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Choosing a bow: Length of the bow

Lesson learnt when selecting a recurve bow. Among considerations are a bow length and a person's draw weight that can give the optimum shooting. Here, the notes are for take down recurve bows where there is the riser, string, upper limbs and lower limbs. Wasn't it obvious you needed these basic components?

Here is a recurve bow where the arrow is being release.




Lets start by determining the draw length.

DRAW LENGTH

Here is a simplified table based on your draw length to determine the bow length;

Draw length... Bow length
14-16 inches..................48 inches
17-20 inches..................54 inches
20-22 inches..................58 inches
22-24 inches..................62 inches
24-26 inches..................64-66 inches
26-28 inches..................66-68 inches
28-30 inches..................68-70 inches
31 inches and longer...........70-72 inches

Bow length is the measure from tip to tip of a bow without string. To find your draw length do the following;

Method 1:
Extend arms to left and right. Measure length from tip of left hand to tip of right hand.
Divide that number by 2.5, and that would be the calculated draw length.

Method 2:
Extend the bow hand and the bow string hand is placed in anchor position.
Measure length of the tip of bow hand to the bow string hands tip for the draw length.

Match draw length figure with the above "table" to find your bow length.

Above methods to calculate the bow length are good when planning to order a bow online. If you have a shooting club or shop, it would be much better to have the experienced staff help to identify a suitable bow length and your budget.
Now that the Bow length have been identified, its time to choose the parts that make up the bow length.

RISER

As hands vary from person to person, the riser where a person grips a bow will differ in handling. Its helpful to get a riser that is fitting. This will determine the balance, a comfortable hand grip and attachment of the limbs.
The riser at my place come in common length of 21 inch, 25 inch and 27 inch. They can be made from any one of many materials such as wood, aluminum metal and carbon.

STRING LENGTH

Bow strings length are dependent on the riser and limb length combination. Generally, they are 3 inches shorter than a bow length. Slight twist of the bow strings can increase the tension weight.

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