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Post by johnapsega on Mar 9, 2012 2:18:14 GMT
Is that for the arrow length I need, or my draw length? Im confused. Is it basically just from my hand where I would hold the bow to my ear, for example?
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Post by Ceebs on Mar 9, 2012 3:44:58 GMT
Draw length tends to equal arrow length or thereabouts however it depends on the style of archery you are doing. SInce I draw in the Warbow style I draw to 32 inches however my "traditional" style draw length is around 25 or 26 inches. Here is one method for measuring draw length. Once you find that out you can match your arrows accordingly.
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Post by johnapsega on Mar 9, 2012 4:50:51 GMT
I will be shooting in the traditional style, with an English longbow. I think that is traditional right? So based on the chart I need a bow that draws 28 inches and based on weight I need to draw 45# so this bow would be fine right www.ebay.com/itm/Handcrafted-Eng ... 3a68ab8925?
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Post by Ceebs on Mar 9, 2012 5:17:20 GMT
Yes, I would be careful with regards to draw weight though. Have you shot before? If not you may find 45# too much. Starting draw weight is a tricky thing you see. Your muscles will adapt quickly but you really don't want to start out barely able to draw your bow, especially if you are inexperienced. A lower draw weight bow is far more forgiving but you grow out of it much sooner. With a nice cheap bow like that it shouldn't be too much of an issue to buy a slightly weaker one if needs be.
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Post by johnapsega on Mar 9, 2012 5:24:39 GMT
I have shot before, a while ago, so it is not like i have never done it. Plus I am pretty fit so the muscles are used to being worked. Plus I dont really work, being 17 and a lot of other things impacting that, so money is difficult to come by, even 50 or 60 bucks.
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Post by Ceebs on Mar 9, 2012 5:42:48 GMT
In that case I say go for it
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Post by johnapsega on Mar 9, 2012 5:44:53 GMT
Alright. Ill order it tomorrow night. thank you very much guys. as always great help.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Mar 9, 2012 19:05:13 GMT
The 28" draw that you see on so many bows is not based on anything traditional, it's based on the average draw length. For you, it will likely be fine. Before you order, however, I strongly suggest having your draw length measured. That chart MAY be accurate, it may not be. Not all people will have the same arm length relative to height.
You will most likely be fine with a 28" draw and in all statistical likelihood it is accurate, but there are few feelings worse than buying something new and realizing (due to a small, totally avoidable error) that you can't use it.
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Post by johnapsega on Mar 9, 2012 21:55:29 GMT
If my draw length is larger than 28. Do I email KP Archery and ask the to make a bow for me like Greg? Or would it be easier to just contact another company and spend a bit more money later on?
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Mar 9, 2012 22:05:11 GMT
May be easier to just email KP and ask. If Greg said they can do it then I don't see a problem.
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Post by johnapsega on Mar 9, 2012 22:34:24 GMT
I just measured my wingspan and then divided it by 2.5. I got 28.4. Im assuming that a 28 inch bow wont be a problem than?
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Mar 10, 2012 0:09:13 GMT
Shouldn't be, as long as that ends up being your draw length. The best way to do it is to go to an outdoors store and use their fiberglass bow that has an "arrow" with measurements on it. I personally feel the best DIY way is to grab a yardstick and draw it back like an arrow and measure to the outside of your fist. I always get an accurate reading that way, YMMV.
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Post by johnapsega on Mar 10, 2012 0:23:00 GMT
Is it from the corner of your mouth to the outside of your fist, or from your ear to the outside of your fist?
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Mar 10, 2012 0:24:31 GMT
Depends on where you feel most comfortable anchoring at. I prefer the corner of my mouth. Neither is wrong.
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Post by Tendrax on Mar 10, 2012 0:25:02 GMT
Depends on your shooting style. Which are you going to use as your anchor point? We can't tell you that, you need to decide for yourself.
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Post by johnapsega on Mar 10, 2012 0:26:10 GMT
Oh ok thank you, I had no idea it was a personal preference/ style thing. Is one more historical than the other?
It looks like it 33 to my ear, and 28 to the corner of my mouth.
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Post by Tendrax on Mar 10, 2012 0:31:40 GMT
I believe the general consensus is that anchoring at your mouth is more accurate because the arrow is more in-line with your eye, whereas anchoring at your ear seems to be more for the long range(80+ yards) traditional english longbow type shooting.
I believe anchoring to the ear is more historically accurate for longbows.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Mar 10, 2012 0:34:18 GMT
If you aren't sure about these things, your best bet is to actually get your hands on a bow and fiddle around with it. Find a store in your area that sells archery stuff and see if they've got a fiberglass bow you can draw. Until you know a couple things about what you're comfortable with, you're just going to be taking a shot in the dark buying a bow first and learning later.
There's only so much you can learn from reading this kind of stuff, no book or person can tell you how you feel comfortable drawing.
Edit: Tendrax, honestly I don't even aim anymore. At least, not with my eyes. Not bragging or anything (because I'm far from a great archer, though I used to be pretty good), but once you get comfortable enough with how you shoot, you should be able to shoot off instinct. I KNOW where my arrow is going to hit when I'm out shooting without aiming down the shaft of the arrow.
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Post by Tendrax on Mar 10, 2012 0:42:25 GMT
Well, yes, but it's easier to get to that point if everything lines up naturally, instead of going past your head at a weird angle. At least, IMO. It's all personal preference though. What worked for me might not work for you, or Johnapsega
As far as I'm concerned if you want to actually be a good shot with a traditional bow, you need to shoot instinctive. All the SCA guys in my area can't hit anything unless they're right at 20, 30, or 40 yards, because they use angles and bits of grain in their bows as aiming points for the three distances. At those ranges they're far better shots then me but put em at 25, or 35 and their groups open up like crazy and the field is a little more even. Lol.
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Post by johnapsega on Mar 10, 2012 0:49:47 GMT
ok Im going to start with 28 to the corner of my mouth, with a 45 pound bow. And build up strength and form, before i go to a higher poundage bow, and draw back to my ear. Thank you guys so much, now its time to buy a bow. I live about an hour and a half away from the nearest sports store with archery gear. So I guess its a good thing that i can buy a bow for cheap from kparchery and now have to spend a whole hell of a lot on a bow. Thank you everyone for all your information. Now its time to take the plunge lol.
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