HH bug got me ... Part One!

[bicster]

Back then he only charged a bottle an hour. Now he is two and a half so his rate went up.

[Rossco7002]

Stunning longbows Goshawkin! Great collection.

[BCWV]

 
 That's a great picture.

[dragonheart]

Originally posted by bicster:
 

Here is a pic for those of you who are expecting little ones. Congrats!
Bic

I remember those days!    

[Goshawkin]

Dragonheart and Mushin,
What length did you get the Bear cubs in? Could either one of you post a pic of it next to a full size Hill? I'm curious as to how big the grips are on the Bear cubs.
My daughter's Northwind bow has a very small riser/grip.She's going to be 9 in a few more days and the grip is getting a little small for her.It was her sister's old bow and probably best for kids about 6-8 years old.
I'm guessing the Hill bows are built a little bigger. Thanks.

[frassettor]

Ok fellas I need your help and advice - my in laws asked me what kind of longbow I wanted for christmas-I am seriously considering a Howard hill! I'm looking at a Wesley special 64"- 60#@28 inches. I'm wanting to shoot woodies;and have some 85-90# Surewoods here. Would these work?  Are they cut to center? Are they fast flight compatible? I just love ol classic longbows. So any advice or help would be appreciated . I'm used to shooting my BW PLX's

[Ben Maher]

Frassetor ... can I suggest that you go longer unless you are drawing 26" or less . It'll work at 27"-28" but I think you'll be missing out on why Hillstyle bows work so well .....

the bows are ff compatible but unless you have some heavier weight heads those arrows may be overspined unless you leave them 29- 30 long .
The bows are cut no where near centre ... my fave bows are Hillstyle longbows and my PLX .......

Jump in with anymore queries ....

[Killdeer]

It would be very hard to pick a more different bow from your Widow. No, they are not cut to center!

Killdeer  

[frassettor]

Originally posted by Ben Maher:
Frassetor ... can I suggest that you go longer unless you are drawing 26" or less . It'll work at 27"-28" but I think you'll be missing out on why Hillstyle bows work so well .....

the bows are ff compatible but unless you have some heavier weight heads those arrows may be overspined unless you leave them 29- 30 long .
The bows are cut no where near centre ... my fave bows are Hillstyle longbows and my PLX .......

Jump in with anymore queries ....

What length would you reccomend?

[khardrunner]

Depends on your actual draw length. If you are ordering, talk to Craig. He'll set you up. He's a great guy and knows his craft!

[mikebiz]

frassettor what is your actual draw length with the Widow?  That's good for us to know.  I assume that you shoot your Widow with a straight bow arm.  If you intend to shoot the Hill with a bent elbow like Howard did, you will probably lose 1-2" in actual draw length.  If you draw a true 28" with your current bow a 64" will be quite a bit too short for you.    

I've read about several different ways to determine bow length, but for the life of me I can't remember where.  I think they go like this.  Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.  

One formula considers the shooter's actual height and subtracts 1" to determine bow length.  I'm 5'5" (65") tall, so by that method I should shoot a 64" (which I do).  Another formula uses the last digit in the shooter's actual draw length (in my case 25") and adds 60 inches to determine bow length.  In this case I would shoot a 65" (which I also do).  

I have shot 64s, 65s and 66s equally well.  For me the 65" is a nice compromise.  Compact and stable.  If I was to have a bow built for me today it would be 65".  That said I love my 64" bows.    

If you are shooting around 28" draw I would definitely go with a 68" or 69".  Like Ben said you'll get much more appreciation out of a Hill-style with the longer bow length.  A 64" will probably stack on you and leave you asking why people shoot these Hill bows.  

I'm pretty sure those Surewoods you have are too stiff for a 60@28.  A lot of guys shoot woodies about 10# heavier than required on Hills, but I currently shoot carbons so I can't really comment anymore on that.  25-30# has got to be to stiff though.

Hill-style longbows are not centershot bows.  They are typically cut about 3/16" before center.  

Additionally, Several things you should consider at some point are grip size, grip shape and limb profile.  

Good luck with figuring this stuff out.  Great people over here with more Hill info than you can imagine.  Keep asking questions.  You'll learn a lot and hopefully start with a Hill that fits you.  There's nothing worse than ordering a custom anything and finding it doesn't fit you properly.

[bicster]

There is a lot of great info on Dick Wightman's webpage regarding Howard Hill Bows. It would be worth your time to check it out. For drawlength here are some general starting points. These are not cut in stone and others on here may have some better points for longer draw lengths because I only draw 26" and love the 66" but the 64" was not as comfortable.
26" Draw - 66"
28" = 68"
30 = 70"

[frassettor]

Originally posted by mikebiz:
frassettor what is your actual draw length with the Widow?  That's good for us to know.  I assume that you shoot your Widow with a straight bow arm.  If you intend to shoot the Hill with a bent elbow like Howard did, you will probably lose 1-2" in actual draw length.  If you draw a true 28" with your current bow a 64" will be quite a bit too short for you.    

I've read about several different ways to determine bow length, but for the life of me I can't remember where.  I think they go like this.  Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.  

One formula considers the shooter's actual height and subtracts 1" to determine bow length.  I'm 5'5" (65") tall, so by that method I should shoot a 64" (which I do).  Another formula uses the last digit in the shooter's actual draw length (in my case 25") and adds 60 inches to determine bow length.  In this case I would shoot a 65" (which I also do).  

I have shot 64s, 65s and 66s equally well.  For me the 65" is a nice compromise.  Compact and stable.  If I was to have a bow built for me today it would be 65".  That said I love my 64" bows.    

If you are shooting around 28" draw I would definitely go with a 68" or 69".  Like Ben said you'll get much more appreciation out of a Hill-style with the longer bow length.  A 64" will probably stack on you and leave you asking why people shoot these Hill bows.  

I'm pretty sure those Surewoods you have are too stiff for a 60@28.  A lot of guys shoot woodies about 10# heavier than required on Hills, but I currently shoot carbons so I can't really comment anymore on that.  25-30# has got to be to stiff though.

Hill-style longbows are not centershot bows.  They are typically cut about 3/16" before center.  

Additionally, Several things you should consider at some point are grip size, grip shape and limb profile.  

Good luck with figuring this stuff out.  Great people over here with more Hill info than you can imagine.  Keep asking questions.  You'll learn a lot and hopefully start with a Hill that fits you.  There's nothing worse than ordering a custom anything and finding it doesn't fit you properly.

I draw 28". Im 6'3" . I shoot my BW with a straight arm

[mikebiz]

frassettor, I wouldn't go any shorter than 66" and 68" should be even better.  I think you'll be very happy with that, but like khardrunner said ask Craig Ekin.  He will get you set up right.

And yes if any of you haven't checked out Dick Wightman's site definitely do so.  Lots of cool stuff over there.  Hill-style longbows, patchwork quilts and dulcimers.  Cap'n Dick's interests are pretty unique and he's one heck of a nice guy.  My girlfriend shoots a bow he built and named "Look At Me".  Red Elm limbs with a Cherry riser.  It's a beautiful longbow and she loves it.

[khardrunner]

64" might work, depending on how it is built and tillered. 66" is probably my favorite length for that draw, but that is a personal thing. 68" will be smoother yet, though depending on how it is built performance may suffer a bit.

Like I said before though, Craig is THE man when it comes to HH bows. Guys like Nate Steen, Dave Johnson, and Dave Miller all know their own designs equally well. These guys know their stuff!

[neargeezer]

frassettor - I have shot both Hills and BW Pl's. My draw is a half inch shorter with the Hills compared the PL's. May be different for you, but thats how it is for me.

[Mushin]

Anyone ever had, shot a 72" HH ?

[Goshawkin]

Originally posted by khardrunner:
Craig is THE man when it comes to HH bows. Guys like Nate Steen, Dave Johnson, and Dave Miller all know their own designs equally well. These guys know their stuff!

Yep, ask the bowyer. He knows his design and can work it towards your concerns.Smoothness of draw,performance,etc.

That said,I think Howard had a general guideline that the last # in your draw should match your bow lengths last #. I have a 26.5" draw and my 2 favorite bows are 66" and 67",so it works for me.  :D

[Goshawkin]

Just read all the other responses. Mike had the formula I was thinking about right. I forgot the +60"

[Goshawkin]

One more thing. I honestly don't think I'm good enough of a shot that I really notice much difference in adding an inch or two to each end of a bow.

I'm not an expert. But wouldn't the way the bowyer tillered the bow make a bigger difference,than the length,except at extremes?

At my short draw,I think I'd have to go to a pretty short (62" or shorter???) bow to notice much difference in a Hill bow. I could see losing a little Performance going to the other extreme too,say a 72" bow.
One of my bows is 64" and I think it's a real sweet shooter.It's marked 56#@27" How much difference would there be in how the limbs work or are tillered if it were 56#@23" or 56#@32"?