In fact lots of bows, both recurves and longbows, can easily handle a 32″ draw, esp. at a lighter weight like 50#. I’d simply start shopping for bows that you like and check with the bowyer to make sure it’s up to it. What you want to avoid of course is stacking that last couple of inches, and that’s where the bowyer’s craft and/or a longer bow will make the difference. Keith Chastain, in Colo. is a long-tall fellow himself and makes bows especially for long-draw archers. You might try googling him. The one shorter bow I know of that can handle that long a draw is the Shrew. Check out their website and give Rob a call. A really long bow is a hindrance to many types of hunting, from tree standing to sneaking through brushy country or low-limbed forests. It also requires that you have some sort of seat to raise you off the ground enough to get bottom limb clearance in a ground blind. At your height, if you can find a 62″ bow that shoots well for you … well, that’s a starting point. Good luck, dave

Speaking for those of us with no talent, I have to respectfully disagree with Dave. I started out with a 62 inch bow for all the reasons Dave mentions. I had a dickens of a time getting good groups. So I made a 64 inch bow. And my groups improved a lot. I shot 64 inch bows for some years until I just couldn’t seem to get any better. Then I moved up to a 66 inch bow, and my groups started improving again.

While it is true that I have a harder time maneuvering a longer bow, and have to make compromises in my shot opportunities, I have to live with that. At least when a chance to shoot comes my way, I know I have a good chance of making good on it.

So I would recommend getting a longer bow first. Then after you get some experience under your belt, you can always get a smaller bow. I think it is true that if you can shoot a short bow well, you can shoot a longer bow to. The opposite isn’t true and thus you may end up getting frustrated and/or buying more bows than you want if you start off with a shorter bow.

2 cents from an average archer.

Steve — I don’t see that you’re disagreeing with Dave, respectfully or otherwise. You’re merely emphasizing a different point of view. While he emphasized the greater hunting convenience of shorter (that is not real long) bows, you emphasize your experiences with improved accuracy with longer bows. Both are valid considerations and not really disagreement since both seem true enough to me. 2 cents from a below-average archer. snuffy 😆

I would recomend a Bow with a geometry that has more angle in the riser. 19-22 degrees seems to be the ones more suited to the longer draws for the limited stack you would experience in the last 2 or 3 inchs of your draw. You might even consider using a metal riser like the Hoyt Nexus in a 23 inch length with a set of Olympic type ILF limbs. Riser geometry is the angle of the limbs as they angle off the riser. The less angle generally is suited to the shorter draws of 27-26 or below. The 3 rivers Dallaa has a 15 degree riser but with long limbs is a good Bow to 30 or so. For you I believe the longer riser like the Nexus with short limbs around 65 long. I believe the Martin Hatfield has a pretty forgiving geometry in a wood Bow. The longer Bows are generally more efficient in cast and the finger pinch factor also.

I too have a 32” draw length, and while finding a 62” recurve that works well at that draw length can be tricky, here is a short list of currently available ones with which I’ve had a lot of first hand experience.

Chek-Mate Hunter II
Bob Lee T/D Recurve
Palmer
Black Widow SA series (I think it’s now called PSA or something like that)
TradTech Titan (with long ILF limbs, it’s 62”)
DAS
Fox High Sierra

Wow I thought I was big: 6’4″ with a 30-31″ draw.

A 62″ recurve has worked great for ME but I just bought a 65″ longbow and I’ll probably never look back. I actually jumped up 10# in pull from my recurve and I can hardly feel the difference – pulls like butter.

I’ll keep my recurve but my longbow (not even an expensive model) feels better than any recurve I have shot.

Longer is almost always more efficient compared to shorter Bows of the same design. They stack less, have less pinch, and usually have more cast. Trouble is, they are longer.:)

I hear a lot of talk about short bows. Must be written by short people. If I can move 74″ of myself thru the woods then 66″ should follow easily. If you mind it matters. If you don’t mind it don’t matter LOL

cbkalpine: ya better figure out if’n ya want a longbow or a recurve first. There’s a world of difference between a 64″ longbow (27-28″draw) and a 64″recurve (30-31″draw).

I have a 30″ draw and for years thought I had to shoot
64″ recurves and 66″ longbows. Last year I found out
bow design is more important than bow length. I am now shooting a 56″ Shrew Classic Hunter as good or better
than I’ve ever shot. I did change from split finger to
shooting 3-under but even that is becoming more comfortable
than the old way.