Measuring draw length

[DC]

Anyone got a clever way of measuring draw length by yourself? I was using a clothes pin on the arrow and it used to work. Now it stopped working. Go figure I tried punching a hole in a piece of card board but with the same result, the card or pin tips and binds when it hits the bow. If I make the hole big enough to slide nicely it won't hold it's position. I want a method that I can quickly use on any bow or arrow. My arrows are tapered bamboo which complicated things. Any ideas?

[Stick Bender]

Try a coiled up rubber band I use that methould works for me !

[DC]

How does it work? I've used an "O" ring to mark a spot on the arrow but it wouldn't slide.

[Eric Krewson]

Use a yardstick; place the end of the yardstick on your sternum, extend your arms without stretching and see where the ends of your fingertips hit on the yardstick, this will be very close to your draw length.

This has worked on everyone I have tried it on, even a guy who thought he drew 33", the yardstick showed he actually drew 29".

[Stick Bender]

 I just roll the rubber band forward or back tell I feel it touch the back not self adjusting but works !

[DC]

Use a yardstick; place the end of the yardstick on your sternum, extend your arms without stretching and see where the ends of your fingertips hit on the yardstick, this will be very close to your draw length.

This has worked on everyone I have tried it on, even a guy who thought he drew 33", the yardstick showed he actually drew 29".

I'm thinking that my draw length changes depending on the bow so I'm trying to measure it while I'm drawing the bow. Using your method my DL is 27.5". If I'm drawing a 40# bow it's 26"

[Badger]

 Just put some marks on your arrow and look at them while you are at full draw.

[George Tsoukalas]

Look at the marks in the mirror or window at night. Jawge

[DC]

Look at the marks in the mirror or window at night. Jawge

Thanks Jawge that'll do it

[Del the cat]

Most accurate method is to get someone to video you actually shooting a marked arrow. Mind they have to be positioned alongside the bow.
Del

[TimBo]

I use a loop of velcro tape.  It can be fastened pretty tightly, but still slide well. 

[LittleBen]

Used a very small plastic hair clip of my wife's once IIRC. Hard plastic so it slides well on carbon at least.

To your point of different draw with different bows, I measure using the AMO standard of distance from string to deepest part of the grip + 1.75". That way it is not affected by how far from the back of the bow to the inset of the grip.

Also always measure brace height from string to deepest part of grip.

Again, this way I'm only ever measuring the string position in relation to where I grip the bow. Who care if the riser is 5" from back to belly ... that doesn't make my draw length any longer. All I really wanna know is how much I am actually pulling on the bow.

[bradsmith2010]

yes but you will need a longer arrow,,,

[bentstick54]

My draw length changes very little from bow to bow depending on how the bow grip is designed, high wrist/low wrist ec. I maintain the same anchor point regardless of the bow That being said, my arrow length may change due to riser/grip differences from bow to bow.
If I have two identical bows but 1 is 40# and the other is 50#, I don't change my draw length for that reason. 

[DC]

My draw length changes very little from bow to bow depending on how the bow grip is designed, high wrist/low wrist ec. I maintain the same anchor point regardless of the bow That being said, my arrow length may change due to riser/grip differences from bow to bow.
If I have two identical bows but 1 is 40# and the other is 50#, I don't change my draw length for that reason.

This relates to what you said
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,61109.0.html