30" or 34" ATA and why?
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: deerslayer
25-Jul-19
Looking at the new Hoyt Helix and trying to decide between the regular or ultra. I am a 30.5" draw and have always went with the 34" in the past, but liking the idea of a shorter bow for stalking, ground blinds, etc....
For those of you in the know, what are the pros/cons of each? Any accuracy differences?
From: Brotsky
25-Jul-19
The 34” will be a more stable platform with a better string angle at your longer draw length. I would say with a high degree of confidence you will find the 34 to be more accurate. You have to decide how big the accuracy trade off is and if it is offset by the advantages you mentioned of the shorter ATA bow.
From: Straight —» Arrow
25-Jul-19
I have a 30.5 draw length as well. Personally, I cannot stand those little cupid bows and that trend has kept me from buying a new bow for a really long time. My choice would be the 34 but even that is way too short for my liking.
From: Franklin
25-Jul-19
34" X4
From: Vonfoust
25-Jul-19
34" guy here, I remember when that was short.
From: Kurt
25-Jul-19
35" A-A @ 29" draw allow me to shoot better under hunting conditions than short bows did.
From: 12yards
25-Jul-19
34 for me also. Two more inches on either end isn't enough to make a difference for me.
From: x-man
25-Jul-19
I still consider 34" to be short.
From: jdee
25-Jul-19
I have a 30 inch DL and bought a short a to a bow once, spent a lot of time and money trying to get it to shoot and never could.Sold it and I’m now back on track with a longer bow. I thought it would be nice to haul around the mountains when hunting elk off of horses....Wrong !
From: Dale06
25-Jul-19
I’m shooting 34” only cause I can’t find a longer bow I like. I Hunt ground blinds a lot, some spot/stalk and some tree stands. I think the issues of shorter more compact bows being better in blinds, for stalking etc is pushed by the manufacturers of 30” ata bows. Not that many years ago 36” and longer ata bows were common and they worked fine in blinds, stalking etc. if you like a short bow, shoot it and enjoy, but a longer ata is not a handicap.
From: deerslayer
25-Jul-19
Jdee, that's one of the main reasons I am thinking 34".
I have a 34", and maybe I'm just built differently, but I constantly find myself wanting a shorter more compact bow. Being tall in a ground blind can present challenges with the ceiling.
From: APauls
25-Jul-19
why not use your swiss army bow in the blind, and a longer A2A bow for everything else?
From: mountainman
25-Jul-19
I'd go with the 34. Slightly more stable. Better string angle etc.
I have a 28 inch draw and I still like 33-35 inch bows. I currently shoot an Energy 35.
I have never been in a situation where a shorter bow would have gotten me a shot that my current one couldn't.
From: deerslayer
25-Jul-19
Adam,
I'm thinking that, but still giving some thought to the 30" as I've always wondered how much 4" really makes a difference.
Mountainman,
It isn't so much about not getting the shot as it is bulk. In the blind I regularly find myself having to slouch in my chair to clear the ceiling of the blind. Also when I do spot and stalk (A large percentage of my hunts) having a smaller, more compact bow would be really nice. As Adam alluded to I recently picked up a Gearhead archery T24 so that may be my spot/stalk go to and stick with the 34" in the Hoyt.
From: ESP
25-Jul-19
I have a 31” draw length and shoot an energy 35. I consider it as short as I would go. Honestly the ideal length for me is 37” a to a.
From: bighorn
25-Jul-19
What if your draw length is 25-1/2" to 26"
From: Shawn
25-Jul-19
34, I never understand and never will whay 4"s in length makes for stalking or shooting out of a blind. It means nothing, I do fine with some of my recurves up to 62"s. Brotsky has the best reason for you!! Shawn
From: bighorn
25-Jul-19
I guess what I'm asking is am I with the 25-26" draw better off with the 30 or 34" ?
From: wyobullshooter
25-Jul-19
34” over the 30” without question. This from one with a 26” DL.
From: TREESTANDWOLF
25-Jul-19
34 = Forgiving
I remember shooting the Z7 Xtreme... that bow taught me a lot. Going to a longer ATA was a easy
From: APauls
26-Jul-19
And yet, the Matthews Switchback XT, long thought to be one of the all time greats of compound bows, super forgiving etc, comes in at a whopping 31" A2A...
From: cnelk
26-Jul-19
I like shorter ATA bows.
From: Scar Finga
26-Jul-19
34 for me as well, I have never liked the short A to A bows.
Good Luck, and God Bless!
From: sdkhunter
26-Jul-19
I've always liked the idea of shorter bows (like 30")... The problem is that once I own them I don't shoot them as well as I think I should... As I look back at the bows I've owned over the years - I've shot the 33"/34" ATA bows best - I just like the string angle better and how they hold.... My draw length is generally 27.5 so I'm not lengthy at all - still like those little bit longer bows...
From: Southern draw
26-Jul-19
I really like my Helium and it’s 30 ata Before the Helium i shot a Q2 which was 33 7/8 but never noticed a big difference in accuracy. I do like the lighter weight as well in my Helim.
From: Cobie33
26-Jul-19
My draw length is 27.5" and I always shoot compounds that are 36" or more. My current one is 37" ATA. I just shoot compounds of that length better. I do most of my shooting with recurves or longbows though that are 60-62" whether I be in a blind, treestand or spot and stalk. Shoot whatever makes ya happy! That's what I do.
From: Ermine
26-Jul-19
I like longer bows 34” plus. I wish companies would make more hunting bows in the 35-37” range. I don’t understand the short bow craze
From: Boatman71
26-Jul-19
34" like others have said. String angle at your draw length will be pretty extreme on a 30". I shot a 30" one night for league at 28.5" draw length and it was not ideal for me even. Felt like I was constantly trying to find the peep no matter where we adjusted it. Not something you want in a hunting situation.
From: Shawn
26-Jul-19
I killed my 3 best bucks with a bow that was 28"s axle to axle but my draw was 27"s. I changed everything and now shoot 28.5"s and when I went and bought a new bow a few months back I shot the Vertix and the Traverse from Mathews the Traverse is 33"s axle to axle and I much prefered the draw cycle and the feel of the bow. Shawn
From: caribou77
10-Aug-19
1 thing people never pay attention to is Cam size. A 30" newer bow with GIANT Cams will have close to the same string angle as an older 34" ata with smaller cams. Their overall length will be very similar. In the end it comes down to what fits you. I like a longer bow. I shoot an Elite V37 with a 28.5" draw. it fits me, fits my face and my anchor.
From: standswittaknife
10-Aug-19
I went to an elite specifically due to a 35” ATA.. best decision I’ve made in a long time.. loved my Bowtech Prodigy but this was a better choice for me.. may upgrade to the 37” next years.. I’m a little old school and use a large kisser button.. that string angle killed it for me and needed the longer ata
From: Burly
10-Aug-19
If always shot longer ata length bows better. Heck I still consider under 42 " short lol. I'm heading into my local archery shop next week to see if I can trade my 30" Mathews Creed in on a 35" Hoyt Maxxis. Just not that accurate with it.
From: patience2spare
10-Aug-19
Caribou77 beat me to it. My Bowtech Prodigy is 32" AtoA but has a string angle more like a 35" AtoA bow because of the cams and how they sit at full draw. I'd say go shoot the shorter bow and see how it feels. Pete
From: Buckeye
11-Aug-19
34
From: DanaC
11-Aug-19
Yean I know a guy who went to a 60" recurve because a 66" longbow just didn't cut it for stalking. You boys are a hoot and a half ;-)
From: c3
11-Aug-19
I have a 28" draw and the longer bows make for a much easier anchor and head position. Short bows with a very steep string angle, requires you to tilt your head forward to get your nose on the string or your anchor has to be further back.
I would highly recommend that you try out a shorter bow before buying so you can see if it is comfortable to have your head tilted down like that. I've shot olympic recurve for years and a 68" bow does wonders for keeping your head up and comfortable at full draw. My current bowtech is 31" and really restricts my vision of the target. I just picked up an Xpedition Xcentric7 that is a 34" ata and way nicer. It will probably become my go to bow as I get it tuned and properly setup.
Cheers, Pete
From: TREESTANDWOLF
11-Aug-19
Glad I went to a 28 a few years back.
That bow made me shoot better and improved my form. 34 is where I’ll stay now, mainly because of the forgiveness.
From: deerslayer
11-Aug-19
LOL.... You guys know how to make a fella re-think his decision. Pretty overwhelming opinion that a longer bow aids in better shooting.
From: wyobullshooter
11-Aug-19
"Yean I know a guy who went to a 60" recurve because a 66" longbow just didn't cut it for stalking. You boys are a hoot and a half ;-)"
And exactly what does that have to do with the OP's question? I'll save you the time...it doesn't. ;-)
From: sticksender
11-Aug-19
34 ATA won't fit in my trusty Terra Glide....so the answer is easy for me. Long range BH groups are well within acceptable norms on my short AtoA rig.
From: spike78
11-Aug-19
My bow is 20.5” ATA very handy in the stand and blind.
From: 12yards
12-Aug-19
A short bow with big cams isn't going to help the OP. The big cam will still contact the top of his ground blind. I agree with the guy that said, get a short bow for hunting out of a ground blind and a longer one for everything else. The world would suck if you could only own one bow at a time. LOL.
From: DanaC
13-Aug-19
wyo, the OP mentioned 'stalking', and I suspect you got my point ;-)
From: ELKMAN
14-Aug-19
I would NEVER drop below a 33 ATA for a multitude of reasons. The Helix is VERY heavy, even in the 30 inch version. If I were you I would strongly consider the Realm X (33-1/2"), or the new Reckoning (35"). MUCH better tuning and shooting characteristics, not to mention a far better grip. Dropping Hoyt was one of the best decisions I've ever made. My 2cents...
