Axel to Axel length

So I am in the market for my first bow, and have it narrowed down between the PSE Brute X, and the New PSE Stinger 3G. Now i shot both, and didn't notice much difference between the two but liked the look of the Brute more and was going to go with that choice.

Then I had heard the owner say where my draw length is long (29.5") that I should be shooting a bow with an axel to axel length of at least 32". His reason for this was that any bow with a smaller axel to axel length and a draw length that long will create such a huge awkward angle on the strings when i draw back that the bow will not perform the way it should.

So this got me looking at the axel to axel lengths on the two bows and I find out the Brute X has an axel length or 31" and stinger at 33".

So if what the owner of the shop said is true, the Brute X is not a bow i should be shooting.

So my question to you guys is this. Is what the owner was saying true? Should I not be shooting the Brute due to the smaller axel to axel length?

Any information you guys can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

I have a 28" draw and shoot a bow with a 28" ata and have had 0 issues. I'm quite sure that there are thousands of others with the same bow and longer draw length. Mine is even a parallel limb bow which would even compound this.

 

Don't listen to him. I have 2 bows, one is 34'' and the other is 32'' ata. My draw is only 28 inches and I can split arrows with both. It doesn't really matter. I don't know why in the world he told you that. Being that your new to archery I will just go ahead and tell you, you will hear crazy things in the archery world but you'll come to find that with a properly tuned bow and good technique, you can shoot up there with the best of'em.

 

Technically the shop guy is right. I never recommend someone to shoot a shorter a-a bow than their draw length and really the a-a should be a little longer.

You start to get a pretty good string angle and it is hard to get good anchors without compromising form. This can lead to inconsistencies.

Advanced archers may not have issue with this but imo, it is adding one more hurdle for a new archer that really isn't necessary.


It is true that many do it without issue, it just isn't ideal.


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Sorry, but that makes no sense. The Mathews HeliM, Z7Extreme, Bowtech Assassin (to name a few) are all short A2A bows that are known for being very easy to shoot and forgiving. I can shoot better groups with the HeliM than I can my Hoyt, which is 32 a2a.

Your bow man seems to confuse A2A with brace height. Brace heights generally determine whether or not a bow is going to be forgiving to form errors, and the longer the powerstroke the more this comes into play.

Shorter a2a bows are generally designed to be more compact for treestands and pack-ability in the mountains. The Z7X is a prime example, it's 28 inches axle to axle, but has over 7 inches on the brace height, making it a very forgiving bow.

 

I couldn't agree more. I have gotten good as an archer by shooting consistantly and practicing for hours and hours. New archer's/bowhunters get confused and frustraited by this crap. As long as you know your draw length, your bow is tuned properly and you shoot consistantly, you will be fine.

 

Good post. Makes a lot of sense to me, especially the part about anchors .

 

Thanks,

The point is that a short bow has an extreme string angle at full draw when shot by a long draw archer.

This means that at full draw, you will need to lean your head down and forward to establish solid anchors on the nose and corner of your mouth. This creates lots of tension and inconsistencies.


You can roll your release hand up a little and lower your nose a bit and be fine but if you have to do more than that, it CAN be counterproductive.

I know 32 is as short as i can go and feel comfortable and relaxed with a 28" draw and i have a long nose.

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I don't see any of those bows toeing the line at Vegas. The shortest you see are around 35"-36"


Granted that's NOT hunting and short bows are fine for that (i shoot a 32" a-a)but there is a point of diminishing returns. Longer draw archers IMO need to look at slightly longer a-a bows.


It's all relative, my son shoots a 32" bow and it is relatively long a-a for him.



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My sentiments exactly. I currently shoot a 32"@27.25" of DL. Considering going with something in the 34-35" range next.