short bow vs. long bow accuracy?

[team fudd]

Hello one and all and thanks to everybody for all the help I have received in the last year and a half.  My question is this.  I have two bows at my disposal  a 62" r/d longbow and a 50" severe r/d longbow.  Both made by the same maker.I shoot three under too by the way.  I really like the short bows but am way more consistent with the longer bow.  I had a discussion with someone the other night that sounds very knowledgeable and he explained the mechanics of why he feels you cannot be consistenly accurate with the short bow and gave me the name of a book to purchase that explains it in more depth called shooting the stickbow.  Now the question is does anybody out there shoot a short bow, 50-56"  what you would call consistently accurate and do you have any advice for me?  My short bow is heavier than my long bow but does not stack,  I do feel it is a little heavy and could be contributing to the problem,  just thought I would throw that in.  Thanks again one and all.  You guys are great!

[hvyhitter]

The shorter bow has more string contact on the outside of your top and bottom fingers making it much harder to get a clean release. I personally dont shoot bows under 58" well consistantly for that reason. I tried slicker gloves and serving(mono) and it helped a bit but not enough for me to keep the short bows........Good luck.

[Swamp Yankee]

52" bow out of ground blinds only; otherwise nothing shorter than 60" recurve or 68" longbow.  I don't like shooting the 52" because it stacks like a deck of cards at my 29" draw and has significant finger pinch; but it's the only way to go in the close quarters of a blind.

[straitera]

Can argue merits of each; short fast vs long smooth. Longer limbs are more forgiving & have way smoother advantages I prefer for my long draw. My shortest bow is 66" ntn.

[Orion]

Listen to what that "knowledgeable person" told you.  He's right.  The shorter the bow, the more it is affected by any shooting flaw, error.  It's just the nature of the beast.  And you have an extremely short "longbow"/hybrid. Dropping weight might help a little, but it won't  fix the problem.

[Blackhawk]

Both bows have advantages and disadvantages.  For longer range shooting (over 20 yds. by my definition) the longbow of 64" or more is generally more accurate, smoother, and more comfortable to shoot.

For those shorter shots under 20 yds or for shooting in confined spaces (thick bruck, pop up or ground blind, etc, the short hybrid of 60" or less can work rather well for most archers.

Of course, your draw length, shooting split finger or 3 under, bow design, etc. can figure into the equation.

I draw 29" on a good day and have found the 60" Griffin, 58" Centaur, and 56" Brush Hawk by Cascade are my favorites, but I do know my limitations with these shorties.

[Jesse Minish]

I think a lot depends on the design of the bow. My two hunting bows are a 52" Cascade Nighthawk and a 56" Cascade Brushhawk. For me they have been the easiest most consistent bows for me to shoot even with my draw that is a little over 29".

[SELFBOW19953]

Ask Ron LaClair or anyone who shoots a Shrew what they think of short bows.  Better designs have made short bows much better performers.  I shoot a variety of bow lengths from a 49" Sheepeater Spirit to a 68" Kolometz Special.  I shoot split finger and don't notice a great deal of difference in them.

[Jeff Strubberg]

It's more about long bow vs short bow consistency.  Both can be accurate.  It's much, much harder to be consistent with a short bow.

If your form is as repeatable as Ron's is, there's no reason you can't succeed with a short bow.  If your practice tiem is limited and you have more of a tendency to flub a shot or two, a longer limb (all else being equal, of course), is pretty cheap insurance.

[Night Wing]

I think it has more to do with your draw length. I've got a 30" draw length and any bow under 64", I don't shoot them well. I shoot my 66" recurves very well.

BTW, I like longer bows. If a custom bowyer built a 68" recurve, one piece or take down, with a 19" wooden riser, the poundage measured at my 30" draw length with a smallish medium grip, I'd love to own one.

[Badwithabow]

I've built a few 64s and have a 54 in I built. I draw 28.5 inches, split finger and yea my 64 is nice but I don't shoot it anymore at all I love the 54 maybe I just have a killer design I don't kno, I know its smooth quiet and quick. That's all i need LOL to each his own tho.
Now I have had to change my release to a fast push pull any hold at all and I'm out. However I switched and really like it. I hit where I want just depends on what you like I suppose.

i think if you practice with a short bow and get pretty dang good with it, then switch to a longer bow youl be even better, i think the shorter bow teaches you to hold your form better. jmho...

[crotch horn]

I am a short bow fan. Lost Creek mostly. Great little bows. I have s 54" NAT that I shoot very well. Works great in blinds and out of tree stands. I do know that when I pick up my 62" Mikuta rd recurve it feels so smooth to shoot. Find what you like. They all work, some more than others.

[Gen273]

I like a short recurve, say 54-56 inches. However, with a short bow you want a short riser say 13-14 inches. with this combination I find that a short bow is a very accurate bow. Also a well designed short bow will not produce finger pinch. (NOTICE I SAID A WELL DESIGNED SHORT BOW)Because not all short bows are created equal. I love a short bow for hunting, but that is just my opinion.

[team fudd]

thanks one and all, keep the opinions coming,  I shot a 56"  bow today and it was worlds apart from my 50" bow.  I was stacking arrows within minutes and much more consistently.  A man has got to know his limitations and I believe I found mine.

[bayoulongbowman]

have ya ever shot a Shrew!!!! sweet

[sawtoothscream]

i have a short draw so finger pinch isnt a issue for me.  i have shot 52"  56" 60" 64" and 66"  bows.   all of them felt good to me but i like 56"+   my 66" longbow right now is my favorite and feels great. my new bow should be here soon and that a 58".  seems like the perfect length to me

[GRINCH]

I like short bows,58 inch seems to be the perfect size for me,I believe the size of the sight window has a lot to do with it,I only draw 27 and the longer bows just feel awkward.

[igiveup]

asbell covered this topic very well in tbm a while ago.  one interesting point i thought he made was that he felt that a short bow over time would lead to snap shooting, target panic. because you cant "stretch out" you shoot them more scrunched up.