Bow length question

[paleryder]

Starting to gear up for some bow making this winter. I have a request from a friend for a bow. I think he wants a classic "longbow". My forest is generally Menards, Lowes or Home Depot and I'm usually using the 1 x ?? that's 3/4" thick, primarily red oak but once and a while I find some suitable maple. My problem is that my friend is tall and has a wingspan of 76" (working on his draw length at the moment). I'm concerned about the design of this bow. I vaguely remember that at some point the longer limbs are going to start making the bow inefficient and sluggish at lower draw weights. Am I wrong? I'm wondering if there isn't a minimum draw weight for longer bow around my friend's height with 1 1/2" wide limbs.

I've been thinking the best way to go is to make a stiff handled bow with a glue on riser. This will shorten the working limbs quite a bit while allowing me to maintain an overall length that should suit him and his Sasquatch draw length.

Any help you guys can give me on design is appreciated. As for draw weight, I don't really know. I can't imagine that he's going to want anything over 50lbs and 50lbs may be more than he's expecting. He might have to start working out. Thanks.

Aidan

[Badger]

  Tim Baker made a 50# pecan bow for mojam that was about 76" long, I think they tested it at 167 ft per second. When I drew the bow out to 31" I was getting well over 190 fps with a 500 grain arrow, not sluggish at all.

[paleryder]

Badger, thanks for reminding me. Totally forgot...and I was just reading that volume of TBB the other day. Didn't catch that bow was 50#. I found some stats in TBB4. Looks like its mid-limb was 1 3/8". I can guess that the limbs near the handle are closer to 1 3/4" to 2". I have no idea of thickness. Looks like a stiff handle is part of the solution. The middle two feet of the pecan bow is stiff and hardly bending. The limb weight problem is solved by the 1/4" wide tips with tie on nocks. Never tried that before.

I'm not sure how Red Oak measure up to Pecan but I have something to work with now and I'm encouraged. Looks like my tillering skills are going to be challenged. Thanks.

Aidan

[George Tsoukalas]

Aidan, can you find out your friends draw length? Then we can give a bow length. Jawge

[paleryder]

Working on it as we speak. He lives in another town so I have to trust that he's going to measure his draw length correctly. Will update when more information is received. Thanks.

[bubby]

If you make it a bendy you can safely make it shorter and get more draw length

[George Tsoukalas]

Hard to give a length until we get our friends draw length. More on my site. Jawge

[bradsmith2010]

ok I will guess,,my wing span is 72,,, so I am going to guess that a long bow of  with a 30 inch draw give or take would be fine,, he could draw to 28 or to 30 plus if needed,,, so I would say something in the 72 inch bend in the handle would work fine,, that is my guess and I am sticking with it,, 

[bubby]

With a bendy handle you can get 30" draw with a stave 62" long tillered well

[bradsmith2010]

your right Bubby, I just think the longer bow would be less likely to break if there are some flaws in the wood etc etc,,,, and could handle a longer draw if needed ,,, just a little more room for error,,if the wood is not so perfect,,as you suggested,, the shorter bow,, would probably work just as well,,

[bubby]

I built a stiff handled hickory board bow for a guy 6'6" 72" ttt and 55# i think @30", 4" grip 2" fades straight taper to 3/8" tips

[Badger]

  Aiden, the pecan bow I tested was actually a twin to the bow he used at mojam which was 47#@ 28". The bow I tested was 50#@28". It was shot at the flight shoots in the unlimited weight division and did quite well inspiete of being very light for the unlimited weight class. I believe it was 57# at the draw length it was shot and reached out to 236 yards with a 500 grain broadhead arrow.

[paleryder]

Gents,

Thank you very much. I'm still waiting to hear from my friend regarding his draw length. Even so, your input has been very helpful. I have more options that I originally thought. I'll update as soon as he responds on his draw length, draw weight and style of bow he's wanting.

Aidan