best bow lengths for optimal performance

[Badger]

   I agree with you pearl, I like my fades extra long also. By leaving the fades long you also have somewhere to go if the bow starts taking set and you need 4 mre inches of draw length. You can get that out of the fades with very little wood removal.

[bradsmith2010]

there are a million variables,,a long bow can be tillered to short draw,,
a short bow can be tillered for long draw etc etc etc,,what Badger and the other guys said,, is  good advice,,
a longer 68 inch bow could shoot well at  25 inches of draw,,,,, if it was tillered for that draw,, it would  perform well,, just like when people start to discuss the weight of arrows,, 10 gpp,, will work well in most bows,, but lighter and heavier for certain applications,, and of coures the the point of diminishing return,, if you go to short or too long ,, or too light or too heavy,,,, its complicated,,

[PEARL DRUMS]

For my standard flat bows I start at no less than a 3" fade and quite often they ride out a good 1/2" beyond that. I have no problem carrying around or shooting a 68-70" bow. I prefer them.

[lonbow]

Yeah, longer bows are much smoother to draw. They donīt stack.
Building bows first with longer fades seems to be a really good trick! I suppose, that long fades are generally good for longer bow designs. It should help reducing the mass of the limbs and it will still store more energy, then a shorter bow. Is that right? I must definitely try it!

[Badger]

  I started off making most of my bows 62" or 64". They have creeped up in length and I think I have settled in at 68 inches as my favorite. I draw 26".

[lonbow]

  I started off making most of my bows 62" or 64". They have creeped up in length and I think I have settled in at 68 inches as my favorite. I draw 26".

Did your bows get narrower then?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Not always, if you increase your fades to make the bow longer over all the limb cross section doesn't change. The limbs can, at times, get more narrow if you increase the working length only. That's where Steve's mass theory comes into play. You need "x" amount of working limb, or mass weight,  for "x" poundage and draw.

[Del the cat]

To answer the question you need to define "optimal performance"... it differs for hunting, target, flight or shooting French knights!
Del

[lonbow]

Not always, if you increase your fades to make the bow longer over all the limb cross section doesn't change. The limbs can, at times, get more narrow if you increase the working length only. That's where Steve's mass theory comes into play. You need "x" amount of working limb, or mass weight,  for "x" poundage and draw.

Yes, youīre right. A bow can only be narrower, when the working length increases!

To answer the question you need to define "optimal performance"... it differs for hunting, target, flight or shooting French knights!
Del

Thatīs a point, Del! The best bow design can be different for each purpose! It depends, if I want more speed, accuracy ect.

And different arrow weights do also need different designs for sure. The construction of the ottoman and manchu bow is totally different. Yet each design is the best for its purpose My question is about the optimal bow length for arrows with 8-10 ggp (arrow speed).