Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Pheonixarcher on June 13, 2013, 01:34:00 AM
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Looks can kill! Firstly, when shooting instinctively, you only need to look at your quarry to be able to kill it. Of course there is a little more to it than that. Such as proper form, a clear shot, a finely tuned and sharp broadhead, etc. But most importantly, you must look at your exit hole through the vitals before the string is loosed! It really is as simple as that. The moment you allow yourself to believe otherwise, is when it becomes much too complicated.
That being said, lets get to why I know you all are here. My new bow. It's a 58" Big Foot Sasquatch long bow, with 47# zebra limbs, and 52# copperheads. The flair back riser is made from a beautiful piece of zebra wood with a bocote flair footing and blood wood and black glass accents. The riser overlay, and the flush bolt overlays on the zebra limbs are also bocote. Both sets of limbs have black tail deer antler tips that Kirk darkened up with some of his magic. It also has an off set I-beam made from Brazilian walnut (Ipe).
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpse3929ce1.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpsd8c1058e.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps4eefa4b3.jpg)
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Wouldn't you know it! I finally recieved this beauty the end of last week, and I've been so busy with work lately that I've only been able to run a few hundred arrows through her. Most of these pictures are from the cashe of pics that Kirk sent me, so a few will be fresh and shiny out of the spray booth, and others will be of the matte 'hunting' finish. You'll also notice the custom grip that he made for MY hand! I'll get into that a little later.
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps283fb727.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps744d25d2.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpsb5509be4.jpg)
The belly ramp caps are also bocote.
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps454cf1c0.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpsb10198bf.jpg)
Some of these photos were taken at different stages of the build. You might notice the bocote start to darken up a bit. This bow is like a fine wine, in that it will only get better with age.
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Like what I can see of the riser...any with the whole bow? :thumbsup:
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that is gorgeous. Love to see the copperheads and a full length pic of the bow. Sasquatches are so unique and hot looking.
Great job Bro.Kirk. I just did a grip just like that for Mike Storm.
God bless you all, Steve
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And now for the limbs. Both sets draw amazingly smooth. So smooth in fact, I'd have thought that Kirk missed the weight by a few pounds. These limbs are built to perform best at my draw length, yet there is not even the smallest hint of stacking! They are very pleasurable to shoot, and man do they perform! The 47# limbs make the arrows I had tuned to a different 51# bow look like limp noodles. And they shoot so flat that I have a hard time keeping the arrows low enough at 20 yards. And thats with about 10.5 grains per pound. These 47#ers flat out shoot! I have shot the 52# limbs, but don't currently have any arrows that are stiff enough. There are no vibrations at all, and man are they quiet! A lot of bows have a fairly loud ring to the limbs, but these are just a thump. No ring, no twang, just thump! And I think the 52#ers might even be a duller thump! But I'm getting ahead of myself.
47# zebra back and belly
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps330dab1c.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps9f45aac7.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpsd9a600b4.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps21dc61d7.jpg)
Check out these limb bolts!
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpsb2d028ab.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps60e9ab6e.jpg)
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Kirk went the extra mile here, as he did with everything. He used a special base color under the skins to bring out their detail and color. I think they turned out quite well. A special thank you goes out to Sixby for supplying these beauties. Kirk, I'll let you give the details on the finer points if you want, and feel free to chime in or post any additional photos. Without further adieu... 52# copperhead backs with zebra bellies. You'll notice these bolts got the same overlay treatment as the zebra bolts.
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps27aafe7b.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpsce80373f.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpse3011a5e.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps5a39692c.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps032cb552.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpsecb32751.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpsf0f871c8.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpse332d36a.jpg)
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You'll notice that these skins have a slight chameleon effect, in that they change color a bit in different lighting, and blend very well into their environment.
I think that's enough for tonight. I gotta get some shut eye. I'll give more details on how the bow shoots and maybe add a few more pics tomarrow.
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Those limb bolts are incredible! Well Done!
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Beautiful bow! Really like the offset I-beam!! Need to talk to Kirk about that!!
Congrats!!
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OOOOHHHhhhhh AAAAAAHHHHhhhh, very very nice.
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i love it , you're a lucky man !!
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Oh man...just when I had my "need" list whittled back to one bow. Make it two now, curses!
Congratulations, you lucky dog.
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Nice!
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That is a beauty!
Congrats!
><>>
Glenn
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She has nice curves
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If that is not a piece of art, I don't know what would be!
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Kirk never seems to rest on laurels. Those limb bolts blended like that are stunning!
I thought mine was as pretty as it gets, but each new one posted has so many things that just make a man drool!
Best part is the shooting. I looked 2X at that grip! I recognize that configuration with the lower cut out on the thumb side!
I struggled with many bow grips for many years till Kirk took my situation under study and fixed the issue!
I remain indebted for my fine shooter and great looker... but yours exceeds even my standards!
Congratulations!
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WOW!!
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WOW,
Beautiful bow. I had to go back and look several times. I have never seen attention to detail like that in any bow I have ever seen.
How the hell did he do the over lay on the limb bolts? Was that your idea?
Wait till ya take her out and let her rip on some yardage. Kirk makes one of the flattest shooting bows out there. You will be surprised.
Jeesee I can't get over it. Let us know how it shoots
Congrats
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Nice, but why do you call it a longbow? At best it's a hybrid recurve.
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Wow, that bow looks awesome!
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R/D longbows do have some string touch, depending on brace. NOT AMO or IBO competition legal, but Kirk makes those competition bows, too.
Thinner limbs, quiet... all the things that my past recurves lacked... So to me, MINE is a Sasquatch LONG bow.
Your view may differ.
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Spectacular
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Paul, very beautiful.
You should be proud, and I hope it works wonders for you.
George
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Wow, that's definitely a beauty! Don't know how missed this yesterday but, congrats on your new bow. :thumbsup: :clapper:
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I'm glad you all like her. I sure do. I know it's a stetch calling her a long bow, but that's what I bought her as. Maybe I'll have to call her a long curve? Speaking of curves, her's are down right stunning.
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zps0200e7d5.jpg)
(http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t608/Pheonixarcher/null_zpsd96d4c32.jpg)
I'm very much looking forward to shooting her at some longer yardage. I did take one shot the other night at about 40, and darn near shot over the top. I think I'm gonna try some heavier arrows soon and see how she likes them.
The limb bolt overlays were Kirk's idea.
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Beautiful Bow! That is a work of art. :clapper: :clapper:
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Wow, Kirk really nailed it on those limb bolts! Ya know I love the zebra/bocote combo too. What's working in the middle of your limbs?
Thom
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Both sets of limbs are bamboo cores, zebra veneers, and clear glass.
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DANG!!!!!
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Nice, but why do you call it a longbow? At best it's a hybrid recurve.
Landman,
Actually this is what I call a hybrid long bow. The narrow width profile and deep core limb design is what really makes the difference from an average recurve limb which are thinner core and much wider.
But... it really depends on what brace height you like. When these are braced lower than 7.5" the string is laying on the belly side of the limb for an inch or so... This technically classifies it as a recurve.... at 7.5" and above the string comes right off the tip notches an it becomes a hybrid long bow.....
Hey Paul,
Considering all the pictures and such.... is it a safe bet saying that you kind of like your new bow?
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As soon as I get some time, I will delve deeper into the details of her handling, performance, and manners. She may be beautiful to look at, but its her shootability that really sets her a cut above the rest.
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I was wondering when you were going to make an appearance Kirk. Yes, that would be the understatement of the year. Lol. Thanks again Kirk, not only is she drop dead gorgeous, she knows her a way around the kitchen! A keeper on all accounts.
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absolutely stunning!
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Pretty bow! I have a pair of Saquatches one take down and the other a one piece , they are extremely good shooters, Congrats on an awesome bow!
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Wow! That is a great looking bow!
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What a great looking bow! I'm sure it will shoot just as good. I shot a round with Kirk at the Western States shoot a couple of weeks ago and swapped a few elk hunting stories. He's a real nice guy and a great bowyer. I'm saving my penny's for a Bigfoot hybrid ;) longbow now.
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Originally posted by katman:
OOOOHHHhhhhh AAAAAAHHHHhhhh, very very nice.
Yep
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Thats a real cool bow. Love the color of those woods.
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This bow is very nice,congrats to Paul and Kirk for this piece of ART :clapper:
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What an awesome looking bow. We have some awesome bowyers. Usually you get a lot more than expected.
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Paul,
That is 1 beautiful bow. The woods and veneers combined with the Copperhead skins made for a very striking bow.
I've been shooting one of Kirk's Sasquatch recurves for 2 years now and I still say it is the flattest shooting, hardest hitting bow I've ever picked up.
Congrats on the new bow. I have a feeling that you're going to like it better every time you shoot it.
Billy
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Very nice P-archer!
Enjoy!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
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If you have never shot a Sasquatch(especially one tillered to your draw length)you owe it to yourself to do so .............. BUT............be prepared to fall in love! :readit:
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Iohkus:............be prepared to fall in love!
Amen to that. The last couple of bows that Kirk built and have been posted on here are just real works of Bowyers art. And believe me. Those sexy curves really perform. They go way beyond just looks. But man they do look good. I remember the first time I saw a Sasquatch bow. The look of the bow said this is the real deal. Then I got one and my oh my. I have to honestly say I have to run to keep up with Kirk.
God bless you all, Steve
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First of all, happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there.
And thank you all for the kind words.
All this mandatory over time at work has been killing me lately. But I finally got to have a little more quality time with this bow today, and I'm here to tell you, this bow shoots even better than she looks!
I want to have some time behind the string before I get too carried away with the super fine tuning, so I haven't really played with brace or nock height yet. But arrow flight has been pretty good so far with most of the different arrow setups that I've tried. Which tells me one of two things, I got lucky and hit the proper heights pretty darn close, or this is a pretty forgiving bow. Kirk did send the string with a tied on nock that I moved down slightly and I set the brace at 7.25". It shoots so well here, that I could probably take it down lower, but 7.25-7.5" is recommended.
I still don't have the proper spine arrows for the 52# limbs, so I spent my time today getting to know the 47#ers.
Kirk warns you of a couple things when you buy one of his bows. #1, these things perform, and you'll probably have to go to a stiffer spine than normal, and #2, these things shoot flat, so aim low! Both very true statements.
To achieve good flight from arrows that were previously tuned to a 51# bow, I had to shorten them a bit, and drop some point weight. This put me at about 10.5gpp. They flew good and straight, but I couldn't keep them down on the target. I tried some different arrows today that were 12gpp, and that helped. I still had to make an effort to shoot lower than normal, but I could keep them on the target much better. So I thought, "ok, how bad did that just hurt my cast?" I stepped back to 30, and almost shot over the target again. Went back to 40, and did shoot over the target! When I went back to 50 yards, I was shooting slightly down hill, and as I was a little over the arrow, I really got a good view of the cast. I was very impressed with how flat that arrow flew... Right over the target! Lol it's gonna take a little adjusting to, but I'm really liking how these 47# limbs are launching a 563grain arrow. If the 52# limbs launch a 625grain arrow with as much authority, I'll be digging bloodied arrows out of the dirt for sure!
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The arrows fly good and flat, and that's all fine and dandy, but how good does the bow shoot, you might ask?
The draw cycle is super smooth, and it points extremely well, but its after the string is dropped that this bow really shines. It's very quiet, and the limbs are timed perfectly. This means that the limbs return to brace or preload at the exact same time, thusly creating no residual vibrations (no hand shock). Which means its super smooth before, during, and after the shot. When you drop the string, the bow sits in your hand just as it was while you were holding at full draw. It doesn't jump around, or cause any sort of excessive follow through. It truely is a pleasure to shoot.
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Paul,
Kirk spends time tuning each bow he makes to save the shooter some effort. His recommended brace was dead nuts on for me... and as you say, QUIET.
I've seen a few of his High Speed videos where his limbs and string stop nearly DEAD after the arrow leaves the string... there were views of others (un-named of course) that flailed around a good bit.
I'd be curious if you put the nock point back, how much shooting over you might eliminate? Just curious...
I did share with you I had to go from .400 spine to .340 with the same set up to harness the extra oomph in my Sassy Lady.
You will enjoy the ride...
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Those vidios of Kirks would sell his bows like hotcakes if they got shown. He ought to post a link to them. BTW one of those bows is one of mine . Problem fixed now but man it did the Watusi. It shot really good and it was fast but now its remodeled extensively and all because of Kirks slow video. This is actually some of the technology that improves the sport or at least the bow building part of it. All that energy that is bouncing those limbs around is being wasted. I just saw a thread where a fairly fast bow posted efficiency levels in the 60s. Kick those same bows up into the 90s and what a difference in performance. In fact Kirk and I were just discussing this and the entire methodology of efficiency rating is about to be challenged ,. That is if you cannot go over what is now 100 percent.
God bless, Steve
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Good stuff Steve, thanks for sharing.
Doc, I moved the nock point down while bare shafting some arrows. I agree that it would help a little with my high shooting, but that brought those shafts and arrows together. Like I said, I'm not too concerned with the perfect tune as of yet. I need to narrow down my set up, and get a little more time behind the string. I know I'm close enough now, that broadhead tuning shouldn't be a problem.
I feel confident that my high impacts have been a direct result of the cast of this bow. The bow I was shooting prior to this had much more arch in the flight and, and started dropping much sooner (thus my shooting over the target at longer ranges). I'm confident that a little more time and some stumping will get me right on target.
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Sounds like a fun problem to have, Paul!!! :thumbsup:
Jay Kidwell, in his book on shooting trad, states that the mind's eye will long remember that arc of the arrow...as you say...all you need to do is shoot enough now to IMPRINT a new arc into your coconut computer!
What a delightful problem to have, eh? :)
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Yup! Now I just need all these over time hours to ease up a bit so I can get after it.
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Make hay while the sun shines, Pard!!! these things called "jobs" have a mysterious way of disappearing over night...faster'n money!
Time will come. True love takes time --- the best is yet to come!
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That's a beauty! :thumbsup:
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Ron, Do yourself a favor and get ahold of Kirk and go see him. You will love his bows and Kirk is a great guy to visit with.
God bless you , Steve
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Hey Sixby, you got another set of copperheads like that, I am seriously thinkin about letting Kirk do my SS with those, I am not a fan of skins but they look incredible. my riser will be bacote and zebra so it should look really good also. So far the limbs are gonna be black glass so Kirk could paint em up, but we have not come up with a final configuration on that yet, he's still testin combo's, imagine that. :saywhat:
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I have rattlers and Moccasins. I have one pair of copperheads but they are reserved for a New belly mount Storm Eagle Static. I will check and see if I can find some for you though. Oh I do have a set of canebreaks. Those are some really great skins. I like them as well as the copperheads,. But then I like small rattlers too.
God bless , Steve
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I've got a customer looking for more Corn snake skins too...Keep your eyes peeled for some of those too bro....
Hey Paul.... I've got your riser pattern heading back your way tomorrow...Kirk
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I believe that Charles Sinclair has some bull snakes that are super cool. You might check out the classifieds under bow making materials. also the sponser adds sometimes have snakeskins. I have bought a lot of snakes from Mike Yancy , Pine Hollow and From Charles. I belive Nolz has some timbers and some moccasins and canebreaks right now. He might have some others too.
God bless you all, Steve
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Thanks Kirk.