What length bows is everyone shooting?

[NoRush24]

There’s a huge swing to longer bows it seems, I’ve shot from 62”-66” so far with my 28.5” draw. After I hauled a 66” around the woods I went right back to 62” and am now paranoid that a longer bow will create more issues while hunting. Keep wanting to give a 60” recurve a go and see how that feels. Mainly curious for western hunting what you’re opinions and thoughts on this were.

 

[Felix40]

I’ve been shooting a 60” recurve for the last 5-6 years. My draw length is 29”. I just finished a sinew backed longbow that is 62” and I may hunt with it this year.

 

[TaterTot]

I draw 29.75. I shoot everything from 56" to 64" longer bows are definitely more forgiving and accurate but if I'm in a ambush situation in the bush I'm reaching for my 60" everytime.

 

[NoRush24]

maybe it’s worth a shot to try a 60”. Like i said I’m very curious to see how much harder it is to shoot than a 62”.

 

[GLB]

Longbows 62”, 64”
Recurve 60”

 

[Justin.Medcalf]

I shot 62 for along time then switched to 64 when I went to an ILF riser and now I am shooting a 66. For me the longer bow is alot more stable and I dont notice the length from a tree or stalking. If I hunted from a man made blind alot I would go back to a 62. But for me the 66 is more forgiving and just as packable.

 

[Tradchef]

i went back to a longbow last season. I was shooting a 58” and 62” recurve. My current longbow setup is 66”. I find zero issues in the field with it. I’m a smaller guy and prefer the longer bows.

 

[sneaky]

31" draw so I'm shooting a 64" recurve.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[J Curlee]

Your faults will be less obvious with the longer bow.
Shorter bows, amplify your mistakes.
I used to shoot a bunch of short(58"-60") longbows, now I shoot 62"-64", with a 28" draw, 29" BOP arrows.
In most hunting situations, that extra length isn't going to make one iota of difference.
If you can't shoot a 64" bow out of a tree or a blind, I doubt that a 58"-60" long bow is going to help.
Jim

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

I’ve hunted for years with a 56” hybrid. It’s a wonderful bow and I love it, and I will still use it in a blind.

However, I bought a 66” longbow this year, and now I understand why the trend is leaning towards longer bows. Ii is so stable, so smooth, so easy to draw and infinitely more forgiving of form than my hybrid. Time will tell whether the length cripples me in the woods. If there’s any terrain in North America that will test the inconvenience of bow length; it’s here in the North Idaho pine jungle.

 

[Tartan]

I've got an almost 32" draw, 64" is the shortest I feel comfortable with. Have a 68" ilf (wf21 +xl uukhas) and it will be my primary bow this year.

side by side the 4" difference feels like more than it is. But in reality its only 2" of extra clearance on each side of the bow. If I were going to have a clearance issue with a 68" bow, I'd very likely have it with a 64" one as well.

 

[Tradguy]

I shoot a 62" recurve with a draw length of 30" and its comfortable for me. My one and only longbow is 64"

 

[GraniteStater]

I own bows from starting at 50" and ending at 70". But for hunting I lean toward 56"-62". But I've never hunted out west, just in the northeast. And similar thoughts as the others have expressed. The bow length thing is a trade off. Shorter are generally faster (depending on limb length/design), more maneuverable, but more critical of form errors. The longer ones tend to shoot a bit slower (but not radically in general), but have a bit more mass (which lends to shot stability) generally speaking and less steep string angle which can help with release. Downside is maneuverability depending on where you hunt and how you hunt.

But a general rule is the bow you shoot the best and have the most confidence with. The rest will work out.

 

[SHTF]

64 inch recurve 31 inch Draw here as well.

 

[SwampGhost]

I like 62” longbows and 58-60” recurves

 

[roosiebull]

28" draw, and prefer 62-64" bows.... not a big deal in the woods, bigger deal in forgiveness to me. of course you need to be cognitive of your limbs when shooting, but that doesn't change with a shorter bow unless you go way shorter

 

[Arbowhunter32]

30 inch draw and I shoot 62in recurves the best.

 

[bjfoxhoven]

I shoot bows between 62”-66” with a 32”ish draw.

I think a lot depends how the bow is engineered too. Those bear mags, the one big Jim bow, and a few others and really short but can handle longer draws and honestly don’t feel that short. I probably won’t ever own one though because I shoot 3 under and just don’t enjoy the finger pinch I get with it.

I haven’t been hunting with year long enough to have a very good view on this...but to me, whether it is 58” or 68, that is a lot of bow to account for both on the ground and out of a saddle or stand. That is why I have don a lot of stumping this spring snd last fall, shooting weird angles, through brush, under stuff, between limbs, in super tight quarters, extremely canted to almost vertical. It’s super fun and probably the best practice.

 

[Beendare]

Delete

 

[RCL]

I have take down longbows in 58" to 66" length.
Shoot the 66" best but last year picked up 58" ILF with longbow limbs and have been very pleased.