Brace Height Of Primitive Bows?

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

5 1/2" is pretty much standard for all my bows, little tweeking now and again, but not by much

[brokennock]

I like anywhere between 4.5" to 5.75" depending on length of bow and side profile unbraced.
 As for arrow spine, I would start 10 lbs. under the draw weight at my draw length, leave em long and cut them back slowly till they shoot good with a 125 grn head. then if I'm planing to use a heavier hunting point I check them for flight with those and tweek brace height and nock point to try and get it right from there.

[jpitts]

Ok...Bob brought up something that I'm curious about. Which is the "standard" or is the most accepted way to measure brace height? Thumb extended fist from belly side of bow? or from the back of the bow?

[Pat B]

The way I measure brace height is with my fistmele, heal of my fist on the belly(at the handle) with my thumb extended up. The actual brace height is measured from the string to the back of the bow, at the handle. My fistmele is just my indicator of where brace should be and not the actual measured brace height.       Pat

[Justin Snyder]

The fist just happens to be a tool you usually have with you, right Pat.    I put my hand on the belly of the handle.  I don't actually measure to the top of my thumb.  I go to the last joint of my thumb or just past.  I determined this by finding a brace height I liked without measuring. Then measuring it with my fist.  I just try to reproduce the same height, using my hand as a guide.  Justin

[jpitts]

ok so the measurement is taken from the back of the bow and not the belly side at the base of the fist.....
If thats the case I've been doing it wrong the whole time.......cause that add's at least an inch or two  to the measurement.

[Justin Snyder]

That may be the "traditional" way to do it. That don't mean your way is wrong.  Like I said, I found a brace height that I like and found a way to consistently reproduce it.  If you are happy with the low brace height you have don't change it. Lower brace means more of the energy from the bow is put into the arrow.  Besides, if I use my fist on the back of the bow, it may be the same as someone else using their fist on the belly.  It is more important to twist the string and find the height you need than to do it like any tradition says. It also may need to be adjusted for different bows.  Justin

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

As a matter of fact jpitts, I belive if there has to be a standard way to mesure brace should be from the back of the bow, nowadays there's up to 1 1/2" difference with all the styles of handles, this current method was carryed over from "Hunting with the bow and arrow", therefore the ELB wich had no handle

[GregB]

I use my fistmele also...if you'll bring the bow by my house, I'll be happy to set it for you!

[Badger]

The main thing I pay attention to is that my 5" feathers clear the handle when I nock up. Some bows like higher brace heights a well, Bow with a lot of deflex as you might see in recurves or some r/d bow seem to handle better with higher brace heights of 6' or better sometimes. Steve

[jpitts]

Thanks for the offer GregB, I think I'll do like I've always done. I'll bring it up till my feathers barely clear the shelf 
Thanks Northshore....I can see them using the back for measurement in Merry Olde England...

[gpw]

Gosh ... I'm kinda' LARGE , my fistmele is 7"  But I'm shooting 66"-72' longbows of hickory backed red cedar...with a 29-30"  DRAW LENGTH...   Made 64 bows now ,all kinds , mostly selfbows... 23 broke , about 5 shoot really well, the rest are OK , learned alot , especially how a too low brace height leaves a nasty ,painfull bruises on your inner forearm ...    If the bow is the correct length for your draw, and tillered correctly , it should survive a comfortable brace height...and shoot better /more accurately to boot .

[Justin Snyder]

GPW my fistmele is about 7" also.  That is why I mentioned going to the last joint in my thumb, not the end.  Justin

[gpw]

No reason to get too specific , we find every bow has it's own favorite brace height, when it shoots the best ...  experiment, besides it's always FUN to shoot alot of arrows anyway ...  if it breaks , it ain't worth having ... certainly not in the woods...