I wish I had some magical formula or technique to give you guys that would instantly allow you to shoot a short axle to axle length bow with the same accuracy as a longer one. But I don't.

This subject has been discussed quite a bit and the general consensus has always been that if you have a longer draw length then you should be shooting a longer axle to axle length bow. Issues like string angle, nock pinch, a short sight window, how easy it is to cant, etc.. have all been strong points that should reduce the overall accuracy of short axle to axle length bows. All of those factors can and do affect the accuracy of short bows however, all of them can be overcome or compensated for to some extent.

For example, the issue of how easy it is to cant a short axle to axle length bow is very true. However, that has changed somewhat with the longer riser/shorter limb bows. These bows distribute weight more evenly over their entire length thus making it slightly more difficult to cant. These style of bows also now offer larger sight windows to accomodate for those that anchor lower on the face/jaw. Lastly, a simple bubble level on the bow sight can help you monitor whether or not you are canting the bow and by how much.

As for the string angle issue, there is no real remedy when it comes to anchor points. You can't anchor the same way with a short bow that you can with a long one. In this instance I believe it requires some adaption and experimentation on the part of the archer. You have to be somewhat willing to try a new anchor position or use new reference points. Not to knock on you guys (Arthur, Jeff) as I am sure that in some cases a short bow setup will just not work for some folks.

Nock pinch on the other hand can be easily remedied. I have for several years now shot the short bows right off the bowstring with nothing but an eliminator button and brass nockset. No problem putting together some respectable groups. However, I switched to a loop last year and my accuracy improved noticeably. I experimented with a few different loop styles/positions before finding which worked best with my bow and my setup. Again, you have to be willing to try new things even if they feel somewhat uncomfortable and/or unusual at first. In this regard I want to relate my most recent experience with the Mighty Mite VFT...my latest "short-short" bow.

I had a difficult time shooting my low loop setup on this particular bow. When at full draw the nocks were literally hooked onto the string by a thread. To me that was just too close to a dryfire situation. So, I tried a conventional loop setup and had much better nock-string contact. However, my accuracy just was not up to what I have come to expect. So, after some suggestions from some thoughtful friends I tried putting on a standard loop but then left about an 1/8th inch gap between the bottom of the arrow nock and a tied-in nockset. The tied-in nockset was placed directly above the bottom knot of the string loop. This loop setup roughly equally distributes force behind the arrow nock just like a conventional loop but the tied-in nockset and the 1/8th inch gap pretty much eliminate the nock pinch issue. Now, I have no problem slapping arrows again.

One last thought on short bows...a very wise man once said something like this:

Long bows + Heavy weight = Good
Long bows + Light weight = Ok
Short bows + Heavy weight = Ok
Short bows + Light weight = Bad

I believe that does apply to most shooters including myself. The one short bow that I had the most difficulty shooting accurately was the Parker UL31. The short axle to axle length coupled with its ultralightweight frame made it very difficult for me to shoot accurately.

Hope this helps you folks in some way.