do shorter limbs = better performance

[buckeye_hunter]

I was wondering if some of the bowmakers out there could answer a question.  I have a short draw length (27 in) and I have had a lot of bow makers recommend a shorter bow due to my shorter draw. They say there won't be any finger pinch, but that isn'y my question here.  I was wondering if there is an advantage to shooting a shorter bow in terms of performance. Do the shorter limbs store more energy etc. or is a longer limn better?  Just wondering.
Thanks,
Charlie

[Charlie Lamb]

Charlie... listen to the bowyers advice. Any bow will gain performance if the limbs are stressed more. With your short draw it will take a shorter bow to make that happen. It's a balancing act, really... between long enough so the bow doesn't stack badly or pinch fingers and short enough to get the most out of it.

[RAM739]

my draw length is 27 1/2 and i prefer the 66" on a long bow. i have 62" 64". they ARE NOT AS SMOOTH AS THE LONGER BOW.I SHOOT 53-55 LBS. I HAVE FOUND THAT TO BE SUFFICENT TO DOWN A FULL SIZE ELK.

[Blackhawk]

A similar question was posed on the Black Widow site not long ago. Ken Beck responded that after the company purchased a shooting machine they did some extensive testing regarding longer limbs verses shorter ones.  The results were that they found no loss of preformance in the speed department.

[DAS Kinetic]

If the bowyer has a way to properly preload the limbs for your draw length, there will be little or no difference.  If he doesn't have a way to adjust his limb preload, then a shorter bow may have a similar effect.  I would still guess that the difference would be negligable.  Personally, I would not base my limb length decision on a possible performance gain.  I would consider the terrain and conditions that I hunt in, and get the longest bow that works in those conditions.  The longer bow will be smoother, easier on the fingers, more forgiving, and possibly quieter.  A pretty good trade for a couple FPS that might not even materialize. JMO

David

[mmgrode]

I suppose, as David suggested with the preload, most of this would boil down to the force draw curve achieved with either limb set compared to the mass of each of these limb sets respectively.  If the force draw curve is the same and mass placement and amount is the same, then performance(as defined as arrow speed/kinetic energy) should theoretically equal out. This along with considerable assets of a longer bow(less finger pinch, smoothness, etc.) makes it something to consider.  Really, all else being equal, I think the extra mass of the limb at the same poundage would be the only issue pertaining to performance.  Cheers, Matt

[James Wrenn]

David nailed it as far as I am concerned.The longest bow that will work.    

27" is not a short draw and will work fine on any length bow.The fastest bow I own is 68" long and some of the slowest happen to be short bows.Buy a bow by looks,feel and how well it fits you and the numbers will not matter because you will be shooting it well. jmo

[John Havard]

A well designed limb will store the same amount of energy at 27" whether it's short or long.  I test all of our limb designs EXTENSIVELY for F/D energy storage as well as dynamic efficiency.  Our 66" bow stores as much energy as the shortest bow we build.  David's advice is spot-on.  Choose your bow length based on how you will use it.

[Bob Morrison]

Most are not going to be able to adjust pre load unless you are using an ILF type riser and limb combination. Most bowyer limbs are set by the length and design of the limb. Shorter limbs are set more for the shorter draws and long for longer draws. Short draw on a long limb does not hurt preformance much at all, and is always smoother and more stable. Biggest reason to use short limbs is your hunt style, Ground blinds your going to have a problem with 68" and you probably will not use a 54" if your serious about target archery. The adjustability is a real nice thing in a hunting bow and target bow.

Bob

[Bill Carlsen]

When I was shooting Groves bows I called Jim Elrod about a custom bow....I wanted an all phenolic riser but didn't know if I would be better off with a 60" or a 56"  bow. He said that they used the same limbs on different length risers and the bow with the shorter riser would "get the most out of the limb" (in his words). I shoot a hair under 28" and got the 56" bow...never regretted it. My wife shoots a 58" DAS bow and she draws a short 26". The bow at her draw length (46#) and shooting a 500 grain arrow outperforms almost all my bows up to about 65#. The DAS or the Dalla are wonderful bows for short draw archers not want to settle for short drawing a normal bow built for a 28" draw.

[buckeye_hunter]

Mr. Harvard & Mr. Morrison,

Lets say out of curiosity, I ordered a bow from either of you fine gentlemen.  You could make a bow that was specifically set to perform for my draw length? How much would that change vs. ordering a little heavier poundage bow that is listed as a 28 inch draw but shooting at my 27 in draw instead? I appreciate you input.

Thanks,
Charlie

[buckeye_hunter]

Mr. Soza,

My apologies, I meant to include you in the above post as well, with the same questions. I know all three of you make high quality bows.

I also appreciate everyone's input.  I have only been shooting a couple years and can use any guidance possible.  

Thanks again,
Charlie (buckeye_hunter)

[John Havard]

Charlie,

I suppose it would be possible to tweak a limb's design to make it slightly better for a 27" draw, but the difference between a 27" draw and a 28" draw is a pretty fine line.  If you had a 24" draw instead of a 27" draw then a change in design might be warranted, but for 27" vs 28" I couldn't imagine there being enough difference to matter.

John

[countrygirl]

How cool is this; three of the best bowyers out there respond on one thread !

[Curveman]

"The benefit of a long riser is that it shortens the length of the working limb, which makes the bow very dead in the hand upon release; and also makes the bow very fast, stable and quiet. We have taken an already outstanding performing bow to the next step. We believe the Thunder Stick III to be the ultimate in performance in a longbow design."  I know I prefer my Swift over an Ultra-short risers just became trendy I believe so hence the Ultra. So more out of the limb, less out of the riser kinda thing. At best it's a trade-off. At 61# I prefer the heavier riser for center of gravity/stability.

[DAS Kinetic]

Charlie,
   John havard is right.  So is Bob.  Bob or I would tweak the preload slightly because we can, but the truth is, the difference between 27 and 28 is so small as to be almost a non-issue.  A quality, good performing bow at 28" is still going to be so at 27".  Go down to 26" and the difference may be enough to start thinking about a preload adjustable bow.  In the big picture, if I had a 27" draw, this concern would be pretty far down on my priority list.  I would:

a.  Find a good quality bow that I liked
b.  choose the longest length that would work
    for me.
c.  choose a draw weight I can handle without  
    straining

etc, somewhere down around f or g would be "make sure the preload on the limbs matches my draw length"    

Country Girl,  What's even cooler is that we're all friends, and we all want the same thing.  To see our customers get a bow that works for them, even if it is somebody elses.

David