Draw Length???

[SPIKEHORN11]

I'm looking for a low priced recurve for bowfishing and was wondering how you figure out what the draw length on a recure. I see that it saw a string length but no draw length.

[Chris W.]

The vast majority of recurves are marked with AMO bow length and the draw weight at a certain draw length on the riser or the limbs. Typically it'll be like: 62" 50#@28". If it's a takedownrecurve, pull the limbs offand look at the bottomthe wedge area where it meets the riser.Sometimes bowyers will the mark limb poundage there. If it'sdraw weight and length are not to be found, then it just wasn't marked or the bow has been refinished and the stats were sanded off with the old finish. In any case, measure your draw length with that particular bow, then go find a bow scale and measure the draw weight at that length.

[Arthur P]

Glass laminated recurves are not like compounds in that they do not have a set draw length. They fit any draw length. The AMO standard is to mark the bow's draw weight at 28" but that's just an arbitrary number they settled on. If you draw shorter than 28" your draw weight will be less than what's marked on the bow. If you draw longer than 28", it'll be more.

Toestimate what the draw weight will be for you, firstfind out what your draw length is. Then divide the bow's marked draw weight by 20. Add or subtract that number for each inch your draw length varies from 28".

Example, say your draw length is 26" and your bow is marked 50# @ 28". 50/20 is 2.5. 26" is 2" shorter than 28". So subtract 2.5 pounds per inch. 50 - 2.5 - 2.5 = 45. Your draw weight will be close to 45 pounds.

If your draw length is 30" you'd add 2.5 pounds per inch, making that 50 pound bow draw 55 pounds.

Now that holds true to a certain point. With extra long draw lengths, there is a point where a bow will begin 'stacking', where it's draw weight suddenly begins drawing substantially more per inch than it did before. But, if you draw less than 30", you won't have to worry about that very much, if at all.

Like Chris said though, the bow scales will tell you exactly what your draw weight is.

[Alex The Hawk]

Yeah ! what they said!