HH bug got me ... Part One!

[30coupe]

Originally posted by sunset hill:
Rik...uuhhh..drawing fingers?  Splint?  Bear season three months away...what gives?

Ouch! That doesn't look good.  

[Overspined]

Swampthing, could you describe your thoughts a little more thoroughly about the rest/ side plate?? And it's orientation/ placement. I am curious about what your interpretation of potential outcomes are of altering the shelf/ strike plate.

Also, I found that if a little leather piece sticks up like that on The shelf of my bows, my arrows fly erratic. I wonder if I shot LW feathers (I'm right handed), if that would go away. Actually, they didn't look bad in flight, but made consistency horrible.

[Shinken]

Nice quiver / pack set up Rik!

Lookin' forward to some pictures of bear....

Keep the wind in your face!

Shoot straight, Shinken

   

[GMASIUK]

Rik, very nice job on the side quiver. What brand of back pack are you using if you don't mind me asking? Glen

[Rik]

GMASIUK,

The pack is a small European NATO pack. There are some better pictures of it two weekends back on this thread. I bought it from Amazon.

About the finger thing, seems I was training a new guy in Jeet Kune Do. It was his first night of training at the school, and I was working with him using focus gloves. In a nutshell, he messed up and when I held the focus glove for him to slam an upper front kick into, he spazzed out and did a full-power roundhouse kick right into my middle finger. Now, if you have never been kicked in the end of your middle finger by a big strappin' 6'4" guy in top shape, you have surely missed out. Aye Carumba!

It looks like it will heal up good and straight, but I am now relegated to shooting kids bows with one finger. I was shooting a 30-pound kids bow yesterday, and will try one of my wife's bows today, but I am not sure I can pull her bow with one finger, they are 58 pounds at my draw length.

From what I saw yesterday though, a one-finger release is super clean.

What I really need is a left-handed bow in my weight and a thumb release. That would be perfect. But I don't have anything like that, so for the next few weeks I am a one-finger arrow flinger!

[GMASIUK]

Thank for the info Rik.

[swampthing]

Ouch Rik, If you don't mind would you tell us about that water buff you took with the 75# Hill?  Were you drawing 27+ inches on that Ox??
  Was out with my Eastern Turkey set up today, just practicing and saw a nice sun ray coming through an opening of a cloud, just happened to have the nikon near by.
 

[swampthing]

Overspined, what I mean is this...  The bow's arrow shelf is cut in the center of the bow. If you were to remove the leather from the bottom of the shelf, you would affect shooting characteristics of the bow by not having your arrow in the center of the bow anymore. {The up and down center, not to be confused with the left and right, or commonly referred to "center shot."

[khardrunner]

sweet pic!

[ChrisM]

I know swampthing like rubbin that awesome bow in.  

[30coupe]

Originally posted by swampthing:
Overspined, what I mean is this...  The bow's arrow shelf is cut in the center of the bow. If you were to remove the leather from the bottom of the shelf, you would affect shooting characteristics of the bow by not having your arrow in the center of the bow anymore. {The up and down center, not to be confused with the left and right, or commonly referred to "center shot."

While what you are saying may indeed affect shooting characteristics, most bows have the shelf above center by 1 1/4" to 1 1/2". I doubt the 1/8" or so of leather will have a dramatic affect at any rate. I recall many in the '60s who used flipper rests that were a good 1/2" above the shelf, while some shot the same model bow off the shelf. They kind of went by the "do what works for you" rule I guess. I still do that.    

[Charlie Lamb]

I recently decided to switch back to longbows after a long stint with my recurves. I started back with my bamboo backed Yew string follow, "Dirty Girl".
She is one sweet shootin, hard hittin, smooth drawing girl.

I got all carried away and ordered material from HH archery and now have a nice all bamboo string follow I call "Blondie".
I'll get pics of both of them and a couple others when I get back in town in a couple of days.

Until then here are a few oldies.

  Howard Hill Big Five built by John Shulz for me.  75# @28".    

"Grover" my osage selfbow. 70#@28"    

Javelina taken with "Crow Wing". Fiberglass and bamboo, 65# @28"
   

"Crow Wing" strikes again.
   

[Ben Maher]

Nice Charlie ! very nice indeed mate !

Look fowrad to pics of the all 'boo " Blondie "

[30coupe]

Wow, Charlie! What broadhead did you use on that hog? Looks like it could have been one of those explosive tipped things Rambo used in the movies!

[Charlie Lamb]

Yeah, the shot placement on that hog wasn't the best but the Magnus I w/bleeder did a number on him and he was down and out in 50 yards.

The Javelina jumped at the shot and took the first arrow just off center between the eyes. You can see where I put the finisher.

[Irish]

Going to order my Hill tomorrow.  68" Wesley, cocobolo riser, straight grip.   55 at 28", right handed.   Black glass

[Irish]

Talked with Craig a few times, worked out what would work for me.  I needed to make some woodies again anyway.   Out of practice, I think.  I am thinking 50-55 spine, 29 inches.  Going to go with about a 175 two blade.   Hope to figure how to get to about 600 grain.   Need for you Hill guys to let me know if that is a good place to start for arrows.

[Ray_G]

Great photos, Charlie.  I am especially fond of the black & white photo.  Nostalgia, I guess.

[Overspined]

Irish, my guess is you will be 15-20# light in spine with that set up.  With a 29" arrow, 125 gr head, and 50-55# spine, I shoot it out of my 45# bamboo bow with no glass. My Redman at 45# shoots those arrows as weak.

I shoot 200gr head from 50# half breed with 60/65# shafts.

At any rate, 70-74# spine would be my guess. if you have no room to cut them down more, or you are pulling 55#+, then maybe even stiffer.

Your draw length and actual pull weight would be the deciding factor.

[dragonheart]

Great photos!  Really like the one in B/W in the snow.  Cool deal shooting the "Hill" bows.