31.5” draw length bow?

[Clay Target Guy]

Funny when you tell people you have a long draw, they all try and tell you, "no you don't"
I am 6'4" and wear a 52-54" suit coat, my shirts have 37" sleeve lengths, yes I do have a long draw....lol.
You have been given some good advise on bow arm bend as well as the 1/4" making a big difference.
I do believe you can shoot a bow that has a shorter draw than you need WAY better than you can shoot a bow that is too long for you.

 

[5.56×250]

Funny when you tell people you have a long draw, they all try and tell you, "no you don't"
I am 6'4" and wear a 52-54" suit coat, my shirts have 37" sleeve lengths, yes I do have a long draw....lol.
You have been given some good advise on bow arm bend as well as the 1/4" making a big difference.
I do believe you can shoot a bow that has a shorter draw than you need WAY better than you can shoot a bow that is too long for you.

I had a couple customers that had freakish drawlengths . One guy shot an honest 34" draw ! He didn't have funds for a high end bow, so I put him in a PSE with the biggest synergy wheel they made. Maxed out at 33 1/2 with the cable side on the short slot. He still looked like he was shooting a kids bow ! He was "only" 6'4" , but had arms that went to his knees and wide muscular shoulders . Played college football till he blew his knee out . Had promise for a pro career till that changed his plans.
Had another guy who was a big league pitcher who had a 32" draw. At that draw length, he had a low grip, bent arm, open stance . If he had pushed to his max, he could have easily shot a 33. He was only 6"2ish, but could scratch his knee without bending over !

 

[5.56×250]

I'm only 5'11 , and measure 30 1/2" draw without stretching out. By the time I had to put it down I shot 28 3/4". The more experienced as a shooter I became , the more I opened my stance and relaxed my bow arm. I saw no difference in accuracy on level ground, but was much more consistent uphill and downhill , and in positions where I couldn't set my feet in the ideal stance.

 

[JJMoody]

Lol! I'm the weird build too! 6'4 but the legs and arms of a guy 7'4 and the body of a guy 5'4. Wrestled heavyweight in college and open division freestyle followed by a year long pro mma and rodeo career!! Now I make earrings... fitting things to me has always been a bit awkward...

 

[5.56×250]

Well, at least you have given up all that wimpy nonsense and have taken up a manly career

 

[JJMoody]

Makes for a long pause in a phone conversation with the guys I haven't seen in a while....

 

[5.56×250]

Talk about internet bravery !!
Wait.....you dont know where I live, do ya ?
Seriously, I hope you can take a joke . No offence meant

 

[5.56×250]

Makes for a long pause in a phone conversation with the guys I haven't seen in a while....

Lol, I bet .

 

[JJMoody]

I can definitely take a joke, especially when I'm helping to make it! It pays the bills way better than running commercial construction projects and my body is happy i made the shift. Get to spend lots of time with my wife traveling to art shows and wintering in the sunshine. Lots of time off for hunting etc... it's still a bit strange... going to swing by a few bow shops around here and pull a bunch of strings (pun kind of intended).
Shameless plug... check out panhandlered.com to put a smile on your wife's face!

 

[5.56×250]

The truly sad thing with figuring your drawlength out and picking a bow is, you very seldom get a true drawlength from even the highest end bows . By that I mean you can take a 29" draw bow from each of the big name bow manufacturers and actually measure the draw length and they will all be different!
Best to find a bow that's in your ballpark draw length that feels good in your hands, try it roughly setup to make sure the release cycle is to your liking. Then , at the shop that REALLY knows their stuff, have them tweak the drawlength and your form till everything falls into place. As you become more proficient with it, you will most likely want to tweak the peep height, drawlength, or/and draw weight . It's different than tweaking handloads for your pet rifle, but every bit as involved. Think of it like this , the bow is the powder, the arrow is the bullet, and YOU ARE THE STOCK BEDDING AND BARREL . We all know how important a good barrel is to accuracy. Difference is, with a rifle you buy the quality and accuracy. With a bow, you practice to make it more accurate . Consistent hand placement on the grip, consistent and precisely repeatable ancor point, consistent and repeatable sight picture, and consistent muscle tension in your arms and shoulders will put a Brux or Krieger on your bow !

 

[ThorThor]

Take a look at the Matthews Traverse. 33 inch ATA. Very smooth bow.