| urve bow has been around for centuries, and still | | | | and he will be shooting slightly to the right. |
| remains a popular choice for archers even to this day. | | | | Choose Your Draw Length |
| This is true for both target archery and hunting. | | | | Next, you will need to determine a proper and |
| Many archers prefer a more traditional recurve bow | | | | suitable draw length. |
| over the modern compound bow, and for a number | | | | Draw Length is simply the distance from where your |
| of reasons. A common feeling among archers is that | | | | arrow is knocked on the string at full draw, to the |
| a recurve bow allows you to more easily connect | | | | front of the bow. The correct draw length for you |
| with the essence of archery, rather than getting | | | | can be determined by a simple formula. |
| caught up in the technology. It also gives you more | | | | Measure (or have a friend measure) your arm span |
| direct control over the shot, and is often more | | | | from the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of |
| difficult without the guiding hand of hi-tech assistance. | | | | the other hand. Just stand naturally with your arms |
| Choose Hand Preference | | | | out to your sides. Don't stretch your arms out as far |
| When selecting your recurve bow, the first thing you | | | | as you can, or you may end up with a incorrect draw |
| will need to do is determine your hand preference. | | | | length. |
| For most people this should be a fairly obvious and | | | | If you are unable to perform the measurement, you |
| simple step. Right handers will use the traditional right | | | | can simply use your height instead. It won't be as |
| handed shooting method of holding the bow in the | | | | accurate, but most people have an arm span |
| left hand, and drawing back the bowstring with the | | | | approximately equal to their height. |
| right. Using this hold will also mean that you will be | | | | Once you have this measurement, simply divide it by |
| aiming with your right eye. | | | | 2.5 to determine your draw length. The end result will |
| Naturally, the complete reverse is true for the | | | | be in the same unit of measurement you used to |
| traditional left handed shooting technique. You would | | | | measure the arm span. |
| hold the bow in the right hand, while drawing back | | | | Just to give you some frame of reference, a typical |
| with the left and aiming with the corresponding eye. | | | | 6' man will have a draw length between 28 and 29 |
| While these two techniques will work fine for most | | | | inches. |
| archers, some people are cross-dominant. This means | | | | Choose Your Draw Weight |
| that their dominant eye is opposite their dominant | | | | The final step in choosing your recurve bow is to find |
| hand. | | | | a draw weight which suits your body type and |
| When faced with the dilemma of how to go about | | | | shooting style. |
| shooting when all of the dominants do not match up, | | | | The draw weight of a bow is simply how much force |
| it is common for the archer to hold the bow | | | | it will take to pull the bowstring back to your full |
| whichever way feels more comfortable in the hands, | | | | draw length. |
| and make a slight alteration to their aiming technique. | | | | You will want a weight that you can draw back the |
| When aiming you will want to close your dominant | | | | full length and hold for at least 10 seconds. If it feels |
| eye. | | | | like you could hold the bowstring drawn back for |
| For example, a cross dominant person who holds the | | | | significantly longer than that, you may want to |
| bow right handed, yet who's dominant eye is the left | | | | consider moving to a higher weight. |
| will want to learn to close his left eye when he aims, | | | | An adult male should have a draw weight between |
| and only use the right. If they were both kept often, | | | | 25 and 50 pounds for recreational or target shooting, |
| he may find his dominant eye will influence the aim, | | | | and even higher for hunting. |