I think my draw length got shorter?

[JWMALONE]

Hello Guys and Gals. Don Burchett gave me a heads up on shrinking draw weights when I was making an eastern woodland style bow. So I checked by AMO standers and it was 28 inches hmmmm...... Its not a modern recurve folks, me thinks I made a boo boo. How do you measure draw length on a d bow of this style, its basically a board 3/4 thick at the handle? Its tillered to #58@28, If I measure from arrow nock to back of handle I'm pulling to 26.5 inches.

[Dances with squirrels]

I check draw weight @28" by pulling all bows to 26 1/4" to the BELLY side of the handle. That's the standard, and that way they're all drawn the same distance regardless of how thick the handle is.

If your draw length was 29", you'd just add an inch, so draw 27 1/4" to the belly side.

[DC]

If I measure my draw length with any method other than a bow of the weight I'm used to my draw length comes in at 30-31 inches. If I use my bow and actually draw it and measure the arrow it comes in at 27". I think the bow crushes my body or something

[simson]

......     If I measure from arrow nock to back of handle I'm pulling to 26.5 inches.

This is the right way!

[JWMALONE]

Thanks Guys. Simson I have been tillering my bows to 28 on the tree from back of handle, man I feel stupid. Oh well on the bright side I don't have to worry about over drawing them.

[burchett.donald]

JW,
      A lot of folks do it both ways...I measure from the "belly" of the handle to string...That way if I make a 2" deep handle long bow or a .5 deep bendy bow there is no confusion...I am 26" from the belly at "my draw" and shooting style...I have my tree set up in increments starting at 0" where the bow handle touches the cradle and out to my 26" where I normally stop my work...
                                            Don

[bradsmith2010]

how ever you do it,, just make sure the person gonna shoot it knows,,, so they dont over draw it,,

[Badger]

  If your bow was being tested in a formal test they would measure at 26 1/4 to the deepest point of the grip for a 28" draw. Most primitive guys simply use the back of the bow and most modern bows are built with a handle section about 1 3/4 thick so it usually is the back of the bow but not necessarily.

[JWMALONE]

false alarm fellows. I checked the tree, when I made it I allowed 1 3/4 so my 28 mark is actually 26 1/4. Some one told me that a while back, I forgot and I  marked the tree weird I guess.

[Jim Davis]

As far as I know, no factory bows are marked 50# @ 26-1/4", so ...

[bradsmith2010]

I use the back of the bow,, I am just used to that,,,

[Selfbowman]

i use the back of the bow.  Arvin

[PatM]

Back of the bow. At least for a bow where the arrow tip is not drawn past that point.

[Dances with squirrels]

First you mentioned shrinking draw length in the title, then draw weight in the first post, then draw length again. What are we really talking about here? Both maybe.

Even if you draw it precisely the same distance to your anchor as you always do, your personal draw LENGTH will 'appear' to shrink if you check it to the back of a bow with a thinner handle.

If instead, your are checking draw WEIGHT on various bows, and draw an arrow marked at 'your draw length' to the back of the bow... when you check a bow that is thinner in the handle section, you will be drawing if farther and getting a reading higher than what you will really be pulling when you shoot it.

These incorrect and inconsistent lengths and weights are some the reasons for the standard.

[AndrewS]

From the backside of the handle 28"
From the bellyside of the handle it depends on the handle thickness... With a standard 1-3/4" thick handle you will have 26-1/4" .