Hill Shooters

[longbowguy]

I think there is a difference. The defining characteristic of these bows when Howard Hill developed the design was the bamboo limbs. He went to Japan and selected one of the many varieties of bamboo and instructed the farmer/forester who grew them on the size he wanted. Bamboo is lighter in weight than any bow limb wood. Yew wood is a close second.

I believe that the Howard Hill bows that have bamboo or yew cores, maybe with a decorative wood lamination on top, will likely perform best. The present maker, Craig Ekin, says that the 'Wesley Special', five lams of bamboo is the best performer.

But Mr. Hill's two favorite and famous bows, 'Grandpa' and 'Grandma', each had only three lams of bamboo. This design is known as the 'Tembo.' The pet bows of many old hands, me included, happen to be of the Tembo design, three lams.

[Teknoclash]

I have a Hill "HalfBreed". Two laminates of Boo sandwiched between two lams of Yew. It's a sweet shooting bow and it loves HEAVY arrows. The spruce arrows I shoot weigh around 465-470gr but I have some carbon's with fish tank airtube in them that weigh around 570 and I think it throws them better than the spruce with no noticeable difference in trajectory. No hand shock either.

[trh1]

Did Jerry Hill make the Halfbreed?

[Grampus]

To eliminate hand shock on a Howard Hill bow, add two crazy legs to the string. The hand shock will disappear.

[TL54]

I shoot 520 grain 2016 Easton out of my 46# HH with no hand shock.Plus I brace them at 6 5/8.

[aromakr]

Steve:
Bows made by Howard were usually named by him like "Sweet heart" and did not have his signature on them.
Bob