? about ASL's, HHA in particular

[sam barrett]

Hey guys, I've really gotten into Hill style bows in the last year and have enjoyed reading through all the Hill style threads, but have a question.  I've owned a few different ASL's, but not a HHA ASL.  I have seen them though and is it me or are there shelves cut much more narrow and farther from center than other ASL's?  Just looking for some clarification as I've never actually owned one...but would like to.  Thanks!

[evgb127]

I’m looking at a couple of my ASL’s and I never noticed a big difference before, but it appears you are right.



My Jet (left) has a slightly deeper shelf than my HHA (right).  My forward-handle JD Berry Northstar has the deepest cut.



That said, the shelf cut has never been a big consideration for me.  Yes, it comes into play when selecting an arrow and tuning, but I do not find it matters when it comes to general shooting of a bow.  Also, you can always build the shelf out with a leather wedge.

Ultimately, if you have the bug to get a Hill, definitely do it. You won’t be disappointed.

Here are some pictures of my Hill’s shelf. Not sure the pictures help much though.






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[Sam McMichael]

I have two Wesley Specials, two Cheetahs, and one Big Five, and all of them are significantly short of center. It has never been a problem. I find they need a softer spine than others that are center cut.

[pavan]

I have two active non center shot bows, my JD Berry is 50@26, it is 3/8" outside of center left and right, it likes 45-50 27" bop with 140 heads and 27" bop 50-55 with 160 grain heads.  My Sunset Hill is about the same outside of center 55@26 it likes 55-60 with 160 head, 65 with 190 grain heads and 50-55 with 140 grain heads, all 27" bop.  My JD Berry Morningstar is 53@26 it likes like the exact same wood arrows as the less center shot duo shooter, with exception it really likes 1918 27" bop with a total of 200 grains of insert and point.  The duo shooter will shoot 1818s perfect with 170 combined total, but I stay with wood arrows on that bow. With a Howard Hill Archery bow, if you seem slightly over spined with a B50 string open up the brace height a little, or call Chad Weaver and have him make you a modern material string for it.  With a modern string on a Hill bow you do not need to mess with a dynamic spine programs with wood arrows, just go with the graphs like any other bow, but I would not go way over spine or with full length arrows on a Hill bow.  Adding a lot of wood in front of the bow can make spine more difficult to predict and with wood arrows of a lot of extra length will make the wood arrows reactions to shooting errors more difficult to predict.  If you need more than an inch out in front with a perfect shot to get your arrows to fly smooth, your arrows are too stiff.

[Overspined]

It only changes what spine you need, you could have no shelf and shoot off your hand just fine. Most put a cant into the shot so it has never been a problem for me. Although I do roll the string a little when I draw and it helps keep the arrow from falling off. New shooters are the ones that I see with arrows falling off the shelf...

[Overspined]

I will add that from an ASL, wood arrows are by FAR my favorite and easiest to tune..