At least it wasn't a more serious injury.

I've never had the urge to have a bow that short. Don't need em that short and don't care for the look either. Some folks like em though.

That's a TON of stress on the fadeouts. What was the draw weight?

Didn't someone recently write that Herter's bows are prone to failing? My 54" Drake will never die.

Joe

When ever I took my son to a shoot when he saw a Herters, he would say, "Hey look, there's a Herters that hasn't blown up yet." He still says it and always gets a chuckle from his friends. Around here guys had either Roots, which I sold them, or Herters, lots of those Herters blew up. I think mostly because no-one had bow loaders.

Don't wish bad on anyone especially with a looker like that. I had a 70" Maulding Tamarack break right in two at the handle at full draw. It was my favorite of favorites dead nuts 80#@28". My draw is between 29-30". Couldn't miss with this bow! Beauty too! Draw...click/BAM!!! Just sat down right there & contemplated the universe awhile. Like you I'm not a short bow guy. Guess you won't have to worry about shooting this finger pincher anymore.., & you lived to tell.

I don't have time for short bows and think they are all junk because I can't shoot them that's the only reason. To much nock pinch for me. Glade some other can just not in the cards for me.

How long did you draw it?

Well a Herters sure ain't a Bear supermag..

Holezone: I'm with Dan in Mich. Would be interested in your draw length.

Long draw lengths and short bows are a recipe for disaster. Though the Herters bow was built some time ago, there's been a renewed interest in shorter bows the last 3-5 years. If this trend continues, I think the trend of bows breaking will go right along with it, and they won't all be the 50s and 60s era bows.

Had a 52" red wing hunter blow up on me.Drew blood also.

Have to agree with Dan and Orion. I'm not that tall at 5'11" but have a ridiculously long wingspan at 75". Shortest bow I feel comfortable drawing back to my 30" is a 66" really. No matter how well a bow is built (or its age for that matter) there are mechanical limits to its use and geometry is certainly a part of that. I'm sure there is a formula for it that some more worthy person has come up with but I think that trying to shoot any bow that is much more than 12" shorter than your total wingspan is going to start getting you into geometry trouble. Never mind the finger pinch!

Bobby

If I remember Bear did a commercial years back where they pulled there bow back till the limb tips touched. I don't know which one it was though.

I shoot a 1962 K Mag at 30 inches all the time...I found an old Bear ad that says they are good to 31 inches...long drawing short bows are all about the geometry...pretty good chance Herters never intended that bow for much draw length, possibly only 26 inches

DDave

I LOVE short bows, I just can't shoot them. Like camodave said, a lot of it is geometry. The more deflex and working limb length a short bow has, the further it can be drawn safely.

I've never heard that Herter's bows were any more prone to failure than other. That's a new one for me.

Well, there are plenty of guys shooting asian horsebows to 32 inches that are plenty short without blowing them up all the time!

I'm sorry about your misfortune Holezone. I know that you were excited to get this new shorty!

Was thinking of trying short bows, not so sure now.Sorry of your misfortune holezone.

I have blown up a couple longer bows over the years.Not fun at all.

I have had some short bows that shoot great and I would not expect them to blow up any more than a longer bow.If they are designed well.Shorter riser and highly deflexed with a forward set handle and good limb design.

I have shot and hunted with many longer bows.I do like them.

I also appreciate a good short bow for many situations.

I do have a longer draw.

I have two golden rules to which all my bows must adhere: first, the draw weight in pounds must not exceed the bow length in inches; and second, the bow length must be between 1.9 and 2.1 times my 29.5" draw length. In other words, no shorter than 56", and no longer than 62".

Anything falling outside those parameters is, as Frisky would say, "a piece of crap."

I've got a 1966 Bear Supermag that I really enjoy...it's 53#. I draw just 28" and I'd wager that the bow will outlast me.

I don't know about this particular Herters model, but some of them had ridiculously short fades. Some of those designs are pretty suspect...IMO. I still love the Herters brand though.

Btw, sorry about your bow. Glad you weren't seriously injured.

Sorry to see that! Glad you are ok, Holezone. Jawge

Hi, Glad you didn´t injure yourself more, holezone. Problem with used old bows is that you never know its´ history. Who knows if that bow, probably pushing 50 years, hasn´t stood upright and strung in a closet for the last 2 decades. Another thing most bowyers will do when tillering, is to warm up the bow. I ain´t joshing, they will do repeated pulls increasing draw length in steps until reaching full draw length. Not saying that this was the cause of breakage, but it may have been a small contributing factor on this old unit. shoot straight - skookum bow

I've seen this happen with short bows when light arrows are shot by a shooter with a longer draw.

I just checked my old Herters catalog and although that bow is listed and there is a lot of information about it there is no indication of what the draw limit might be

DDave

I've never had that happen. I only have a 27 inch draw length. I have had a few strings break on me. But that has been a long time ago. Glad your OK.

Hi, there really isn´t. After a certain draw length the bow will begin to stack. You go much beyond that point and something is going to give. Either you or the bow. shoot straight - skookum bow

Hi arrowfinger, If you break strings, it is mostly because of rough string grooves. To check if this is the case, just take a Q-tip and run it along your string grooves. Any roughness there will pull cotton hairs from the swab and then you know exactly where to massage the groove(s) with high-grit sand paper(400 or 600) -- shoot straight - skookum bow

maybe you drew it too far,,:)

That breaks my heart Holezone! I love my short bows and haven't lost one yet! I'm still looking for another short Herter's like the one that failed on you. I have the Sitka Perfection in Rosewood that shoots great at my just under 28" draw. Glad you were not seriously injured. Lance.

Just my opinion. I don't understand the purpose of a short bow. I've never had one beat me in a 3D shoot, not as stable as a longer bow etc. to each their own.

The purpose is that they're handier in the field...but you knew that.

OVER DRAW OLD GIRL, PING YOU BREAK HER HIPS. SHE AINT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING ANY HUCLKLE BUCK SHE'S TO OLD.

They are? No I didn't know that Kodiak. All I know is they finger pinch and wobble more.

When someone tells me handier, I'm thinking a nice light longbow that's quick on the draw and drops pheasants or squirrels or deer in a heartbeat because of their maneuverability and quick draw.

I had a Pronghorn that I shot for a long time that was like that. That's handy.

A fellow in a a nearby town was all excited about a Shakespeare Necadh Eanie Root vintage that he bought on Ebay last year. Nice and straight with hardly a scuff on it, it looked new. Boom first shot, lucky for him it was only at about 20" when it blew.

Cool. I bet it is fun to screw around with Holezone. :)

Pity the fools who bought all those crappy Kodiak Magnums, substandard Skakespeare Super Necedahs and Cascades, Browning Cobras,Safaris and Nomad Stalkers and all those other lousy 54" and under bows.

Finger pinching, wobbly, unstable pieces of junk.

Send them all to me...

Pardon my spelling, but it can happen with any old bow long or short. Some of them just seem to dry out.

OK cJ...a five foot bow is handier than a four foot bow.

Satisfied?

Quit feigning ignorance. It ain't too becoming.

Thanks Pdiddly you reminded me i need a Nomad Stalker.How many shots are inherrent in a production bow?I'm currently in love with a Super Necadah,but someone who loves Howatts can't be all bad.

I was serious Kodiak. I'm not getting on you friend. Is it because of a tree stand? I'm not sure. Hey, who am I to say what a man should shoot? I meant no ill will. My apologies if it sounded harsh when that was not my intention.

Hey, if it gives you an advantage, go for it. I just wanted to know in what way.

Don't forget those horrible pre-AMO 54" Howatt Hi-Speeds that actually measured close to 52" nock to nock.

Another diminutive disaster that thousands of archers fell for and, despite the bow not being 62" long, shot very well!

How could it be???

It's not the instrument...it's the musician!

The proof is to check out the video of Mr. Stout battling with a 52" Kodiak Magnum at 40 yards managing to shoot six inch groups despite the short bow handicap.

short bows for short draws, longer bows for long draws, exploit your draw lenth, with my 25"draw that herters 46" would last me a lifetime. if I had a 30" draw I wouldn't think about a bow under 64" the op knows ... just because you can don't mean you should lol

cj - I for one, didn't see your comments or questions as an intrusion.

Yeah, that is an impressive video from George D. Stout. Fine shooting w/ a shorty. See the thread "Anyone shoot a short recurve" here on LW for a couple of short videos of his accuracy w/ short bows.

cj... This forum is for discussion and there is nothing wrong in stating your opinion, and that's why it's called a "dicussion". However, I don't think we are inclusively "a good old boys club". just a buch of like minded individuals with different tastes. no harm no foul, I always enjoy another point of view, and I hope you do too. Otherwise it all would be as boring as hell. Lance.

PS: Pdiddly lives in Canada and it would be cheaper to send your short bows to me first! LOL.

LOL Where would I get a short bow? They are like ancient. :)

I believe when a vintage recurve blows, it's because it probably got dried out at some point. That's why I won't buy a bow unless I can see it strung. I've had a quite a few short bows, and no problems yet. I've have a Shakespeare Cascade(50", 53#@ 28") strung in the trunk of my car since1999. It's my back-up bow, no problem with that yet either, and I end up shooting it more than a few times a year.

I prefer my bows shorter also...but then it's all relative. I have been shooting a 64" rd longbow with my 32" draw for a few years. I also enjoy shooting my 58" ThunderChild longbow (forward handle rd) and my 62" recurve.

It might be a little easier to shoot a lot get bow but I don't care to nor do I need the help. BigJim

Short bows have their place. And, it usually isn't with folks who have a long draw length. I draw 31". Fun to play with, but I don't get to attached to them.

Their are quite a few short bows that shoot very well at longer draw lengths.

I love the handiness of hunting with a short bow.I can always get a shot off in any situation.Stalking,still hunting,ground hunting,ground blinds,thick cover and out of trees like Osage and black locust with lots of branches without trimming every branch in my hideyhole.

You guys are really missing out who only shoot longerbows for hunting purposes on the unmatched utilitarian qualities of a quality shortbow that fits you.Thier out their!

Sorry for the loss of that beauty, and did not know Herter's bows blew so readily....hmmmm.

After shooting Knifeguy's Herter Sitka Perfection, I am now keeping an eye out for one. These little 46" bows perform well with plenty of speed and accuracy even at longer distances.

I do love my Super Mag and K Mag and yes, they are handy whether shooting from your butt or in the trees.

...and yes, Mr. Stout's video shows what short bows and a good archer are capable of accomplishing.

Even the 56" Cascade Brush Hawk longbow performs well for longer draw lengths.

I had a 55@28 54 in. Howatt Hi-Speed and it shot better then a lot of longer bows Ive had.. I draw about 28 3/4 in..wish Id never sold it.

I believe the problem exists more in the archer than the bow. 1 see many many experienced archers with long bows for their draw yet they still struggle to keep arrows inside the 8's. Just sayin BigJim

This is the bow that 20 some years ago started the reintroduction of the short hunting bow. It's success influenced many bows of similar design and they are still popular today.

A short bow may not be for everyone but it's definitely a great choice for many bow hunters.

The introduction of the short longbow from 1994

This turkey was taken with a 52" Shrew longbow

56-58 is right where I want them!!

What Big Jim said X 10 at least. There are hundreds of thousands, maybe even over a million short bows out there that don't break. You sure can't attribute it to just one maker either. Every now and then the best made bow can, and does break. Crap happens, so don't blame it on the bow or how long it is.

As for accuracy of short bows, that is also in the archer, not necessarily the bow. So rather than defame the bow, or it's length...or even design, look at how many have survived versus those that fail. It's really pretty obvious when you do that. Just stay with longer bows. For a hunting bow, especially from a stand or blind, the little bows will shoot with the big ones.

A bow can fail for a lot of reasons...I have a longer draw but the only two bows I've broken in 30 years were 62" and 66"...certainly not short bows. I shoot 62" all the time..various manufacturers..Bear, Pearson, Stemmler, Howatt and Robertson.

Maybe it was a poor glue job on that one. The shortest bow I am comfortable with is 60" and those have to be Super Kodiaks because the design will let you draw out to 31" which is close to my draw length. I messed around with a 56" grizzly for a year or so but didn't like it much. If I had broken it I'd have understood why it happened.

In 1967 when the Super Kodiaks came out I bought two of them, a 60" 70#@ 28" and a 60" 55#@ 28". The 55# didn't last two weeks. I call the Bear factory to see what the had in stock to replace it. All they had in LH was a 64" 50#@ 28". I said I'll take it. Almost 50 years later I still have it and it's killed a bunch of deer....I also still have the 70# one.

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