Brace height

What are the advantages / disadvantages of being on the shorter or longer end of a recommended brace height? I've been shooting stick bows my whole life but have never broke them down like I do my wheel bows when it comes to things of this nature..... So what's the word?

 

I would assume it has many of the same trade offs as long vs short BH on a compound. Forgiveness, speed, etc is there anything else though.

 

The shorter the brace height the longer the power stroke...the arrow string stays on the string longer and it imparts more energy into the arrow.

That in itself is enough to make a bow slightly less forgiving to flaws in form, the longer it takes for the arrow leave contact with the string the more your subjecting it to ...well you.
However that's only part of the equation. And honesty although it's the most talked about part it's also less of factor with today's bows then in the past.
The bigger part of the brace height equation comes from how the shorter brace height is achieved. It comes from the geometry of the riser and it relation to the limbs. By adding reflex( bringing the riser closer to the string) the brace height is shortened. This plays a much bigger role in terms of forgiveness( laps in form ) then the extra split second the arrow is in contact with the string.
The cam design is also a factor in that most times you will pair up aggressive cams with a bow design that is also aggressive.
So what we have is a cumulations of things that all add together to make a bow less forgiving.

And the opposite is true also ...you can add certain variables in design that when added together they will make a bow more forgiving.
For the record i only touched on a couple variables ...there are several others.

Something that can't be negated is the subjectivity of all this and how personal preference come into play.

 

Ya Jimmy I get all of that, I guess I was just wondering if there was more at play in relation to a recurve or longbow where brace height can be changed at will. Like a change in poundage in relation to draw etc.... It seems to me if you increase BH by an inch you would achieve greater draw weight sooner considering the limbs begin the draw cycle already flexed further.

 

I follow you now.

Bow companies been doing that for a few years, via preloading the limbs and bringing them parallel to each other. The end result is bows that stack up quicker and smoother.

 

and if freaking tap a talk would tell me what sub forum i was in i would have known we are talking about Traditional bows.....disregard all i said. sorry.

 

lol no worries man

 

I wouldn't suggest changing the brace height on a compound bow. It's set at the factory specs for a reason.

 

Sigh... we are not talking about compound bows. Please read what I have typed above.

And this is the trad forum....

 

I use the Brace Height as a fine tune for my arrow flight, primarily with Broadheads. It's always seemed to me that each bow/arrow/broadhead/Me combination has a sweet spot of optimum performance that I use brace height adjustments to find.

Beyond that I've not used it for any other effect, other than maybe when building self bows.

 

I would discourage using brace height to tune your broadheads. A higher brace height will result in a slower arrow flight but also a quieter release. A shorter brace height result in faster arrow flight but slightly louder. I would set your height then bare shaft tune your arrows to ensure proper arrow flight. Once they are flying straight fletch them and put a broadhead on. They should fly exactly the same as your bare shafts.

 

I would have to disagree, adjusting brace height is the way to eliminate poor arrow flight for a stick bow. Also bow noise, and excessive vibration. By just twisting up the string to increse the B.H. Obtaining the maximum bracing height will often make your bow quieter, and automatically eliminate most arrow flight problems. You might lose some speed, but the only way to know is to shoot through a "crony". Raising the B.H. also increases bow pull weight, about 2.5 ounces additional weght per 1/4 inch of B.H. increase.
Be careful, twisting a string too much will make a spring out of it,and knots up the string. If adjusting the B.H. does not help, check you arrows spine, I shoot heavier spined arrows when shooting broadheads. I really don't care how fast my bow shoots an arrow, just that is does so quietly, and accurately, and keep them saving sharp.