I am going to be buying a bow real soon for the first time and I have a few questions.
I measured my draw lenght and it came out to be 28.5....all the bows I see come in even lenghts no halfs....do I go with a 28 or 29..I also will be using a mechcanical release? And am I safe to assume that my draw length has alot to do with what length of arrow I will use.
Other thing is I have never shot a compund bow and an\m I better of with a longer axle to axle bow or does it really matter or just what is more comfortable to me?
Alot of questions I know and I am sure there will be plenty more.
GHJ

Different bows come in Half Lengths... Mathews come in Halfs... Mine is 27.5... Also which release you choose will effect your draw length as well as if you shoot with a loop on the string...

Yes your arrows will be directly related to your draw length and if you have an overdraw or not...

Far as length of bows, the longer it is the more "Forgiving" or easy it's supposed to be to shoot... But Most of todays new bows are Forgiving anyway (your brace height will have effects on that as well)

There are TONS of things to consider when getting into a Bow, and it's best to goto a Real Pro Shop and get opinions and have them help you with the proper setup for you... If Possible goto more then 1 shop and get an education from them... They will be able to get you setup properly and that's more then Half the Game...

Good Luck...

Try to find a good reputable proshop near you. They'll get you fixed up! I'd say, shoot what feels right. Then, practice, practice, practice.

Get ready for a life changing ride!

You should measure your draw length with a release.Use a shorter draw length rather than a long one. This is a mistake many people make. Your arrows should be an inch past you rest.A longer axle to axle tends to be more forgiving. If you are going to be hunting from a treestand a short bow is easier to maneuver.I would recommend going to an archery shop to get fitted for a bow.

I'm pretty new to bow hunting myself. Didn't have a lot of help when I started bow hunting last year, just tried to figure things out on my own. For not knowing much I think I did ok. I ended up buying a used bow off ebay and got it set up. I went to the only bow shop around here and they helped me out a lot. This year I bought a new Hoyt and it comes in 1/2 sizes. I agree with all the other posts and would also recommend you talking with a proshop to get set up. Good luck and have fun. Once you've got your rig ready practice a lot and don't get discouraged if things don't go right at first. Believe me, bow hunting is a lot harder then using other methods and I think that's part of the thrill.