string angle

[Bob Stager]

I shoot a 62" recurve with a 30 inch draw and am thinking about getting a 62" longbow that is rated to a 30 inch draw and was wondering if I would feel any difference in finger pinch between the two. Thanks Bob

[Night Wing]

In my opinion, the string angle between a 62" recurve and a 62" longbow should be less felt with the longbow because the string never touches the limb of a longbow whereas it does with a recurve.

[Orion]

Depending on the longbow's shape, it will likely lead to more string pinch.  A D-shaped or moderate r/d longbow will lead to an increased string angle at full draw, more acute angle on the fingers, leading to more finger pinch.  A  severe r/d hybrid like a Shrew or Griffin (sp) will maintain a more obtuse string angle longer into the draw resulting in somewhat less finger pinch.  All other things being equal, a recurve, because the tips open up at full draw, but don't move closer together, will have the more obtuse string angle at the tips, and less acute t the fingers, and have less finger pinch than a longbow .

[Crooked Stic]

String angle also has a lot to do with design within how the limb is made to bend. If the bowyer sez it is tillered to 30 in. That will be where it goes before stacking.Meaning that your string angle should be good. When at full draw if the angle is getting near 90 degrees then the bow is about to stack. This means it was built to get the max out of the limbs (all the bend before hitting the wall) I would rather have less string angle at full draw and have a bit left before stack for saftey. If a bow was protoed corectly the limb can be made to get max performance and still have good string angle.

[Night Wing]

Just curious.

If someone has two bows (of the same length) such as a 62" recurve and a 62" longbow....when fully strung, measure the length of each bow from the end of the limb tip to the other limb tip end and see which one is longer.

The reason I'm asking is when fully strung, my 66" length recurves (from limb tip to limb tip) are 63".

I have a feeling the same 66" length in a longbow will be slightly more than the 63" length in a recurve if both bows are measured fully strung.

If the longbow is slightly longer when fully strung, then the string angle would be more for the longbow than for the recurve.

I don't have any 66" longbows so I can't do this little experiment myself.

[Orion]

Don't know what you mean by "more for the longbow than for the recurve."  However, the difference between them is that the longbows limb tips move closer together at full draw, increasing the acuteness of the angle on the fingers, whereas the recurve limb tips move back, but not closer together at full draw.  The string angle at the finger basically doesn't change much, at least doesn't get more acute, thus less finger pinch. Of course, this is given that both bows are the same length nock to nock, to start.