For a too long story, I have started again shooting with the old X-200 Martin bow I bought probably in the '80s. It is 60" 35# @28" Depending on the source of info and the year of production it refers to, recommended brace height is in between 7" 3/4 and 8" 1/2 . But, as a matter of fact, the most comfortable, accurate and reliable brace height I have experienced on this bow is 6" 3/4 -7". Could it be becouse mi draw length is 27" instead of 28" ? Thank you very much.
Yes. Manipulating the brace height distance shorter is in effect reducing the draw length. Having the draw length shorter and much closer to your actual draw length should mean you can shoot it with better form and thus accuracy.
Thank you very much. I have to admit I experience the fact that a shorter brace height is better for me, but I still struggle to understand the reasoning behind. I am getting lost in the following thought: let's assume a 60" recurve 32# @27" with 8"brace according to manufacturer spec. If a move the brace to 7 " (minus 1"), At 27" draw, with a longer string due to the brace decrease, tips will be farther from each other, therefore limbs will be less pre-loaded, therefore with a lower poundage ... around 30 or less (even if the arrow will be faster due to a longer distance / period of time under the string pressure) If I wanted to get to 32# again, I should probably draw the bow at 28" My be I find the 7" brace height more comfortable just because I shoot at lower weight? Am I wrong?
I am much more familiar with compounds but bow form and proper draw length is extremely important for comfort and accurately shooting, no matter the bow type. It may be that the lower draw weight helps it to be more comfortable, but I would think it is also because the draw length fits you better. If you draw the bow at 28", you are adjusting your form to make it work. You are over stretched. You may be locking out your bow arm elbow to push the bow forward as far as you can; anchoring back further on your face (making it harder to have a consistent anchor point); bringing your drawing arm forearm/elbow past parallel alignment with the arrow (elbow would swing towards pointing behind your head); and being over extended makes it harder to hold the weight. Or a bit of a combination of several of those things. But at 27" DL everything aligns for you. You do not lock out your bow arm elbow, you anchor in a consistent spot on your face that also has your drawing arm forearm/elbow parallel to the arrow. Here's a thought for you. Rather than manipulate the string length out of spec to decrease the brace height and alter the draw length, what about building up the bow grip? The bow could be closer to its specs, but it would still effectively shorten the draw length for you. Perhaps you couldn't do the whole 1" you need solely from building up the grip, but maybe half and half?
Mod-it thank you very much, the idea of building up the grip sounds very interesting, it is true that I would slightly increase the draw weight, but I would draw the bow at the length it has been designed for. Shooting a compound, a person is very likely to reach the nominal draw length to get to the very comfortable valley that is not available at a shorter or longer draw. With a traditional bow, you cannot feel the nominal draw length, every fraction of inch triggers a fraction of additional poundage and you tend to reach your natural draw length regardless the official number of the bow; surely you can do the effort of drawing an inch longer by purpose, but it is not something you are likely to do on a consistent and repetitive basis. Therefore I always reach my natural draw length 27". Brace height is important non only for the distance between the deepest side of the grip and the string at rest, but also for the distance between the full draw length and the string at rest Theoretical draw length 28" minus 8" recommended brace height is equal to 20" My natural draw length 27" minus 8"recommended brace height is equal to 19" Here comes my idea to reduce the brace height to 7" to maintain the same 20" of the string pushing the arrow. I guess I am wrong somewhere and I feel embarrassed since I recognize I tend to become stubborn when I have an idea in mind ... up until I find where my mistake is :-) Probably the limbs performance of my bow is not optimize with a 7" brace height?
It is possible that your draw length could be affecting the optimal brace height for your Martin X-200 bow. A longer draw length can cause the bowstring to be pulled back farther, which can increase the distance between the bowstring and the bow grip, resulting in a higher brace height. However, it's also important to note that the optimal brace height can vary depending on the individual bow and the shooter's preferences. While the manufacturer's recommendations can provide a good starting point, the best brace height for you may be different based on factors such as your shooting style and arrow setup. If you have found that a brace height of 6" 3/4 -7" is the most comfortable, accurate, and reliable for you, then you should continue to use that brace height. Just be sure to check your bowstring regularly to ensure that it is not experiencing excessive wear or stretching due to the lower brace height.
