How to Measure Draw Length on a Recurve or Traditional Bow

A recurve or longbow has no cam module. Draw length is your anchor, not a stamp on the limb. Measure it at the hold you hunt with, then turn that number into cut length. TitleX shafts are 5mm hunting carbons; they still need a real draw length before you pick spine or click cut in the 3D custom arrow builder.

Compound hunters: use the compound draw-length page. Cam numbers do not transfer here.

What you need

• The bow you hunt or practice with — poundage changes how far some people draw
• A long extra shaft so the point stays on the shelf at full draw
• A tape and a helper

Measure at your anchor

1. Shoot the hold you actually use. Split finger vs three-under, corner of the mouth vs a high cheek, all change the string angle and the number. Measure the one you shoot.
2. Draw and mark at the pivot. Helper marks the shaft even with the deepest part of the grip. On a longbow with no clear Berger hole, pick the back of the riser and stay consistent — do not mix marks between bows.
3. Nock throat to the mark, plus 1.75 inches. Same AMO definition as a compound. The difference is there is no module to argue with. If you change anchors, re-measure.

Why trad draw length moves

• A heavier bow often shortens a tired hunting draw
• Gloves and tabs change how deep you get into the string
• String walking or a crawl for close shots is not your hunting draw for arrow cut

Cut arrows for the longest hunting draw you will hold on an animal, not the crawl. A shaft that is already at the shelf on a long draw is dangerous on a longer one.

Arrow length is usually longer than compound habit

Traditional arrows typically sit in front of the riser or shelf at full draw so the point is visible and the broadhead never comes back to the hand. That extra inch or more is cut length, not AMO draw length. Do not take a 28-inch compound hunting cut and assume it fits a 28-inch trad draw.

Measure from nock throat to the end of the shaft, same as the builder. Start long, shoot, then shorten. You can always cut. You cannot add carbon back.

Spine after you have the number

The TitleX spine chart is built around compound hunting setups (TX-5, TX-23, Mach XV at 250–400). Finger release and a shelf paradox are a different tune. Use draw length and cut length to get in the neighborhood, then tune with the point weight you hunt — trad often wants more front weight than a compound chart row suggests. Confirm FOC in the builder; do not treat the GPI table as a trad spine calculator.

Related resources: draw length calculator, measure compound draw length, arrow spine chart, 3D custom arrow builder, arrow wrap installation.