Bow Brace

[bow101]

      What is the ideal bow brace for you guys assuming you are using 5" fletching.  I seem to be happy with around 6 1/2" using 5" fletching,  is that not enough..?  I know there are other bow tuning factors involved here, like maybe lenght of bow, style of bow etc...       



 

[PEARL DRUMS]

Its ALL about the bow and what it wants. Mine vary from under 5" to over 6 1/4". Unbacked shortys prefer shorter braces while the same bow sinewed will want at least another inch to perform and quiet down. Brace height is underplayed in my opinion. Sometimes we tinker with 2 or 3 different arrow spines to get a bow quiet and smooth when in reality most often adjusting the brace will work as good with the same spined arrow. Next to the bows tiller, there is no more important factors IMO.

[Pat B]

I brace all of my bows at my fistmele, about 6". That changes depending on the handle style I use.

[Badly Bent]

For me its usually as low as will allow good arrow flight and a quiet sendoff. On my bendy handle bow that can sometimes be as little as 4-3/4" from the belly side of the handle. Often times my fletching still hangs past the arrow pass slightly. In a hunting situation I'll put some tension on the string as a deer approaches to keep the feathers from making that bristling noise when the game is on and I start my draw to shoot. Can't have that noise when a deer is within spitting distance.

[DGF]

I'm sure it's probably better for a bow to be strung under the lowest brace that gives good arrow flight, however there must be something about my sloppy shooting that makes low braced bows slap the crap out of my wrists. Higher braces and I can shoot without a arm guard. I, like Pat, usually end up around fistmele.

-Dan

[mullet]

Dan;  wrist guard

[adb]

I brace almost all my bows with 6.5" - 7" from the back of the bow. But as Pearls mentioned, it depends on the bow and each one is a bit different. Brace height definitely has to be tuned, and is under appreciated as a method of making your bow shoot better.

[4dog]

last bow i built braced out at 7"...it was very sloppy till then.

[paulsemp]

Its ALL about the bow and what it wants. Mine vary from under 5" to over 6 1/4". Unbacked shortys prefer shorter braces while the same bow sinewed will want at least another inch to perform and quiet down. Brace height is underplayed in my opinion. Sometimes we tinker with 2 or 3 different arrow spines to get a bow quiet and smooth when in reality most often adjusting the brace will work as good with the same spined arrow. Next to the bows tiller, there is no more important factors IMO.

I've been noticing this a lot more lately.

[Bryce]

I brace all of my bows at my fistmele, about 6". That changes depending on the handle style I use.

Same here.

[bow101]

Thanks for the replys as usual.     One more thing~~~~~~~~~~~~~Is the Arrow nock point more critical compared to Brace height..?

[Pat B]

They go together. There really isn't much tune up work to set up a traditional bow and brace height and nock point is it. For me, I set my initial nock point at 3/8" above horizontal but I also nock my arrow on top of the nock point. That and my fistmele usually get my bows where they shoot well. Or am I setting myself up to shoot different bows the same. 

[bow101]

............3/8" above horizontal but I also nock my arrow on top of the nock point. That and my fistmele usually get my bows where they shoot well. Or am I setting myself up to shoot different bows the same. 

That's a good one Pat almost forgot about knocking, under or over the nock point.  Is this just personnal preference like shooting split or 3 under.?

[Pat B]

Yeah, I think so. In the early archery books I read most archers nocked their arrows over because they could draw the arrow from their back quiver, get it on the string and slide it down to the nock as thy came to full draw. Modern archers, probably because of treestand hunting, nock their arrows below the nocking point so the arrow will stay on the bow with the bow hanging from a peg. I like loose arrow nocks too unlike most folks...and never got the 3 under thing either. I guess I couldn't shoot 3 under with my style anyway. 

[bowtarist]

Some of my bows have a top and bottom nock point. If you have ever seem someone string walk, they have several different nocking points and always aim point on. I shoot three under w/ very short bows, but split finger on longer bows. I shot w/ a guy in Scottsburg who shoots three under and he was a nail driver. It's what you get used to I suppose. "Or am I setting myself up to shoot different bows the same." Good point Pat, dp