Anyone thinking about buying a short A to A parallel limb bow for target will find some some good points raised in this thread.
Why Do Pro Choose............ - ArcheryTalk
Why Do Pro Choose............ - ArcheryTalk
But what would you have shoot with a long paralell limb bow? say a Consitutition?I took a risk changing from a very long axle bow to a short axle parallel , but on my second round shot with the new bow i've scored a PB.
Admittedly my old bow wasn't the ideal fit for me , but scoring a PB with the new bow after shooting only 10 dozen arrows is encouraging .
I used to shoot clay pigeons for 3 years whilst at university and can confirm that people do argue about barrel length a lot! Some prefer short 28 inch barrels, especially for sporting (i.e. 'field'), as they are quicker to swing onto target. Others argue that long 32 inch barrels are much smoother to swing and thus allow you to be more accurate, as well as giving a tighter shot pattern giving more chance of a clean break at long distance (an argument the 28 inch brigade refute with talk of choke/pellet/wad selection...). Some plump in the middle at 30 inches....I know people have all sorts of opinions about the pro's and cons of very short bows for target shooting, mine being just another.
I shoot a Bowtech Tribute, which is just about as short and parallel as possible. I'm no expert shooter, but I know the bow will certainly allow me to shoot to any potential I have.
I feel that my bow is very forgiving even though it's very short. Is this because the riser is actually very long? Compared to more 'normal' length bows by Hoyt, the Tribute's riser is very long indeed, it's just that the limbs add very little length as they are almost parallel before the bow is even drawn. Surely the length of the riser has a bigger effect (if any) on the performance of the bow than the length including the limbs, mainly due to most of the bows mass bewing in the riser.
Merlin make some very short bows, which also have very short risers as the limbs are not of the parallel design. People shoot these, love them and no doubt get great scores with them along with others like Mathews etc etc.
I wonder if clay pigeon shooters argue about the length of the barrels on shotguns and talk about the pros and cons of short and long barrel lengths?
I think what shoots well and feels OK for one person may not suite another. If there was as simple an answer to making a good bow as it's length, then I'm sure that manufacturers would all be making similar length bows (even allowing for the fact that hunters tend to like shorter bows). This would result in hunting bows being short and target bows being long.
Also, just because world class archers don't shoot short bows doesn't mean that they aren't any good. Maybe bow manufacturers that make predominantly short bows don't offer sponsorships to as many archers?
Just my thoughts, but I fully understand if others have their owns views. I haven't shot enough bows to be able to comment on all designs.
I have done direct side by side shooting of an Allegiance and a Constitution. I was given a Conny by the distributor to hopefully boost their sales so I had a good opportunity to set one up just for testing.But what would you have shoot with a long paralell limb bow? say a Consitutition?
Wow, thanks. I was looking for a new bow myself, wasnt sure what to look for but have been looking around. That helps the way you narrow it down. I'm so new to archery & everything out there looks good & better than what I'm shooting now. Thanks..How I choose a bow
For me, choosing a bow is a little more flexible than it is for Erika. I don't have the grip issues she does, or the mass weight issues. However here is what I do.
1) Choose the brand. This is based on a few factors
a) Past experience
b) market
c) Cam design
d) Personal taste
a) I have shot most bow brands and for me the ones that stand out are Bowtech, Hoyt and Mathews. I didn't like Martin, PSE's current line is junk and the other brands are just not up to my personal standards. Merlins have major problems in Australia so would avoid them here.
So we have a choice between Bowtech, Hoyt and Mathews.
b) I run a shop. What I shoot is important to what we sell. We sell the 3 brands above so that works. However when we were not selling Hoyt I had to stop shooting them. Same with Mathews.
c) This one is also critical. The cam has to be good. I didn't like the pre-binary offerings from Bowtech, so avoided them. I like all the cams on offer from the above companies so all pass.
2) Specs. Now I determine what specs I want.
a) Axle length: I like 33-38" depending on the bow. I will go longer, but rarely shorter as I need to get 90m.
b) Brace height: I like a 6 5/8" to 7.5" brace height. Will go out to 8" but no more.
c) Geometry. I prefer reflex risers, but will go out to a slight deflex.
d) Grip. Prefer a slim grip.
e) Balance. This is critical for me. I cant my bow to the right. I must be able to straighten up. This is a major consideration. Also the weight matters there because if I need side rods I must add mass.
So for me
Bowtech: Allegiance, Guardian, 101st Airborne
Hoyt: Elite series, Vectrix, Seven37
Mathews: Apex 7
Now for personal bias.
I thnk the Vectrix is too heavy for it's size. The Allegiance is a better choice. Scratch that.
The 101st Airborne has roller guards, and then offers nothing more to me other than speed. I know the Ally well so scratch the Airborne
That leaves
Bowtech: Allegiance, Guardian
Hoyt: Elite series, Seven37
Mathews: Apex 7
Now head to head. I have an Ally and the Guardian is great, but I know the Ally works, so that wins.
The Seven37 is REALLY nice, but I know the UltraElite balances better for me. While I would shoot a ProElite again, I would lean towards the UltraElite.
So
Bowtech: Allegiance
Hoyt: UltraElite
Mathews: Apex 7
Now it would be choose the brand I want from here. I would be confident with any of those 3.
Of course there is another method that I also endorse and people should not fear using it
"I WANT THAT ONE!"
That is also good. If you like the look of a bow, don't be afraid to shoot it.
Of course