Author Topic: Kids Bows  (Read 3347 times)

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Offline JoJoDapyro

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Kids Bows
« on: June 19, 2014, 09:17:24 am »
What is the standard (ish) size bow for a beginner. I think it would be very neat to have my Nephews start out shooting something I made.
If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
27 inch draw, right handed. Bow building and Knapping.

Offline J05H

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Re: Kids Bows
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2014, 11:22:35 am »
I don't think there is a standard really. Kids come in lots of sizes. I'd try to figure out their draw length and how much draw weight they can handle and go from there. For example, my 8 year old niece's bow is 46" ttt and pulls 24#@20". I would recommend you overbuild it a little for safety.
If you never have time to do it right, you'll always have time to do it over.

Offline Pat B

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Re: Kids Bows
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2014, 11:27:03 am »
Making the bow kid tall is a good starting point and about 25#@25" that way he(or she) can grow into it. I'd tiller it out to 28" to be safe.
« Last Edit: June 19, 2014, 01:53:55 pm by Pat B »
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline JoJoDapyro

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Re: Kids Bows
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2014, 11:35:19 am »
Thanks. I am looking to make 2, one for a five year old and one for a seven year old. They are fun little boys. Very small for their ages, but make up for it in heart and the ability to get into trouble.
If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
27 inch draw, right handed. Bow building and Knapping.

Offline DavidV

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Re: Kids Bows
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2014, 11:50:13 am »
I made a 20# @ 20" for an eight year old girl but it was a litttle too heavy if that helps.
Springfield, MO

Offline GlisGlis

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Re: Kids Bows
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2014, 12:56:48 pm »
Quote
I made a 20# @ 20" for an eight year old girl but it was a litttle too heavy if that helps.

+1
just made a 25#@21" for a ten y old girl and it's a little too heavy. I think she'll enjoy more if she could draw with less strength
On the other side my 8 y old son likes it alot even tough he also has difficulties to shoot it. He likes how arrows flight faster and hit stronger even if he almost cant aim  ;)

Offline JoJoDapyro

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Re: Kids Bows
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2014, 03:48:36 pm »
Their Mom shoots at 30#. Both of their parents are smaller people. We are trying to get my sister in law up to 40# so she can hunt with a bow in Utah. I think a lot of pulling a heavier bow is just form. I used to shoot at around 70 to 80, but that is with a more modern compound. We had an indoor archery range that had a system called Techno Hunt, it would score your shots based on placement, as well as Chrono your arrows speed. We had a friend who had a Longbow that shot every bit as fast as our compounds did, and occasionally his arrows would go through the screen.

I guess my question should have been limb width and thickness. I have a Siberian elm stave that I think would work well.
If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
27 inch draw, right handed. Bow building and Knapping.

Offline tattoo dave

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Re: Kids Bows
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2014, 07:31:14 pm »
Pat B makes a good point about them growing into it. Both my girls outgrew the first bows I made them in what seemed to be about 5 minutes. They just won't stop growing.

Tattoo Dave
Rockford, MI

Offline fiddler49

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Re: Kids Bows
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2014, 11:15:33 pm »
The easy way to make a kids bow is to go to Lowe's and find the red oak slats in the bins under the longer red oak boards. There should be some that are quarter inch thick x 48 inches long x several different widths like
1", 1 1/2", 2". Go through the stack and find a straight grain riff cut or 1/4 sawn piece. Glue or tie on a narrow 5"
handle and taper the last 1/3 of the limbs. put side nocks on it and a string. These will require almost no tillering and work fine for your kids ages. These will draw out to around 20" and the weight will depend on how wide the slat is. I think the 1 1/2"
wide limbs will give you about 12 lbs @ 20" Instead of spending 20 hours making some fancy stave bow thats just too strong for the kid or they out grow it or they loose interest your better off spending an hour making
the simple slat bow and spending the next 19 hours with the kids learning to shoot a bow!  cheers fiddler49