Does size really matter when it comes to archery? Just because you’ve got a massive bow, doesn’t mean you’ll be making shots! Read this guide to find your ideal bow size.
“What Size Bow Should I Get?” Two Very Important Points that Will Answer That Question!
Ask yourself this question, “what size bow should I get?”. More often than not determining what size would work best for you boils down to two important archery points. And these two elements are the following:
Draw Length
Another important archery element when it comes to sizing a bow is the draw length. The draw length is essentially the distance you get when fully drawing your bow (from the nock point of your arrow to the arrow rest of your bow).
Now, this is where it gets tricky. For compound bows, the built-in mechanism will only allow you to draw a bow up to a certain level (so, this would be the draw length of a compound bow). However, for recurve bows, you can actually overdraw or underdraw them, both of which are bad (more on this a bit later). So for both types of bows it’s important that you buy a bow for which the draw’s bow length is the same as your measured draw length. (Still, compound bows are tunable so you can change the draw length later on.)
As such, finding out your own unique draw length is essential for recurve bow shooters. For starters, here is the most basic way to determine your draw length (and in effect, to answer the question of what size recurve bow you would need):
- Have a tape measure handy.
- Ask your buddy to help you out!
- Stand against a wall.
- With your back flat against the wall, lift up your arms.
- Line up your arms outstretched against the wall.
- Have your friend measure from the tip of your index finger towards the other end.
- Divide the figure by 2.5. So your draw length is your armspan divided by 2.5
The figure you get in the end would be your suggested draw length! Consider this variable together with the recommended draw weight to choose a bow that will be apt for you! You can get even more details on finding your draw length here.
Given that archery figures are subjective to the shooters themselves, we’d like to share some more recommended figures. Additionally, your height can be a good approximation on how to find the right size of bow for you as it's probably the same as your armspan. But please, do take this with a grain of salt - for best results measure your arm span, and choose a bow for your arm span, not your height. But for reference, here are some figures to determine your bow size in comparison to your height:
| Recurve bow sizing mega-chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Your Height (*) | Your Arm Span | Your Draw Length | Recurve Bow Size |
| 2’11”-3’4” | 35-40” | 14-16” | 48” |
| 3’6”-4’2” | 42-50” | 17-20” | 54” |
| 4’2”-4’7” | 50-55” | 20-22” | 58” |
| 4’7”-5’0” | 55-60” | 22-24” | 62” |
| 5’0”-5’5” | 60-65” | 24-26” | 64-66” |
| 5’5”-5’10” | 65-70” | 26-28” | 66-68” |
| 5’10”-6’3” | 70-75” | 28-30” | 68-70” |
| 6’5” + | 77” + | 31” + | 70-72” |
(*) Make sure you always measure your arm span, not your height. Using your height will be inaccurate.
Draw Weight
The draw weight is defined as the force you will need to draw your bow to your anchor position. Measured by pounds, this archery element will let you know if a bow will best suit your unique style (and strength!).
Now, why should you consider the weight when it comes to making a full draw? Again, this is more than showing off your strength. Equipping a bow with the proper draw weight will not only let you shoot properly. It will also help prevent you from overdrawing your bow. Doing so will both prevent damaging your gear and saving yourself from pesky injuries.
In a nutshell, here are some recommended draw weight figures to help you on how to size a recurve bow:
| Recurve Bow Draw Weight | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Category | Beginners | Intermediate | Advanced (including muscular) |
| Youth, Ages 8-10 | 10-12 lbs. | 10-14 lbs. | |
| Youth, Ages 11-13 | 10-14 lbs. | 12-18 lbs. | |
| Teens, Ages 14-17 | 12-16 lbs. | 16-22 lbs. | |
| Young Adults, Ages 18-20 | 16-22 lbs. | 18-26 lbs. | |
| Adult Women | 16-26 lbs. | 22-32 lbs. | 30-50 lbs. |
| Adult Men | 26-30 lbs. | 26-38 lbs. | 50-70 lbs. |
Remember, these are all just recommended figures, it all depends on your own preference or strength! But a good rule of thumb to always consider when it comes to choosing a bow’s draw weight is that “less is more.” You would always want to have a bow that you wouldn’t want any trouble drawing! On the other hand you’ll also want a bow that’s not too easy to draw - that will just mess up your shooting stance!
Go for the right balance, without overcompensating on power! Control is everything in archery - you really wouldn’t be able to do anything if you can’t even manage to pull your bow string!
Know More on How to Size a Bow
Let us now be more specific! Aside from the draw length and draw weight factors, here are some other factors to keep in mind when choosing your bow size.
How to Size a Recurve Bow
These simple guidelines should help you get the right recurve bow size!
Find Out Why You Need a Recurve Bow
Are you hunting? Or do you plan to use a recurve bow for recreational or target shooting? Knowing your recurve bow's purpose will actually let you know the right size to get!
A Recurve Bow for Target Practice
For target practice you can get away with a bow that does not match you that good. But remember - to get the best archery experience and size, please always refer to the guide we've mentioned earlier! Draw weight and draw length will matter!
A Recurve Bow for Hunting
What size recurve bow do I need for hunting? Well, to answer this question, you'd need to know how much power you'd need when stalking your prey!
Depending on the prey you plan to hunt (and on hunting laws stated on the area you plan to shoot), a certain amount of draw weight is necessary. Aside from aiming for a swift (and ethical) kill, getting a recurve bow with the right amount of power is needed to efficiently hunt. For most states (if not, all hunting grounds), the required draw weight a hunting recurve bow should have is at 40 lbs. minimum.
Similar to the recurve bow target practice tip above, please always consider your draw length as well. A heavy bow with so much power wouldn't make so much of a difference if you couldn't draw it at all!
What Type of Recurve Bow Should You Get?
Considered as the "traditional bow", a recurve bow does come in two variants!
- Traditional Recurve Bow - similar to what you see in medieval archery, this recurve bow comes with a long shaft and bow string.
- Take-Down Recurve Bow - the main difference that this recurve bow offers is that its limbs can be detached from the bow riser. This means that this bow is a more mobile, easier to fix (considering that the parts can be quickly removed and replaced), and comes with adjustable draw weight parameters.
Again, which choice all depends on you and your preference!
How to Size a Compound Bow
Here are some guidelines to properly size a compound bow!
Compound Bow Mechanism Details
Please refer to the recurve bow guidelines mentioned above - and included these helpful details:
The Axle-to-Axle Length
This variable, when combined with the draw weight and draw length parameters, will give you an idea on the perfect compound bow settings you should get! The axle-to-axle length is mainly the length of your entire compound bow, from top to bottom. This should give you a clear view on how you will be able to manage your compound bow - a longer axle-to-axle length measurement may be easier to shoot and produce more damage. On the other hand, a compound bow with a shorter axle-to-axle length measurement means it is more mobile.
Again, it depends on your intentions on how and where you plan to use your compound bow!
The Brace Height
Another element to consider when using compound bow is the brace height measurement. Determined by the compound bow manufacturer, the brace height is the distance between the bow string and the throat of the compound bow. The brace height measurement can mean:
- Longer brace height - the slower the arrow speed (but easier to handle).
- Shorter brace height - the faster the arrows speed (but harder to handle).
Yet again, this compound bow variable all depends on your preferences. But knowing this archery element will help you realize why your arrow speed is set as such on your compound bow!
Size Issues: Why Bow Size Matters
Let’s break it down even further on why bow size really matters in archery!
What Happens if I Have the Wrong Bow Size?
Simply put, the wrong bow size results to so much frustration and potential pain! Here are possible problems you’ll encounter:
- You will mess up your back posture - and this is never a good thing!
- You will mess up and practice the wrong shooting form - getting the right archery stance is essential in making each shot count. And the wrong bow size can quickly mess up your muscle memory. Don’t risk hours of practice on getting your form right just because you’re shooting the wrong size of a bow!
- You will miss your shots - may sound like a nuisance but it can be really frustrating!
- Pain will settle in - even after just a few shots, you may feel a stinging pain. If this happens, please stop and reconsider choosing another bow!
Overdraw Issues
What happens if you tend to exert too much effort when drawing a bow? Not only will you testing (and eventually, breaking) the design limitations of your bow, you’re bound to lose out on maximizing your gear’s peak performance. Not to mention, you’ll be prone to the injuries mentioned above! This is because the draw weight will increase a lot as you overdraw, and your arrow’s flight will become unstable.
Underdraw Issues
Sure, you can simply draw your bow string with almost no effort at all! But you’ll be missing out on getting the right archery stance and arrow speed in return. When underdrawing the draw weight will stay low, therefore your arrows will fly slower too. So strike a balance when it comes to draw length!
There you have it - you never want to shoot using the wrong bow size!
Easy Tips on How to Find the Right Bow Size for You
Next up, we’d like to share some quick but efficient pointers on how to size a bow!
Draw Length Vs Height
A common mistake that most archers make is basing a bow’s draw length to their height.
Never go with this belief! There is a reason why we suggested some steps on how you can find out your draw length earlier! Remember, everyone is built differently. One’s wing span may be close to his or height. But this is never the case for everyone! As such, measuring your actual arm span will help you get the closest figure for the draw length you need for your bow!
Age is Never an Issue!
Granted that there are suggested figures to follow when choosing a bow’s draw weight. But this doesn’t mean that the older you get, the lighter the draw weight should be! Age alone should (and will) never be an issue when determining the draw weight. One’s archery skills and preference should always trump over these bow poundage suggestions!
Trust Your Instincts
And this now leads us to the last easy tip. As archery is a state of mind, everything will depend on how calm and confident you are when both handling and shooting your bow. The tips and guidelines we shared above should be just that - a guide. In the end it will all depend on your own unique style and preference too!
The Right Bow Size Will Matter
Choosing the right size for your preferred bow will help you:
- In making those shots count.
- In protecting you from unnecessary frustration and injury.
- In giving you the confidence you need.
- Besides size, handedness matters too of course.
- For the right bow size you'll also need properly sized arrows - read more here (how to pick arrows) and here (arrow suggestions).
We hope the guide above will let you choose the right bow size. Happy shooting, everyone!
Read More
- Want to know more on recurve bow sizes? This post shares some helpful info !
- A healthy discourse on bow size can be found in this thread !
- This video shows how to find out the optimum recurve bow size.
- To learn more about calculating your draw length read this article.