Hardwood vs. Softwood

[UnderControl16]

So which is/do you think is better for making a self bow? I mean to ask is hardwood better for a high poundage selfbow then a softwood? For a softwood do you need to back it with something to prevent a softwood from breaking while making a 50# bow. Right now I have a cedar and pine backed bow that is dow stairs waiting to be tillered. I am hoping for a 50-70# bow and I was wondering if it would work if i did everything correctly...

[Eric Krewson]

To determine if a wood is bow material you can check the specific gravity of the species, plenty of SC lists on the net.

If the specific gravity is over .50 you generally have a wood you can make a bow out of. Low specific gravity woods need a design wider and longer than woods with a higher SC.

Pine is not a good candidate for a bow, cedar could be if it is eastern red cedar not western cedar.

[Roy Steele]

I built 3 O'sage bows 80#s,85#s and 100#s,and anouther one 100#pound exploaded.The lighter bows were real shooters.The 80# is 7 years old and still being shot.The other I don't know about.The 100# the same guy owns and devolped 4"s of string follow.And looks slugish then he saw the light and quick trying to inpress his friends.And  started shooting the 80# bow.
  I've never built any bows in the 100# range with white woods but have built an 79# and a 80# hickory bows both devloped anround 3"s of string.I also made few,70#ers these devolped 2,plus inchs of string follow.But when I got down into the 60 to 65 pound range and were talking mainly hickory but a few elm couple horn beem.In made bows  of other white woods but of lower pounds.
  I found out that hickory and elm had to get in the lower 60# pound range to have an inch or less of string follow.I built at least 15 of these bows.
   My hard wood exsperence Osage,black locust,mullberry and couple yew I could build up in the lower 60# range realy well with little or no string follow good cast,fast good shooters.And not untill I reached the high 70's did I start seeing more string follow.And I've built at least 20 of these bows.
  I'd have to say hard woods all the way.Not that you can't build nice white wood bows as long as you keep them in the low 60's or less.With hard woods that we talked about you can take that poundage up to the low 70's untill you start haveing exsess trouble.
  These were all unbacked selfbows most were stiff handled bows.With mostly the same limb design.

[George Tsoukalas]

Yes, generally speaking hardwoods are better. Yew,  juniper and Eastern red cedar are exceptions. Jawge

[va]

Hey Undercontrol -

I am NOT an expert like Eric K and Jawge but my 2cents is to use whatever wood you have and let the wood dictate the draw weight.  Anything over 40-45# will hunt (if that is where you are headed) and the efficiency of a bow really slacks off when you get to about 70#.

As long as the bow has good cast the poundage is just a number.  I am trying to focus on smooth, well-timed limbs with light stiff tips.  These are more fun than an 80# monster.

va

[UnderControl16]

that's actually very good advice va and i am slowly learning that lesson. how come bows slack off above 70#? Do you mean fps? I have thought about hunting but right now just do target shooting. Thanks for the advice guys.