draw length

[island guy]

I have a 17 year old that wants to get into archery. I have a chance to get him a good used one adjustable 28" to 30". I can't remember the formula for measuring draw length. I know it would be better to take him to a shop but we don't have one close and I need to commit on this bow soon.

[Deitz Dittrich]

This is only a guide... You really should have it checked at a proshop.. but since you are in a pinch.. here goes.

Measure your sons wingspan from finger tip to finger tip with arms outstretched...

WingSpan Drawlength

63" 24"

64" 24.5"

65" 25"

66" 25.5"

ect... so for a 28-30 bow your sons wingspan should be between

71"-75"

Good luck!

[ghotierman]

Island guy...if you get to Alex, bring him in and we'll measure him up. Dietz's wingspan chart is a real good approximation. We can help with the set of the bow too...

good luck.

[Iceman77]

The formula is (Wing Span - 15)/2

Wing span is arms outstretch to the sides and parrallel to the ground. Also, do not over stretch your arms out just hold them out comfortably and straight. Another note is if the individual has long fingers subtract approx. 1/2" and add 1/2" for short fingers. This is a real good approximation for getting in the ballpark. With everyone I have coached before we have been within 1/2" when using the above formula and approximations.

As a side note this will give you the true draw length. To get the associated AMO draw length(this is what bow manufacturers use for draw length measurements) subtract 1.75" from what the above formula gives you.

If you have any further questions please ask.

Thanks,

Russ

[I'llTakeWhatiCanGet]

If you wanna leave math out of it (which i try to do whenever possible ), all you need is a recurve or longbow and an old arrow. I used to work in the archery shop a Capra's and that's how we'd measure people up. The length of the arrow from the nock to the front of the riser is a very close approximation of drawlength. Just make sure that if he's gonna be shooting a release that he's wearing one when you measure (doesn't have to be the exact model) since a release can account for up to an inch of drawlength. If you can determine that your son's drawlength is in the range of that bow, you're set and can fine tune it for his exact release, anchor point, etc from there.

[TomBow]

Once you've determined what you think his draw length should be, try out some bows at that draw length and the right one will result in a little bend in the bow arm when he's at full draw. You don't want a draw length where you have to lock your bow-arm elbow fully extended, you want the bow arm a little short of fully extended. I was set up for years with too long of a draw length and discovered 3 years ago that I needed a shorter length. Once I made the change, it improved my consistency and shooting form. Just a tip.