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How To Measure Draw Length

Before you head to the online archery store to purhcase your bow you should know how to measure your draw length. To do this you will need to determine the length of your arm-span in inches. Stand with your arms out and palms facing forward. Don't stretch when measuring . Just stand naturally. Have someone else help you, and measure from the tip of one middle finger to the other. Then simply divide that number by 2.5. The quotient is your approximate draw length (in inches) for your body size.

The majority of compound bow owners set their bows for too much draw length, which results in poor shooting form - inaccuracy - and painful string slap on the forearm. You will better enjoy - and be more successful with your compound bow when it is fitted properly to your body. And if in doubt, choose a little LESS draw length rather than a little more.

If you are a person of average proportions, your arm-span will be roughly equal to your height (in inches). So there is often a direct correlation between a person's height and their draw length as well. Once you have computed your draw length using the method above, you can double-check yourself by using the scale below - to see if your number is within the expected range.

How close do you need to get? Within an inch? Half-inch? A quarter-inch? This issue could be debated, as there probably isn't a right and wrong answer to this question. For most shooters, a ±½" change in draw length is hardly noticed. To be realistic, half-inch sizes are probably precise enough (27½", 28", 28½, 29", 29½", etc.), particularly for the purposes of hunting and recreational archery. Besides, as your bow's string ages and stretches over time (as ALL strings do), your draw length will slightly increase - a little fraction at a time. So constantly maintaining a razor-specific 28 13/16 " draw length may be a frustrating endeavor for you and your pro-shop.

If you're new to the sport, and unsure what draw length is appropriate for you, we strongly recommend you just play the averages and use the chart above. But admittedly, there is no perfect formula to solve this problem. Every shooter is different and the opinions on the methodology for measuring and checking draw length varies considerably throughout the industry: the yardstick against the breastbone, the fist against the wall, tip of the finger to the top of the shoulder, the arm-span method, etc. Without the benefit of an actual bow to draw back and actually check - each of these methods only provides us with an estimate.

And even if we do have a test-bow to draw back, there's still no clear consensus on exactly what to check. Some say the string should just touch your nose at Full Draw. Others believe the nock of the arrow should align to the corner of your mouth. A few experts think eye-to-peep distance determines draw length. And then when we toss in other variables: bent bow-arm vs. straight bow-arm, finger release vs. mechanical release, direct String Release vs. D-loop release, low anchor points vs. high anchor points, hard wall vs. soft wall, etc.....the choice of draw length seems to get mystically complicated.

If you go into several different archery shops to be measured for draw length, you're bound to get a variety of "expert" opinions. So before you get frustrated, remember that determining an individual's draw length isn't exactly a measurement of scientific certainty. So if you're just getting started in the sport, there's no need to get too carried away computing the square-root of your hypotenuse. Instead, we recommend you just play the averages and choose an initial draw length that's similar to others of your same size and stature (reference the chart above). There will always be time to "tweak" your draw length a little as you gain experience and learn to analyze your shooting form more closely. YOU will ultimately be the final judge on your own perfect personal draw length. So now you are read to head over to the online archery store and start shopping!

About the Author

Danny Manzella is a freelance writer for BowzMart Archery on Archery related topics. You can visit their online archery store to learn more here. www.BowzMart.com

i bought a new bow and need a nock rest put on, do i need to be there when they put it on to test or not?

also getting nock loop put on

hi there
no they don't need you to put a nock loop on your bow or an arrow,with a loop neither do you need a nock rest as the loop centers and holds the arrow square to the face of the bow, now the hard part ,is when you tune your bow, you may have to move the nock point up or down depending on what the paper tunning says ,and once they are knotted on they are hard to move,if you are lucky when you get it home it may shoot great, good luck

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