It would be up to the archer to determine what their preferences are when selecting a bow. The following should be considered:
- Forgiveness
Usually, a combination of axle-to-axle length, brace height and cam style & feel.Forgiveness in the bow is more important for a less consistent archer, but will raise the game for a very consistent archer. - Nock Pinch angle
Determines how far the peep will be from the archer’s eye, influencing peep choice. - Arrow speed – Faster arrow speeds mean:
Less time to be affected by the elements, and normally translates to more distance. - Weight
Increased weight can increase stability, but weight can also be added as needed, and potentially placed where needed.
A lower weight means less fatigue to the archer.
Younger or less physically strong archers may prefer a lighter bow. - Cam characteristics
Considerations like let-off percentage and the style of draw stop can have a major impact on bow selection.
Axle-to Axle Length
The general properties of shorter and longer axle-to-axle length bows are relative to each other, as well as the peak draw, draw length and cams of the bow. In general, for the same cams and bow properties:
- Longer
More forgiving
Larger pinch angle at the nocking point
Peep closer to the archer’s eye, especially for shorter draw lengths.
Slower arrow speed relative to a shorter axle-to-axle at the same draw length.
Tends to be heavier due to a relatively longer riser. - Shorter
Less forgiving
Smaller pinch angle at the nocking point
Peep further from the archer’s eye, especially for longer draw lengths.
Faster arrow speed relative to the same draw length on a longer axle-to-axle bow.
Tends to be lighter due to the relatively shorter riser.
Cams
The choice of cams influence:
- Arrow speed.
- Comfort/Ease of draw.
- Draw length.
It is also important for growing archers to look at adjustability of the cams. Some bows have cams with limited adjustability within a short range, i.e., cams with ranges like, 23-25, 25.5-27.5 and 28-31 inches. This helps the efficiency of the cams to be maintained. This is in contrast with bows which have a large range of adjustability in their cams, such as 23-31 inches.
This normally results in a section of the draw length being more efficient, typically towards the higher side of the draw length. Effectively it’s a trade-off between efficiency and adjustability and longevity for a growing archer.
Cam Configuration Types
The following table references the common cam arrangements using the string and cable arrangement used.
| Cam Style | String | Control Cable | Bus Cable |
| Single | Yes | 0 | 1 |
| Twin | Yes | 0 | 2 |
| Binary | Yes | 2 | 0 |
| Hybrid | Yes | 1 | 1 |
Cam Characteristics: Let Off
Let Off refers to the percentage of weight the cams have “let off”, or reduced with, at full draw, and is indicated as a percentage of the maximum draw weight.
An 85% let off on a 35lbs bow would thus be 5.25lbs, or 2.4kg. At this weight the sting will be quite loose and relatively easy to deform. This contributes to lower poundage bows being a bit less forgiving than their higher poundage counterparts as it’s more prone to face pressure.
More experienced archers often develop a preference for a certain let off, like 75%, which on a 55lbs bow would equate to about 14.5lbs, or 6.6kg. This means the string would be tauter, and be less impacted by external interference, like face pressure.
Cam Characteristics: Draw Stops
Draw stops are devices which stops the bow from being drawn further than the intended draw length and is normally located on the cam and stops the bow by either pushing against a limb or the cables.
The position and shape of the draw stops give the bow it characteristic feel against the wall, as the maximum draw position is often called.
On some cams the draw stops have different configurations to enable the archer to adopt the preferred feeling of the bow at full draw, and it typically ranges between soft and hard.
Overall Geometry & Design
Design features, like the throat of the grip being in front of or behind the deflection point of the limbs, can make a difference to how steady the bow holds. This type of design feature is likely to be imperceptible to less experienced archers, but potentially important to a high-level archer. Either way it should be considered where possible.