# Measuring Draw Weight & Draw Length



## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

Draw length is usually calculated from the bottom of the string nock groove to 1 3/4" beyond the deepest part of the grip. That usually coinsides with the front of the shelf so most folks I know use an over long arrow, draw to their anchor point and mark the arrow (OK, have someone else mark it) at the front of the riser (properly called the "back" of the bow). That is both your draw length and the starting point for arrow length.

For target, field or 3D you don't need any longer arrow. For hunting most add and inch or so to avoid having that sharp broad head come back to your fingers.

Bow weight would be measured on a calibrated scale when it is drawn back to that same distance. That is how much you are holding on your fingers, no matter what the bow is marked.

Hope this helps some,
Dave


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## VA. Bowbender (Mar 31, 2006)

Dave T said:


> Draw length is usually calculated from the bottom of the string nock groove to 1 3/4" beyond the deepest part of the grip. That usually coincides with the front of the shelf so most folks I know use an over long arrow, draw to their anchor point and mark the arrow (OK, have someone else mark it) at the front of the riser (properly called the "back" of the bow). That is both your draw length and the starting point for arrow length.
> 
> For target, field or 3D you don't need any longer arrow. For hunting most add and inch or so to avoid having that sharp broad head come back to your fingers.
> 
> ...


Dave is correct.
One thing I've found is I have a 30 1/2" draw length which adds 10 lbs to any bow I have. If the bow is 50#@28" for me it is 
60#@30 1/2". Some people here will say that's not always true, but I have checked it against my bow scale. I have 10 bows, all different and the equation works on recurves and longbow. _Okay it might vary -+ 1 lb._

Here are some of my bows as reference.


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

VA. Bowbender said:


> One thing I've found is I have a 30 1/2" draw length which adds 10 lbs to any bow I have.


VA,

Interesting! My draw is 32.75" and I usually get about 9#. The difference must be that I am shooting metal risers with ILF limbs. They are pretty consistant, building and even 2# per inch.

Come to think of it, the one longbow I have gets three to four pounds per inch at the end of my draw and goes from 36# @ 28" to 48# at 32.5". That's about the same results you are getting.

Dave


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

dg -

Dave is correct, but here's a qoute from the AMO standards of a few years ago:



> For Dealers and General Use
> For practical reasons not requiring precise terms, draw length is the distance, at the archer’s full draw, from the nocking point on the string to the back of the bow at the arrow rest.


ah, simplicity !!!

Viper1 out.


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## Chris Wilson (Aug 16, 2005)

> (Incidentally, I am getting around 42 lb @ 28" on the scale and have found other Martin bows to measure more than what they are marked. Anyone else notice this?)


+/- 2 pounds is typically a given norm and not unusual. If you order a bow from many of the custom bowyers, that's the general guaranteed poundage range. Sometimes a bowyer will nail it dead on, sometimes it's within a pound or two. You've also got to take into account variations in the scales. I've seen the same bow measured on 3 different scales and come up with 3 different poundages within a 3 pound range. I've actually got a hunter that, on my scale, measures 1# less than marked draw weight.


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## dgposton (Oct 12, 2006)

Thanks, guys, for the replies. This clears up some things.


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