Bow Sizing Guide

7/28/2019 Bow Sizing Guide

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Bow Sizing Guide

There are three questions to answer when fitting your compound bow.

1. Do I need a right hand or left hand bow?

2. What draw length do I need?

3. What draw weight should I shoot?

Right hand or left hand?

For most people this is easy to decide, a right handed person chooses a right handed bow and a left handed person

chooses a left handed bow.

A small minority of people have their dominant eye opposite their dominant hand. This can create problems when

aiming. Some people solve this by aiming with their weak eye and closing their dominant one. Others choose a bow

to match their dominant eye and accustom themselves to shooting it against their natural "handedness". A few evenlean their heads far enough over the bowstring so as to be able use their dominant eye for aiming.

If you are one of these small minority we suggest closing your dominant eye as that works well in the majority of

cases, however if you think another style would work best for you go ahead and choose a bow for that style. A bowis an individual thing and we are committed to helping you find what works best for you. We will gladly return or

exchange a bow under our 60 day satisfaction guarantee until you find one that is comfortable.

To determine your dominant eye make a small triangle with your hands and thumbs (see picture), hold it at arms

length, and look through it at an object a few feet or more away. Close one eye and then the other. When one of your

eyes closes you will see the view through the triangle shift. The eye you just closed is your dominant eye. The view

shifts because your other eye took over when your dominant eye closed.

Draw length

When your bow is fitted at the proper draw length you will be at your most comfortable and accurate position. If the

draw is too short your peep will be too far from your eye for a clear view, and your shortened power stroke will cost

you speed and energy. Too long a draw and your release hand may not anchor firmly against your cheek, your bow

arm will want to hyperextend causing a loss of control, and your bowstring can contact your cheek or clothing

destroying the accuracy of your shot.

Here is an easy way to find your draw length, simply stand upright with your hands stretched out (hold naturally, do

not hyperextend) and measure your arm span from fingertip to fingertip. Take this measurement in inches and divide

by 2.5. This will give a good working draw length for your bow. If you want to try a different draw length mostbows are adjustable by changing or rotating a module (a small metal piece) on the cam or cams. However we

recommend you stick with the starting draw length, straying to far will lead to instability and reduced accuracy. Use

the following chart as a quick reference on choosing your draw length.


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Draw Weight

Your ideal draw weight is one you can pull in a smooth, controlled manner under hunting conditions. If you hunt in

cold weather which most of us do, the combined effects of cold muscles and adrenaline will reduce your controlled

draw weight 10 to 15 pounds from what you can manage indoors or on a warm day. Every year we encounter

hunters who failed to reach full draw in the presence of game animals! Don't make this mistake, the modern

compound bow is highly efficient and maximum poundage is not required for even large game animals.

Diamond Archery bows adjust downwards ten pounds from their listed weight. A 70 lb bow will adjust down to 60

lbs, a 60 lb bow down to 50 lbs. The Browning Archery Illusion is adjustable within a fifteen pound range

downward from the poundage marked on the bow limb. A 70 lb bow adjusts down to 55 lbs and a 60 lb bow down

to 45 lbs.

Most men find somewhere between 55 to 65 lbs to be their comfortable maximum, for women it is 35 to 45

pounds. The following chart shows our recommended bow adjustment range for adults. Keep the following tips inmind when using it.

A bow works slightly more efficiently when set in the upper end of its poundage range. For example if you

would like to shoot 60lbs it is better to choose a 45-60 lb bow then to choose a 55-70 lb one and back it

down to 60 lbs.

When in doubt choose the lower poundage, you will still have plenty of power for hunting and will be sure

to stay in control.

new archers will increase the poundage they can handle by 10 or more pounds with just two weeks of daily

practice.


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we are committed to helping you achieve success as an archer and will gladly exchange your bow for

another if you feel you have selected the wrong size.

Once you have selected the hand, draw length, and poundage for your bow you will be able to enter your

requirements when ordering. If you would like more help in making these choices give us a call, we will be glad to

answer your questions.

Measuring Your Draw Length

Unlike a traditional recurve bow that can be drawn back to virtually any length, a compoundbow will draw back only a specific distance before it stops (the wall). Compound bows are

designed to be shot from the full-draw position. If a compound bow is set for a 29" drawlength, it should always be shot from the full 29" draw position. But the bow cannot be

over-drawn, say to 30" or 31", without modifying the setup on the bow. So the draw length

on your compound bow must be set to match your particular size. When we setup yourbow, we will adjust the bow for your precise draw length.

To measure your draw length, determine the

length of your arm-span in inches. Stand withyour arms out and palms facing forward.

Don't stretch when measuring. Just standnaturally. Have someone else help you, and

measure from the tip of one middle finger tothe other. Then simply divide that number by

2.5. The quotient is your proper draw length(in inches) for your body size.

The majority of compound bow owners set their bows for too much draw length, which

results in poor shooting form - inaccuracy - and painful string slap on the forearm. You will

better enjoy - and be more successful with your new bow when it is fitted properly to yourbody. And REMEMBER! If in doubt, choose a little LESS draw length rather than a littlemore. If you are still unsure, or plan to shoot with a string loop, you may benefit from

reading our Additional Discussion on Draw Length.

If you are a person of average proportions,your arm-span will be roughly equal to your

height (in inches). So there is often a direct
http://www.huntersfriend.com/drawlength.htmhttp://www.citymaker.com/?domain=286242http://www.huntersfriend.com/drawlength.htm


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correlation between a person's height and their draw length as well. Once you havecomputed your draw length using the method above, you can double-check yourself by

using the scale below - to see if your number is within the expected range.

LONG DRAW SHOOTERS:

SHORT DRAW SHOOTERS:

Selecting a Draw Weight

There are several factors to consider here, beyond just brute strength. First and foremost,

we strongly recommend that you choose a draw weight that is COMFORTABLE for you and

suitable for your particular purpose. Particularly for the purposes of recreational archery, abow with too much draw weight will simply make you less successful and the sport less

enjoyable. A good rule-of-thumb is to choose a draw weight that requires about 75% of

your "maximum" strength. If your bow is too heavy, and you can only shoot a few timesbefore you're fatigued, then you'll be reluctant to practice and improve your game. But you

also want your bow to shoot with as much speed and power as possible, so you shouldn'tchoose too little weight either. Again, the right balance between comfort and performance -

for YOU - will probably be at your "75%" mark.

Heavy Draw Weights

If drawing your new bow makes you appear to be on the verge of ahemorrhage, it's unlikely you're going to enjoy the sport. While

most of us guys understand the importance of preservingmachismo, the truth is, shooting too much draw weight won't

provide any benefits at all. Some compound bows are actuallyavailable up to a 100# draw weight. And while there may be some

specific applications where such a bow may be necessary (African

big-game hunting perhaps), for the vast majority of bowhunting andrecreational archery applications, a super-heavyweight bow is

completely unnecessary (commonly referred to as being "over-bowed").

All things in Moderation

However, you may not want to choose an excessively light draw weight either (being

"under-bowed"). Heavier draw weights will undoubtedly yield better kinetic energy


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(penetration) and quicker arrow velocities with less parabolic arc in flight. In fact, somestates require a compound bow to meet certain draw weight minimums in order to hunt

large game like Whitetail Deer. Check with your state's governing agencies, and alwaysobserve the rules and regulations for legally harvesting game in your state.

The "archery muscles" used to draw a bow are primarily large muscle groups in your upper

back (the same muscles you use to row a boat or pull-start a lawn mower). Most peopledon't specifically work to exercise these muscles. So you will probably find that once you doput them to work, your "archery muscles" will gain strength quickly and drawing your bow

will become easier over time. Fortunately, most bows come with at least 10 lbs. of draw

weight adjustment. So if you are a new shooter, you may wish to begin with your bow setat a lower draw weight - and gradually "crank-up" the draw weight as you become more

conditioned.

General Recommendations

Here are some general guidelines for choosing an appropriate draw weight. Of course, eachindividual is different. You should apply your common sense here and interpret this chart

with due respect to your own age, general physical condition, and Body Mass Index (BMI).

Recommended Draw Weight Ranges (Modern Compound Bows)

Very Small Child (55-70 lbs.) 10-15 lbs.

Small Child (70-100 lbs.) 15-25 lbs.

Larger Child (100-130 lbs.) 25-35 lbs.

Small Frame Women (100-130 lbs.) 25-35 lbs.

Medium Frame Women (130-160 lbs) 30-40 lbs.

Athletic Older Child (Boys 130-150lbs.)

40-50 lbs.

Small Frame Men (120-150 lbs.) 45-55 lbs.

Large Frame Women (160+ lbs.) 45-55 lbs.

Medium Frame Men (150-180 lbs.) 55-65 lbs.

Large Frame Men (180+ lbs.) 65-75 lbs.

Note: Not all bows are created equal regarding draw weights. High-performancecompound bows with hard-cams and high IBO speeds will "feel" as if they are heavier, since

the bow's powercurve is more aggressive (ramping to peak weight more quickly and letting-off later). Bows with round-wheels or soft-draw cams will similarly "feel" a little lighter, as

the bow's powercurve is smoother and more gradual.

Please call 877-410-7811 or email us if you have other questions regarding draw weight or

length. We will be glad to assist you in any way we can.
mailto:[email protected]?subject=Draw%20Length%20and%20Draw%20Weightmailto:[email protected]?subject=Draw%20Length%20and%20Draw%20Weight

Bow Sizing Guide

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