High brace heights are most useful for a hunter that has to wear heavy jackets and take shots at odd angles. I qualify, so I never use a brace height less than 7.5". My preference is over 8". In the heat of the moment, many hunters don't even realize the string hit their jacket on the shot, which caused them to miss. They sit there and try to figure out what happened. It's best to test each brace height during practice, while wearing your heaviest hunting clothes and turning as far to your left as you can to take some shots. You will quickly find out what you can get away with and what you can't.