Howard Hill owners - advice please!

[rbcorbitt]

I was fortunate to win the raffle drawing at the Roanoke Valley Trad Bowmen's STAR shoot two weekends ago.  The raffle consists of a standard Tembo built to my draw and weight - any upgrades are on me, which I do not mind.

What bow configuration do you fellow Howard Hill owners suggest and why?  I need to make a decision soon!

[Ben Maher]

I'd give Craig a call and discuss it with him . There are many Hill devotee's whose fave model is the Tembo.

As a rough guide I'd suggest

draw 27" - 66"-68" in set back/ reflex, 64"-66" in straight laid/string follow
draw 28" - 68"-70" in set back/ reflex, 66"-68" in straight laid/ string follow
draw 29"-30" 68"-72"

But there are plenty who shoot both long and short versions very well , so my opinion is based solely on personal experience

Or if you had a spare couple of months you could read the Hill thread ... lol

Congrats on the win eh !

[mike g]

I have 68" Big Five and it's made to draw 29" No problem.
    My next one will be Tembo with no Shelf, so I can shoot it both ways.

[bicster]

You may want to start with a straight grip since it could be changed to a dish or locator later on if you do not like it. You should verify this with Craig or Jason to make sure I am right. As mentioned above, the length should match your draw length. I would opt for the longer length rather than shorter. The magic comes from the smooth draw that you experience from the long length.

[Sam McMichael]

I don't have a Tembo, but I have a couple of Wesley Specials, a couple of Cheetahs, and a Big Five. I have straight or dished grips on them and like them equally well. I recommend a longer bow for smoothness of draw (mine are 68"). Some have reinforced nocks and some don't, but I like them for a little extra assurance that FF strings won't be a problem. Heavy wooden arrows seem to be a natural fit with Hill bows.

Once you have a pretty good idea about your preferences, call Craig and discuss them. He can point out any gotchas in your idea and will take really good care of you.

[John McCreary]

Craig will build any version, including the Tembo, with string follow limbs. I highly recommend it.

J-Mac

[nineworlds9]

I 2nd Ben Maher's rough guide.  66" seems to be a good length for hunting, 68" for targets or 68" for hunting and targets if you're tall and/or have a long draw.  I muddle around through some really thick crap down here in the Florida Panhandle and will say that it can be done with a 66-72" bow no problem, you just have to be mindful and learn to plan your moves a little more...though I will be the first to admit I have invested in a couple shorter bows (Kestrel and Shrew) to that I have the option to be lazier.  As a rule though I love a long longbow.  I'd go as long as you feel comfortable.  To me the Hill bows shoot sweeter the longer they are.  I enjoyed my 66" Old Tom just fine but when I got the latest 69" it got even better to me.  If you need a short bow to have around do like me and keep a short r/d or recurve  

[Tajue17]

if it was me it be no less than 68" even for 27" draw but I'm not familiar with his string follow versions,, straight handle grip unless you already know you liked dished.

[cbCrow]

I would advise you to talk with Craig and he will help you through the process. I'm sure to catch flak but you have won one of, if not the best, HHA bows offers, enjoy.

[pdk25]

Talk to Craig, but see if there is anyone in your area with a HH bows of different lengths that you can try.  I prefer the 68" at my draw length of around 29", but everyone is different. Good luck, and I hope that you enjoy your bow.

[two4hooking]

I would request a deeper handle.  His current handles are under 2 inches and very slim feeling compared to older versions.

[David Mitchell]

A lot depends on your personal stats.  Draw length?  Typically most folks drop and inch of draw compared to a recurve.  Hand size?  If you have average to larger hand size you will probably like a grip at least 2" deep (front to back depth) as two4hooking suggests. I wear a size large glove and don't care for a grip smaller than 2" deep and I like a 5" circumference. Grip style is very personal.  I have found the straight grip best for me, but others prefer a different style.  That's something only you can decide.  If you are currently shooting recurves or hybrids with more recurvy grips (i.e., pistol grips) you may adjust to the longbow better with the dished grip.  I personally don't like locator grips on longbows but some do--very personal thing that nobody but you can decide. My long experience with longbows (the real kind--like Craig builds    :D   ) is that long is good.  I draw 28" on a Hill bow and don't order less than 68" bows any more.  I have tried 70" but seem to drift back to 68.  I do have a couple of 66"ers but prefer the 68.  The difference between a 66 and 68" bow is a mere inch on the end of each limb!  That isn't much--not likely to create any insurmountable problems in the woods.  

So my advice is go long unless you have a short draw like 25 or 26"--even then I wouldn't go shorter than 66".  These style bows are designed to be long. The Tembo is a great bow--many prefer it to all other Hills they have had.  Best of luck to you--you should love it!

Dave

[Butch Speer]

I have a 66" Tembo. 51 @ 28 and I draw 27.5. I do prefer the 66 over a 68. Nothing wrong with a 68, just prefer the 66. I owned a 70" & I'm only 5'6" & that 70" was a bear to string. That's a consideration some people don't take into account. Still, I don't think you'll be disappointing whatever length you choose.  Lot's of folks opt for the longer bows but, the 66 is very smooth.

I've owned all the grip styles & prefer Craig's locator grip or straight grip. It's a very small locator but, it does what it's supposed to. If I were to order a new Hill, it would be the Tembo. As far as I can tell, its very comparable to my Cheetah in cast but it's 5 lbs. lighter draw.

[David Mitchell]

Butch, thanks for those comments. I appreciate the comparison between the Tembo and Cheetah. I do not have a Tembo--maybe I need to have a chat with Craig, huh?  

[Bud B.]

Handle depth, particularly if you have good sized hands, is important. I have a Hill style on order with a straight grip and asked the depth be 2 3/16" without the leather grip. If it's too large then it can always be reduced. It's hard to add to it in a good way.

[Bill Turner]

I would always recommend talking with Craig before placing your order. If you are a traveling hunter, you might want to consider ordering a take down and paying the difference. Craig has two TD grips(small and large), both straight, but there is little difference in size. I own three of his TD models (64" Red Man; 66" Cheetah; 68" Half Breed)and personally like the feel and additional stability of the Hill take downs. At my 27 and 3/4 inch draw, the 66" length is my favorite. Like Butch Spear said above 68" and up do present a stringing problem for someone with shorter arms. My "Tembo" is not a TD, but is 66" long and pulls 55@28. It has a snakewood riser, black glass front and back, and double overlay ivory/snakewood tips, with Howard Hill's own, preferred straight grip design. This grip is a little thinner and not as rounded as Craigs standard grips. It is a beautiful bow and shoots like a dream. Finally, I've owned Hill's with both the carbon and lamboo options and see little benefit in either. Congrats on winning the raffle. You can't go wrong with a "Tembo" and if money is not a problem, have Craig spruce it up with a sterling silver elephant on the riser. Great bow from a outstanding bowyer. Enjoy.  

[arrow flynn]

I draw 27.5 when I went to bob wesleys bow camp in 95 ihad him order me a big 5 he ordered me a 70 inch hesaid it would shoot thebest for me. It was a great shooting bow bob inspected it before sending to me as he did with all hhill bows ordered thru him. Why not a 66 or 68 ? Because in a longbow theextra length means less string angle easier to shoot well. Thats what I understand anyway.