Not everyone is built in the same way. Some people have longer arms, different size torsos and longer jaw lines. Because of this, different people have different draw lengths which in turn means that they need different lengths of arrows. When you are starting in archery the first thing to worry about in reference to arrow length is to ensure that the arrows are not too short. Arrows being too long you can live with. Arrows being too short can spell disaster. When beginners are at full draw you want at least an extra 2 inches of arrow length beyond the front of the bow for safety.

To get a quick check to make sure the arrows you are planning on shooting are not too short, fully stretch out both of your arms out in front of you and place the palms of your hands together with fingertips fully extended. Measure the arrow length against the distance from your chest to 2 inches beyond your fingertips and that should be your starting MINIMUM arrow length.

Most target archery marshals will have beginner archers shooting full length arrows (normally 32 inches long) which have several advantages. As they are full length arrows, you don’t normally have to worry about them being too short (be warned, there are some people with really long arms that this will not work for and people that may try to over draw the bow). Beginners should be shooting short distances so the excess arrow length should have little to no effect on performance. Because most beginners should also be using the pile of the arrow (arrowhead) to aim with, using a longer arrow means the archer is more likely to shoot lower. This means you have less arrows shooting over the target. When the piles break off the arrows, you can remove ½ an inch or so and make another set of 30-inch arrows giving them a second life.

Please note, care should always be taken not to over draw the bow.

How to measure your arrow length (for advanced archers) To get a more actuate arrow length you can measure it one of two ways. Both ways need a second person at hand to help.

The first way is to nock an old arrow when standing on the shooting line and aim down range and draw the string back to your normal anchoring point. With a marker, a second person makes a vertical line on the arrow where it meets the front of the bow. You then measure the length between the inside of the arrow’s nock to that mark and that is your arrow length.

The second way is done in much the same way as the first except you use a measuring arrow. This is an arrow that has the length in inches marked up the cock feather side of the arrow already. When you draw the arrow back the second person has only to read the length off the arrow. No need for a measuring tape. A measuring arrow should be marked 5 inches from the inside of the nock to the pile.

In both above cases you should never shoot the arrow. Simply ‘come down’.

Why should I use arrows the same as my draw length (or rather my draw length plus 2 inches for extra safety)? There are 2 reasons: The shorter arrows are, the less they weigh. This has the benefit of being able to send arrows more distance with the same poundage bow.
It also means if you use the pile (arrowhead) for aim, you have to correct less then shooting longer distances.