Many people want to know how to choose a longbow. Ultimately the longbow that is right for you will be one that is sized appropriately according to your body measurements, is comfortable for you to shoot, and is suitable for your intended use. Now you know, generally, what to look for, but what factors go into finding the perfect longbow for your size, strength, skill, and preferred archery sport?
Below is a guide to help you navigate your longbow selection process. Longbows are simple tools; by this, we mean they are constructed using fewer components than modern bows.
Despite their simplicity, there are a few different types of longbows, each suited to different kinds of archery. Figuring out which type of longbow is right for you is about knowing what you need from a bow and what you want to do with it. There are three main types of longbow: English longbow, American longbow, and Horse longbow. Each of these three types has its own evolutionary history, and because of this, they tend to each suit different kinds of archers.
The English longbow is the most recognizable type of longbow due to its long history and prominence in the film industry. The English longbow is, well, quite long, even for a longbow.
With an average length of 1. Historically, these bows were used in battle or hunting and had high draw weights that required a considerable amount of strength to shoot. Nowadays, most people who shoot an English longbow tend to prefer them for target practice because they can be manufactured to have lower draw weights, making them great for the repetitive nature of practice shooting. The American longbow is a relatively new invention, dating back to the s. The American longbow is more or less an evolutionary form of the English longbow mixed with the American flatbow commonly used by indigenous peoples throughout the North American continent.
The American longbow is shorter than its English forefather. Unlike the English Longbow, which has been adapted to have lower draw weights, the core of an American longbow is often constructed out of hardwearing materials, like fiberglass, which helps it stand up to high draw weights.
The added force you gain from a higher draw weight makes the bow better suited for hunting than modern English longbows. The American longbow also features a notch designed to hold the arrow, which lends archers a little added stability over the English longbow. This feature is also appreciated among hunters. The horse bow is a longbow that behaves slightly like a recurve bow, giving the archer the power that comes with a recurve bow and the forgiveness of a longbow.
Size-wise the Horse longbow is the shortest of the longbows, coming down to an average length of 1. A bowyer suggested that I needed a 6ft 7inch bow.
Is he correct? It seems rather too long for me, especially as my current bow is only 6ft 1 inches long. All advice welcome. The bowyer said to me last evening that I ought to see a "head shrink" if I thought the bow I have just sent back to him was too long. In fact I hurt myself trying to brace the bow as I couldn't even reach the end of the bow to position the string. I wonder if someone misheard? However I may have been told an old wives' tale.
Ahhh height plus BH yes? Even that doesn't match the 5ft 7inch requires 6ft 7inch. However, it is interesting that the length is related to height, in both our rules of thumb. Mine is a vague memory so not at all reliable. Lonbow7 New member. No mistake - the bow actually arrived - and it was 6 foot 7 inches long. Paradox New member. Height and draw length tend to be similar, but there are exceptions. The height of the archer is of no consequence however, but their draw length is the primary concern for a bowyer.
Some bowyers will recommend a minimum of twice the draw length plus a foot, but many bowyers for fear of customers returning bows broken through a bit of bad luck, or a little too much abuse will extend this to twice the draw plus around " to allow for an unseen flaw in the wood, or a bit of abuse by the archer.
You may not want to take the same broadhead type for hunting a cottontail rabbit than you would for an elk. A quiver is not a necessity but definitely a plus. Something to hold your arrows, especially if you are on the move, is something I would consider. Aside from being handy, there are pretty nice models to choose from to look good with your trad equipment. Unless shooting in a bale of hay is your thing, It is great to have something to shoot on to measure your accuracy.
If you are not planning to go to an Archery Club, getting a target that won't prematurely damage your arrows would be a good investment. Retired Soldier desire to learn long bow for the very first time.
Please advise. I am a lifetime archer and read this article since it popped up on my phone. It is very informative and well written. A beginner can benefit greatly from reading this content. Hunting-Bow is Open for Business! Call us today: November 29, Chino Eustaquio. Of course, the main characteristic of a longbow, no matter what type, is the length.
The English longbow has an average of 1. How it's made The construction of a good and more durable longbow consists of seasoning the yew wood or any wood for a few years.
The Flatbow Longbow The Flatbow also has a non-recurved design and has a wide range of lengths. How it's made The construction of a Flatbow is quite similar to the English Longbow. Being able to start with a cheaper and more available timber is good news for beginner bowyers.
A deeper look into the longbow differences The Back and the Belly The English longbow is made from a single piece of wood a single Bow Stave for the back The outside part when shooting and the belly The inner part when shooting of the bow. The string Another important part of the longbow is the bowstring. The Bow Grip Made of leather, rope or simply natural, the bow grip constitutes the neutral axis of the bow. The Arrows Back then, the arrows were made from different types of wood. The key features of longbows : Longer bows are more forgiving of shooter errors, like sloppy release techniques, and give more stability to the archer.
The bow will not be encumbered with expensive sights, stabilizers and arrow rest. Longbows are the fastest bows to reload after shooting. Known to be quieter than other entry-level bows Often start with higher poundage compared to recurve bows AMO Length Longer bows make smoother shots.
They give more stability and are much more forgiving. Have a look at the recommended bow length according to your draw length in the chart below. Note: Prefer a longer bow size when draw length is in between. Brace Height The brace height is the distance between the deepest portion of the grip and the string not drawn.
How to adjust the brace height Brace height can be increased when twisting the bowstring, by doing so; the limbs will tend to be pushed away from the riser, therefore increasing the distance between the string and the grip. The influence of brace height Recommended brace height is usually provided by the manufacturer of the longbow and it will be up to you to twist or untwist the bowstring until you have reached the brace height giving you optimal comfort.
Your First Longbow With what you know by now, you must already have your preferred type of longbow in mind but remember that if you are just about to introduce yourself to archery, you should definitely think of doing so with a recurve bow first, because of the low draw weights available. Please note! Here are a few more items you should consider getting when choosing a longbow Bow Stringer Bow stringers usually don't come with the longbow, unless it is part of a package.
Bracer Your arm is standing near the trajectory of the bowstring which can be surprising when it slaps the arm, leaving small, or not so small, souvenirs you don't want to have such as shown in the picture below. Glove or tab One of two shots may not affect your bare fingers but doing hundreds of shots will. Then buy stronger limbs with more draw weight.
I actually returned the first one I purchased after doing the length research for correct possible size, due to THAT very factor. Returned a 50lbs for a 40lbs, and also have a 35lbs on the way. Now I need to know which drow weight do I need. I was thinking 20lb but my husband instructor thought that was too low. She is going to pass to me a Bow tomorrow so I can try. Been shooting the Hoyt Nitrum 34 compound 50lbs.
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