HH bug got me ... Part One!

[Ben Maher]

I have killed heaps of pigs with 520gn arrows out of my 50-63# straight limb bows .

I like heavy arrows but prefer mid weight 9-10 gpp . But I also shoot field and stump and rove out to 200 yards ...

If I am hunting Sambar and eventually Elk , I'd  bump up my arrow weight but for now I am happy with 9-10gns just like when I started back in 1983 .....

[swampthing]

You can always take your Heavy Woods and taper 'em down like Howard describes in Hunting the Hard way.....  Start 2-3" back of point, then half way point,  and finally at around 6" or so from the nock, gives a nice full length taper from 11/32"-5/16" or if your slanging 3/8" they will taper down to 11/32" or there a'bouts. Should decrease spine about 8#, add 150g heads to take out another 5#, so your 80# shafts will shoot out of approx 65# bows close enough "for government work" maybe take away another 5# if your feeling frisky and using F/F, to make spine of course        
 I also had a few 70-74# shafts but no bows, any longer, in that weight class, soo......  out came the stanley hobby plane, poof 65# full length tapered shafts baby!!!!   of course the deer weren't impressed, but beats letting them sit there while I contemplate getting strong again to shoot 75#                  and when the girt in your loins are feeling it      

[ChrisM]

Here is a couple of picks.  They don't do it justice.
Wesley Special
Carmelized Boo under clear glass
Paduck handle
Sting Follow.
 
 
 
 
Hopefully this week I can get some pics in its natural enviroment.

[benmmc]

I like it, Chris!

[EastTexasRedneck]

Chris, Nice bow! I am sure you are tickled.

[Mudd]

Saweet!!  

I am impressed.

But then I am easily impressed when it comes to sexy looking Hill style bows.

I can almost see my new one... I've just got a good feeling that it'll be here very soon.

God bless,Mudd

[flint kemper]

Guys, I shoot 160 heads but see no difference when switching to 125 grain heads. Now if I can just work on someone some more to reproduce a head for me around 135 grains I would be set or if I had my own lathe and knew how to run it I would make my own.

[jsweka]

Nate - Excellent points about arrow weight      My thoughts exactly.

I've never got hung up on all the debate about momentum/kenetic energy and although I definitely want enough arrow weight so as to not wonder about damaging my bow, I do believe there is such a thing as too much weight.

A couple years ago I built a straight longbow with actionboo/cherry lams.  It ended up a few pound lighter than I wanted (54#).  I tried shooting my typical heavy ash arrows (650 grains, 12 gpp) and although they flew nice, I could really notice the arch beyond 20 yards.  I didn't like that - especially at 3D shoots.  I then switched to lighter douglas fir shafts (490 grains, 9 gpp) and my accuracy immediately improved with the flatter trajectory. The difference in point of impact was about 6 inches at 25 yards. And still no handshock!

The bottom line is that you should shoot what shoots best for you.  All the other stuff is just fluff for some discussion that has been beaten to death  

[Nate Steen .]

Guys,  my day was just made.  I was talking this evening with a true gentleman in our longbow sport..who has been around awhile.  His bow broke a few months  back during hunting season.  Long story short I sent him one of my personal longbows.."ol yeller" to use until I could make him another bow.  I have never chrono'd any of my bows but most guys tell me how fast they shoot...anyway he took my to the chrono and it showed him how it shot 530 gr cedars at a 26" draw 60# thru the machine an average of 184 fps.  To me that is pretty fair.  And to my mind's eye that is my slowest bow.  That is about 9 gpi going out of a long limb semilong string follow at what a hyperized r/d bow of 55# would do at 28".... pretty comparible numbers I'd say.  Why would I want to shoot 14gpi logs?  Anyway  food for thought...

[Ben Maher]

mate ... that is just plain ol' quick enough in anyone's books .
Ya must make an okay bow then ...  

[stik&string]

Originally posted by Ben Maher:

Ya must make an okay bow then ...      

   

[Looper]

Originally posted by sunset hill:
If someone is shooting 600 gr arrows out of a 45# american semilong to make it feel good, there is something wrong with the bow or their longbow shooting form....  just my opinion folks...    

You're right about that, but sometimes you get that weight simply by choosing a specific type of arrow shaft. I like POC shafts, but I really like the durability of Surewoods. Even with my lightest bow, a Hill, marked 45@29, my Surewoods with 125 grain points weigh around 620 grains, give or take. Of course, that bow is a little over 50 pounds at my draw, but you get the point. Sometimes the shaft material dictates the weight.

As a side note, even my lightest POC shafts with 125 grains weigh around 550 grains. I do have one oddball shaft that weighs around 520. I don't see how I could possibly get down to 9 gpp, if I wanted to and still use wood.

[Overspined]

For whatever reason, my 50# Hill style bows love 600 gr arrows.  Good shooting to 35 yds.  More than that and the arrow drop is too much. Most of my arrows are 550-600 gr with 190 gr up front. Something about that magic 600 gr though for me. It just feels so great.

[swampthing]

Nice Nate, are you building them with more front to back taper? that is way fast for a 26" draw, unless of course it is a 70#-75#'er

[Brad_Gentry]

Although I've never chronied a bow, 184 seems pretty darn respectable to me. I think most folks that don't shoot Hill-style bows have a bit of misconception about them. You always hear folks on these boards making comments about straight-limbed bows being slow, or at least slower than other styles, but I've never found that to hold a heck of a lot of truth. I normally shoot around #60 with 600gr (give or take) arrows and have never thought my Hill's to be lacking in the speed department. In fact, shooting in mixed groups, either at a 3d or out stumping, I've had several people comment on how fast my Big Five throws an arrow.

[swampthing]

In my testing, others as well, I have found that in order to get 180fps+ with a 26-27" draws, and 530g arrows, one would need 70#+, and probably ff string. I have tested more than a couple, and the results are pretty linear! regardless of length or weight.
A few findings for the geeks within us; Most of these tests were done with 500-550g arrows
   1. For every +/-10g of arrow weight will affect speed 1 fps.
   2. FF for light 8gpp arrows affects 4fps, with 9-10gpp+ it's more like 2fps.
   3. For every pound of draw weight 1fps is realized with moderate weight arrows.
   4. Each 1" of draw length, from 26-28", will yield +/- 10-14fps, {arms to short to test after that.}
   http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=072324#000000

[Nate Steen .]

Swamp,

I made those comments to show how fast and efficient these American Semilongs can be.  I believe what this guy chrono'd is the truth.  I used to own a Hill Big 5 66" 68#@27" that I shot 800 gr. arrows through the chrono at 188 fps. three or four times.  Witnessed by a crowd of compound shooters.  I've been told that's impossible, but I did it and saw the numbers myself.  I do know that the type of release and glove style will affect arrow speed.  I use a pull through release and a stiff glove.  I notice all the results by Blacky Schwarz in his testing uses a damascus glove...big difference in cleanness of release right there...

anyway,  my point was that these often maligned American Semilongs with long, narrow, deep cored limbs are great shooters, efficient with moderately heavy arrows, and can put game on the ground.

[RC]

Arrows from the "Hill" bows I`ve hunted with seemed really slow when they are coming out the other side of critters....Going in seemed purty fast.RC

[swampthing]

Gotta be careful with those "pro" shop chronos, very easy to recalibrate them, if you know what I mean.    :cool:
 I'll have to try that slipping the string shooting, free horsepower.   I notice that when they use a "release" they only picked up 5fps.

[Mudd]

What RC said!..... Fast enough for me too!

So far the only time I'm shooting 30 yards or more it has been in my targets in my back yard.

God bless,Mudd