# Brace height too low?



## Archery Ang (Apr 24, 2006)

I shoot my recurve at around 9. The brace height is different for compounds and recurves, and there is usually a "sweet spot". Play around and find it. Can't hurt. And I'm very temperamental about my gear, too.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

John - 

IF the bow tunes correctly (dependent on the arrows, of course) and she isn't smacking the lower part of her forearm/wrist, don't worry about it.

If the bow tunes correctly and you still want a taller brace height, you'll have to play with: weight (limb bolts), centershot offset and / or stiffer arrows).

BTW - if she's at anchor, there no way she's gonna break that clicker 

Viper1 out.


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## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

Viper1 said:


> John -
> BTW - if she's at anchor, there no way she's gonna break that clicker


Not the best picture... 
Her bow-hand grip is _all wrong_ for lack of a finger sling, which has been corrected already.
We don;t have her correctly spined arrows yet.
The current arrows have not been cut down to her "recurve" length, yet.
She's over extended her bow arm's elbow; not locked out, but not quite bent enough.
Her draw elbow is not inline w/ the wrist/arrow.... 
I could go on and on picking it apart... But she is showing off what I feel is her best _ass_et ;-)



I twisted up her string to get her to a 9-1/4" B.H. and I stood out in the downpours while she stood under the canopy of the porch with the screen door held open shooting the blank bale out on the yard... She said she noticed no discernible difference in her shots between 7" and 9" B.H. other than they were grouping higher. So we'll keep it there for a while. And I need to make up another shorter string


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

Some recurve archers use the sound of the shot as their guide for brace height.

The quieter the shot, the cleaner the arrow is releasing from the string. Since on a recurve the arrow flexes more than on a compound (assuming a correctly tuned compound and release aid), the idea is that you want the string and arrow to separate at the point where the arrow is no longer flexed and is moving straight forwards. Any slight deflection of the nock end of the arrow during the release of the arrow from the string will make a louder sound and of course have more of an effect on the arrow and it's flight.

The MFG brace height is often based on an a few "givens" and the time that the arrow should remain on the string.

DC


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## voxito (Apr 16, 2006)

dchan said:


> the idea is that you want the string and arrow to separate at the point where the arrow is no longer flexed and is moving straight forwards. Any slight deflection of the nock end of the arrow during the release of the arrow from the string will make a louder sound and of course have more of an effect on the arrow and it's flight.


very good and informative answer. I thought I was going to go the whole day without learning something. thanks dchan:thumbs_up


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## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

dchan said:


> Some recurve archers use the sound of the shot as their guide for brace height.


Unfortunately for us, we are away from our "quiet" home indoor range, and it has been raining buckets since the day before we got here, so tuning by ear has been pretty much out of the question for now, but we'll get on that soon as we are home where we can have an empty gymnasium to ourselves. And some arrows that are not grossly over-spined. What a great vacation, first leave I've taken in 4 years and it's rained every one of the 10 days we've been here!!! And no cell service, but at least I got free wireless sitting in the parking-lot of the town library.



> The quieter the shot, the cleaner the arrow is releasing from the string.


makes perfect sense to me...



> The MFG brace height is often based on an a few "givens" and the time that the arrow should remain on the string.


It sure didn't _hurt_ her shots to jack it up to over 9", so I guess the folks at W&W know a few things about tuning their risers, eh?


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## titanium man (Mar 5, 2005)

No lower than 8.75", and with my WW,70", I try not to run higher than 9". As AA says, there is definitely a "sweet spot", once she's comfortable shooting the new equipment, she'll find the optimum brace height.


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

FYI My Exfeel with Hoyt GM Carbon, 40# Long limbs, tuned out best at about 9.125.

DC


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## Xcreekarchery1 (Aug 7, 2007)

i know that my bows have always tuned up at 9+ for brace height. right now with my x-factor with long inno limbs its 9 1/8 for me is the quietist and tunes up the best. geneerally there are 2 quiet zones, one low and one high one tends to tune and one just sounds good so its all about ur bow


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## Floxter (Sep 13, 2002)

To try and equate the brace required on a compound with that required on a target recurve is comparing apples to oranges. Actually a 7 3/4" brace on a compound would be considered high these days of 32" & 33" ata bows. But on a 70" recurve, 9" of brace height would be considered the norm, and to try shooting it with 7 3/4" brace is only going to make it terribly unforgiving, loud, and create tons of hand shock from string vibration. Hoyt currently recommends a brace height between 8 3/4" and 9 1/2", which is fairly representative of most modern recurve limbs.


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