How do you determine the appropriate arrow length for you? How do you decide whether your arrows are too short for you? Please give recommendation on the kind of arrow appropriate for target shoting. Thanks.

If you just plan on shooting targets, as long as you don't pull it off the shelf it will work, I reckon. Personally, I like 1/2" to 1" hanging past the shelf. Starting out, you might want to go with 2" or a little more--your form and draw length will probably change a bit as you get settled in.

Chad

Here is something I have learned. I get about 1 1/2 to 2" over shelf.
For some reason, when a big buck comes stomping into my area and I draw, those extra inches just disappear...

I start out with a shaft thats maybe 10# too stiff in spine - like a 50# bow would use 60# spine arrows. At full length I bare shaft and watch them fly way left (too weak in spine) . Then I start cutting them back 1" at a time and somewhere they will start flying like darts - maybe at 30", maybe at 29" .... but there will be one length where the bare shafts fly as good as feathered shafts.

Thats the length I use.

Ideally, the arrows match well enough that there's maybe 1" sticking past the arrow shelf.

They way I like to do things is cut my arrows to 29" bop because I draw 28". I try to calculate the spine of the arrow to be correct at this length. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't and have to play around with point weight and such. There's probably a better way to do it, this is just how I've done it. You know your arrows are too short when you come to full draw and your arrow point isn't in front of the bow. The way Stealthycat described is probably the best way to do it because you can get the most out of the shaft before concluding whether or not the arrow will shoot well out of your bow.

Brandan