Longest Bow You've Hunted With?

[Dictionary]

Did a search for this and didn't come up with much. I'm building a 71" full compass longbow for hunting purposes and I'm wondering if this might be a bit much to carry around with me. I built a bow this long for target shooting a few years back and enjoyed the accuracy I got with it, but I've never had to carry it for hours at a time. I'm curious to hear how other's experiences have gone with longer bows either from a blind, stand, stalking, etc. What's the longest bow you've taken game with, and was it at all disruptive or did it impede your hunt?


Thanks

[bradsmith2010]

about 70 inches, took some game,,,  it will work fine,, if you are used to it,, I do prefer a shorter bow to hunt with,, but if that was what I had,, I could make it work fine,,

[PEARL DRUMS]

The difference between 71" and 65" isn't noticeable to me. I prefer a longer bow to begin with. I started my annual new hunting bow last night. It will be 68" when all is said and done.

[Stick Bender]

When I first started hunting with FG bows I was using 70 in long bow & found out it was to cumbersome from a tree stand then switched to a 64 in recurve FG bow & found out it was better but when I first started making bows my self a little over a year ago I thought I was limited to about 68 in. Bows with my 29 in. Draw but discovered sinew and started making shorter bows my 2 main hunting bows are 62 in. NTN but currently working on a 57 in. Osage which I hope will be my perfect size hunting bow  I am a big fan of shorter bows & I don't take shots beyond 30 yards & find shorter bows work great for that

[loon]

I wonder if anyone hunts with yumi... haha

Short bows are only good for short distances? Yeah, I've taken shots at 160 yards with my 53" Korean, and that's a long one. Missed most of them, though.. but some of the arrows went beyond!

fine I get it, i guess it's harder to be accurate with shorter bows... but they are faster! and one can be really accurate..

I'd really like to see bamboo/sinew Korean-style bows actually being used and not 100lbs like that mokgoong. Some people shoot them with 3 fingers.. but there are the ishi style bows for shorter draws

[Dictionary]

I wonder if anyone hunts with yumi... haha

Short bows are only good for short distances? Yeah, I've taken shots at 160 yards with my 53" Korean, and that's a long one. Missed most of them, though.. but some of the arrows went beyond!

fine I get it, i guess it's harder to be accurate with shorter bows... but they are faster! and one can be really accurate..

I'd really like to see bamboo/sinew Korean-style bows actually being used and not 100lbs like that mokgoong. Some people shoot them with 3 fingers.. but there are the ishi style bows for shorter draws

Not according to Tim Baker and most of the findings from tests done in TTBB. Longer bows store more energy and have less string angle/stack which results in greater arrow speed.

I think Pearl Jam's  Drum's thinking is much like Jim Hamm's. A few more inches on either end isn't that noticeable in most situations but it does result in more stablility and accuracy. Here's Jim Hamm's article I ran into: https://www.primitivearcher.com/articles/longbowname.html . Tim Baker's "Your First Wooden Bow" recommends you make the bow as tall as you are(granted you aren't 7 ft tall).  The more I read about this and look at some of the New Guinean, Amazonian, and English longbows, the more I like the idea of a 70+ inch weapon. I'm 5'10 and I can manage through the bush pretty easily. I think a stick alongside of me could do as well.

[Bryce]

70"ntn I like the draw of a longer bow, seem to be a bit more accurate shooting for me.

[Pat B]

70" for me, and from a tree stand. As long as you are aware of your surroundings bow length shouldn't matter

[loon]

Not according to Tim Baker and most of the findings from tests done in TTBB. Longer bows store more energy and have less string angle/stack which results in greater arrow speed.

Then wouldn't there be more long flight bows? Although I suppose a whip tillered long bow wouldn't be slower.. longer bows have more limb mass. The extra energy would make them faster with heavier arrows though

I really like the idea of a 75" narrow bow with a long draw

guess they both have advantages and disadvantages

[Stick Bender]

This is a great topic I guess it depends on the type of hunting you do ,I hunt tight cover ground blind these days and mostly seated so short bows work for me it's realy hard to shoot a 70 in bow seated in deep cover pluss short bows seem to me to be quicker on target for snap shooting  that's just what works for me .

[SLIMBOB]

I like the clearance I get from a shorter bow of say 58-60 inches.  I like the accuracy and sweetness I get from my longer bows of 64 70 inches.  I will opt for accuracy over convenience when I hunt.  And as others have said, I just make preparations in my blinds for the length of bow I will carry afield.

[sleek]

I hunted with a 65 for years. Last year was the first year I went down in size, and took a doe at 20ish yards with my bow slightly ticked. This year I am going even shorter with 48.5 inches long. Next year, 45 inches is my goal. I havent noticed accuracy to be a problem. But that could be just me, however I doubt it. I have seen others, including Patrick, aka lebhuntfish shoot some nice groups with the bows and without practice also. I think short bows and not being accurate is just a myth.

[SLIMBOB]

I have a few friends who I think are just "naturals".  Hand them any bow and they can shoot it well.  They don't practice much as they don't need to.  My shooting is always a work in progress and always has been.  My little short bows I am far less consistent with than my sweet drawing longer ones.  The difference is real for me. 

[sleek]

What is tje difference for you? Is it elivation, or left right? I wonder if short bows are just less tollerant of spine selection?

[Dictionary]

A lot of preference for shorties on this forum. I agree with you SLIMBOB. I could never get the hang of snap shooting with the short ones. Here's a pic of the bow I got in the works. It's pulling just above 50#@28 in. 71 in ntn linen backed red oak. Gonna shoot her in and finish it in a day or two. I think I like the length and should be able to get used to it. I think I'm done with bendy handle designs though for the longer ones. I think it makes them harder to tiller and make--always being cautious about getting the correct amount of bend at the handle is difficult,