General Bow Question(s)! (Damon Howatt Hunter)

[InsidiousVendetta]

Hey all,

I just found this site/forum after searching online for a bit, and it's great to know that a lot of people still use and appreciate recurve bows.

I just had a question about a bow that I inherited from my grandfather. Reading up on some of the other posts here was quite interesting, but I was curious as to what other people could tell me about the bow.

Some of the specs/numbers are as follows

38# @ 28"
and then under that is printed
HHT589 - 62"

I'm assuming that the first means thirty-eight pounds when drawn to twenty-eight inches. My conjecture on the second is that it is simply a make number and a bow length, but I haven't found more information on that. That being said, I'll fire off a few questions:

Would my assumptions/guesses (of the numbers/digits) be correct?

How can I be sure that the bow is still safe to fire? I do not know the last time that it was used. Would it be best to take it in to a shop to have it looked at?

What length and/or type of arrows would be most effective (mostly for recreational shooting, not quite hunting yet)?

What length string would be best and safest for the bow? The string that was with it when I received it was about 56".

I can't wait to start shooting again. It has been a while since I last shot, and I'm looking forward to it.

[rickshot]

You got 38# @ 28 correct and the AMO bow length of 62". The string length is definately wrong...it is too short. Arrow selection has much to do with knowledge of the shooters draw length. Nothing wrong with shooting older glass laminated recurves, provided they do not have serious defects. Rick.

[Shinken]

Greetings IV!

If you want to find out if the bow is still safe to fire - you could send it to me and I will test it out at the next few 3D shoots and let you know!

;~)

Seriously, it should be fine....

Shoot straight, Shinken

[Killdeer]

If you don't see any splits, laminations coming up, or the like, you are probably good to go. Run a soft cloth over it, a washcloth or something snaggy. See if there are any small splinters that snag the material. Sometimes stuff is hard to see, especially as you get older!

Get a Dacron string about 58 inches long for your 62" recurve. A Flemish string will let you play with the brace height to tune it, find a stringmaker in the sponsors' list here and tell them what bow you are working with, they will get you the right length.

Your Howatt Hunter (and mine   :D   ) are fine bows, you lucked into a good one!

Killdeer  

[luvnlongbow]

I would also check the limbs for any twisting. That Hunter is an excellant bow. Good luck and have fun with it.

[L. E. Carroll]

One thing that has been left out, is to get a good bow stringer and read how to use it, or have someone show you how.....  Too many people [ even experienced people ] have either been hurt [ possibly even loosing an eye] or hurt their bows by using the step thru or push pull methods.  This is especially important with a recurve.  Your Hunter has even more recurve built into the limbs than most recurves.  Be carefull.  

[InsidiousVendetta]

If you want to find out if the bow is still safe to fire - you could send it to me and I will test it out at the next few 3D shoots and let you know!

;~)
 

I'd be tempted to send myself with the bow so I could test it as well.  :D

[InsidiousVendetta]

Originally posted by Killdeer:

Your Howatt Hunter (and mine    :D    ) are fine bows, you lucked into a good one!

Thanks a ton for the suggestions! I'll have to look into a longer string, then. I've got plenty of arrows to play around with...once I get another string, I'll have to steal some bails of hay and get my aim back up to par!

[InsidiousVendetta]

Originally posted by L. E. Carroll:


Have fun with it!!
you have a very nice bow.....

Gene    

I tried stringing it yesterday as I had done it before, but it was very difficult. I'm assuming that it was a combination of both the shortness of the string and the different poundage of the bow (I had only strung 20-30 pound bows before). Thanks for the advice, now I'll just have to find someone that can string it...