what size warbow?

[willie]

I was looking in my stave collection for something to make a warbow  for my son. He stopped by the house and I had him pull an arrow back to his ear so I could measure for draw length. Admittedly, the measurement was done with a  light ripping, as I do not have a  bow that I wish to have pulled that far. I realize with a heavy poundage bow, his draw will shorten up and his form will change, but the length is longer than I have ever heard of before, but he is a big guy,

what draw length seems to be the max for an 80" bow ?
Are there bows built longer than that?

A quick look at the specs on warbow arrows seem to show many arrows that are too short for a 32" draw that I typically see tillered on modern built bows.

Is there a proportion of bow length to arrow length that is considered correct for the design?

thanks

willie

[Marc St Louis]

With the right materials you should be able to get a 36" draw out of an 80" bow

[WillS]

http://markstretton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/what-is-most-efficient-draw-length-for.html

[willie]

Thanks Mark,
I realize that if you use the "bow length divided by draw" length rule of thumb, that a 36" draw from 80" length is certainly reasonable, especially with modern methods of keeping wood dry and modern finishes, but were traditional bows built that highly strained?

With all the variety of bow lengths and arrow lengths thought to be used back in the day, It's hard to know what was a thought to be a typical traditional ratio.

Have there been any traditional warbows or arrows found that indicate  a 35" draw might have been used by some?

sorry for the ambiguity

willie

[willie]

Thanks for that link, Will. I guess I was typing when you post came through.

[Del the cat]

You are unlikely to get longer than a 32" draw at any sort of poundage.
If I'm pulling a bit of thin elastic I can get 41" but with a heavy bow 31" is my limit.
I don't think there were any arrows longer than 32" and many were just 28"
If you just make the arrows 32" I don't think you will have a problem.
Del

[WillS]

As Del said, if we take all the data from the finds on the Mary Rose, the average bow length is 77", and the average arrow length is 30.5". 

There are a couple of guys who shoot in the English Warbow Society who shoot beyond that length - and do so exceptionally well.  One is currently shooting 140lb at 34", but as Mark wrote in his blog post the actual benefits are quite small, if there are any at all. 

One of the problems is that it's very hard to find that perfect length without shooting a full weight bow.  There's a wonderful point at the end of a medieval draw where everything locks together and you physically feel all the weight of the bow sit on the shoulders and back and your arms stop feeling any strain and you could essentially hold it there forever. 

The window to that point is tiny - an inch or two either way and it can still be quite awkward feeling.
 
Again as Del said, try it with a very light bow or length of elastic and you can draw back to some ridiculous length, but get the weight estimated properly by stacking the elastic and all of a sudden you'll be able to draw until that wonderful moment when it all gets very easy, measure it at that point and there's your ideal draw length. 

It's not usually over 32" or so, but if it's 33" or even 34" at least he will be in good company, amongst other gorillas who shoot warbows

[willie]

Thanks Del and Will

One of the problems is that it's very hard to find that perfect length without shooting a full weight bow.

yep, thats my problem i think

There's a wonderful point at the end of a medieval draw where everything locks together and you physically feel all the weight of the bow sit on the shoulders and back and your arms stop feeling any strain and you could essentially hold it there forever.

when your shoulder blades roll back into "place"?

at least he will be in good company

yeah, he is 6'-5" @ 300#, and pushes crab pots around on deck in the bering sea for a living.

The window to that point is tiny - an inch or two either way and it can still be quite awkward feeling.

not quite sure what you are saying here. The window is if the pull is so much that he cannot "lock" his shoulderblades back and reach that length?


sooo.......     I gotta build a bow just to see what his draw length is? well, he will probably just break the first one anyway

[Del the cat]

You are right, you've just got to try it, but I've found that often a quick try out bow works better than the one you slave over for ages.
Bottom line is... it simply depends on the bow.
I tend to use bow length of 1.2 - 1.5 times the draw length, but all the figures in the world are just ball park guidelines.
For an 80" bow that would give 36" - 32"
Of course it depends on poundage too.
Ages ago I made a very long Maple bow, it was pretty much impossible to physically overdraw it, but it was only about 40#
Trying for that extra inch of draw from a bow is often doomed:-
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/pushed-it-too-far.html
Ooooh, I found a pic ov the very long bow... not a pretty sight, me in a vest
That's just at a normal target style draw...
Del

[Heffalump]

You are right, you've just got to try it, but I've found that often a quick try out bow works better than the one you slave over for ages.
Bottom line is... it simply depends on the bow.
I tend to use bow length of 1.2 - 1.5 times the draw length, but all the figures in the world are just ball park guidelines.
For an 80" bow that would give 36" - 32"
Of course it depends on poundage too.
Ages ago I made a very long Maple bow, it was pretty much impossible to physically overdraw it, but it was only about 40#
Trying for that extra inch of draw from a bow is often doomed:-
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/pushed-it-too-far.html
Ooooh, I found a pic ov the very long bow... not a pretty sight, me in a vest
That's just at a normal target style draw...
Del

Del, you look so butch in that vest.......(flutters eyelashes).....what are you doing tonight? (and dont say you're washing your hair, cos you haven't hardly got any) LoL

Johnny Hilarious  xxx

[JoJoDapyro]

Ooooh, I found a pic ov the very long bow... not a pretty sight, me in a vest

Vest? Where I'm from they're called "Wife Beaters" 

[willie]

thanks for the post Del, but I fear you have started something with the pic, my thread is doomed