Choosing a Bow

How to choose a BOW style

I usually asked a new customer to close their eyes and imagine a bow. I have found that although there are so many different types of wood and designs available, a person seems to gravitate towards that image of a bow that comes up in their mind. Mine is the straight limb long bow, 68" long with a leather grip. I also see the back quiver or side quiver and wooden arrows. But that is just me. What bow do you see?

LONGBOW vs RECURVE

Lots have been said about this topic. The human condition urges us to compare, analyse and debate such topics to a rather boring halt. Yes there are differences. There are advantages and disadvantages, to both. But in the end, the target does not mind or judge.

You shoot the bow you like.

No one design will make you shoot better, than just practising with the bow you have.

How to choose draw weight

Bigger is not better. And neither is heavier. Accuracy and enjoyment is what you should aim for.

Ask yourself what the purpose of the bow will be. If it is for the pure enjoyment of shooting the bow or hunting small game, under 40 lb of draw is recommended. If you occasionally want to hunt big game or just like shooting heavier bows, between 40lb to 50lb of draw is recommended. Any bow above 50lb of draw requires great physical strength, and should be avoided unless there is a reason for shooting such a heavy bow.

Note: If hunting any game I recommend that you adhere to the hunting laws of your region.

Right or Left

Should you shoot a bow in a way that favours your eye dominance? Well, yes and no. I have thought myself to shoot left handed, because I'm left eye dominant. My reasoning was that the arrow would be right under my eye and I could now aim with ease.

Guess what? I still aim more with my subconscious anyway, or what people refer to as Instinctive shooting. I can still shoot right handed very well too. My head position is slightly different, but it works just as well as when I'm shooting left handed. If however you want to shoot with a dedicated, consciously calculated gap, it might be easier to shoot in such a way as to favour your dominant eye.

Closing, or squinting the non aiming eye, makes aiming with your non-dominant eye easier. Nuts and bolts, it is about how much you practice, so don't give it to much thought.

Determining your Draw Length

Measure the distance between your fingertips , when you stretch your arms out. Imagine you are souring.
Take this distance (measured in inches) and divide by 2.5. Example: If the distance between your fingertips is 69", dividing this by 2.5 gives 27.6"
This is a good indication of your draw length and most likely you will be around that distance when you draw a bow. If your draw-length differs from this, do not be alarmed. There are many ways to shoot a traditional bow, and this will influence your draw-length. My draw should be 28.5", calculated using the above, but it is not. I end up at 27.5" when I'm at a comfortable anchor and all is aligned.