Someone finally noticed my bow tube!

[Cavscout9753]

A while back I posted about a longbow case I built for my truck bed:
 

Well I have some traditional bowhunting stickers on it, apparently for no purpose since people always ask what it is. Today as I was going into Publix a guy stopped me and said he noticed them. We started talking and long story short he is Steve-Ala on here. We traded pictures of bows and discussed shooting, fly fishing, and other topics. We ended with exchanging numbers and hoping to get together to lose (yes I meant lose, not loose!) some arrows. I don't often meet other trad shooters in this town so it was a great encounter. Just goes to show that you have to "fly the flag" and eventually the right kind of folks will notice. Now I just need more stickers for my case.......

[kill shot]

I have a fred bear decal in the rear window in my truck and another that says "old school". I need one that says traditional archery/bowhunter

[M60gunner]

Cavscout, I made one simular to yours. Trouble was I had no truck to attach it to! Good to see you back on board. Fly fishing is another of my hobbies as well. I got in deep back about 9 years ago by attending a class at local JC. The class was "making bamboo fly rods". Been hooked since.
Good shooting, Tom M

[Roadkill]

Those tubes carry some great bows...safely.  My window decal says "longbow spoken here"

[DXH]

What part of Alabama you in

[Cavscout9753]

I'm over in Phenix City not too far from Auburn; on the Georgia line.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Nice bow case and it was pretty neat you met someone from Trad gang in town.

[Sam McMichael]

Cavscout9753, glad you are close to God's country. (I graduated from Auburn.) Do you attend the shoots at Tannehill near Tuscaloosa? Also, the TBG shoot in Georgia is not so terribly far from you. Its near The Rock. Yeah, that is the name of the town. Swing on over if you get a chance.

How do bows hold up in hot weather when carried in your tube? I worry that a problem might occur if a shady parking place can't be located on a hot day.

[Cavscout9753]

Hey Sam, I haven't made any shoots over here yet. Usually a scheduling conflict. But I always want to. I've been through The Rock before on my way out to Buggy Days in.... Barnsville I think it was? The tube is ok for the heat, but I don't push it. I use it mostly for hunting season when its cooler out anyway, and then I put my bow in a bow sock and slide it in there. I dont usually let it sit in there while I'm at work or anything too long, just to get from home to hunting spot and back, but within most reason I don't feel too alarmed with a modern long bow in there. Additional steps can be taken such as just parking in some shade (might add a few minutes of walking but no biggy), I also have some spare camo netting that can be zip tied to the length of it to cut down on direct heat if needs be, but again, thats just not a bridge ive had to cross yet. I often wonder about the feasability of using one of those 1st aide foil blankets and fashioning it into a sock of sorts. My bow would go in the normal bow sock, then into the foil blanket, then into the tube. Not sure how neccessary, but its always fun to mentally solve problems before Im faced with them.

[DXH]

I graduated from Auburn as well, 4 years ago this may.

[Sam McMichael]

DHX, WAR EAGLE! I hope both you and Cavscout can make the June Tannehill shoot. It would be good to meet up if we can. Cavscout9753, I generally use a fishing rod case, but it is not mounted to my truck like yours. I was hoping you were going to say that you had good luck in the heat with your rig. I really worry about hot weather.

[Jack Skinner]

Really like the tube idea. How does you lock work? Or is just to keep the honest crooks at bay? Can you send me some close ups of the lock system. Please and thank you

[Rufus]

Does that get pretty hot inside it in summer time?

[Gun]

What kind of screws are on the hinge?  

[Cavscout9753]

Ooops, didn't notice this thread kicking around. The lock: Yeah, it'll keep an honest man honest, but if they want it bad enough, nothing in this world is safe.

The screws/hardware: They're just lightweight hardware kits from Home Depot, the same hasp you'd put on a small cabinet. I just had to cut out the cap piece to accommodate the "hoop" end that the hasp goes over to lock the cap on. I tried to find the shortest screws I could since they protrude into the inside of the tube. I had to mount a piece of slim wood into the inside to suck up the last part of the screw threads and keep them from scraping on my bows going in and out.

Heat: The bane of any tradbow, especially in the south. I mentioned it above, but I usually only use the tube to get from point A to point B. Long term storage isn't really necessary for me most of the time. On the odd chance that the bow is in there for a while, I park under a shady tree and add a few minutes walk to my destination. The light tan paint is by design, to reflect some of the light and heat back away; black would have looked cool, but way to heat absorbing. I always put my longbow in a sock before it goes into the tube for added protection. The hose clamps are bolted to the rear of the truck bed, but should something ridiculous happen that case can take a beating and the bow (in its bowsock) will likely fair well. As I mentioned above, a thermal blanket around the bow may help as well, and If the need presents itself I am prepared to invest the $20 (?) and couple hours to:
1) create a thermal blanket sock for the bow to go in before it goes in the tube
2) affix camo netting to the top of the tub to deflect direct sunlight.

Perfect it is not. However, for the time/money invested, I no longer fear my door slamming on my delicate tips of my 68" longbow, and since most of my truck travel shooting isn't in the summer I haven't had any issues yet, though we're only talking a year of use so far.