# Arrow length for 29" Draw?



## winona78 (Nov 4, 2014)

Fairly new to bow hunting/archery in general. I got a few new arrows today, that were 31" just to practice with until I bought a good set. I was unsure of the current size of the arrows that came with the bow, but it turns out they are 29" after comparing the two. I read online that you should add .5"-1" to your draw and that will give you the arrow length you should buy. Is that a good way of measuring?

Fleet Farm did not have any 30" arrows that I could find, and my rest is set up similar to this...









The current arrows I was using hardly came past my hand on the bow. Is the 31" length going to be too long and make it unsafe or unstable?

Thanks for helping the noobie!

Edit: Bow is an Bowtech Old Glory, 29" draw, 65#


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## JDS-1 (Nov 15, 2007)

"Typically" most people will have at least 1"~1.5" of arrow shaft past the arrow rest. Its a lot safer imo and especially when shooting broadheads


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## hunterhewi (Jun 12, 2010)

Im not the norm. I cut mine as short as possible. Im a 30" Dl and my arrows are cut 26 3/4"


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## winona78 (Nov 4, 2014)

O wow... looks like it is more personal preference then. Do shorter arrows fly in a more straight line?


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## jdk81 (Nov 20, 2012)

I am a 28.5 dl and my arrows are 28.75. I can touch my bhs with my hand if I want too. Not in the way though


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## jdk81 (Nov 20, 2012)

winona78 said:


> O wow... looks like it is more personal preference then. Do shorter arrows fly in a more straight line?


Yes. The shorter the arrow, the less flex it will have.


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## sgt_fischer (Jan 10, 2011)

I measure to the end of my riser shelf and cut there.


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## Flatwoodshunter (Feb 3, 2013)

JDS-1 said:


> "Typically" most people will have at least 1"~1.5" of arrow shaft past the arrow rest. Its a lot safer imo and especially when shooting broadheads


^^^This^^^


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## hunterhewi (Jun 12, 2010)

winona78 said:


> O wow... looks like it is more personal preference then. Do shorter arrows fly in a more straight line?


Depends on if your arrow is spined correctly for your bow setup. I run a bunch of weight up front so shorter is better for me. So i have more dynamic spine to play with.


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## mt_elkhunter (Feb 28, 2010)

What I like to do is to nock a full length arrow and draw back have someone take a sharpie and mark the arrow right at the front of the riser. Have them cut at that length. That is good then you have the broadhead out in front of your hand.


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## PY Bucks (Feb 14, 2006)

mt_elkhunter said:


> What I like to do is to nock a full length arrow and draw back have someone take a sharpie and mark the arrow right at the front of the riser. Have them cut at that length. That is good then you have the broadhead out in front of your hand.


This.


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## dhom (Jun 10, 2008)

29 inch DL my arrows are 27 carbon to carbon.


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## Bob Wallace (Aug 11, 2012)

29.5" draw length with 27" arrows and the rear of the broadhead is 1" past my rest. I think it may depend on the bow too though. I know with my first bow I cut the arrows at 28".


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## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

most shooters use arrows past the riser for hunting....an inch or so past the rest if target shooting.

NO...you can't have an arrow too long- All you have to do is make sure you have the right spine and point weight for the length of arrow you are using.


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## Fortyneck (Oct 8, 2010)

winona78 said:


> O wow... looks like it is more personal preference then. Do shorter arrows fly in a more straight line?





jdk81 said:


> Yes. The shorter the arrow, the less flex it will have.


I don't believe this is a simple "yes."

Most often, people who shoot "short as possible" arrows are trying to keep their overall weight down to chase speed (no judging if that's your thing.)

Is faster better? It depends who you ask. Most people will tell you accuracy is what's most important.

Do they fly straighter?

The arrows that will fly the "straightest" out of your bow will be the ones that have proper dynamic spine and grains per inch to match your draw weight.

Also, to get more in depth drawlength, type of cam, and brace height, form, release type, tip weight, nock weight ,other arrow components are factors as well. Most 

arrow manufacturers have spine charts, or spine calculators that will help you get really pretty close. There is also special software that help you get to match your 

arrows just about perfectly. So, the most important factor to consider when deciding how long to cut your arrow is matching the dynamic spine to your setup,

because an arrow by nature does not fly straight, nor do you want it to, all arrows bend and flex in flight, it is called archers paradox

and you want just the right amount of bendiness to stabilize the arrow flight. You should check out super slow-mo videos of this on youtube, it's way cool.

Other considerations when deciding arrow length are safety rules of thumb like the minimum 1"-1.5" in front of the rest rule and overall target arrow weight,

though some prefer broadheads out in front of the riser for aesthetic reasons mainly.

Hope this helps. :thumb:

-40


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## cuttingedge (Feb 19, 2005)

mt_elkhunter said:


> What I like to do is to nock a full length arrow and draw back have someone take a sharpie and mark the arrow right at the front of the riser. Have them cut at that length. That is good then you have the broadhead out in front of your hand.


This is what I do for hunting. I prefer that the razor blades be past my hand.


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## mt_elkhunter (Feb 28, 2010)

If it helps I have a 30 inch draw and my arrows are about 29 inches carbon to carbon


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## landon410 (Aug 20, 2014)

i have a 31 inch draw, and keep mine full length


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## hunterhewi (Jun 12, 2010)

Fortyneck said:


> I don't believe this is a simple "yes."
> 
> Most often, people who shoot "short as possible" arrows are trying to keep their overall weight down to chase speed (no judging if that's your thing.)
> 
> ...


Fortyneck. No chasing speed here bro. I cut mine short so i can load the front with weight to get 18-20% FOC. My total arrow weight this year is 548 grains doing around 275-278 out of the LF2. All bout MO for this guy, oh and the added queitness the heavy arrow provides!
GREAT explaination btw! Good info


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## golfanddeernut (Sep 11, 2012)

I do not think there is any right answer. My DL is 29 and I cut them to 29. I have shot 30 and as short as 27, but have just settled on 29. The broad head is well ahead of the rest and it never comes close to my hand.


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## d3ue3ce (Jul 2, 2009)

It's really just personal. I am a 29"DL, and my arrows are cut around 28.5"


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## Mister Hoyt (Jul 29, 2014)

There's a few personal factors, as well as situational factors. If you are using these arrows for hunting, I always keep the length the same as my draw length. My reasoning is, I want my broadhead out in front of my knuckles/fingers. The odds of hitting your hand, is very slim with proper form, but it only takes one time to learn the lesson. When a big bull is bugling in front of you, it's easy to get the shakes and forget half your training. Aim for the best, prepare for the worst!


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## hdrking2003 (Oct 6, 2011)

29" DL, arrows are 27.5" carbon to carbon.


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## winona78 (Nov 4, 2014)

You guys are awesome. Thank you so much for the feedback!


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