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Draw Length - Need Help!

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Draw Length - Need Help!

Old 01-26-2010, 05:11 PM
  #1  
Spike
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Default Draw Length - Need Help!

I need help. I'm trying to determine my draw length in order to purchase a new bow.

My Darton Renegade I'm shooting now, I bought brand new when I was 15 and is now 13 years old. Never had the string maintenance or replaced. The draw length was never set up and was to long when I bought it and now 13 years later has stretched I'm sure another inch or more.

I know what your thinking, why don't I go to my bow shop and pull a few bows to figure out what fits. My problem is that I'm a lefty. The bow shop I went to has around 50 right hand models and only 2 left hand. They had a Maxxis 31 with and adjustable draw from 29" to 27". I fired a couple shots from that bowand have determined by the mark the string left on my arm, that I am some where between a 26 and 27 inch draw.

I've found a few websites that were helpful but need to know how accurate they are.

Here are the formula's I've found for determining your draw length.

Wing Span divided by 2.5 = Draw length
Wing Span Subtract 15 divided by 2 equals draw length.
(or for the lazy people click here.)

With my arms strecthed I measure at 69 inches and both formuals indicated that I'm a 27 inch draw.

Can any one verify if these formulas are accurate?

At first I thought the draw length was to long on the Maxxis31 I shot, but now I think it may have had something to due with poor form as well. I was also trying a new release at the time also.

My dilemma is that I really want to get a Mathews Z7, but the bow shop told me that they well only special order in high end left hand bows, and since Mathews draw lengths cannot be adjusted I really need to know what draw length I need to order.

If I'm unable to come up with anything conclusive I will be settling for a bow with some adjustability, either a Maxxis31 or Destroyer 340.

Thanks for your help.

Jesse
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Old 01-26-2010, 11:40 PM
  #2  
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That formula is pretty close on most "avg. build" people. Get someone w/ really long arms, broader than average shoulders, short arms, etc, and it can be off, but usually it pretty close for the "average" built person. As for the grip thing, you're probably "choke" gripping the bow, and you need to use a more relaxed open hand style grip...look at this article on Gripping the bow... http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/featu...grip/index.htm
It has some good helpful tips. I rest the bow on the palm of my hand w/ nearly all of the pressure being on the base of my thumb, then I rest my finger tips gently curled on the front edge of the riser. A wrist-strap helps some people as well, as it allows them to relax a bit more without being afraid they are going to drop their bow.....

Also, I'd be cautious shooting a bow with strings that old, the last thing you want to do it end up with an injury from a hobby. Strings with that much age on them are like time bombs......
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Old 01-27-2010, 05:22 AM
  #3  
Nontypical Buck
 
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Originally Posted by OHbowhntr
That formula is pretty close on most "avg. build" people. Get someone w/ really long arms, broader than average shoulders, short arms, etc, and it can be off, but usually it pretty close for the "average" built person. As for the grip thing, you're probably "choke" gripping the bow, and you need to use a more relaxed open hand style grip...look at this article on Gripping the bow... http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/featu...grip/index.htm
It has some good helpful tips. I rest the bow on the palm of my hand w/ nearly all of the pressure being on the base of my thumb, then I rest my finger tips gently curled on the front edge of the riser. A wrist-strap helps some people as well, as it allows them to relax a bit more without being afraid they are going to drop their bow.....

Also, I'd be cautious shooting a bow with strings that old, the last thing you want to do it end up with an injury from a hobby. Strings with that much age on them are like time bombs......
Not too bad advice here. No reason for me to add anything to it excpet to say that if I were you, having doubts about your draw length, I'd get a bow that is adjustable for draw length.

I've been shooting 36+ years and have learned to tweak my bow's draw length to the last 1/8" and I still refuse to get bows that are draw length specific. One reason is that most do not conform to the limb sticker anyway. Most bows draw as much as an inch longer than marked so beware.

With your wingspan 27" would be fairly close, but you still may want to play with it a bit. With a bow with a rotating module such as the Hoyt or Martin you can do this on your own and save a lot of trips to the shop.
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Old 01-27-2010, 08:32 AM
  #4  
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Another way to get the needed length, because not everone has the same size arms or chest. Place your closed fist against the wall, looking straight ahead and with body straight, turn and face the fist. Have someone measure from the wall to the corner of your mouth.
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Old 01-27-2010, 12:26 PM
  #5  
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[quote=3Children;3564161]Another way to get the needed length, because not everone has the same size arms or chest. Place your closed fist against the wall, looking straight ahead and with body straight, turn and face the fist. Have someone measure from the wall to the corner of your mouth.[/quote

This is the simplest way that I tell people to get their draw length except I recommend using a yard stick to get the measurement that way they can do it themselves
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Old 01-27-2010, 04:20 PM
  #6  
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Go to a reputable bow shop and have someone measure your draw length .............
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Old 01-27-2010, 04:27 PM
  #7  
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i agree...i did your math on me and it was a 1/2 inch off from the truth. certainly the bow shop can measure a lefty


Originally Posted by Ed McDonald
Go to a reputable bow shop and have someone measure your draw length .............
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Old 01-29-2010, 08:32 PM
  #8  
BTM
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CAN YOU DETERMINE YOUR DRAW LENGTH BY MEASURING YOUR WINGSPAN?
This subject appears quite often on archery websites. It starts with a new archer asking how to determine his draw length. Then someone responds by providing a “magic formula” based on one’s wing span: “Stand next to wall, stretch out your arms, and have someone measure the distance between your finger tips. Subtract X, divide by Y, then order your bow.”
I'd never order a bow based on a generic physiological formula. That’ll only get you into the ballpark. As an example, a buddy's wingspan is 2" longer than mine, but he shoots best with a DL 1" shorter than me. Both of us have good form. Arm length and shoulder width might have something to do with it.
Something else I hardly ever see in these "How do I measure my DL?" threads is a discussion of the type of release you use. Some releases (like the Winn glove) hold the string much closer to your hand, while others have a long body with the trigger way behind the jaws, which gives you less power stroke.
General rules I read in an article by Bernie Pellerite: Your shooting eye should be directly above your navel, and your shirt buttons should be in a vertical line.
Grip method (low wrist, high wrist, etc.), stance, use (and length) of D-loop, comfortable & repeatable anchor point, etc., also enter into the equation.
I'd recommend getting an expert coach to observe you shoot. Then experiment extensively to see what works best for you. If your primary emphasis is hunting, better to use a DL a little short than a little too long. This will help you shoot more consistently from field positions and will reduce the chance of the string slapping your forearm.
At the 2007 SCI show I asked Bowhunter magazine’s technical editor how many archers he sees with a DL that’s too long. His answer: “About 50%.” An archery shop owner told me he sees even more than that.
Final tip: Buy a bow with some adjustment range rather than one that’s draw length specific. And never blindly trust the manufacturer’s label! The DL of most bows I’ve purchased have been longer than the label indicated. For example, both of my supposedly 31” Mathews bows were almost 32”. This really affected my form, accuracy, and consistency until someone mentioned that I was stretched out and leaning back at full draw. (That was 11-12 years ago; maybe Mathews has fixed that by now.)
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