[English Longbow] Longbow Drawlength?

Mark31121

Member
Ironman
I have the opportunity to buy a (very well priced) Bickerstaffe longbow, but before trying it out I want to be sure where the drawlength is measured to so I don't overdraw it and is it normal to state the maximum as the true draw length or the AMO? (I would guess the true), or should I consider it as the max arrow length?

Also, what sort of minimum weight limits should I consider for the arrow - is 5 grains per pound sensible or should it be more?
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Draw length is measured from back of the bow. I recommend shooting arrows which are made to your draw length to the base of the point (plus a maximum of enough to allow for one broken off point then be replaced (for field shooting where points breaking off is quite common).
Arrow weight 5grains per pound is more like a minimum for flight shooting. 8-10gpp is more usual. My standard arrows which I use for bows from 30# up to about 55# are round about 400 grain. Heavier bows like a bit more weight.
I think Bickerers bows have max draw length etc written on them.
Del
I have no idea what AMO stands for, and I'm far to grumpy to look it up... good practice is to write out an acronym in full where first used. Sadly very few people do this and we have much technical writing degenerating into mass of TLAs (Three letter Acromyms).
 

Simon Banks

Active member
Think dell has covered it measure where the arrow is drawn to at the back of the bow.. It's amusing in many ways because your draw length will decrease if you get a fat bow ;-).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Mark31121

Member
Ironman
Draw length is measured from back of the bow. I recommend shooting arrows which are made to your draw length to the base of the point (plus a maximum of enough to allow for one broken off point then be replaced (for field shooting where points breaking off is quite common).
Arrow weight 5grains per pound is more like a minimum for flight shooting. 8-10gpp is more usual. My standard arrows which I use for bows from 30# up to about 55# are round about 400 grain. Heavier bows like a bit more weight.
I think Bickerers bows have max draw length etc written on them.
Del
I have no idea what AMO stands for, and I'm far to grumpy to look it up... good practice is to write out an acronym in full where first used. Sadly very few people do this and we have much technical writing degenerating into mass of TLAs (Three letter Acromyms).
Thanks Del, The bow has a max draw length of 29", which measuring to the back of the bow is ok. Apologies with the acronym, I didn't think to write it out as it's used so much on here (I normally would as a lot of chemical names etc are shortened) - it's Archery Manufacturer and Merchant's Organisation (not sure why it's not AMMO), I think they swapped to the Archery Traders Association (or it was the other way round). Which is pretty much irrelevant for longbow but the standard for recurve and compound - where the draw-length is length to the pivot point + 1.75" which would have been a pit of a push.

Now I just need to assemble a couple of arrows and I can try it out :) hopefully my wrist can cope with the draw weight, I think it'll be ok seeing as I wont be holding like with the recurve/compound. My other longbow is a dedicated flight bow so the arrows are going to be too light, I couldn't remember how heavy they were though as it's been a while since I made them.

That would put me up to six bows...
 

blakey

Active member
Think dell has covered it measure where the arrow is drawn to at the back of the bow.. It's amusing in many ways because your draw length will decrease if you get a fat bow ;-).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
This thread has reminded me how I always get confused with arrow length on a recurve, where you have to add on 1 and 3/4", which seems excessive if your background is ELB? :)
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
This thread has reminded me how I always get confused with arrow length on a recurve, where you have to add on 1 and 3/4", which seems excessive if your background is ELB? :)
Nope. Arrow length you add 1 inch... draw length you add on 1.75... and it's the requirements of different organisations. The "plus 1" is how the Easton charts work. That's just a definition for comparing like with like. If you don't use it, then you're off the charts. The "plus 1.75" is how AMO defines draw length (that's actually a standard, in the technical sense).
 

Simon Banks

Active member
I cut my arrows to 28" so that means I only draw to 27" might try experimenting with 29" arrows to take them to 28" draw length... ;-)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

BrucieB

New member
Just received my Bickerstaffe I ordered 4 weeks ago. They recommend a minimum arrow weight of 9grains per pound, anything less they say will damage the bow. Also they write all the stats on the bow including the max. draw length.
 

Raven's_Eye

Active member
Ironman
Just received my Bickerstaffe I ordered 4 weeks ago. They recommend a minimum arrow weight of 9grains per pound, anything less they say will damage the bow. Also they write all the stats on the bow including the max. draw length.
9grains per pound I've found is a lot, esp for those of us with small draw lengths. I shoot a 65lb bow, 11/32 shafts and 100grain points and that only takes me to about 450-490grains. I'd have to shoot 3/8" arrows to get the weight which would then be out of spine.
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
+1 on what Raven's _Eye says.
9gpp minimum is IMO nonsense especially on a laminated bow... it smacks of a backside covering and customer blame strategy for any bow failures.
8gpp is a commonly accepted reasonable weight and any decent bow should be able to go much substantially lower than that.
I don't s'pose 9 gpp will be much good for clout...
Just for some frame of reference. My 'regular' arrows (just under 400gn) get used for everything from 30# to 60# draw weights. (Self wood bow which should be more delicate than a laminated bow).
I've even shot 410grain from a 100# warbow for a flight shot!
Del
BTW. You will feel when the arrow is too light, the bow will ring and you'll feel a little jar on your left elbow, as you go heavier it will feel smoother, more of a whoosh than a bang.
 
Top