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Archery tool

Draw Length Estimator

This estimator turns your arm span (wingspan) into an estimated draw length. Stand naturally, open your arms into a relaxed T, and measure fingertip to fingertip in inches; the tool returns a starting draw length using the long-standing rule of thumb: estimated draw length = wingspan ÷ 2.5, rounded to the nearest half inch. It is an estimate to get you in the right range — your true draw length should be confirmed at full draw or with a coach.

Estimate your draw length

With your arms out level in a relaxed T (palms forward, no reaching), measure the straight-line distance from the tip of one middle finger to the tip of the other.

Enter your arm span above to see your estimated draw length. With JavaScript turned off, divide your wingspan by 2.5 to work it out by hand.

The formula, shown

The wingspan estimate is a simple, well-established rule of thumb — there’s nothing proprietary about it, so here it is in full:

  1. Measure your arm span (W), in inches, fingertip to fingertip with your arms out level and relaxed.
  2. Divide your arm span by 2.5: estimated draw length = W ÷ 2.5.
  3. Round the result to the nearest half inch — draw length is normally referenced in half-inch steps.

Worked example: a 70-inch arm span gives 70 ÷ 2.5 = 28 inches, so the estimated draw length is 28 in. A 69-inch arm span gives 27.6 in, which rounds to 27.5 in. You can check either result in the estimator above.

Why this is an estimate, not a final number

Draw length scales closely with overall arm span for most adult builds, which is why dividing wingspan by 2.5 lands near your draw length. But it assumes an average build and a textbook anchor, so treat the result as a starting point — typically within about an inch of the truth — not a setting you lock in. The most common error is overreaching when you open your arms: stretching to feel wider inflates the wingspan and pushes the estimate too long.

Your true draw length is the one measured on an actual bow at your real anchor. Under the AMO/ATA standard it is taken at full draw from the string at the nock to the pivot point of the grip, plus 1.75 inches. That at-full-draw figure reflects your real form, which the wingspan estimate cannot — and on a compound bow, where draw length is a fixed setting, it has to match you exactly.

Next steps: how to measure your draw length (the precise at-full-draw method), and the plain-English definition in draw length in the archery terms glossary.