[semostixx]

33 vs 36

I don't think it will make much difference. After all, you are only talking about an extra 1.5 inches on each end. I shot a 36 inch bow for years and killed alot of deer from a sitting position. The only time I noticed any difference was when I was using a climbing stand that has a shooting rail (Summit Viper). I alway had to watch the lower limb on close shots with the longer ATA. By personal preference, I shoot a 35-36 inch bow better by a small margin. Right now I am shooting a 33 inch, but may move back to a 36 this year.

 

[Otdrsman85]

For a bit I had both. I had a trykon and a trykon xl. I liked the xl better because I felt like it held more steady so thats what i prefer to hunt with. However there isnt a huge difference i wouldnt think. I just think that around 36 is as short as i want to go only by personal preference

 

[Bert2]

here's another vote for the longer bow . . . again it is personal preference, but I never saw any real advantage to the shorter bow and I definitely shoot better with the longer bow (for me, this probably has something to do with my long draw length and might not be as noticeable at shorter draw lengths)

 

[Carl]

I can remember when I bought my first 36 inch bow and everyone said "WOW" that thing is short! I hunted for years with a lot longer bows than that with no problems at all. I get a kick of it when I now hear people say a 36 inch bow is too long for a hunting bow!!!! I know I shoot the longer 34-36 inch models a little more consistently accuracy wise than the shorter models 33 and under. I think the 35-36 inch are about a perfect blend of not too long and not to short.

 

[Caligater]

When shopping for a new bow this summer, one of my criteria was that I would buy a bow with less than a 34" ATA because my last bow was 37" and I wanted to try something different.

What did I end up with? Another bow with a 37" ATA! I just like the feel of the longer bow, and like stated above, unless you have a rail on your tree stand, I can't really see having any problems with the extra length.

 

[zyxw]

I personally like a longer bow. More forgiving and more accurate. As for a shorter bow being better for hunting I just don't get it. I want the most accurate bow i can get for hunting, one that performs under the worst conditions and worst shots and that comes from a longer ata, longer brace height and slower bow. As for shooting out of stands and blinds I killed well over 100 deer with bows over 43 inches long, shot many of them sitting down and never once had a problem with the length.

 

[Crayfish]

My bows were all 40" + for the 1st 20yrs of bowhunting. Then in 2004 I bought a "little" Martin Cougar Mag that is 36" A-A. After shooting it for 4yrs, it STILL feels short! I have never not been able to make a shot because of the length of any of my bows. And like others have said, I prefer longer bows anyway as they feel more stable to me.

Go for it!

 

[WGMitch]

40+ inches

I too shot longer ATA in excess of 40" for 20 years and then I broke down and bought a shorter bow. I think the push in the last ten years has been for lighter bows and the shorter bow offers a little less wieght. We are now seeing bow manufacturers not as concerned about overall bow weight, but looking at accuracy and ease of shoooting as the main concern.

I don't think Hoyt has ever made a bow that is light weight and they are proud of it.