Calculating draw length

[Kidder]

How would one go about calculating draw length based upon a wingspan measurement? Thanks.

[Fox]

Apparently, 2.5 divided by the length of your arms sideways from tip of one finger to tip of another finger.... that being said the best way to find out is to shoot and find a comfortable draw length, and then have someone measure on your arrow where your drawing to.

[Hawkdancer]

Try holding a yardstick to your chest at shoulder height, and reaching in front of you.  Fox's method works, too!

Hawkdancer

[Kidder]

Apparently, 2.5 divided by the length of your arms sideways from tip of one finger to tip of another finger.... that being said the best way to find out is to shoot and find a comfortable draw length, and then have someone measure on your arrow where your drawing to.

I was reading this method but that has my wingspan drawing 28 inches, which is at least two inches longer than I can pull, and is even longer than I can pull with a compound. So I question that as being a little long.

[bownarra]

You can't

[Del the cat]

You can't

+1
It's a daft concept*, it was sometimes suggested in basic books on target archery. But it's only vaguely works for a classic target anchor.
Some anchor at the lips/chin, some the nose, some the cheek, ear, back of the jaw.
Some lean the head forward... also depends what draw weight and style you shoot. I'll draw 27" when field shooting but 30" when roving with a heavier bow.
Age comes into it too... my draw has dropped an inch in the last 15 years.
Del
*A bit like expecting to "calculate" your chest measurement from your wingspan.

[lonbow]

Hawkdancer´s method works well for me. A friend of mine tried this method yesterday and it worked well, too! But this doesn´t mean, that this method and other ones work for everyone, because the proportions of every person are different. These are rough estimations to find the approximate arrow length. To really find out, one must draw a bow and see...

[Eric Krewson]

I use the yardstick method on al the newbies that want to learn how to shoot a bow, it gives a good basic starting point until they determine their exact anchor point.

I point out to them at all factory bows are weighed at 28" and they need to take into account any bow they order will gain about 3# an inch for every inch they draw over 28" and loose 3# an inch if they draw under 28". They need to take this into account if they plan to buy a bow that fits them.

Of course on short bows the gain may be considerably more per inch because the bow is stressed more, for newbies we call this trend "stacking".

[stuckinthemud]

According to measurements (yardstick on chest and finger tip to fingertip / 2.5) I should draw 28 inches but on my favourite 67 inch ELB-style bow I actually draw 24 measured on the arrow

[Allyn T]

I tried the stick chest and it was pretty close. I also had my wife measure from the belly of the grip on my compound to the corner of my mouth when I drew and it was close to that as well

[Del the cat]

wingspan/2.5 gives me 28.2"
rule against chest gives me 29"
My actual draw length is 27" for a normal draw and 30" for a medieval draw.
Del

[PatM]

Apparently, 2.5 divided by the length of your arms sideways from tip of one finger to tip of another finger.... that being said the best way to find out is to shoot and find a comfortable draw length, and then have someone measure on your arrow where your drawing to.

I was reading this method but that has my wingspan drawing 28 inches, which is at least two inches longer than I can pull, and is even longer than I can pull with a compound. So I question that as being a little long.

   It sounds like you have your answer.  The methods being dismissed above are actually reasonably accurate.  I'm not sure I've ever  heard that they are supposed to  exactly indicate draw length.

[bradsmith2010]

what about drawing an arrow with the weight bow you gonna shoot,,

[stuckinthemud]

what about drawing an arrow with the weight bow you gonna shoot,,

This is how I calculate draw length.  Arrows need to match the bow. My take down, 3 part,  recurve uses arrows 2 inches longer than my elb as the grip is 3 inches deep, compared to 1 1/4 on the elb

[willie]

what about drawing an arrow with the weight bow you gonna shoot,,

and maybe with the same kind of grip and hold you intend to use