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Max. length?

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WillS:
I would imagine the really heavy bows are still around the same draw length (28" to 30") 

Judging by the arrows, and factoring in to some extent the height of men in the 16th Century (I don't actually know if they were shorter as a population but I don't think there were many men taller than us today) 28" to 30" seems to be the most common draw length.  I guess that some men were drawing slightly further, but I don't know if draw weight had a direct relationship to draw length.  It probably did. 

It's also worth bearing in mind that the longer draws (32" to 34") were probably specific actions, to loose incendiary arrows for example where the arrow needs to be longer and heavier.

I've always found it interesting that the arrow heads assumed to be arming the Mary Rose arrows are the very short Tudor Bodkins and Type 16s.  A Tudor Bodkin was found at Portchester Castle from almost exactly the same period, so that's become the arrowhead we associate with arrows from 1545.  However, at Crecy a much different head was found - very long, very heavy and clearly designed to cut plate armour.  I would have to imagine that arrows carrying these large heavy heads would be longer than the ones found on the Mary Rose, and if that were true the draw lengths of bows from the 14th/15th Century may well be longer.

If that theory flies with you and the guy you're making the bow for, maybe it's worth making him a 100 Years War replica based partly from theory and partly from the Mary Rose finds which could well be a longer bow with a longer draw length, but not necessarily at the top end of poundage. Hugh Soar, Roy King and Simon Stanley tested arrows armed with these heads and found that a bow of around 120 - 150# in draw weight were suitable to efficiently shoot the heavy plate cutting warheads.

AndiE:
Hi

I will build him the 84" yew warbow and if it looks great I keep it for myself and give him my 90# bamboo yumi warbow (106" long and insane >50" max. drawlength) that only costed me 5€ and works great even without handshock.  ;D

Kind regrads
Andi

AndiE:
Hi

I talked to a german bowyer today who has been at the MR museum and he said that there was a 220cm bow (= 87") found on the MR too.
 ???  ? ? ?

Kind regards
Andi

WillS:
Well he's wrong.    :P

Seriously, I didn't see one either time I've been there, and Alex Hildred's book is comprehensively compiled, with every single bow listed by length, width and depth.  Certainly nothing that long.

AndiE:
Hi

Do you have a link to this book?
Do you know other good books about warbows?

Kind regards
Andi

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