RE: short traditional bows
 

Many of today's hybrid longbows would be more accurately described as flatbows. They can vary as much as anything else, but generally a flatbow feels a lot like a longbow of a similar design. The limbs are wider and thinner, and usually shorter. The short ones, to me, are less forgiving than a longer bow of the same design. Some will handle longer draws--depends on the style, length, your draw, etc.

The shortest I've shot (had to think on it a while) was a Shrew "longbow", 56" or 58". I know Bob Morrison is making a 54" "longbow" (I'm sittin here making some strings for him, and some are for that one), but I've never shot one. I didn't like the Shrew, but that's just me. That bow wasn't built for me and was a lot lighter draw weight that I am used to. Just didn't care for the over-all feel of it. The shortest flatbow or longbow I've shot that I liked was 62". I'm just not a fan of short bows--they don't get along very well with my draw length.

Chad