PMantle

I will likely buy a new bow by the Summer, and some of the ones I am considering have braces that I would like to reduce by an inch or so. I have seen at least one guy build a new grip that gets the throat closer to the string. I was wondering if it would be both possible and safe to build some sort of spacer that would allow me to use the original grip? If so, could it be made of wood? Could I attach it with epoxy? What kind of glue is used for most grips?
Also, if it works, do I just order my normal draw increased by the size of the spacer or new grip?

Thanks for any help.

mrfritz44

Not really sure, but don't overdraws and some drop away rests effectively decrease brace height?

Fritz

PMantle

I don't think so. That just allows you to shoot shorter/lighter arrows. Shortening brace gives a longer stroke, not just a shorter arrow. You need your bow hand moved back or string moved forward.

Rangeball

From my understanding the only way you can gain power stroke is to order a bow longer than your current draw and the "grip" will reduce the draw length back down to what fits you.

If you simply add the "grip" on the same draw length bow, you effectively lower the brace but gain no additional powerstroke.

PMantle

Right Rangeball, I probably should not even have asked about what draw length to order. It would seem that adding whatever you added to the grip, whether by spacer or larger grip, would be what you add to your normal draw, but I was just thinking there may be something I had not considered.

Bigpapascout

adding a larger grip or an overdraw does NOT change the brace heighth of any bow.
the only way you can change the brace heighth of a bow is to shorten the limbs which also changes your A to A and your string and harness length.

best thing to do is to find a bow that has the desired brace heighth you are looking for.

PMantle

Uhm, this is simply not true. How are you measuring brace? From the grip, right? If you construct a grip where the throat is closer to thestring than the original, it is inescapable that you have changed the brace, and will now require a longer draw length.

Bees

Not really, you have just changed where you measured it from, And you changed where your back anchor position will be. But the bow will still have the same power stroke..

Chronograph your bow, make your grip change, chronograph bow again using same arrow, it will shoot the same speed... Why because you only changed where you hold the bow and where you anchored...

A least I think anyway. Try it and report back....

Rangeball

I think we can make everybody happy if we insert the term "effective" brace

Since the grip addition will make the bow "effectively" draw too short when one uses their same anchor point (and who wouldn't), you need to increase the draw length of the bow to put your "effective" draw length back to where it was, which gives you the additional powerstroke...

PMantle

OK Rangeball, use "effective" if you want. The change has the same "effect" as if your bow just grew more reflex. Anyhow, I never intended to argue over semantics or the concept in general. I was just hoping there were members here who had either done this or knew more about it. Thanks for the replies.

I will check with my buddy who is both an engineer and a woodworker, but unfortunately, only a gun hunter. If he is unsure about a shim or spacer, I'll just get him to make a replica grip from the stock one, with the extra wood needed to move the neck back.