How do you determine what the best length of pull is for you and where is it measured from? I can tell if the thing fits me or not but that's only a personal fit or feeling. If 28" works on one brand of bow will it possibly be different on a different brand of bow? I've been looking at getting a different bow and hope to be better informed.

DD

Deaddog,

   I'd got the best bow shop and ask them to measure it for you quick. 

   A couple of things on this one.  Most folks tend to "overdraw" with there arms when they first start (I did).  This is extending your left arm to far out by pushing your shoulder out, and having no bend in your left elbow.  For the right arm you shouldn't be rotating your shoulder out of it's socket to hold the string back.

  i.e. you should have a slight bend in your left elbow (extemely slight) so you know your using your bones and not too much muscle to hold the bow in place, and with right hand you should be comfortable for it up a long time.

   I may be using the wrong terms but if your using a bow that's too short of a draw you'll pull it too far and make it more consistant.  If your draw (bow setup) is too short you'll end up as I described above and your arms will get tired quickly while holding aim on a critter, or waiting for them to present a shot.

  at the end of the day, the better the bow fit's the better you'll be able to shoot with it.

  Keep in mind a release will change your draw length a good deal so choose to use one or not and stick with it. Most expensive bows today require a cam change to alter the length of pull change so the place you get it should do it for ya.  If you get an used bow most of the places will change it for ya for 25 to 40 bucks.

Spot 

Well I don't consider myself an expert on the subject but I'll throw in my 2 pennies.

There's all sorts of ways to determine draw length.

1.  stand perpendicular to a wall with your bow holding hand in a fist and flush to the wall.  Then, have someone measure from the wall to the corner of your mouth or other anchor point

2.  take a yard stick and place one end on your adam's apple and hold the stick between your extended hands.  Measuring from the tip of your fingers to your adam's apple gives you your draw length

3.  finally, and the one I like best.  Take an actual bow, usually a recurve or longbow and pull an incrementally labeled arrow.  The arrow acts as a ruler and your partner can tell you instantly your ideal draw length.  Use the same drawing method (release, tab, glove or fingers) to do this.

Well, there's what I know of it.  All of this was taken from Chuck Adam's Bowhunters Digest I got years ago - great book for the bowhunter and IMHO should be required reading.  Like Spot said, lots of different ways but a bow shop should get you started in the right direction.  Besides, you're probably gonna need them to get your arrows anyway.

I got mine done were i bout my bow. sounds easier then doing it yourself i think lol

I think I need professonal help.

Thanks you guys for your help.

DD

Yes professional help is a good START.

The length of the arrow depends upon your anchor point, the thickness of the bow, the type of rest your are using, and the type of point/head you are shooting.

You might draw a 28 inch arrow on one bow and very well could draw a 28 1/2 on another.  

Then most important is you are using a compound, the VALLEY OF the bow pull force curve must coincide with your draw.  So you are holding the bow at it's minimum.  this is not for your comfort....if the arrow starts with a 30# force and then the force is reduced to 28# the spine and bow will react poorly and you will lack accuracy (think of it as barrel vibration in a rifle).

If you go to a archer store they will measure your draw and suggest an appropriate anchor point depending upon your sight.  Compounds are really extremely complex and new lots of adjustment for an individual.  Most all compounds will shoot accurate and quiet...but because of differences in each shooter they MUST be adjusted.  there are a lot of good books that tell you how to adjust the cams, but few hunters bother to read them.  If the bow they have is not accurate or noise, they keep it one season and then sell it.  Eventually they find one that is close enough as it came to fit them,  and fall in love with that one (and usually swear by that brand). 

Any archer range will have a test bow that has an arrow with set of 1" rings around it.  If you know anyone that shoots competition (non-hunter) you can learn a lot about proper shooting style.

BEAR

   Take a tape mesure and put in the web of your hand,hold it as if your holding a bow,take the other end of the tape as if it were your string and pull it back to your best feeling anchor point,mine is my middle finger to the corner of my mouth,look at at what you have and you have your draw lenth easy as pie.

   Done this for a bunch of folks over the years and when they go to the pro shops 99% of the time they were right on.As long as they get the anchor point they like and kept it.

I read somewhere that if you measure the diststance from one middle finger tip to the other with your arms spread apart and divide that distance by 2.5 it will give you your draw length. Ever heard of this method? It seems to be the simplest.

DD