56’’ bow or 60’’ bow

[Bowhunter4life]

Really depends on the bow, whether it is a recurve or longbow.  Static tips or at least very stiff tips (for longbows) seem to help a bunch.  Especially for finger pinch with the shorter bows.

For my longbows I've settled into 62" being my favorite at my 29 plus inch draw (not very stiff tips on these... Shawnees, Cougar, Silvertip longbow, and Qarbon Nano).  I've got a couple of 60" MOAB's that work well too as they have a bit stiffer tip then the previous...    

But, I've got a couple of 56" Kwyk Styks with static tips that feel almost identical.  Don't know the physics behind it, but the way they roll out or I guess don't roll out makes for a very pleasurable shooting experience with a much shorter bow and similar shooting characteristics as the longer hybrid longbow.

Them shorter bows do seem to work well in cramped situations.

[Bow man]

Depends on your comfort with the bow. You really need to Shoot a bunch of 56" bows and then make your decision. Come to the Pre Spring Fling there should be several there to shoot besides ours
 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=94;t=002360

[stabow]

Bow Man thanks for the heads up on the Tannehill shoot coming up in February will make a point to get up there. And thanks to everyone on their thoughts and suggestions......stabow

[Ray Lyon]

Agreed on going to the shoot and trying a few out--which is a good start.  One word of warning is that you may not be able to really settle into a grove just trying bows at a shoot.  If your leaning towards a Widow, don't they have a try out program for a week???? If so, I'd suggest getting one into your back yard where you can really run it through the paces and not be worried about people watching/distractions/limited shot distance/ect.  That would be my advice in addition to what's been said above.

[stabow]

Ray good point but with the try out program you have to pay full price for the bow before they ship then there’s the little thing about explaining to the wife why I need another bow LOL......stabow

[Two Arrows]

Pretty much all the bows I have had have been 58 to 60", don't like anything longer due to convenience while hunting. Last fall I picked up a 56" Great Plains SR Swift off of the classifieds here and I have to say that that bow has surprised me. No finger pinch or stack, and I draw just a shade past 28". It is much more comfortable than several of the 58" bows I have had. But as others have said, depends on the design.

[Altiman94]

I've had both a 56" bow (Bob Lee Hunter) and a several 60" bows.  I never noticed much shooting difference between 56 and 60, but I am a short (27" draw).  The 56" was a little easier to manuever in the blind, but the 60" still worked.

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by stabow:
My draw is 27''. What I'm thinking is a PCH their is one in the classified  but it's a 58" and I have a 60 PSA.

Boyd....what weight???? I got one you can shoot and see....mine is 56's and 58#s....


Also have the same speced Kwik Stik that was Chris Surtees' if you want to try it also.

I can have them set up and we can meet half way somewhere if you like.

[elkken]

Boyd ... I have several 60" bows and am now shooting a 56" Big Jim Thunderchild. I really love this bow. It's 49#@28 and I'm shooting CE150's with 170grn Simmons heads. This was the bow I hunted Solana with last year.

The draw is smooth and the performance is great. There is no noticable difference in the draw compared to a 60" bow and the handling in a blind or tree stand is hands down better.

Happy New Year, Ken

[stabow]

Terry you’re a right handed shooter correct? I’m a lefty.   .....stabow

[Tajue17]

27" draw I shoot as low as 54"  with no stack and thats a Black forest..  I think going from 60 to 56 as long as theres no finger pinch you should almost have no idea its a smaller bow,,, alot of it is already in a persons head that they "WON'T" shoot as good but if you draw a bow back and it feels "as Good" as a 64" bow then what can go wrong???

with that being said if someone is going from a 68" bow or a big risered recurve to a short bow then there is the "Mass Weight Factor" which means you are shooting a much lighter bow which sometimes messes with peoples heads. just concentrate on form and let it fly...

if you have no finger pinch and the draw weight is the same or its comfortable you will be fine..

[**DONOTDELETE**]

With a 27" draw you aren't going to have finger pinch problems at all with a shorter bow. The static tip models will accommodate even long draw length because the don't "Open Up". That term is typically referred to on working recurve's when the reflex in the tips uncurl.  What opens up on the static tips is the string angle.

I've got a left handed 54" Yeti you could try out. It's a R/D long bow similar to the Shrew limb design.

That's another good recommendation.  Ron LaClair builds some excellent short bows.    

[Ray Lyon]

Boyd,
Hmmmm, so that's the catch.  OK, plan B would be to still try as many at a show/shoot as you can.  Also, perhaps as Terry's proposed (wrong hand unfortunately), you might be able to try someone else's bow for a round at a shoot on a 3D course. Classified ad's here are also a good place to pick up a good value bow as noted above. With my 29+ inch draw, I shoot 56" Super Shrew Classic Hunter with no trouble, so with that bow you'd have no trouble (other than finding one used or a one year wait for new). Fred Asbell had a good article in TBM a few years back about short bows and his own experience going from a 62" Widow to a 56" Widow with no trouble. He indicated that he's got a 28" draw.

[BigJim]

Stabow, I have a 54" left handed Thunder Child you are welcom to try with no obligations. It is ideal for under 28" and works well even up to 28 or so.

I personally shoot a 56" with my 30.5" draw and have no issues. Can't really notice a difference from my 64" buffalo unless I think about the bow and not the target.
As far as finger pinch goes, I don't experience any and I would say my hands are at least larger than average. I believe the biggest cause of finger pinch is rolling your fingers out of the string before you hit your anchor. I used to experience this even with a 66" bow. Learned to keep the string settled in a deep hook until I hit anchor and the pincvhing went away for ever...well at least until I fall back in to old habbits.
thanks,bigjim

[Bowwild]

My draw is only 26". My experience is recurve-only.  I have 56", 58", 60", and one 62" curve. I use the 56" bows for turkeys out of blinds. While I haven't shot most of these bows past 20 yards, I notice very little difference in shootability.

My favorite bow right now is the 62" but I think it is the design of the bow more than the length that makes it feel so gooooood! It is also my heaviest draw weight bow (48#@26")!  It 'feels' lighter (and I've checked all of em on digital scales) than all of my 45-46# bows.  I smile and say "hy curve" every time I go to my lower level range!

[Rob DiStefano]

interesting post, boyd!  i also came back from solana with the same idea in mind - a shorter bow.  

i prefer longbows and anything reasonably short, in the 56"-58" range for a 29" draw length, will mean a special hybrid, and it needs to be a t/d for travel.  

easier to find used, and perhaps cheaper would be a recurve.  i saw a 58" morrison cheyenne on our classifieds.  not specifically meant for 29", but with bob's blessings that all would be fine i bought it.  

dang, what a smooth shooter!  now to fix that recurve noise with some bow hush and hush puppies.  i'll be ready for solana 2013 in style.  

so, i recommend checking out our classifieds for a short recurve.  

[Don Batten]

Rob, if you want a good shooting short longbow, check out the annewakee addiction longbows made by Roy Hall. They come in 2pc option. Ive shot them some when I'm up at Johns. They are the real deal. Be a good bow to drag through them briar thickets down in lower SC as well. DB

[TaterHill Archer]

The shorter limb bug bit me at Solana too.  I have bought a used set of 60"limbs for my Habu and I have a 58" PCH on the way.  I like my 64" bows, but I saw the advantage of a shorter bow while there.

[stabow]

Big Jim, I sent you a PM.....stabow

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by stabow:
Terry you’re a right handed shooter correct? I’m a lefty.   .....stabow

:(