Longbow with no handshock-true?

[Bill Kissner]

Originally posted by Bill Kissner:
Hand shock is a relative thing. I am with those that say all bows have "some" hand shock. If you think your bow does not have any, shoot it with an open bow hand and don't grab it at the shot. Better have a soft place out in front for it to land though [Wink] .

That doesn't prove anything. If you shoot your bow with an open bow hand and don't grab it at the shot, then how is it NOT gonna hit the ground?!? Hand shock or no hand shock it's gonna hit the ground if you don't hold onto it! Never saw a bow that sticks to an open hand, unless it's glued to it.

I'm not understanding what you're trying to say here. No one is saying a bow doesn't move upon releasing the string and the arrow leaves the bow. Hand shock is an unpleasant "jarring" of the bow hand from the shot. The bow simply moving or vibrating a little isn't hand shock.

Say what you will, but I'm telling ya right now, my Kanati has NO hand shock.

Sorry that you took my post personal Douglas. I did put a wink at the end. When I said SOME, I meant some as in very little. If your bow has absolutely no hand shock at all, I will take your word for it. Peace.

[LKH]

I've got Jack Harrison's longbows.  One of the reason I do is that HH style and many other longbows were almost unbearable to shoot.  I have terrible shoulders (4 surgeries) and Jack's are pain free.

[Dimondback]

Originally posted by Smithhammer:
My #55 Savannah longbow with an SBD string is absolutely dead in the hand. I attribute it to tuning (arrow and bow), string choice, and good design.

I have a 45# Martin Savannah (x-mas gift) and my initial experience with it is the same as above. I don't have a lot of experience with other bows and I don't believe I ever will after shooting this one...super smooth shooting bow. (I am shooting a Dacron 12 strand string with muskrat silencers and arrows that are close to what I need. I will let you know if this changes with tuned arrows once I get this thing fully tuned)

[Hud]

A string follow longbow, will have less felt recoil at release than a straight end, and considerably less than one with 1.5 inches of backset. Many R/D Longbows have less than a traditional longbow, unless it is a string follow. Design matters.

Bows with a forward handle, will have less. The best thing is to try one first. Heavy limbs or limbs with denser wood will feel heavy and transmit more vibration, than lighter limbs like Bamboo, Red Elm, or foam.

Large handles sometime pick up more vibration. If you shoot with a rigid style, elbow locked and shoulders aligned with your bow arm, you will feel more.

If your thumb is bothered by the recoil, look for a smaller handle, and then use a light grip, holding the bow with the last two fingers.

[ishoot4thrills]

Originally posted by Bill Kissner:
 

Originally posted by Bill Kissner:
Hand shock is a relative thing. I am with those that say all bows have "some" hand shock. If you think your bow does not have any, shoot it with an open bow hand and don't grab it at the shot. Better have a soft place out in front for it to land though [Wink] .

That doesn't prove anything. If you shoot your bow with an open bow hand and don't grab it at the shot, then how is it NOT gonna hit the ground?!? Hand shock or no hand shock it's gonna hit the ground if you don't hold onto it! Never saw a bow that sticks to an open hand, unless it's glued to it.

I'm not understanding what you're trying to say here. No one is saying a bow doesn't move upon releasing the string and the arrow leaves the bow. Hand shock is an unpleasant "jarring" of the bow hand from the shot. The bow simply moving or vibrating a little isn't hand shock.

Say what you will, but I'm telling ya right now, my Kanati has NO hand shock.

Sorry that you took my post personal Douglas. I did put a wink at the end. When I said SOME, I meant some as in very little. If your bow has absolutely no hand shock at all, I will take your word for it. Peace. [/b]

Didn't take it personal, Bill. Just wanted to clear things up about what hand shock really is.  

[sweeney3]

Yes.  It's possible.  Light tips and a good tiller.

[Archie]

There's so much personal variation here that, clearly, the answer is not black and white.  I've shot some of the "mine has no hand shock" bows that others have listed here and found them to be much more "alive" in the hand than I expected.  I can and have shot my Black Widow longbow for hours with nary a whisper of shock, nor hand or elbow discomfort.  

I suggest that you hook yourself up with various bows via some loaners, shows (like Kalamazoo), shoots, and test programs to see how they work for you.  Bows are like anything else... cars, guitars, recliners, etc.... and all of us choose based on how they fit us and how we fit them.

[JV Rooster]

I dont know if its just me but I dont notice any hand shock in any longbows I have shot. I even had my index finger removed because of an injury.I even have nurve damage and this is the hand I grip the bow with.

[Sixby]

Lord willing I am about to adress this problem. I plan on building a high performance string follow three piece takedown this year. It will be a 66 inch model available in either a top mount or belly mount short riser. I have to say that to the best of my knowledge that string follow is where its at if you want a true D longbow that has very little shock. Personally I have never shot a longbow that feels better at the shot than a string follow.
I may eventually build this in a onepiece but at this time I am going to do this (Lord Willing) just because I don't believe anyone else has.

Look for a press release sometime aroung March or even a bit earlier. ( Again , Lord Willing)

God bless you all and have a great New Year, Steve

[larry]

the two "deadest in the hand" bows I've ever shot were Jim Neaves original double carbon and a turkey creek double carbon. those bows were amazing...no felt shock at all, zip zilch nada. And I'm one of those guys who can "feel" it when others can't.

larry

[Pinelander]

It isn't the mass weight of the handle (or lack thereof), it's the limb design.

Generally speaking, a straight-limbed bow will have "some" handshock, a mild reflexed limb will have a "little" handshock, a more extremely reflexed limb will have "less than a little" handshock.

Of course, it also depends on the GPP arrow one is shooting. Generally speaking again... the heavier the arrow, the more it absorbs a bow's "excess energy".

It think that in many cases when someone says "the bow really likes heavy arrows".... what they are really saying is that the bow "feels" better if you shoot heavy arrows, lol.

And Larry is correct, the double-carbon Centaurs and Turkey Creeks are among the most "dead-in-hand" longbows you will ever experience. I haven't shot ALL the bows out there, but I think it would be difficult to find a bow with LESS handshock than those two marvels of bow design. But of course, neither of those bows are true d-bows. We call them longbows nowadays, but really they are hybrids.

- Dave

[straitera]

Handshock is very subjective. Of my housefull of heavier straight handled lb's none concern me w/handshock.

[OS]

Every once in a while I string up my old longbow made in the 70's and remind myself what hand shock realy is :-) Some of my newer bows do have some more noticble than others.  I would say my favorate is my St. Joe River longbow.  Dead in the hand every time.

[JamesKerr]

Almost all well designed d/r longbows will not have any detectable hand shock these days. I have not shot any d/r longbow that I can feel handshock in and I know what to look for. I have a cheap made imitation of a Hill bow that will rattle your teeth.

Target form amplifies hand shock and a more flexible fluid form nullifies it.  I think at times folks make to big a deal out of what they feel.  I keep looking for that Hill style bow that shoots itself.  I was thinking a while back that my Pete George yew had a bit of a thump to it, just to find that it is about the same as a very fancy recurve. I thought, 'oh my, what a sensitive wimp I've become.'

[Gray Buffalo]

St. Joe River long bows are very dead in your hand. You would be hard pressed to find a smother shooting bow

It is my go to bow and will go to the grave with me.

Too bad it was left handed. Right Mudd??  

[flint kemper]

The 2 deadest in the hands bows I have ever shot where a 60 inch Northern Mist Baraga drawn to a true 28 inches and Steve Turay said that was the sweet spot with that length and Black Swan Hybrid 1 piece 62 inches long and I have shot alot of bows over the years and can feel like Larry every little bit of it.

[Desperado]

The "deadest in the hand" long bow by far that I have ever shot is my Don Dow Stick Bow...It is amazing!!

[Sixby]

Deadest in the hand longbows will always be the heavy D and r styles. AH Sasquatch, New Sentman, As you decrease the D and R towards a more D shape you can keep this attribute with judicious designing. However it will not be a true D bow until strung. My New limb design is approching a D when strung with no loss of deadness in hand but I feat I am getting close. The trick to me is to get the perfect bow. In the longbow department that is going to be a D shape when strung but have the speed and shootability of the D and R.

I know someone that is getting verry verry close to that but its a secret. In fact they may have gone and done it.


God bless you all, Steve

[Davie C.]

Grains-per-pound makes a big difference. I try to never shoot less than 10 gpp if at all possible.