Greg / MO

Hey all you awesome technical-minded gurus!

OK, so I'm waxing the string on my MQ-1, and I get to thinking about brace height and other things. So I go over and get a bow square and clip it on, and it's exactly six inches to where the arrow would sit on the rest. (I've got a Mathews 1" overdraw on it.)

I know the orginal specs said the brace was 7 1/2". Is that measured to the burger hole, or whatever it's called? I assume that would automatically lessen once you attach a rest to it...

And, does that mean my bow now has an effective brace height of six inches? Just curious, as I could really care less. The thing shoots like a dream regardless: Just while ago, I was out in the back yard stacking arrows in the bullseye at 20, 30 and 40...

CBM SC

Measure your brace height from your string to the most narrow part of your grip ! It should be 7.5" !

PABowhntr

As CBM stated, brace height is measured in that fashion. Brace height does not change just because the rest is mounted behind the throat of the grip either normally or with an overdraw.

Does an overdraw have roughly the same impact on accuracy as a short brace height bow? Yes, in many ways it does but the brace height has not been physically shortened on the bow just because of the rest position.

Greg / MO

Thanks guys!

I think you hit on my intent with that query, Frank, when you said, "Does an overdraw have roughly the same impact on accuracy as a short brace height bow? Yes..."

That was what I was meaning by "effective," although I was needing some help understanding the technical applications as well.

Thanks again! (It makes me wonder how well I would shoot with an "effective" brace height which was more normal to today's standards, say over seven inches!)

CBM SC

MQ-1 .......there are many factors involved in making a bow shoot well !! I do not know every aspect of all of it........but I do know one thing from my experience................brace height is overrated !

I started off seriously shooting with a MQ-1 and went to an Ultra2 and now to an LX ..........and have shot numerous other bows of friends a lot ! I have seen no negatives in going to a shorter brace height........and actually either through experience or bow design(or both).......I'm shooting the LX better than any !! And JFYI I have a 30" draw.......which some say makes it harder to shoot a short brace height ! Good Luck.......that MQ-1 is a sweet bow......I still have mine around !

PABowhntr

And that is where I will have to disagree with CBM. I think brace height is one of the top factors when trying to judge how sensitive a bow is going to be of a shooter's form errors. Granted, the LX is below the "7 inch minimum" that most experts quote as being the minimum level of brace for a fairly forgiving bow however, as CBM pointed out, other factors such as draw length, amount of reflex in the riser, etc... all also come into play when discussing a comparison of brace height between any given set of bows.

However, I would kindly ask anyone to pick up a PSE Baby-G and tell me that it is as easily accurate for them to shoot as a Mathews MQ1 or Bowtech Pro 38.

CBM SC

PA.....I understand .......but your PSE example is the same thing I heard when looking into the Ultra2 with it's 6 1/8 " bh .......and I found it no harder to shoot than my MQ-1 at the time ! I put 3 in the 10 ring on a Vegas target at 20 yrds the first 3 shots I ever shot one on......w/ someone elses bow !

I don't guess you can put a finger on it unless someone makes the same exact bow offered in different brace heights ! I imagine a Patriot and Patriot Dually would be an example.......but the cam difference may throw things off ?? !!!

Rangeball

As a hunter, I look at brace height from a layered up late season hunting perspective, the more the better. This one of the reasons why the Justice is looking so sweet...

I think arm contact issues in hunting conditions over rides other brace height issues...

PABowhntr

I have no doubt that some folks can shoot short brace height bows very accurately and you definitely seem to be one of them however, as I mentioned earlier, it is not necessarily just the brace height but also the other factors that are related to said brace height that can potentially impact accuracy.

Greg / MO

Maybe that's why I continue to enjoy the bow so much... because I'm getting good speed (basically, from what it sounds like from all the Bowtech junkies -- about what they're getting... 276 fps with string leeches, brass nock, eliminator button. I know, I know... I'm not getting the kinetic energy those guys are getting. Beat ya to it, Matt! ), and still can have very good form with a 7 and a 1/2 inch brace height, but my effective brace with the launcher arms being an inch and a half rearward gives me the speed I'm looking for. Hmmm.