Longest Bow You've Hunted With?

[Pappy]

No doubt shorties are accurate in the right hands, but bottom line I shoot a longer bow better and more consistent so that is what I hunt with.  60 to 66 n-n is the norm.
 Pappy

[BowEd]

A 60 to 64 inch bow is what is usually made by me for hunting around here.Longest used a 66" bow.Although my friends here in the past have shot many deer with longer bows but as years go by shoot 62 to 64 inch bows now.What other people like is fine with me.I'm a fledgeling archer [7 years] compared to some but I believe it's the amount of practice a person does too.In that time 10 deer harvested [all with self bows/self arrows] and lots of small game so I am no veteran or expert.Especially compared to my shooting friends over here.
You'll have to feel your length of bow out for yourself through usage.Good time to say show the multiple pics of harvest from hunting.I enjoy it.Otherwise keep practicing and good hunting.

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

A lot of the myth of the shorter ancestors was based on just plain bad archeology. Many examples of armor and clothes and even weapons from medieval periods etc were tiny, and for a long time it was incorrectly assumed that people were much smaller then but the true explanation turns out to be much more mundane than tiny ancestors. The fact is that these small examples of armor clothes and weapons were something these archeologists from the early 20th century should have recognized, they were literally salesman's samples, lol. Say you were an armorer of sufficient skill to warrant a storefront or of enough renown to be summoned by wealthier lords etc, you're not going to take up all your materials and space with full size examples of your work, examples you could have sold for a lot of money, you would make small scale examples, same with tailors etc. And because these were merchants samples and did not see actual use many more of these examples survived than the real deal.

[Traxx]

 Urufu_Shinjiro....

Very interesting observations and theory.

If that reply was directed at my post,i can assure you,that my examples were not based on archeological theory,but recorded evidence by eye witness account.Evidence of this is still prevalent in these people to this day.

[scp]

They must have enough skeletons to measure by now.

Things are all relative but only up to a point. How long is the longest primitive bow in the world?

[Stick Bender]

In one of books I have around here on native bows it said that some tribes had a measurement system using there arm and body to determine the proper length bow for the owner I will try to look it up over the week end but just because some tribes did it doesent mean they all did , I think slimbob said it best if you like short bows shoot short bows if you like long bows shoot long bows & like Beadman said it's what you practice with ,if you practice enough with any size bow you can't help to get good with it !

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

No traxx, that wasn't directed at anyone in particular just that generally accepted as true myth we all learned growing up. Even today some museums will have a piece of armor on display that's a sample piece and say that it shows how much smaller our ancestors were in the middle ages, though most know what they have now.

[nakedfeet]

A lot can be said for both shorter and longer bows. Personally, I lean towards the opinion of: If I'm a six-foot-tall man (and I am), and I already have to maneuver myself through the woods, and I can do it without much trouble, why would being able to move around an almost-as-long bow be that hard?

I guess for everyone there's probably some cut off. But why is a 62" or 64" bow "good" for hunting, and 68" "too long"? It's really only two inches more on either limb.

That said, I'd probably draw the line at anything longer than I am tall -- or maybe a little taller. After a certain point I agree that you eventually reach a "too long" point. But for me, 68" is no problem.

[Dictionary]

Couldn't have said it better myself, Nakedfeet.

Pearl Drums made the point of bows being shorter since they require less effort with stone tools. Id like to hear more on this from someone who has worked with stone tools, or maybe I need to do some research on the topic. I know Otzi's bow was about 6ft tall and his was made either with stone or copper tools. Then even in North America there are traces of longer bows  like the Sudbury or some of the Florida longbows being made with stone tools. Obviously these primitive bowyers were willing to take a little more time to make a longer weapon for a reason. Not sure how much longer it'd take to make a 70 inch bow vs a 50 inch one. Also we need to remember that they weren't busting out tons of bows like we do. One single, durable bow could last a lifetime. I'd make the effort to build a long efficient hunting weapon with my minimal stone tools so I knew I wouldnt have to build another one for a long time, if ever.

[BowEd]

Dictionary....The way I see it a person's gotta remember that in the primitive past[I mean way back there] people were subject to the best local woods they could get for bows.That might mean only straighter shorter pieces were available too.Living primitively with a bow as your food provider required one being used/others in progress.Their livelyhood depended on it.Things happen and a person does'nt want to be left out hungry.
nakedfeet...I think one reason why 62 and 64 inch bows are made is that it is enough length for a bow to be made safely with a 28" draw.The working length of limbs and draw length combo comes with a nice 6 to 10 inch cushion of length compared to the draw length.Depending on design.

[Stick Bender]

I still think it boiled down to being practicle , a couple months ago I was out scouting the area I attend to pig hunt in late September so I took my first made 66 in. Osage bow that I made for that purpose never having hunted this area I found it was loaded with briars ,heavy brush swampy mud flats oh yea lots & lots of Mesquitos & other nasty bugs so after scouting for about 7 hrs I learned quickly that most of the gear I had with me was to snaggy, backpack ,canteen with strap ,need tighter fitting clothes,strap for eye glasses Etc ,bow that was to long for my purpose I'm 6.4 ft tall & most of the time going threw cover like that the bow was vertical to my body & it still was not enought clearance to smoothly get threw that type of cover so when I go back next month I'm taking a 62 in bow because that's the shortest I have & all the other gear changes , so I think size was a matter of just plain putting food on the table , but my wife says she has her own theory why I like short little bows 

[Swamp Thang]

Honestly depends on the environment. Where I hunt haha you'd be in serious trouble trying to draw that thing and shoot however I went a few away and hunted once and it would a been no trouble

[Dictionary]

Stick Bender- I'm afraid to ask why your wife has that theory.  But in reality, I cant see you missing out or getting hung up on many shots due to a few more inches on either end. It should improve your accuracy if anything. I think learning to shoot in many different positions is key. I think it was either Art Young, Saxton Pope or one of those legendary guys that said you need to choose what you're gonna be, either a hunter or a target shooter, because they don't really go hand in hand. Can't always get a perfect shot with the bow canted in just the right way.

Hate to beat a dead horse, but as mentioned earlier, if Howard Hill could carry his 6 foot longbow across the country and to different continents, I'm sure we can manage in the thick of things as well with a few more inches.

[loefflerchuck]

Sleek, this is still one of my most used bows  "Sierra Nevada style sinew backed juniper." in the posts. Everyone who says longer bows are easier to shoot are right. I still like shorter bows though.

[Stick Bender]

Yes Dictionary I'm afraid to ask her my self , I don't think anybody could argue longer bows aren't more accurate my point was It's easere to get to were you can take the shot I think most practiced archers can shoot game out to 30 yards or so with short bows ,the places I hunt these days the max shot I could take is about 30 yards , I think if I was Howard Hill & only could use one bow it would be a long one to. But wheather it's Shot gun,rifle or bow I try to target my equipment to each hunting situation I realy don't think there is one size fits all or one is better than the other , I think that's what makes this topic so interesting.