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i've been shooting some shorter bows the past couple weeks,56-58".i'm having an accuracy problem with these shorter bows.has anyone else
encountered this problem or is it just my imagination.

A longer bow is definitely smoother and easier to shoot for me.  I don't think it is your imagination.

Put me in with eagle24 longer is smoother and eaiser to shoot, least for me.

                 Brent

Making a really short bow necessitates either pushing the riser forward thus putting the center of gravity further away from you=less stable or having significant finger pinch=less forgiving (all along a continuum of course). So ALL OTHER VARIABLES BEING EQUAL, the longer bow will be the more stable, forgiving, bow. The people who shoot very short bows really well have simply learned how to shoot them well-that doesn't mean the bows are of a particularly stable design though people sometimes claim that. ("My 12 inch bow is smooth, stable and forgiving!"). The Wallendas can walk a wire better than I can a road-that doesn't mean I am not on the the more stable and forgiving platform!

I think a good shooter can shoot short bows well.  I'm not one of them  :(   At least it sure seems like my longer bows don't miss as badly.  :rolleyes:

I shoot my 54" Morrison Cheyenne much better than I shot my 58" and 60" recurves.

I shoot my 52" bow as good as my 60" bows.  Easier to draw and manuver in a hunting situation also.  I do shoot regularly though.

I have always shot longer bows better. They also seem to draw alot smoother.
Bill

I shoot a longer bow much better than I do a short one and pretty much have settled on 62" for recurves, longer for longbows.  Anything shorter than 58" and I have to realy concentrate on my release hand, both making a clean release and not torquing the string.  By the way, does it seem to anyone else that short bows are becoming more popular again?  

Brannon

The blinds have created quite the short bow market

It took a while for me to accurately shoot my 58" longbow. I almost sold it. But suddenly it all came together. I put it away for two weeks and shot my recurve until today. It wasn't my imagination. I can shoot that bow as good as my longer ones. Low bow shoulder, low grip, deep hook, full draw. Yeah!

I too have always enjoyed a bow of 66 or 67". However, this year I'll be shooting a 48" Sheepeater Spirit and I'm having NO Problems adjusting to the short bow. It puts em where I'm looking.

There's little doubt that short bows are the fad nowadays.  The radical deflex/reflex makes for pretty nice shooting short bows.  Think blinds have contributed to their popularity, and perhaps tree stands as well.  They do take some getting used to, but many people can shoot them well.  This isn't the first time this trend has appeared, of course.  Lots of short Bear, Pearson, Wing short recurves made in the late 60s, early 70s.

I like 64" bows the best.  They seem smoother and more forgiving to me

Hello JESSE, how are ya? As you know ,we've got short bows and long bows but seem to shoot the short ones better, don't know why. Skyler won a 3-d this week-end with "ol' Jesse". The best shooting bow I own is a LOST CREEK 56" LONG BOW. We're going to check the hogs this week-end in GEORGIA. I'll let you know, haven't forgot you. Don

I'm glad this post came up. I recently aquired a 58" widow recurve that has been giving me fits. I am used to longer selfbows and switching over to this short recurve has made me concentrate on my form more than ever. I've been shooting just about every day and things are starting to come together for me. I think, in the long run, learning how to shoot this shorter bow will only better me as an archer. Now if I can just figure out how to get a smooth release!!!!  :banghead:  ..Terry

try this!  when we're in Hickory this upcoming weekend find one of every lenght in your weight range and shoot some groups with them. that way you'll get an (on the spot) idea of what you DON'T like.

I'm with Ralph...I've always shot longer bows, heck, I'm a longbow fanatic.  I like 64" bows for most of what I shoot in self and long bows, for the very reasons many touch on...they are more forgiving - generally - of my bad habits.   Accuracy is really a problem of the shooter, not the bow, but design is important and can lend itself, even in short bows, to forgiveness of one's shooting flaws or style.  Having said all that, I've been shooting our Sheepeater Spirit - a whopping 48" long - as well as I can shoot anything!  I never thought it possible!   Short bows can be a pleasure to shoot if you get the right one.

I'm glad this post came up.  All I've ever heard is how "unforgiving" a short bow is, and how your release has to be perfect. :scared:  I was amazed.  Within about 50 shots I was shootin' better groups than either of the long ones.  It just seems to fit me.   :archer:  Pull back to anchor and release, nothin' fancy, just shoots where I'm lookin'.  I gotta 28" draw and don't notice any finger pinch to mention.  And I know my release isn't anything special, but still no problem.  
 I take that back,  the problem is I don't shoot my longer bows anymore.  The little 46" outshoots 'em for me. So I guess that ain't much of a problem  after all.
 Long live short bows     :clapper:  , that doesn't sound right, does it ?

I still prefer longbows that look like longbows to anything that looks too short or heavily R/D. Aesthetically speaking, some of those short bows to me are the eqivalent that a "pocket fisherman" is to a flyrod!  :)  -fully functional, but lacking some of the "style" for want of a better word. But I am one of those "foagies" in that I don't like metal risers either-even if they shot better. So I am not sticking with longer bows just because generally they are smoother and more forgiving. Some of it boils down to taste/aesthetics. I rarely follow trends. When I started not many people were buying Borders.

Steve, who's to say what any bow is   supposed to look like    :confused:  There's not much new in bow design today that hasn't been done before    :readit:  As for short longbows ( isn't that what they call an oxymoron?    ;)   ) I've seen some collections of indian archery and some of the plains indians shot short bows off horseback that were reflex deflex. As for style...like they say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Heck, it looks like even the early cavemen were shooting those short bows.    :rolleyes: ...      :biglaugh:  

  (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/early-Shrew2.jpg)

Hi Ron,

I saw a picture of Geronimo's bow once. I think it was maybe 36". I am sure he liked it. I would have traded it.    :biglaugh:    "Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder" and that is my point exactly. I didn't mean to imply that a bow is  supposed  to look a certain way, only that I  liked a bow to look a certain way. (Probably because I grew up on "Robin Hood" and English longbow movies)!      ;)      There are clear advantages to a 3 piece longbow and to shorter bows in some situations. I prefer a long(er) longbow, two-piece, (again, just for looks) and if I need something shorter I have my recurves. I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone any more than I thought I would by my saying I preferred petite blondes over long-legged model types. Just a preference-I'd be happy to date either!      :biglaugh:

Yes.....But ACCURACY is in the EYE of the BOW-HOLDER   ;)

If short bows were just as accurate as long bows the Olympic shooters would be shooting them. They AINT.

LOL-good one Woodchucker!  :biglaugh:

The longer they are the better I shoot em.  I never thought of a 64 incher as being long., rather a short longbow.  I like em 68-70" and straight. Its a shame you can't hardily find them anymore. - short and reflex seems to be ALL the rave today.  I laugh whenever I hear someone say they need a shorter bow for Tree hunt'n-- I mean really- whats the diff. between a 60" and a 68" bow in a tree-- 4" on each end-- how hard can that be to manuver?  Never, caused me a prob. and unlikely to make the diff. for anyone.  Its just one of those Myths that gets perpetuated.--It's basically balonely.  The diff. might matter in about one out of a 100 circumstances.

i love the look and feel of short bows, just don't like shooting them. Give me a 68" Hill style or 60"/62" 'curve anyday. To me, longer bows are much more accurate with my style of shooting. Ben

Howzit all,

I like shooting short bows because of the type of hunting we have here in Hawaii. All of my hunting is done spot and stalk. For "me" a short bow is much easier to manuver around in the bush. If you ever saw me stalking, you'd understand why I need a short bow. On Jan. 2, I was seven yards from a ewe and was trying to line up a shot when my upper limb hit a branch. Needless to say I didn't get to draw my bow.

Sorry, got side tracked but to answer you question, as far as accuracy, I cannot tell the difference between my 62" bow and 56" bow.  I have a 26" draw so I don't know if it would make any difference. Personally I think grip design has alot to do with accuracy. I had Black Widow send me two risers, one with the standard grip and the other with the Asbell grip. I shot the standard grip okay but when I switched to the Asbell, arrows seemed to go where I looked---- almost effortlessly. Well at least more times than not. For "me" I don't think that I'll be changing to a longer bow anytime soon.

Aloha,

     Mark

I don't know, I like my 56" Check-mate   :)    but I also liked my 60" widow  :rolleyes: . I can't tell any difference in accuracy. No finger pinch with my short bow, maybe it's because of my short 27" draw. I don't like a bow over 60" long, I'm short 5'5"  :help:  
I do want one of the short Shrew's though.
Ramblings of a bowaholic.    
Daren

To me it is not just the short bow, but the bow design as well.  Take Mr. Laclair's Shrewster's, they love the bows and have shot one and was really impressed.  for me I shot a 52" old shakespeare recurve good for bowfishing, and harvested a few deer with it.  But this last year went down to a 48" and wow, could barely hit the barn door.  It was already said that you can master it if you take the time.  but, I do feel a bow for me from 56" on up, is less sensitive and little more forgiving, but we are all different as well as design and time of practice.

Short bows shoot just fine if you take a bit of time to tune them. Finger pinch can and will be an issue for the long draws, and stacking is also a concern for the long draw shooters.Some bows just don't pull to 29+".
You can shoot a short bow anywhere you can shoot a long one but not the other way around.
What we consider short  is unheard of long to the compound finger shooter.
Before buying a short bow ask the bowyer about draw length, and if it will be suited to your draw length.. Take the time to tune it, and consider where you want to use it.
I love short bows, but they are not my first choice for every type of shooting.In a blind , tall grass, or thick cover they have the great advantage of limb clearence.

Pete

Until recently I have always been a proponent of longer bows. 62-64 inch Longbows were the minimum and 60-62 inch Recurves.
    I was fortunate enough to pick up a couple of the new short Hybrid Longbows (Centaur & Shrew) both are 58" and I love them. I have changed my tune with regards to short bows and have a 56" Shrew on the way.
    I believe my perception came from the short bows I owned in the early 70's. I had a couple that were real popular 48" and 52" Recurves. Finger pinch and Stack were considerable. If you haven't shot one of the new short bows and there are several good shooters out there, you owe it to yourself to give one a shot.
   Everyone's opinion will vary but they sure have changed my mind.
            Tater

               :thumbsup:

I have never understood the stability thing thats supposed to occur with a forward riser.

One thing to remember is that there are more bow fit issues than just length and some people are greatly affected by by the other variables making it hard for us to subjectively say how length length matters to us beyond the rather obvious and measurable finger pinch.

I agree with asking the bowyer of a particular bow for their recommendation. I asked a bowyer for a 64 inch recurve and he recommended against it. He based that on the grounds that I wouldn't get the same performance out of the longer bow for my draw length.

So........ I guess how long a bow SHOULD be for accuracy depends on how it is designed by the bowyer and fit to your specs.

-Charlie

Wonder why all the Olympic shooters shoot long bows? In fact, why don't you ever see a short target bow of any kind? I realize that hunting and target shooting aren't exactly the same thing, however, accuracy does help in both endeavors !

I think longer bows (62-70") are intrinsically more "accurate" than short bows (58" and under).  Mass weight and string angle are two reasons for this.  Compounders get past the string angle problem by using string loops instead of hooking releases directly to the string, but finger shooters can't do that.  I think this is mostly an academic question that relates more to target shooting than hunting accuracy.  I believe that even the "short bow" fans would probably shoot better scores on indoor, field, and 3-D courses if they used longer, target-style bows, but there are many things besides intrinsic accuracy that make a bow desirable for hunting, like handling qualities, or "feel," however you want to define that.  To use an analogy, a long-barreled, 12-pound varmint rifle w/ a 10 ounce trigger would probably outshoot a 6 1/2 pound carbine on the range, but would be a poor choice for carrying in the thickets.  Whatever intrinsic accuracy advantage it had would be offset by its poor handling qualities.  The lighter, shorter rifle would shoot "better" under real-world hunting conditions, in effect.  So it is with bows.  JMO, Paul.

To compare Olympic target Archery and Hunting is like Apples to Oranges.
  I agree accuracy in the field is of the utmost importance but I am not shooting 60 meters at any animals.
    Shoot whatever you are confident with it's all about enjoyment for me not competition.

QuoteOriginally posted by BTH:
I shoot my 54" Morrison Cheyenne much better than I shot my 58" and 60" recurves.

That because you were dragging the bottom limbs of the 58 and 60" recurves on the ground!  :knothead:  

 :goldtooth:

Jay, I know how you shoot.  Just can't see you shooting anything bad.