Heavy poundage(for me) HH bow kicked my rear today. No handshock!!

They still make hand held bow scales?  Those things were dangerous.

[Brazos]

Hill style bows are all I shoot.  I would say hand shock talk is crazy as I don't feel it.  But here is a story.  Back in college I wanted to shoot a longbow like HH.  I came across a 70# Martin ML-10 in a gun store.  I decided I would buy it as it was the first longbow I had ever seen.  The man said if you want to shoot it we can go down in the basement.  We did and between the two of us finally got it strung.  He handed me some arrows and I shot it one time and I swear I had grabbed an electric fence.  I left and did not buy the bow.  About 5-6 years later I ordered a bow from HHA and have never had an issue.  I have added several mow longbows over the past 12 years and still no hand shock.  It doesn't seem to matter how I hold it or what the arrow weighs.  All that said I experienced on time in my life and it was crazy.

[papawoody]

Originally posted by Brazos:
Hill style bows are all I shoot.  I would say hand shock talk is crazy as I don't feel it.  But here is a story.  Back in college I wanted to shoot a longbow like HH.  I came across a 70# Martin ML-10 in a gun store.  I decided I would buy it as it was the first longbow I had ever seen.  The man said if you want to shoot it we can go down in the basement.  We did and between the two of us finally got it strung.  He handed me some arrows and I shot it one time and I swear I had grabbed an electric fence.  I left and did not buy the bow.  About 5-6 years later I ordered a bow from HHA and have never had an issue.  I have added several mow longbows over the past 12 years and still no hand shock.  It doesn't seem to matter how I hold it or what the arrow weighs.  All that said I experienced on time in my life and it was crazy.

That's because youre brain is still shaking fom the first shot. LOLI love the look and feel of a great hh bow. but every time I shoot one I can feel fillings in my teeth come loose. lol.

I don't think Mudd really intended this to be an argument of who can shoot a Hill without causing hand shock that gets all the way to their teeth.  I think those that find the shock to be over whelming actually do things that make it worse. The other day I was playing with my light weight Grooves recurve, trying to see how far I could shoot an arrow. I stretched for a long draw and shot, I got  immediate pain in my elbow from shooting with my bowarm locked out.  Even if one is shoting straight armed, that arm is still pushing the bow out. The combination of the bows energy and a topped out arm with no place to go will amplify that energy.  Hills that have some bump with B50 strings will not make shooters with extended locked out bowarms very happy.  They do not all kick the same, mine have no more than an average recurve. There is nothing wrong with shooting recurves if your body type and form does not cooperate with a Hill longbow.

[bayoulongbowman]

I love hh BOWS , BUT YA GOT KNOW HOW TO HOLD THEM...

[bayoulongbowman]

sorry didnt mean to capitalize

[Mudd]

pavan; "I don't think Mudd really intended this to be an argument of who can shoot a Hill without causing hand shock that gets all the way to their teeth."

That is correct pavan.

I never said anything about handshock.(it's a non-issue) for me.

I was talking about the fact that I was way over bowed shooting 62@28 and that's all I was referring to.. well that and the fact the bow made me feeling like a wussie boy or maybe even a girlie girl.. either way, the poundage ate my lunch..lol

God bless,Mudd

[Knawbone]

Yes, I believe as you, that trying to string it caused to much stress on your bow arm. I have done the same thing in the past. I always use a stringer on a longbow, especially a 66" or longer bow. If I forget my stringer then it doesn't get strung.

With my favorite 68" bow I intentionally left the top tip big enough so I could use a bow loader. I had a Pete George that was to tiny to use the bow loader and that 68" 64 pound bow hurt me everytime I strung it. Take a couple of inches off and I can load an 80 pounder without a bowloader. Those extra couple of inches may shoot nice, but for us stubby guys it is an awkward stretch to string them.

[smoke1953]

Need to have the teeth rattled to insure the fillings are tight. It's all about ones personal health and the Hill style keeps the muscles toned and insures a good set of choppers.

[Ralphie]

Shooting Hill style bows seems to be a state of mind.

[TSP]

In Mudd's case (as he said) it was the heavy weight not the type of bow that was 'whacking' him.  There comes a day when we must all recognize our limitations on bow weight, hopefully before our arms fall off.              

But re bows and shooting styles, with recurves years ago I had ALOT more shoulder/elbow trouble than I do now with mostly Hills and mild R/D longbows.  The reason was that way back then I was drinking the 'shoot like an Olympian' KoolAid...set rigid arm and elbow, anchor way back, hold until the sun sets and release.  The body isn't made to do that repeatedly with heavy or even mid-weight bows.  Such problems aren't strength related...back then I was strong enough to pick up my 6 hp snowblower and load it in the bed of my truck...yet trying to shoot that rigid shooting style beat my joints to death and I still suffer from those mistakes now that I'm older.  But it wasn't the bow design, it was the method design.  I finally learned my lesson that a more rhythmic style saves much wear and tear on important parts.

Sometimes I think we spend too much time trying to become archery champions when all we REALLY want to do is shoot well enough, accurately enough, and comfortable enough to enjoy the shooting, hunt and have fun.  

As I get older it's clear that chasing target shooting perfection with my hunting weight bows and blue collar aspirations is highly overrated.        

[mbugland]

even though it was on the off side f the topic...
This simple thread has answered more recent questions for me than rereading the 900+ pages of the HH bug thread.

I just swapped out strings on my 70" HH Weasly Special... Holy cow! I braced it and took a shot, two shots, a dozen. I thought someone must have snuck into my house and swapped me bows. I think I have finally found her new braced height. I have never felt a bow that hurt that much to shoot and I had been shooting that bow for over a year thinking it was the smoothest bow, Hill or Recurve, I had ever shot. I thought I bought the same string I had on there. Every bow has it's own personality I guess. Had to keep playing with it until she finally told me how she wanted.  Still draws a little different, not sure how to describe it. I actually started to shoot my 68" HH WS more because of it, which started to hurt my bow elbow, and thanks to Pavan, I guess I know why. I draw it a little different because it's 10#s lighter.... so I am probably over extending that a little.

You guys are the best.  I knew there was a reason I lurked around here so much.  Now I need to get the honey-do list done quickly after church so I can try and see if I can fix my form this afternoon in the yard.

Thanks all!