Why short bow instead of long bow?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

Years ago I made a "pistol" crossbow and spent months trying out different woods for a 15" prod. Nothing worked at a length that was short enough. I had to use steel and fibreglass.

Playing with the spreadsheet for my SM-2 and SM+1 guys really shows how important draw length is. Far more than I ever would have guessed in my complete ignorance of bows.