# Maximum recurve bow draw length



## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

TheOldNewbie said:


> I am currently shooting a 66" 23# recurve with stabalizer, sight, plunger at a 28" draw length. I would like to get a shorter higher DW bow to shoot trad instinctive. My wife has a 62" bow, which is a Cartel Triple riser with Samick Polaris limbs. She has a 25" DW, so this works fine for her. I'm wondering if it is OK to shoot this bow at a 28" DL. I have shot it 30 or 40 times and it feels fine, but I'm wondering if it is bad for the bow. I'm also considering getting a Samick Sage at 30# for this. Would this be a better choice for shooting at a 28" DL than the Cartel Triple with Polaris limbs? I can't find any info on maximum DL for these bows. The Samick site only recommends the Polaris 62" bow up to 28#. I assume this is because of the Polaris riser and not the Polaris limbs. The Sage is recommended to 60#, but no maximum DL is listed.


There is really two issues here: safety and stacking. I have a 32 1/2 inch draw so I certainly have experience with both. There are different types of bows, some designed to be short, others, such as target bows, are designed to be long. Taking a very short target bow and overdrawing it may not be a good thing. Short target bows are designed for folks with short draw lengths such as smaller adults and children. Some have weight limitations that are based upon normal draw lengths for that length bow. Also, they will stack, especially entry level bows. If you want a short bow, you may want to look into a bow that is designed to be a short bow. Heck, there are horse bows that are very short that can be drawn 30 inches, but they are designed for that. Be careful what you do with an entry level bow whether it is overdrawing or trying to exceed the recommended draw weight. The Cartel Triple has a plastic riser and the Sage is wood. There are caste aluminum risers such as the TREX, that are only spec'd for up to 34 pounds at recommended draw lengths. I have read a lot of posts from folks that want to take short bows that are designed for kids and turn them into 50 pound hunting bows.


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## TheOldNewbie (Mar 31, 2012)

Hank D Thoreau said:


> There is really two issues here: safety and stacking. I have a 32 1/2 inch draw so I certainly have experience with both. There are different types of bows, some designed to be short, others, such as target bows, are designed to be long. Taking a very short target bow and overdrawing it may not be a good thing. Short target bows are designed for folks with short draw lengths such as smaller adults and children. Some have weight limitations that are based upon normal draw lengths for that length bow. Also, they will stack, especially entry level bows. If you want a short bow, you may want to look into a bow that is designed to be a short bow. Heck, there are horse bows that are very short that can be drawn 30 inches, but they are designed for that. Be careful what you do with an entry level bow whether it is overdrawing or trying to exceed the recommended draw weight. The Cartel Triple has a plastic riser and the Sage is wood. There are caste aluminum risers such as the TREX, that are only spec'd for up to 34 pounds at recommended draw lengths. I have read a lot of posts from folks that want to take short bows that are designed for kids and turn them into 50 pound hunting bows.


So I'm assuming that a 30# Samick Sage would be the best choice for a 62" lower cost bow to draw to 28" and to not shoot my wife's 62" Cartel riser????

Edit: I hadn't read carefully enough. Even though I couldn't find anything on the Samick site, LAS says that the Sage is good for up to a 28" draw, so that would be the best way to go.


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## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

There are a lot of Sage shooters that really like them. Maybe, some will chime in. I do not shoot one but both of my sons started on bows much like the Cartel. 28 inches is not a really long draw length and I would not think it would strain the Sage. Also, 30 pounds is a pretty reasonable weight.


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## Destroyer (Sep 11, 2009)

TheOldNewbie said:


> So I'm assuming that a 30# Samick Sage would be the best choice for a 62" lower cost bow to draw to 28" and to not shoot my wife's 62" Cartel riser????


Yep. The Sage is fine with my long draw btw.


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## drewsumrell (Dec 4, 2011)

I shoot a Samick Sage w/ 35# limbs. I have a 30" DL and have shot the Sage thousands of times with no problems. At 28" DL, you should be able to shoot it for decades. Enjoy!


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## dayrlm (May 20, 2010)

Most of todays stock bows are designed for a 28" draw. That is how most get their poundage rating. Unless the bow states a poundage at a shorter draw there should be no problem shooting a bow at 28" inches. The biggest problem will be on shorter bows the possibility of finger pinch. But a 60" or longer bow shouldn't be a problem.


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## TheOldNewbie (Mar 31, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies. I'm thinking that the Sage would be the best bet, but I do like the Cartel Triple riser (62") that my wife has. I like the weight and the grip. I would get another one for me with 30# limbs and not use hers if I thought that it would be fine for that draw weight. LAS sells it at up to 38#. Besides I would save $35 compared to the Sage. Since we are just backyard shooters and don't hunt anymore, I'm not looking at going any higher than 30#. I shot about 80 arrows in an hour 2 days ago with my 23# bow and could feel it and could feel it again after about 30 arrows yesterday. It has a sight and I do tend to hold a lot longer when using the sight than when shooting instinctive.


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## Inak (Apr 6, 2012)

*Draw length*



TheOldNewbie said:


> So I'm assuming that a 30# Samick Sage would be the best choice for a 62" lower cost bow to draw to 28" and to not shoot my wife's 62" Cartel riser????
> 
> Edit: I hadn't read carefully enough. Even though I couldn't find anything on the Samick site, LAS says that the Sage is good for up to a 28" draw, so that would be the best way to go.


Just a note for you, I shoot Mongolian horse bows only. One is the kassai wolf 3, 51# the other is a grozer bi-composite 45# and also a true horse, horn bow from Mongolia which is about 65# depending on the temperature. I have a 31" draw and I can tell you they draw long and fire nicely. However, I do not recommend them for hunting as the accuracy may be in doubt depending on different factors. For target shooting they are short and great to shoot, epically from the back of a horse. 
Have a great weekend


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