Kids bows and Arrows - bow poundage and arrow length

[markinengland]

Hello,
I'm looking to make some kids bows and arrows for our public primitive archery have-a-goes next year.
Bhutanese style bows and bamboo arrows. I've sorted out a whole load of shafts that should be about the right spine for light kids bows of up to 20lbs.
I'm thinking of the shafts cut to maybe 24, 26 and 28 inches.
Does this sound about right?
Have others got experience of making bows and arrows for a range of little people sizes?
We also hope to make primitive bows and arrows for adults to try as well. Though people enjoy having a go with the simple fibre-glass bows and POC arrows they seem to prefer using "proper" gear like ours! The kids eyes really light up when they see our wooden bows and arrows.
Should be a good year next year if we can get our gear made in time.
Mark in England

[knightd]

Hey Mark.. With most all the kids bows that I have made I find that most all your kids will be able to shoot a 20# to 25# bows with a draw of 26" and below..I would cut all the kids arrows 26" this would stop any over drawing of the kids bows (you hope And for the teens to adult 35# to 45# at 28" I think would be a good starting point and cut these arrows 28" or 29".. This would be my best ?? on it..

[JackCrafty]

Mark, here is a what I posted about kids bows back in November on the "All power tool bow challenge? " thread:


lowell, that bow as made for a six year old.  If you make a bow's weight about equal to the child's age (girls), you're pretty safe.  What I mean by that is the bow will not be too strong for the child and the arrows will not fly with too much force (in case of an accident).  After age twelve, a child's strength starts to increase dramatically, so I add 5 pounds to the draw weight.  After age 15, I add 10 pounds to the draw weight. So....for example:

Age 5  = 5# bow
Age 12 = 12# bow
Age 13 = 18# bow
Age 16 = 26# bow

These examples are for girls, using my daughters as a guide.  My boys are only 5 (twins) and I'm sure they will be a bit stronger than the girls, but for now the chart above works well for them too.

As far as draw length, just add their age + 10 to determine the number of inches.  Examples: a 5 year old can pull 15" and an 18 year old should be able to handle 28".

[sailordad]

Hey Mark.. With most all the kids bows that I have made I find that most all your kids will be able to shoot a 20# to 25# bows with a draw of 26" and below..I would cut all the kids arrows 26" this would stop any over drawing of the kids bows (you hope And for the teens to adult 35# to 45# at 28" I think would be a good starting point and cut these arrows 28" or 29".. This would be my best ?? on it..

by these standards i must be a kid yet, i only draw 26" and i prefer a 45# bow

[knightd]

Well maybe we can put together a list from Jackcrafty's Girls and my 9 boy's..

  8yr old twins #15 at 16"
 10yr= #23 at 18"
 12yr= #25 at 22"
 13yr =#25 at 22"
 15yr =#50 at 28"
 16yr =#55 at 28"
 18yr =#50 at 26"
 20yr =#65 at 29"

And my 1 girl 18yr =#30 at 23"

Sailordad don't feel bad I'm a kid to with a 26" draw and like to shoot 50#.. My boy's pick on me about it all the time..