If i ever buy another longbow, it will be a 64" low 40s at 26". Maybe even a 62" if it is a string follow reverse riser. JD Berry really knows his stuff when moving that riser forward.

Just sold a bow that was 60" because I'm drawing 29" the string angle at the limb tips was right on 90 deg at full draw. I have a bow I made that is 50" and I can shoot pretty good if I do everything exactly right. It is certainly less forgiving. I have never owned a bow that has been ideal for me, either the draw weight has been off or the length has been wrong. I am going to be putting together an ilf bow that will be on a 21" riser and should total out about 66" it should be about 38-42# so I will finally be able to see what kind of a difference it makes having a bow that is at a very comfortable weight and the right length for my draw.

My wife, when looking bow ads, liked the looks of a Lost Creek NAT. I thought she was nuts, but we got one anyway. At 54" and her 26&1/4" draw, it is a remarkable bow, however, when it gets short drawn not so much. The more pistol shape is in the grip the longer my draw gets, that bow arm and bow wrist angle thing can increase the draw a bit. 60" in one bow may have the string angle of a longer bow in a different design. I do not think finger pinch will be an issue, unless you are turning your fingers at an angle to the string where the index finger is not square to the bow string and the arrow.

Personally, I think it's all personal preference.

Steve is our local rocket scientist ( really) and i trust him with actually knowing physics kinda stuff. But....i make guesses and some of them are good.

They say the longer the push activity the more energy is imparted to the projectile. Meaning a long draw will, theoretically, give the arrow more push.

I have to question that. And yes, it eventually gets around to this exact topic, not just long draws and long limbs. Seems to me that the above premise surmises that a push will be forever increasing in velocity. If a long ( say....68") bow, with long limbs is drawn and released it reacts by coming back to location zero, which, in this case, is NOT to a relaxed state. If limb design is such that one limb....say, a shorter one, returns to zero quicker than a longer limb, it would impart more speed to that projectile. In other words, a bow designed for a shorter draw, whose fades, bends and draw force works sooner ( shorter draw) than later ( longer draw), will cast a projectile faster / better, if a limited draw cycle is used. That could be a long bow with a long riser ( and shorter working limbs), as in a 21st century design, or a shorter overall bow with a shorter riser ( similar working limbs to the above). In either case, the design needs to accomodate the draw length, which translates into the final string to limb angle at full draw. This also, as an aside, plays out with challenging string angles at the fingers vs a longer length bow, making it very much less comfortable for longer draws.

You should seek a bow that feels good in the hand....and is designed to work well at your draw length.

Chuckc thinks it is a matter of what you get used to. I agree. My first longbow was 68" long and seemed very smooth and was effective even with my short 25" draw length. It just happened to be that length when I tried it out, and I liked it. I did not know that bow length as related to draw length might have a bearing on performance. So, as I gathered a few more bows, I went to 68". Now I have 7 ASL's and 5 R/D's, all at that length. Could I perform better with a shorter bow? I guess I'll never know. Are there any works that discusses this topic that a guy who is not into physics can understand? My interest has been aroused.

Spent 30 minutes on the phone with Gregg Coffey this morning picking out veneers and riser wood combinations. As always he provided great advice. Decided to go with the 60" version of his Falcon. He kinda sorta suggested I might have it by Christmas, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise. That would be about 6 weeks before the timeframe I was thinking. But then again, the man is a machine when it comes to building bows....

Whatever you get used to. For ME, how the handle / grip feels in my hand is most important, as long as the bow accommodates my draw length. With a short draw, you can get by with a real shorty.

62" for my 26" draw wouldn't want any shorter

I find for my 27.5” draw that 62” is the smoothest.

I don’t consider myself to be a great shot to begin with but, I have more trouble shooting the shorter bows with consistent accuracy. I own and have shot longbows and recurves down to 58” but I shoot longbows in the 62-68 inch length much better. My draw length is the same as yours. I don’t have any trouble with finger pinch on the short bows, but just can’t shoot them as well. I know it’s lack of ability on my part, and not the bow.

Two inches doesn't make a lot of difference, but there is a difference. You might consider letting the amount of R/D be the determining factor. Mild R/D, 62-inch length; moderate R/D, 60 inch. Of course, severe R/D/hybrid, 60 inches or even less.

Split finger is more sensitive to finger pinch than 3 under, IMO, so longer is better from that perspective.

Of course, the tight confines in which you will be using it might outweigh the other considerations.

Good luck. Let us know what you decide.