain all day and am soaked, perhaps my water logged brain is affected.

i want to shoot it for a week like this and see.

Is there any negative consequences from having such a high brace height?  I just dont want the bow blowing up.

Rafael, be sure to post pictures of your new bow. I need Ideas.  I like the beauty and simplicity of Red Elm but when I see some of these other bows John puts out I drool and then want one like that instead. I'm pretty wood dumb when it comes to bow wood options.  If I go with something different I want it to have a lot of character like knots and swirly grains.