Bow length, long draw, and actual hunting situations.

[Bear]

As mentioned, I have passed the point of no return and can't see myslef in the woods without a selfbow this year.    My problem is my 30+" draw. Now I have already realized that my form and draw change with these primative bows, but 28" is still awfull cramped for me.

I have made two bows. One is 59" NTN 52 @ 28 and shoots REAL nice and quick, but 28" is all it will do. My other one is 66" NTN 45 @ 29. It has a real tiny handle so it's really more like drawing 29.5-30. I can get real comfortable with that one but I honestly like the shorty better. When I practice regularly and exclusively with the shorty I actually get pretty good with it, and have about decied to get committed to it for the year. (I'm kind of a one bow guy. For acuracy reasons).

With all that said I'm going to look at more staves on Thursday. Oh, I'll keep building, I just like to get serious with one bow for hunting purposes.

My custom 50's style recurve that fits like an old pair of shoes is 62", 56@31 and I have no trouble in treestands or groundblinds.

All the glass guys with their 54" bows will swear they are a must for deer and turkey hunting. Just wondering what you guys think, from experience.

[armymedic.2]

i Hate using my wood bows in blinds because they are too small.  notice i said the blind was too small, nothing about the bows size.  seriously, if you restrict yourself to blinds then not only is your experience shorted by hunting one way, but no, the wooden long bows are not the best bet for you.  However if you like to stillhunt, ground hunt, or stand hunt, or build your own blinds, man are the woodies fun.  blinds do not have to have a roof, and they don't need windows, and they don;t need to come from cabelas.  you would be amazed with what i have gotten away with behind a fallen tree.  more fun too if you ask me.

[Pat B]

Depending on the wood you are using(osage preferably), 66" for your 30" draw shouldn't be stretching if you take your time with the tiller. That is double your draw length plus 10%. Add a sinew back and you could eliminate the 10%.
   For the last 2 years I've hunted with a 60" bow(26" draw) but before that I hunted with bows up to 68"(my height). I hunt primarily from a tree stand but also a bit from the ground. I haven't found even the 68" bows to be too long if I prepare my stand sites to accept a longer bow.  Pat

[Bear]

I should have added that by "blind" I mean the natural/minimal type. I have no use for those store-bought things. I don't go to the woods to sit in an outhouse and tents are for sleeping. Never sat in one, can't imagine I ever would.

Pat,

Both bows are Osage and I backed them both with deer rawhide which is doing a fantastic job so far. Several hundred shots on the shorty, probably getting close to a hundred on the long one. I also make a very short handle section to allow more working limb.

[sailordad]

well after looking at all the outfitter stores this year and seeing all the new gear that is availible.
all i got to say is, time for me to buy a new blind,they have all gotten bigger and better than in the past.
all seem to be larger in diameter and heigth. the all seem to be making them to fit us bow hunters now and not just gun hunters,some even seem tall enough for me to stand fully upright and hold a long bow even.it would seem that all the manufacturers seem to have follwed double bull desings to boot also,after all they are the originators of ground blind hunting with archery gear both wheelie bows(keith beam) and traditiionl gear(brooks johnson). i have meet both of these gentelmen(from mn like me and all great things lol). i tell you what,these guys know thier s#&t when it comes to bow hunting buzzards from ground blinds and have built,imho, the best for years and their newest one is the best yet.
so ifn you want to use a long bow to hunt,get your self a good ground blind,dont let the $ scare you,you get what you pay for after all.hell ifn you want i'll sell you mine at a discount and i'll buy the new one.

                                                                                     tim

[Pat B]

  Lately, the limbs on my bows bend right up to the bulbous handle. I usually flip the tips and keep the last 4" to 6" of the tips stiff. That adds more zip to the bow but also extra stress.
   With a good background behind you a simple natural ground blind should be all you need. If you can be still enough, you probably don't even need that.     Pat

[El Destructo]

To coin a Phrase from a Great Comedian......Just how Big an Ole Boy are you?.........I am 6'2"...and have a 76" wingspan......and I can comfortably shoot a 26" draw Selfbow.....not on one of them Wheeled Monstrosities I used to Shoot....I had a 30 inch draw....but Shooting Style is totally different with a Wood Bow than a C/B.... I make all my Bow no longer than 66 inches and shoot them at a Draw of 26-27 inches Max

[Pappy]

Bear I usually double the draw and add the non bending handle section ,if tillered right
especially with Osage that will be fine,might even try a bend through the handle bow if
you wanted to go a little shorter.The problem is the string angle when you draw that far on a short bow,you will probably have to flip the tips just to keep the string from popping off.I would tell
you to shoot more in a v and bend your elbow a little to shorting your draw up a bit,but believe
me I am not the one to tell someone how to shoot.I would say 66 should work fine and maybe 62/64 if it bends through the handle a little. What do you have in mind for your next project ?
With wood bows I always want to have a back up that shoot like or almost like the one I plan on hunting with.
     Pappy

[Bear]

I should say that I'm asking more about bows here than blinds. I rarely ever sit on the ground and when I do it's in a very minimal natural blind.

Pappy,

Both my bows so far have stiff tips (per your guidance) and I'm very happy with that design. I have not tried flipping them yet. When you say "V" do you mean squaring my chest up to the target more? I have done hat and it certainly shortens draw. It's the only way I can shoot that short bow. I have couple ideas for my next project. What I really want is a BBO, starting from a diminsional Osage slat and some taperd boo. Have found a source but lack funding and shop tools (band saw, belt sander, etc.) I would also like to do a really nice, smooth, true slefbow OO or BL, about 64",  perhaps flipped tips. No backing, no character, no stain, you get the idea. That second one is more feasable with my resources and I'm going to look at some staves tomorrow.

E.D.

I'm 6'1" and have pretty long span myself. I too am learningthat the primamtive form is totally different and shortens the draw.

[Pappy]

Yes Bear that is what I mean,can't help much with the boo backed bow,never done any ,but lots here have.Flipping the tip ant any trouble especially with Osage or BL.It ant necessary but it dose make them a little smoother as far as stacking goes and help the performance some.
   Pappy

[Ryano]

I've got a buddy that shoots a 58"ntn rawhide backed osage recurve I traded him at 29" draw with no problems. Bow limb design is at least as important if not more important than over all length.  You just don't want the wood to over stressed or poor string angles.

[Bear]

Ryan,

Yeah, I have been amazed how well my short does. It's my go-to these days.

Pappy,

We obviously hunt the same kind of woods, and I know your bows ain't shorties. Are you hunting form stands? How do your longer bows do in the woods?

[Pappy]

They do fine,I mostly hunt from stands and just set up to make them work,you have to be a little more careful with you set up ,but you will get use to it pretty quick.Most of the bows I hunt with are 60 to 66 but have hunted with 68 without a problem.
   Pappy

[Jesse]

I'll throw in my 2 cents.  Im  6'2" and draw 27" I like a bow thats 68 to 70" long and in the 60# range for hunting. Ive been hunting with a longbow for over 10 years and have never had the length of my bow be an issue. Im so used to the length it doesn't even cross my mind to need a shorter bow. I have used shorter bows but for me the long ones are more accurate. Notice I said for me Im not saying short bows are less accurate its just not what Im use to.
                                                                      Jesse

[Bear]

Thanks for all the good input, guys. Jesse, I like the accuracy of a longer bow myslef. Theres always a trade-off!