This is incredibly helpful. Thank you! I'm getting into archery and thinking of buying a recurve. My only frame of reference is compounds though as I inherited one. My primary concern was damaging a bow by drawing too far repeatedly, but now I need to consider a lower draw weight, I suppose.
I'm shooting 70m with 26 lbs limbs XD And everyone is like: "you can go and throw an arrow, will be the same result" Nobody consider that on my fingers I have like 35 lbs or so XD
The only effect of drawing a recurve "too far" is stacking. The weight on the fingers will increase more rapidly beyond a certain point without a corresponding increase in shot power. That's one reason why longer limbs are used for longer draw lengths. They tend to stack later.
Yes, I'm 6'3+ and draw to about 31 inches, so my draw is about 20% over the rating. I draw my son's 30lb bow to 36lb and my own 50lb bow to around 60lb.
Beyond that, the terms "recurve" and "longbow" don't only apply to fiberglass bows. Traditional wooden bows are generally tillered to a specific draw weight very carefully, and arrows are cut to that exact length to ensure that you don't overdraw. The reason being, if you overdraw a traditional wooden bow, it can take a set (i.e. permanently be bent too far thus losing power) and even worse can be destroyed (exploding in a shower of wooden splinters) if you go beyond the designed draw length. As such, bowyers will create a bow with a specific draw length and weight. If an archer comes to a bowyer and says "I want a 60# bow at 30" draw", the bow has to be very carefully made to those standards and the bowyer will write '60# @ 30" ' on the lower limb near the handle. So you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT DRAW a traditional wooden bow further than it's intended design.
@@jayytee8062 Not true in traditional bows made from single staves of wood, they will take a set and lose power. They are specifically designed for a maximum draw length, if you go over that too often it will lose power. Fiberglass is a different story.
Thank you. Your an excellent teacher, everything is so simple now, so much jargon out there in books and looking at other videos just trying to confuse the Bow novice.
I would add a couple of things on this. 1) If you are tall, like me, you want to make sure that the bow is long enough to prevent your fingers getting pinched from the more severe angles of the string. I have an old 60" Bear Kodiak Hunter, and, while it's a great bow, at my 31.5" or so draw length, it makes my fingers sore and even numb much faster than a 72"+ longbow would. I'm working on an 80" longbow, and probably flung 150 arrows today and my fingers don't notice it. While I haven't measured it, the bear is 55lbs at my draw length, and this one feels maybe 5# or 10# . My fingers would be numb from shooting the bear. 2) With selfbows (all one peice of wood) and even board bows that are backed, you really should be careful if you have a gorilla draw length. Their method of manufacture is a bit more back to basics, and if they haven't been tillered out to very long draw lengths, you should not pull them back to those long draw lengths. At best, you'll change the characteristics of the bow, making the owner of the bow, should it not be you, kind of pissy. You could also blow the bow up too. The shorter the bow, the more important this is.
I want to buy a 60 " recurve takedown Black hunter (He's small for me, I know), my height is 1.82" and my draw length is @ 29.5, do you think I can break that bow? On the website the manufacturer specifies @ 28
Thanks for the video, it WAS helpful. I guess since my draw length is longer than 28", even though my bow is suppose to be 25 lb pull, for me it is probably 29 lb or 30 lb. Which makes me feel better because, I was thinking I am such a wimp to have to use a 25 lb bow :)
I kinda like products with pamphlets where they specify/recommend limbs, draw weight, draw length, brace height, everything. You know, graphs, math, curves, things which you can use as excuse later by picking different "better bow" :)
If you overdraw though you can have stacking at a certain point, so another consideration is to make sure you have a long enough bow for your height. Stacking is more a function of the geometry changes when the bow is at full draw. A longer bow will have narrower angles at the same draw so can be drawn back further before it will start stacking. If you're 6'4" and have a 32 inch draw don't buy a 60 inch bow. Go big.
@@ethan4970 no, they where unobtanium at the time. Seem to finally be available again though, thanks for the reminder! Eyeing a southwest spider xl for something budget my size.
ok I'm a beginner. Sorry if my question sounds stupid but Iif I were to choose a bow and it says R.H. (right hand) only. Does this mean hold the brace with my right hand or pull the string with my right.
Good to know! I kept being a bit worried that with the draw length I have I might damage a bow. I haven't had it measured, but I shot my friend's bow and it was possible for me to pull his 31" arrows off the rest if my arm was too straight.
@@psary644 "Recurve" is a very broad classification. Ultimately it comes down to materials. As I said, wooden bows, or bows made with natural materials such as wood/horn generally have specific drawlengths. If it's fiberglass or fiberglass backed, it's very likely that you can draw it as far as you can without issue. Generally, the standard for fiberglass bows is 28", they will tell you the # based on a 28" draw. If you draw more, it will generally have a higher poundage but with fiberglass limbs it should be fine. Traditional bows are much different because they can take a "set" or lose power if overdrawn, but if you have a manufacturer and model number for your bow I doubt that would be an issue.
Thanks for this. I was worried that my draw length is greater than 28" and I would have to but another takedown recurve. Thankfully I do not. But it means my 50 lb bow is now a 65 lb weight. Off to the gym 😂
Bought a standard beginners recurve 68“. After shooting sometime my 30“ arrows closely felt off my rest. Measuring I had a draw of 30+“. Switched to 32“ arrows, works fine but now my fingers hurts. I learned it is because the bow stacks at that draw length. Now I m thinking about 70“ barebow.
At 30+" draw length, you'll definitely want long limbs. Longer limbs won't deflect as far vertically at full draw, so the string angle at the arrow nock won't be quite as acute.
Thanks for this video. Now I know I don't really have to fret over draw length while searching for a new bow. I measure 26.5" draw (armspan calculated) vs. 31" (true draw) and I was getting differing opinions on which to use, or to average. I imagine this discrepancy is due to variation in chest width vs arm length that the calculated method can only approximate, but I'll just go for the weight I need.
so question: If i have a recurve, rated at 50lbs at 28", which should be about a 500 spine arrow, and my draw is only 25", does that mean that i'm roughly only drawing 42.5lbs and should get about 750 spine?
My draw is 30 inches, I started at 35 pounds, so when I get to full draw it's more like around 40 pounds. I was able to get used to it pretty quickly surprisingly enough.
I'm in the same situation as you, I decided to buy a 30lbs Black hunter and found that I am also 75 "pull, Black hunter is measured by default at @ 28 "(and I was concerned at first with breaking my bow), meaning I believe I will pull around 34" lbs.
As Clayton said, this applies to ALL traditional wooden bows. The terms "recurve" and "longbow" don't only apply to fiberglass bows. Traditional wooden bows are generally tillered to a specific draw weight very carefully, and arrows are cut to that exact length to ensure that you don't overdraw. The reason being, if you overdraw a traditional wooden bow, it can take a set (i.e. permanently be bent too far thus losing power) and even worse can be destroyed (exploding in a shower of wooden splinters) if you go beyond the designed draw length. As such, bowyers will create a bow with a specific draw length and weight. If an archer comes to a bowyer and says "I want a 60# bow at 30" draw", the bow has to be very carefully made to those standards and the bowyer will write '60# @ 30" ' on the lower limb near the handle. So you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT DRAW a traditional wooden bow further than it's intended design. If anyone reading this is interested in more information, there's 4 wonderful books called "The Traditional Bowyer's Bible" which explain all of this in extensive detail.
Are you not aware of stacking? 28" means the optimal draw length is 28", but that doesn't mean drawing past 28 is a good idea. Unlike compound which have a set draw length, recurve bows have a range of draw length. Drawing your bow past it's maximum length is how you break the bow.
The maximum length is really only a thing with traditional bows which physically cannot be drawn past the specific draw length, in which case the length is clearly specified as a maximum length. That isn't what is being discussed in this video. When draw lengths for most modern recurve bows are measured at 28", it isn't a maximum, but an arbitrary standard based on the average draw length. It isn't necessarily the optimal draw length of the bow.
@@NUSenseiThe maximum length is not only a thing with traditional bows. Most of the traditional bow optimal draw length is between 28 and 32 with some up to 35, and some smaller horse bows down to 27. I believe the reason you think modern recurve don't really have this problem is because the stock length for arrows in modern archery is usually 32" and you can rarely find arrows longer than that length, and on top of that the anchoring point for mediterranean draw can be significantly shorter than thumb draw that the range of draw length in moder recurve is relatively narrow . However, you can't expect to use a 58" bow with draw length of 20-22 and expect the bow to not break when your draw length is 28.
I have a 58” Samick Sage one piece recurve. I am 5.10” with a 29 inch draw. So, you are saying that this bow, only being 58” long is set for a 28” draw? Most charts I read say that it should be used for a 22” or a 24” draw because of its short length. When I learned that I should be using a 63” to a 66” inch bow I thought I was damaging the 58” one. So, are you saying I am not doing any damage to it?
Nah, you should be fine. Sages, like other modern bows, are tough, with laminated limbs, etc. 58" is a bit short for a 29" draw, but it's not grossly short. I don't agree with the 22-24" draw for a 58" bow either. A 58 should be good up to 27" or even 28" (unless the bow has a really long riser, which the Sage doesn't), just a bit cramped at that length. A longer bow would give you a bit less finger pinch on your drawing hand and perhaps feel a bit smoother near the end of the draw, but I don't think you're going to hurt your Sage.
Very helpful information esp for compound shooters interested in recurve. I'm somewhat tall and my wingspan is an inch more than my height. I'll be sure to err on the low side when I eventually get a recurve.
His info only applies to fiberglass bows. You should not pull a traditional wooden bow beyond whatever it's designed for, which is usually written on the lower limb, and has arrows cut to the exact length of that bow's draw.
Hello Nusensei, I’m looking into getting a recurve that has a bow length of 56in and a draw length of 29in, my draw length is around 26.50 and I can shoot 30lb draw weight, I was wanting to ask what draw weight should I get to compensate for the draw length distance to still be able to shoot 30 lbs at full draw?
Hi, I just looked up on how to measure my draw length and because I am doing this alone... These were what I got: 64.5/2.5= 25.8 65.5/2.5= 26.2 A slight discrepancy but sounds like I am ok with just going with a 40 wt / 28? Would you agree? I was also told getting anything under 40 draw weight would bore me very quickly. Thank you.
The notion that under 40lb = boring is misled. There are some people who feel they can only shoot above 40lb and there's a certain feeling that comes from shooting a heavier bow. However, what weight you start with depends on how confident you are with technique and what your personal goals are. There's nothing wrong with starting lower and the feeling is just as satisfying.
@@NUSensei Thank you for the reply. I've never shot. But I am picking up a traditional recurve for cultural reasons. I weight about 135 @ 5'6" so on the slender end. I was told 35 would actually allow me to practice my form better but 40 would be the benchmark. I am thinking it's either @ 35 draw wt. / 26" (or) @ 40 wt / 28".... The first option would be more customized and the latter more standard I guess. Prob. a dumb question... The first option would be a slightly smaller bow, right? Just a tad.
So for me basically my "calculated" draw length is 29.5 so a 28lb bow is 28lb@28" so at my full draw it would be more like say 32lb at full draw. was trying to explain this to a buddy ^^
I have heard/read the term "stacking". If you reach this point on a bow, is it simply a dramatic increase in draw weight or at the EXTREMES of human body mechanics is there actually a limit to how far a bow can be pulled ? Can you spend some time explaining stacking? Very helpful video, as always. Thanks, Ray
The reason why the draw weight increases is because of the direction the limb tips are being pulled. The most efficient direction is when the force is perpendicular to the limb. The further back it is pulled, the more the force goes from vertical to horizontal. This is more inefficient, and consequently it requires more energy to put the limbs under more tension. Basically, at full draw, it's more efficient to pull the limb tips DOWN, but the way the string is attached means that it is pulled BACK, resulting in an exponentially increasing draw weight. There is a point where the string will simply come off the limb tips, but this may be in the realms for 40+ inches.
on the inno cxt riser limbs will get a bit heavier to draw ( cant explain it in english only in swedish) my limbs for indoor is 68/30 ( i started shoot again last month after 3 years away so wanted to started easy) but wit my drawlenght at 28,5 " i draw 33 pounds on my fingers.... the same limbs in my old riser i draw 31,5 on a 28,5 inch drawlength...
Thanks for sharing another informative video. I'm at the longer end of the spectrum for draw length at 29 1/2 on a recurve and I'm concerned about stacking... Is a 60" bow suitable or should I consider a 62 - 64 inch bow set-up...?
You would optimally have a 70" bow for that draw length (same as me). Problem is that it's hard to find wooden takedown recurve bows that long with a ligh draw weight to start out with and get the form down... But a 68/66 and even 62" bow is fine. But the closer to 70", the more easy and comfortable it will be.. but remember your long arms are adding about 3 pounds of draw weight more than it says on the bow. It's annoying. I'm currently trying to deal with the same situation.
I didn't know this when I brought my bow, so I'm pulling around 47lbs instead of 40. I got a little excited and jumped the gun when buying my bow 😅 I'm used to it now though, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing in the end.
Hi! Great explanation which make choosing a bow much easier! But: I have purchased the Black Hunter from Mandarin Duck. They say in their description: maximum draw length 31 inches. In an email, where I was asking about the breaking tips issue, they tell me that the draw weight has a "tolerance" of +- 2lbs. I am a quite tall guy and my draw length is about 32 inches. Am I stressing my bow by exeeding the draw poundage on my Black Hunter (50lbs) when drawing at 32 inches? Am I risking that the tips will break?
Hey Nusensei I was wondering what you opinion is of apex hunting they are a new bow seller based in Brisbane. They have mostly hunting related bows and accessories though so they may not be suitable for you. Though they do have high end bows such as my bowtech carbon knight I got for Christmas, they do have there own brand bows and accessories made in Taiwan, after doing reviews of there bows in the magazine archery action I can say that at least their "berserker" and "blizzard" compound bows are nice for a beginner archer. Anyway just seeing if I have an opinion, love the videos!
turtlebryn Apex is aimed at the non-archery budget market. Their products are designed for people who want to get a bow but don't have the experience and knowledge to research thoroughly on higher-end products. Their bows work, but the quality and finish are relatively poor. Their sales are mostly done online, and it's noteworthy that Australian archery stores do not stock Apex products. Apex's store does stock some other brands (such as Bowtech) which are more reputable, but their own products tend to be favoured by people who don't really know what they're getting. This isn't to say that Apex bows are horrible, but after seeing so many newbies with it on the range, it's the hallmark of cheap goods for low standards.
Can you over strech a bow? I got a simple recurve bow a few years ago. Sadly I havent been using it for quite a long time. Back then i was quit a bit smaller (then ~1.70m now ~1.90m). Iam a little bit worried about drawing my bow to far due to my increased. From what i have heard this shouldnt be a problem, is that true?
Love your videos! Have a quick question - I've measured my draw length at about 28", from groove in nock to the deepest part of grip at the throat, as per the usual way of measuring. Is that my draw weight that I can use to gauge how much weight I'm pulling on my fingers? So in this case I'd be pulling approximately the weight specified on the limbs - ie. I'd be pulling 30lbs on the fingers for a pair of limbs marked 30# ? I've read on various websites that I should add another 1.75" to the initial measurement of 28", so that would give me a draw length of 29.75", so I'd be pulling more than 30lbs and probably nearer to 33/34lb on 30# limbs. So my question is - is my draw length 28" or 29.75", as this measurement has a drastic effect on when I'm choosing the weight of limbs to buy? I'm looking at Winners & Win & Win limbs just for example as I know manufacturers use different measurements for their limb weights. Thanks for any clarification on this. I'm sure this confuses a lot of people so would be good to know what's the correct measurement.
According to the measurement you gave, you draw length would be 29.75" (distance from bottom of nock valley/groove to grip pivot point + 1.75"). That means you're drawing around 4-ish pounds more than stated on the limbs.
Hey sensei, Did you ever measure your wingspan to get your drawlength? You mentioned it was around 26inches. I hear when you measure your wingspan and divide by 2.5, you have to add 1.75 inches to your final result as the Draw length is actually calculated from the first berger hole. What is the actual difference between your wingspan calculation compared to your actual arrow length/drawlength. Thanks! ^_^
The wingspan method is not very accurate anyway. It's only meant to give you a rough figure to work with. Draw length is only accurate when the archer shoots with correct, consistent form.
I bought a 66 inch recurve at 28 pounds and my draw length is around 29in..so I'm probably pulling at 30 pounds right? I'm new..my bow shoulder is sore like tendencies..but goes away after a day..hopefully it doesn't keep coming back.
A 28" "draw" is not a 28" pull. IOW the bow to the final distance minus the brace height is the actual "draw length". Assume a brace height of 6"; the 28" "draw" length is really 22". The string travels 22" when the arrow is shot. At 6" the arrow leaves the string. I believe the term "draw to length" is a more complete description..
What you are describing is "power stroke". the distance of the bow string pushes the arrow upon release. AMO draw length defines drawlength as Brace height + Power stroke you have mentioned + 1.75 inch.
great video! thanks for the valuable info! I'm new to archery and am looking to get a recurve bowand in my research i found some text saying that over-drawing or under-drawing is a bad thing. is that totally false?
RockabillyPinstriper over drawing or under drawing is not related to draw length, It’s how you pull the bow, if your pulling the bow too much hurts your body or something thats overdrawing, under drawing is pulling the bow not the fullest of what you should pull like pulling the strings till or before your nose(olympic recurve)
Hello, i want to start archery. i have a 26.5 inch draw length the bow is 28inch draw length, should i get a 25lb or 30lb draw weight as a beginner? Thanks!
tats a very informative videos......thank you so much nu sensei.......and I have a question.....my recurve bow poundage is actually 38 pounds.....and my draw length is 31 inch.....so wat is the approximate poundage that im drawing now.....
I'm not an expert in archery equipment, but wouldn't recurve or longbows have a maximum draw length? Theoretically at least, the limbs should only be able to bend so far before being deformed or damaged.
Pretty sure the Slick Stick is fiberglass, in which case you're fine. If it's a traditional wooden bow, it needs to be made to your exact draw length otherwise you could give it a set or worst case scenario it can explode and injure you.
I'm quite a tall guy, 6'5" and a draw length of over 31". Is it safe for me and possible to use 19" short riser hunting bow with long limbs which makes an 64" bow? Can this combination be used for a draw length of over 31" without danger of overdrawing the bow or stacking?
With a modern bow, it's safe. However, it *will* stack with a long draw length. You can use a 64" bow, but it probably won't be as comfortable for you.
+NUSensei It would be a Buffalo Riser with Quattro limbs (because they are a little longer than the standard Buffalo limbs) But it would be just a hunting bow, for target shooting I use a 70" bow
I bought a takedown bow and it says that the maximum draw length is 30 inches, I calculated my draw length to be 31,5 inches. The bow won't break or anything right? 😅
Never draw the bow more than the maximum draw length. Yes, it will brake your bow eventually. Something Nu forgot to mention here. Or maybe it's because it's an old video, so he didn't know.
Hello Nusensei, I’m looking into getting a recurve that has a bow length of 56in and a draw length of 29in, my draw length is around 26.50 and I can shoot 30lb draw weight, I was wanting to ask what draw weight should I get to compensate for the draw length distance to still be able to shoot 30 lbs?
Can anyone help me please :( . Im looking into buying the samick sage for its price range and other variables , and these arrow charts are spinning me out !!!! . 28 " draw ( done with tape measure with the archer holding the invisible bow pose ) 25# limbs . What arrow length / spine rating should i consider buying for it , as always if anyone can help me out , would make a world of difference to me , and i would really appreciate it .
Try the Easton Archery website, they have an arrow spine calculator, and you can prob estimate a 29in arrow length (hard to measure draw length without actually holding a bow I think) and having a slightly longer arrow I think is better than having one that is too short
Hi Sensei, i want to buy a 62” samick sage because it says for up to 28 draw and my draw is 27, but i now use a 68" cartel sirius plus (because according to the chart that 27 draw uses 68" limbs). Will there be any problems..?
Any problems with a short bow? Some insctucture for target practice said that the bow height (for recurve bow) is got to be at least above the eyebros.. Is it true..? Thanks
I have never heard of this. Remember that the Sage is NOT a target bow. It is a compact field-style hunting bow. It is meant to be shorter, and can be used fine by you.
thanks for clearing this up. i have just bought a 55lb bow and my draw length is closer to 30-31" and i am worried about drawing it back that extra length as I feel the bow make break, is this likely to happen?
Great video! My draw length is around 26.5 / 27 and I was thinking about getting a bow with 28" draw length. Will i be best getting the 30pound bow or the 40? How much power will i lose if I go for a 30/40 pound draw weight? As am under the 28" mark. Thanks
I was thinking of getting into archery and there is a fairly cheap bow i was looking at had 46" Length does the length matter? Because ive been told to get a 60" but they are much more expensive i could link the bow if you want
This is not quite accurate. No bow has a set draw length. All bows have a maximum draw length though. Drawing more than that you're gonna damage the bow.
@@NUSensei Right. But if there is a set max draw length provided by the manufacturer, you should respect it. I know you know this, but it needed to be said. Some people might get the wrong idea.
That's somewhat of a joke not actual advice please shop around before actually buying that, Nu has a video on that that I recommend you watch, lots of helpful advice for first bow purchases ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bgoA8ZDhGRY.html
I’m a fan of buying a cheaper bow to start with. Find something you like in the $100-$150. It lets you in cheaply and gives you a benchmark to understand other bows and what kind of shooting you’re interested in.
Everything he's said only applies to fiberglass bows. With wooden bows you absolutely should not draw past the designed draw length. It will either give the bow a set, robbing it of power, or at worst explode.
+Scream Mix If you think that position behind your chin is your natural anchor, that is what determines your full draw. However, most people shoot best with an anchor in front of their ear (don't want to get your ear torn off). You can try which anchorpoint hence which drawlength suits you best, but then it is important to anchor consistently, else you'll have a hard time hitting your mark.
Well, depends if you are using a visor or not. With a visor, you usually want to anchor below the level of your chin, because the line of your arrow and your line of sight should be parallel. If you are an instinctive shooter, you can have a higher anchor, a common one would be at the corner of your mouth. Of course you could anchor right in front of your ear, but 1) the string might slap your cheek on release and 2) this would propably tilt the direction of the arrow out of alignment with your line of sight.
