question about ata length

[npauls]

so i have gone through a number of bows over the last year to year and a half.

i have tried bows with qn ata of 28" all the way to 38" ata.

right now i am shooting a strother infinity with a 33" ata. i shoot this bow real good but cant seem to get used to the ata on it.

i always feel like i need to go back to that 28-30"ata.

should i stick with this bow or go to that shorter ata and hope i can shoot as good as the bow i have now?

another thing i have to make sure i have is a 7+" brace height. i cant stand shootinv bows with those shorter brace heights. this really limits the bows on the list that i will be looking at when i do decide to pull the trigger on buying a new bow.

[brendan's dad]

I went down to a 30" ate twice with the z7 and prime shift. I am now shooting a centroid at a 34" ata and i can't see myself going shorter anytime soon. If you want to stay around 33 to 34 with a 7" brace height I would be getting the Prime Alloy.

[manosteel]

What's your draw length?

[DukesArcher]

I have a 30 ata and a draw length of 29. I just can't seem to get comfortable with it. Your draw length is a major factor here.....as I have found out recently.

[HoytAlpha35]

For me its three parts, 1. Draw length 2. Body structure 3. Release.

eg. Im 28" draw so I should be good with a shorter ATA, but if I am shooting a handheld I anchor better with 37" bow with large cams and once I hit less than 35" its not as comfortable. Now I want to use a trigger release (which I don't because I am a 95% hinge shooter ) I need a short bow 30-31" to get a comfortable anchor.

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

Old school dictates a longer ATA bow is more forgiving...hence why you see most target and 3D competitive shooters shooting the longer ATA bows...

I am not a short ATA bow shooter...like you My most comfortable shooting bow was the 32" Mathews Reezen... I just could not shoot any bow, any brand under that 32" accurately as I wanted...and they were not comfortable for me to shoot.....Now to contradict myself

My most favorite bow hands down I ever shot is the APA AIR I am now presently shooting.......and its at an incredibly 27.5 ATA...wow ...couple years ago if you told me I would be shooting such a short ATA bow I would have laughed at you...

And it has a generous brace height of near 7.5

It is also the most comfortable...is it the most accurate? thats to be determined yet...accurate enough that I am totally confident hunting with it...

So even to contradict "old School" that rule isnt as true as it once was...

Modern technology has brought us a long way...soooo

Today we have to shoot as many bows as we can and let that bow pick you...both you and the bow will usually instantly know... as it is very comfortable to hold, draw and shoot...
Having your personally true draw and draw weight is very important for this..shooting a shops demo at 29" @ 70Lb will not show you the correct feel if you are even a 28" or 30" draw...

Go with your comfort zone...that is the most accurate and confident bow for you.. often our brain will lie to us...thinking we cant do this or that...

Neil

[npauls]

i have a 28" draw length. shoot around 60lbs draw weight and am 6' tall.

like i said. i cant get used to the 33" ata strother i am shooting now. it shoots good but i am not sure how good it will be in a spot and stalk situation amd hiking all over the place.

i am thinking a bow in that 28-30" ata is where i need to be.

i will probably have to sell this bow od trade it for one with the ata i am looking for and that 7+" brace height.

[nekred]

There is a lot to this sometimes because ATA does not always tell the storry... it depends on cam size,shape, and whether or not it moves string attachment back as it draws....

Martin used to make a bow for finger shooting that had odd looking cams with fingers to reduce string pinch....

In general I find people with a 28" or longer should be about 33-35" at the least.

28" and shorter get away with 29-31" ATA bows...

This depends on cam size too...

The other factor I find for me is face shape.... i like to shoot with head level and nose on string. I have a short nose (I know I know) so I have to shoot a longer ATA bow to have it fit me (Prime Alloy). Other people that have a nose like Toucan Sam get away with a shorter ATA bow....

or if you don't care to have your nose on the string then shoot the Liberty Bow.....

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

Originally Posted by npauls

i have a 28" draw length. shoot around 60lbs draw weight and am 6' tall.

like i said. i cant get used to the 33" ata strother i am shooting now. it shoots good but i am not sure how good it will be in a spot and stalk situation amd hiking all over the place.

i am thinking a bow in that 28-30" ata is where i need to be.

i will probably have to sell this bow od trade it for one with the ata i am looking for and that 7+" brace height.

Huh...The APA Mamba Air is 28.5 ATA @ near 7.5 Brace Height....lol

Then the next sweety is the "Nano" I shot this one last year ...very nice...
30" ATA 7 1/8 BH

Neil

[manosteel]

Originally Posted by nekred

There is a lot to this sometimes because ATA does not always tell the storry... it depends on cam size,shape, and whether or not it moves string attachment back as it draws....

Martin used to make a bow for finger shooting that had odd looking cams with fingers to reduce string pinch....

In general I find people with a 28" or longer should be about 33-35" at the least.

28" and shorter get away with 29-31" ATA bows...

This depends on cam size too...

The other factor I find for me is face shape.... i like to shoot with head level and nose on string. I have a short nose (I know I know) so I have to shoot a longer ATA bow to have it fit me (Prime Alloy). Other people that have a nose like Toucan Sam get away with a shorter ATA bow....

or if you don't care to have your nose on the string then shoot the Liberty Bow.....

This guy knows what he is talking about, his experience mirrors mine after 20 years of bowhunting. I started off with stick bows as a kid and was happier then ***** when I got my first compound that had a magnesium riser, aluminum arrows and shooting fingers a blistering 180 fps.

Since then I have shot all kinds of bows from all kinds of manufactures, I am not brand loyal at all, I use what works. While we can give you general advise, I always say go with what your are comfortable and confident with this year. Confidence in your gear is essential and triumphs most everything else.

Over the winter toy with what you want. I did that a while back when switching to a handheld release (back tension) so that I could become more consistent and accurate past 60 yards. It was a painful process but now my shooting is the best its ever been, the process really forced me to perfect my form. However looking back now I can't conceive even toying with the idea of going back to a wrist style release.

[RoscoeP]

I have 3 different bows all between 34-35", Spyder 34, Elite 35 and a Hoyt Pro comp elite FX which is 34 5/8" ATA, love them all.

[npauls]

I shot the mamba air tonight. It is a really nice shooting little bow for sure but the back wall was spongy to me compared to what I am shooting now.

My strother has limb stops and I really like when those cams roll over straight into a dead solid wall.

I will continue to shoot and hunt with the strother this season and look over bows once the season has ended.

Hopefully there is that perfect bow out there that has everything I want and is a sweet shooter.

[diamond k]

Do yourself a favor and go try a Bowtech carbon knight. I absolutly love mine. I went in to buy a hoyt carbon element but just shot this bow better. Even tried to upgrade this year to a carbon spyder and still liked this bow better. you can find them on archery talk for abot 400-500 bucks used.

I paid 800 for the bow last year and dropped another 800 on accessories and it shoots out the lights

[Lefty-Canuck]

Try a Bowtech with Overdrive Cams and a set of bomar draw stops....best back wall you will find if the cams are timed correctly.

LC

[Muskeg]

I have an Infinity and it is a deadly bow.
It's not everyone's cup of tea mostly because
Of the hard pull at the start. but it is a smooth pull
Right into a short arm ripping valley and rock solid wall.
I used the bow primarily and successfully on bush hunting elk
And moose. The ATA was never an issue and gave great stability
While keeping my form consistent with short valley.
I had a problem with nock travel and cam lean but was able to fix by
straightening the lean with some twist on left side yoke, and serve yoke.
And if I remember 3 twists out of control cable. (Been awhile)
I still have bow and love it but I tried a pse DNA and it impressed
Me enough to buy. Shorter ata, brace and 10fps faster ibo.
It feels very similar but easier to manage in a stand if that's your plan.
I wouldn't mind putting some 50lb or 60lb limbs on the strother. If you have them And want 70's in predator let me know.

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

Originally Posted by npauls

I shot the mamba air tonight. It is a really nice shooting little bow for sure but the back wall was spongy to me compared to what I am shooting now.

My strother has limb stops and I really like when those cams roll over straight into a dead solid wall.

I will continue to shoot and hunt with the strother this season and look over bows once the season has ended.

Hopefully there is that perfect bow out there that has everything I want and is a sweet shooter.

Agreed...The Viper AIR has a draw stop and is very solid......
Im sure there will be many choices next year also...

Neil

[npauls]

I may have to check out the viper air and the viper nano next time I make it to lane. That viper nano would be a pretty sweet rig if it has a solid back wall.