trad bow for tall guys?

[newbreedarcher]

#5763

hey guys! (and gals!) I am new to traditional archery, so please excuse my ignorance. I am having a lot of trouble finding a bow that will fit me. I have a draw length of 32.5 inches. That is for a compound bow, I was told that it will be roughly 2 inches shorter for a trad bow. i can’t seem to find a recurve or longbow that will fit me tho:( the only bows that seem to be able to draw that long, without stacking, are the “horse bows” or horn bows. i don’t know if those are capable of taking down big game tho. If anyone has a suggestion, let me know! and I do have a budget of around $400. thanks again guys!

[emsirrin]

#44333

My family has similar problems, we all have draw lengths in excess of 30″.

When my dad switched he ordered a bow from Steve Turay at I believe Great Northern Longbow, Steve made a reverse handle that he liked a lot. Since then we’ve gotten into making our own, and at 6’9″ I shoot a 72″ longbow with no problems.

I guess I’d suggest looking for a reverse handle, you make be able to avoid the stacking you’re currently experiencing or look for a longer long bow.

[David Petersen]

#44405

Newbreed — Welcome to tradbow.com. Like I keep telling folks, most of us are consumed with hunting right now so don’t think nobody cares if you’re not flooded with answers right away. I just returned from a week gone hunting myself. Brother, there are countless longbows and recurves you can pull that far with absolutely no problem. It’s hardly a specialty item. For example, a 56″ Shrew would accommodate you. Your budget will mean you either have to buy a factory bow — dont’! — or shop used for a good custom bow, which I recommend. Others will chime in, I trust, with specific suggestions for good models for a long draw, Keith Chastain specializes in them for example, but I think more helpful will be hints on how to shop for good used bows. I’d start with the classifieds here and (if necessary ) on other trad bowhunting sites. If you get serious about a particular model, google the maker and call him to ask about draw lengths. That will get you started. Best luck in your hunt. Dave

[Robin Conrads]

#44448

Great advice, Dave. I will just add that Steve Turay owns Northern Mist Longbows in northern Michigan. Great Northern is also a great bow built by Jerry Brumm.

[Stumpkiller]

#44464

I’m 6’3″ tall and draw 29-3/4″ (my arrows are cut 30-1/2″ BOP and the tip comes right back to the riser wood) and my two favorite bows are a Browning Explorer (62″ AMO) and a Browing Cobra II (58″ AMO). I also have no draw problems with my Martin/Howatt Dream Catcher (60″ AMO). Though I have had problems with a 58″ Martin Mamba that just flat stopped at 28-1/2″.

When I shot a compound I drew 32″ and used fingers release.

[newbreedarcher]

#44474

I appreciate the quick reply time! Very good info:) I am going to get on the classified section of the site asap!

[skifrk]

#45103

I am 6’4″ and have a 30.25″ draw length along with being left handed I found that a bob lee worked well for me, they still have a clearance section on their website. There are also quite a few specialty bowyers that make great bows that will fit your draw length. I think one if I had to look again is big foot bows in Oregon or even eagle wing archery there too. The one thing I did was go to a local traditional archery shop and try as many bows as they had in stock that fit me. Also I found when I switched from compound to longbow that I needed to clean up my form a bit to increase my accuracy so I found a local coach to give me a few lessons. Your mileage may vary if that helps you or not.

[Jason Wesbrock]

#45565

Are you looking for a recurve or a longbow? That may help us narrow down some options for you.

I’m 6’4″ with a 32″ draw length, and I’ve been through quite a few bows, some that worked far better than others. If you’re new to tratditional archery, I would highly suggest you stay away from short bows (for the sake of discussion, let’s assume that’s recurves less than 62″ long). Can some short bows be shot with your draw length? Technically, yes. But they will be far more twitchy at your draw than a longer bow, so why handicap yyourself right off the bat?

With respect to used bows, there’s one major problem you’re likely to encounter: draw weight. For every inch you draw over 28″ you can safely add 3# to the bow’s draw weight at 28″. Most used bows these days are in the 50-59″ weight range, which when you add 3# per inch for your draw, may be far to heavy to learn on. If you’re interested in recurves, a Hoyt Excel riser and some inexpnsive wood/glass ILF limbs will cost you less than $300 and shoot as good or better than most anything on the market. If you want a wood riser, the TradTech Pinacle can be had for a few dollars more.

[emsirrin]

#45594

Thanks for Northern Mist correction…

Back to the topic, not sure if this was mentioned but if you find a bow you like or brand, etc. Check out ebay, I’ve found some good deals on bows that shoot great for a taller guy.

[newbreedarcher]

#45654

I would prefer a long bow. I have been looking at dryridge archery. He has very affordable prices on his bows, and I haven’t found any negatives about his bows. Anyone had any experience with his bows?

[skifrk]

#45667

If you would like alongbow that is reasonable. While I do not have experience with Dry Ridge, i did talk to a vendor that advertised in Trad Bow himself that I liked before I went with a bob lee bow. He was Kohannah Bows, it was just the turn around time was too long for me to get a bow. I do agree that all the bows you see on the classified will be for a weight at 28″ draw. So I went down to a draw weight of 43# at 28″. Which kept me from being ovverbowed.

[newbreedarcher]

#47431

You guys have all been more than helpful! I thank you for your time! I am much closer to deciding what route to take:)

[Ripforce]

#47877

My son Limblover is 6’3 has a 31in draw, he shoots a 66in Bama royal longbow he also has a 64in Reflex/deflex Bama Expedtion no issues with stack etc! You can buy a Bama Hunter 66in D Style longbow custom built for $389 plus shipping (about 14.00)Nate will build it with any wood combo on the riser that you want! also comes with bowsock and string!

[newbreedarcher]

#47886

sounds good! now, this may be a little off topic, I was told by a local traditional archer, that eastern bows or “horse bows” are able to draw to great lengths without stacking. He said they are very accurate and have no hand shock. Just curious if anyone has used them or known anyone that has that could verify this. thanks a lot everyone!:D

[snafu72]

#48194

newbreedarcher wrote: sounds good! now, this may be a little off topic, I was told by a local traditional archer, that eastern bows or “horse bows” are able to draw to great lengths without stacking. He said they are very accurate and have no hand shock. Just curious if anyone has used them or known anyone that has that could verify this. thanks a lot everyone!:D

i have a horn hunter [horsebows.com] horse bow smooth no hand shock at all and super quiet

accurate yes you shoot off your hand you theres more room for you to mess up

now some of the horse bows dont stack but this one does 70@28 82@30 97@32 but it was made for a 28in draw

but Kassai has bows that are longer and dont stack intill 32 mine was made for me i am only 5 9

i have had it for 12 years now and it just started to lose poundage 64 at 28 not 70 a few weeks back so i ordered a custom bama bow Elite Classic $500 total

i hope this helps you

[newbreedarcher]

#53400

Well all, I decided to go with a Bama hunter! His prices are the best I’ve seen and his quality seems to be top shelf. I haven’t seen a bad review at all, and… Did I say his prices can’t be beat? 🙂 just ordered it today, I’m sooo pumped to get it I can’t stand it!

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