I am getting a new longbow straight grip bow built and I have tried the old yardstick in the chest measurement, close pin on the arrow measurement trick. I have shot for years and along time ago I would have said 28 inch draw length, then I would measure and only get a 27 1/2 draw or 27 inch. Today in the basement  I brought out my 54 inch Treadway 49@28 and shot for a while and measured it and got anywhere from 27 1/2 to 28 1/4. I took my 60 pound 68 inch longbow and got 27 1/2 to 28. Is there that much difference and does it really matter in relation to exact limb timing when the bow is right at it's peak when drawing it? Yes I am probably over analyzing it but that is what I do. Thanks Flint

Flint,
Is your anchor point consistent ?

Mine varies from about 13" to 28"  Depending on things.   Unlike compounds,  there is usually no set "peak" for a recurve or longbow.   It matters in that you are sending an arow off at 50 pounds or 46 pounds (if you drop and inch or so) but it shouldn't matter much in terms of  any sort of timing issue.
ChuckC

I would guess that either your form is inconsistent, meaning varying a bit shot to shot, or your anchor isn't that consistent.

I've never repeated draw length measurements but when I shoot over a chronograph with a new bow/arrow combination I shoot 12 arrows and throw out the high and low. I enter the rest into a spread sheet to determine the average arrow speed. Along with that I have my spreadsheet calculate the standard deviation. The lower the number the more consistent the arrow speeds are and I think the more consistent my draw length and form are. (You are not the only one that overly analyzes things.)    

The standard deviations I have gotten with my three bows are:

35# Martin Howatt Hunter - 1.1
55# Martin Hatfield - 2.2
Darton Compound - 1.8

These are pretty low so I'd say that I'm pretty consistent.  Now if I could just be as consistent on target.    :mad:

I try to be as consistent as possible (maybe 1/4" variance) from shot to shot. My arrows are cut so that the back of the point barely touches my index finger when I'm at fulldraw (read about this trick in Byron Ferguson's book). I will very occasionally creep forward before the release, causing a little bit of inconsistency.

The days i don't shoot i exersize by drawing and letting down the bow with an arrow on, i have a mirror set up on a shelf so i can see the riser from the side in it and see everytime how much i'm drawing the arrow.  My arrow is cut to my drawer length, 30.5" so i can see where the back of the field point is in relation to the front of the riser in the mirror to see that i'm hitting my drawer length everytime.

I drawer, anchor and then look in the mirror.  I've become pretty consistent doing this, most times now it's bang on.  Occasionally if i'm getting a little loose it'll be a couple of mm which i correct and hold at anchor for a while before letting down.

I never heard of the yard stick in the chest but that cant be all that accurate. I took a long arrow,put masking tape on it with measurements on it.  Or you could not put measurements on it and have somone mark the arrow where it is touching the riser at full draw and just see how consistent you are.  good luck.  I bet you are as good as consistent as any one else not using a clicker.

I say 1/2 -3/4 variation in draw length is probably better than most folks !!!!......... consistant draw length is VERY important ( its also my biggest form error 8^( ......... NOBODY draws exactly the same everytime unless they are shooting a clicker  


I would also guess 90% of the trad shooters are missing their draw length by 1 - 1 1/2 most of the time

I think what helps me the most is the fact that I wear a felt hat with a 3+ inch brim most of the time.  When my anchor and draw is perfect the string just pushes back the brim slightly. (Kind of like a silent clicker.

I shoot one of those video leagues and my arrows varry 4 fps from the fastest shot to the slowest shot for the whole 30 arrows. not too bad for an instinctive shooter who doesn't hold.

yep the hat trick helps  ........... but you have to watch your head position closely  .........  lean it into the shot or tip it back and it changes everything

I know I don't hit my anchor point as consistently as I'd like to. I figure 80% of the time when practicing I hit my anchor point. I can tell when I don't. I usually shoot low and my arrows don't have near the zip to them and they also fish tail a tad to. The people shooting heavier lbs will have this problem occur more I'd think.

flint, have you ever tried a clicker. They work pretty well to keep your draw length in check. You may want to give it a try.

I can come to full anchor 99% of the time, but not always full draw length. I now have a clicker and I've been dumbfounded on how much my perceived draw length can change from day to day.

The only way this can change if your archor point is the same is the ben in your bow arm is changing.But remember you get shorter draw leanth when you switch from a compound to a recurve to a longbow to a selfbow.With each change backard as mose people think your draw leanth shortens.