Stabilty and A) riser wt and B) bow length

[Matt Green]

Assuming LONGER is MORE stable, does going from a 60 to a 62 inch bow make a noticeable difference?  I know its only 1 inch on each end of the limbs but....

and

woods like ebony etc are denser and heavier - vs. myrtle.  first - how MUCH Of  a difference does that make in the TOTAL weight of the bow and does that much weight make a noticeable difference in stability.
thanks for responses in advance.e
matt

[Orion]

In general, longer and heavier make for more stability, all other things being equal.  However, you're talking about small differences here.  An individual may or may not actually notice the effects because they will be very small as well.

[Matt Green]

that kind of what I was thinking - although with levers (i.e. limbs) an inch on each end may have an exponential effect.  I've not shot a ton of bows of different lengths to be able to compare.  I can understand going from 58 or even 60 to 64 wodul be noticeable. but a two inch difference - not sure.
hoepuflly others chime in from experience.
mattG

[md126]

Yes to both questions BUT I also feel a lot has to do with draw length and how a bow fits. For example If a bow starts to stack or have finger pinch because it's slightly too short for your DL than 1" on either side can make a big difference in stability because you're not fighting the bow.

I also think proper grip fit can greatly aid stability

Just my 2 cents

[Cootling]

I've used 58" and 60" limbs of the same make, model, and weight on my current ILF riser.  Huge difference for me.  The bow is very nice with 58" limbs, but is drastically better at 60".

I've had the same takedown longbow with an osage riser, a bocote riser, and a dymondwood riser.  Despite the small overall mass of the riser, the slightly greater mass of bocote and dymondwood has definitely been noticeable and beneficial.

[straight_arrow]

Orion's comments are spot on. The best combination I found for myself is a short riser paired with a longer limb to make a 60" bow.  The ratio of riser to limb has great merit and should be considered when looking at bows.

[kadbow]

I found the bow I shoot best is a 54" feather light Shrew.  Go figure.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Actually....The length of a bow has very little to do with stability. The limb width & depth and where it bends determines stability.

The bows limb design, and how the limbs bend not only determine stability, but determines good string angle and where the stacking point is.

To answer your question... On a deep core narrow long bow limb (D shaped) the difference between 60" & 62" will be more noticeable with longer draw lengths.

With a hybrid long bows with good R/D limbs not so much...

With a decent recurve design, you will notice very little difference between 60"-62". a little smoother draw at longer draw lengths would be about it.

As far as veneer type goes, the difference in stability is zero. You may see a very slight decrease in arrow speed using dense hardwood depending on the draw weight and preload, but nothing you would see or feel. 3-4 fps maybe...