damon howatt questions

[ozy clint]

i'm shooting a damon howatt hunter 55#@28" 58" bow. ( at least that's what i've been told it is)can anyone give me a recommened brace height. also what string materials are suitable/not suitable? can anyone give me some background info. the only thing writen on it is-  'centreshot  HO 107' followed by the specs above. it has a brass stabiliser bush if that helps. would just like to know more about it, as it's been sitting in the old man's cupboard for at least the last 25 years. i've only just started trad hunting. thanks

[AkDan]

The DHH was my first bow, bought off the shelf new for 175 bucks.  

B50 is the only thing I'd shoot off them.  And if I remember right my Bh was about 7 1/4"   I did do a little shelf and really shot that bow well though nothing fell to it other then small game and a lot of haybales.  

You could email martin and get specs on the bow via the serial number if no one here can give it to you.

[Kip]

I have a 58" 55 @28"Howatt Hunter I bought in 1976 killed a few deer with it beautiful lines fast bow.I braced it right at 8" and a couple of years ago I sent it to bowdoc(it was ragged out) came back sooooo pretty I don't want to hunt with it.According to Howattman they made the 58" only for 5-years 1975-80.Kip

[d. ward]

I have a mid 1960's Brazilian Rosewood white fiberglass 62" 55# Hunter....Sweet shooter there...around 8 inch brace with a 550 to 600 grain shaft and she's hummen.I shoot 60-65# spined arrows myself.Nice bows....bowdoc

[heydeerman]

I have an olllllllllllllllllld Hunter that I brace at 7 inches. Shes quiet and smokes an arrow for a 46 pounder.

[ozy clint]

are you guys talking about to the belly of the riser or the valley of the grip? in regards to the brace height. currently i'm using 7 3/8" to the belly of the riser. that's 8 3/4" to the handle valley. thanks for the info.

[Beepy]

I am shooting 7 1/4 out of mine -- 'from the valley of the handle'   Its a newer 62 incher though with a FF flemish string.

[ozy clint]

sounds like i might be over braced, problem is the longest string length i can get out my current string gives me a brace of 8 1/2". do you think this is a problem? it shoots ok. mind you, i'm a beginner and probably couldn't tell the difference. would i be sacificing much performance at 3/4" above what seems to be the norm? thanks

[AkDan]

heck thats almost 1.5"es more then what I used.  I measured from the throat of the grip to the string.  

The higher the bh, the less power stroke you'er going to have, which means a slower arrow.   This power stroke length will also play in bow tuning.  The higher the BH is the STIFFER your arrow will act, the lower it is the WEAKER it will act....by acting stiffer or weaker it's refering to the dynamic spine.  You can also change this by adding weight at the point end, either an insert or a heavier or lighter tip, or adding weight on the nock end.  Each will effect it.

My guess is with a lower BH that it'll draw much easier for you, though to low you'll slap your forearm/wrist and get a ton of noise and vibration.  Each bow shoots with a different set up for each shooter shooting it.  Some bows are more forgiving while others need to be spot on.  

I'd get a new string.  If not, learn how to build them.  A flemish twist string is easy to learn on.  And if the string hasnt been stretched it WILl stretch quite a bit depending on how well it was made.

If you have a dvd player order a dvd from  www.recurves.com  on string building.   1 b50 string will cost you around 7-10 bucks, where two spools the video a board and some nails/pegs will likely build more strings off those two spools then what you could buy for the same amount spent on the gear...its easy and it's fun!