Bow Draw Length Chart Post

The bow draw length chart is a quick reference guide to help you find the bow that best suits your needs.

It is important for bowhunters of all levels to know how long their draw lengths are, and this chart makes it easy.

There are many factors that go into finding the right bow for you, but knowing your own draw length will make finding one much easier!

What Is Draw Length?

Draw length is exactly as the term describes, it is the length (in inches) that a bow is drawn. This length is measured from the front of the Berger hole (where the arrow rest mounts to the riser) to the corner or angle of the string.  

Draw Length Calculator [Tool + Easy Guide]

Bow Draw Length Chart

How To Determine Your Proper Draw Length

Archery is a fine sport, but there are some things to know before buying your first bow. For instance, you have to understand how to determine your draw length.

The process of finding your proper draw length is not rocket science but getting it correct is vital to your success. The bowyer’s goal is to get your draw length correct.

Having the wrong draw length will make it difficult for you to shoot accurately and if the bow is set up improperly, bow tuning can be a nightmare.

Proper Draw Length

This applies to both compound and recurve archers.

10 Things You Need To Know About Bow Draw Length

Draw length is an important bowhunting concept that needs to be understood in order to achieve success.

A bow draw length chart can be very useful for determining the appropriate draw weight of a bow as well as achieving an accurate arrow flight path.

In this post, we will discuss 10 things you need to know about bow draw lengths and what they mean for your bow hunting experience.

1. Eye Dominance

The first bow draw length consideration is eye dominance. Your bow should be drawn with the same hand that you are dominant with for aiming your bow and nocking an arrow.

This will help prevent accuracy issues later on during bow hunting shoots.

The eye that keeps your object centered in the triangle is your dominant eye.

If your dominant eye is your right eye, then you should shoot right-handed, and vice-versa.

2. Draw Length

A bow draw length chart can be useful for figuring out what bow will work best for your body type.

If you are tall, then a longer bow draw length is needed so that the arrow doesn’t fall short of its intended target.

With a correct draw length most shooters will be able to maximize their draw weight which is especially important to bow hunters since this directly affects the speed of a bow. 

The IBO speed that is advertised for bows is measured at a 30” draw length, when the draw length is shortened the bow will lose speed, the opposite is also true. 

With that said, it is important that shooters use the proper fitting draw length and not try to shoot a longer draw length to gain more speed.

Short Draw Lengths

If you are a bow hunter who is short in stature, then it can be difficult to draw the bow back as far as necessary for hunting certain game.

In this case, shorter draw lengths should be considered when choosing a bow or bow type.

The best thing about modern compound bows is that there are many options available from which to choose from, especially bow draw length.

Long Draw Length

On the other hand, bow hunters who are tall and have long arms will find it difficult to draw a bow back only 28 inches.

In this case, longer draw lengths of at least 30-inches should be considered when purchasing your bow or bow type.

Also consider that some hunting situations call for shorter than normal draws due to thick brush in bow hunting forests.

3. Draw Weight

Bow draw weight is another bow hunting concept that needs to be understood in order for you to get the most out of your bow equipment.

The bow’s draw weight refers to how much force it takes, and can take, to pull back a bow string completely before releasing an arrow. This is also called “holding” or “pulling.”

Draw weight is measured in pounds, and should be chosen according to bow draw length. Using a bow chart for different draw lengths can help you find the right bow fit while keeping human error or mistakes down to a minimum.

Bow Draw Weight Chart: 50 – 60 lbs = 20″ up to 24″ draw length

60 – 70 lbs = 24″ up to 28″ draw length

70 – 80 lbs = 28″ up to 32″ draw length

80 – 90 lbs = 32+ ” bow marksmen and hunters looking for more power than average.

Bow Draw Weight Chart: 50-60lbs=20″-24″ bow, 60-70lb= 24″-28″, 70-80lbs= 28″-32″ bow , 80-90lbs = 32+ bow.

4. Axle-to-Axle Length

Axle-to-axle bow length is another bow hunting measurement that you need to consider when choosing a bow.

This number refers to how far the bow string travels from axle to axle, measured in inches.

Shorter draw lengths are ideal for short axles, while longer draws work well with long axles. The main consideration here is that the bow should fit you and not be too short or long.

5. Speed

The bow speed is measured in feet per second. It tells you how fast the arrow travels when it leaves the string, which could be quite important if you are bow hunting because bow speeds directly influence bows’ kinetic energy capacities.

Bow Speed Chart:

Below 210 FPS = Slower Hunting Bows (40 ft-lbs KE or less)

210 – 235 FPS = Average Hunting Bows (41-70 ft-lbs KE)

235 – 270 FPS = Fast Hunting Bows (71+ ft-lbs KE)

6. Noise

The bow noise is measured in dB. It tells you how loud your bow will be when it releases the arrow, which can have both positive and negative effects on bow hunting.

Most often, archers looking to hunt with their bows want a bow that generates as little noise possible so they do not startle or spook potential game before taking a shot.

There is only a slight bow noise difference between the average hunting bow (41-70 ft lbs KE) and fast hunting bow (71+ ft lbs KE).

This means that bows within these ranges will not be much quieter or noisier than each other, so it comes down to personal preference on bow noise.

7. Brace Height

The bow brace height is measured in inches. It tells you how high off the bow handle or bow riser your bow string will sit, which can be very important for archers who want to choose a certain draw length and arrow weight.

A higher brace height setting on your bow results in more stability while drawing back an arrow because it brings the bow string further away from the bow handle.

This takes more effort to pull back, so it works well with beginners trying to build up their strength and learn proper form before they advance into drawing a bow at full draw for an extended period of time.

A lower brace height setting on your bow will cause less stability while pulling back arrows because there is less space between the bow string and bow handle.

This results in an easier draw, so it is great for hunters trying to be stealthy when bow hunting because they will not have to hold back their bow at full draw for very long before shooting.

8. The Weight of the Bow Itself

The bow weight is measured in pounds. It tells you how heavy your bow will be, which can have both positive and negative effects on bow hunting.

Most often, archers do not want their bows to weigh them down while they are out in the woods trying to track an animal or get into a good shooting position for taking a shot.

9. Cam

There are two bow cam systems used in bow hunting today: single, featuring one bow cam system for the bow limbs and double, featuring two cams.

The bow draw weight range is different between each style of bow cam because they generate power differently throughout the draw cycle.

Single Cams

When drawing back an arrow with a single-cam bow, the bow string is on one side of the bow cam system. The more you draw back an arrow with a single-cam bow, the faster it will propel your arrow downrange.

Pros

Generally quieter than more traditional twin cam systems

Easier to maintain than traditional twin cam systems

Most single cams offer a solid stop while at full draw and fairly reasonable accuracy

Cons

Lack of achieving a level nock travel

Hybrid Cams

When drawing back an arrow with a hybrid bow, the bow string is on both sides of the bow cam system.

This can be helpful or detrimental to your accuracy and bow hunting ability depending on how well you draw, aim and release arrows.

Pros

Great for beginners trying to build up their strength before advancing into drawing at full draw for extended periods of time

Offers a bow stop and relatively accurate nock travel

Cons

Can take more effort to draw back an arrow than single-cam bows, which can make it harder for hunters who want their bow to be quiet when bow hunting.

Too much weight on the bow handle will cause accuracy issues because you have less control over where the bow string will be when you release an arrow.

Binary Cams

A bow draw weight range is different between bow cams because that determines how much power the bow cam system generates while you’re pulling back an arrow.

Binary cams are huge in the industry and they basically redesigned the entire cam system to create an extremely fast bow.

They did this by introducing an entirely new concept- a system that allows the cams to automatically balance stress and deflections.

Twin Cams

Often described as a “Two Cam” or “Dual Cam” system, twin cams are basically two round wheels on each end of the bow.

Pros

Excellent nock travel

Precise and accurate shooting

Very efficient overall speed

Large adjustment ranges

Cons

More maintenance and servicing required to stay in tip-top condition. A higher tendency for increased noise (when compared to single and hybrid cams especially)

10. Risers

One bow draw weight range is different between risers because that determines how much power the bow cam system generates while you’re pulling back an arrow.

The three basic styles of risers are:

Reflex

Deflex

Straight

You will often find reflex risers as part of today’s modern compound bows. Some of their key attributes are that they curve away from the natural curvature of the limbs of a compound bow.

This design reduces brace height, which supports a faster shooting speed(as mentioned in the above tip).

Deflex risers are pretty much the opposite of Reflex risers. The follow the curvature of the limb. and this increases the brace height. Again, as discussed in the previous tip, this slows down the shot but increases the accuracy.

Straight risers basically fall right in the middle of reflex and deflex risers, though they are more inclined towards reflex risers thanks to their less extreme curvature. Straight risers do offer a more fast, but forgiving shot as well.

Conclusions

It’s important that you measure your draw length and adjust your bow to fit your physical size. Shooting with inaccurate draw length can ruin your posture and your accuracy. I hope this guide helped you.