HH bug got me ... Part One!

[ChrisM]

Ok because I am a bone head and like to try stuff I pulled my leather off of my rest and cleaned it up and am shooting directly off of the wood.  I don't see any difference really in arrow flight or noise but it does remove the variable of my rest coming up in wet weather.  So how many of you guys shoot off of the wood?  I know Hill shot that way.

[dragonheart]

[Charlie Lamb]

30coupe... I always use regular serving material. That was some nice soft yellow nylon of unknown origin and size.

[Nate Steen .]

Chris...no sideplate here...just some leather on the shelf so that when I draw the head of the blunt into the bow there is a little clearance.  The arrow flies away from the bow upon release anyway so the leather sideplate just adds more distance from centershot.  Schulz advised the same as Hill in that regard many years ago..."take off the sideplate if you want to shoot better..." or something like that.  Rod Cam can back me up on this...

[30coupe]

Thanks, Charlie!

Nate and Chris, the only reason I have VERY thin leather on my side plate is noise. Although I haven't tried the Shelton without it, when I built my Hill style hickory board bow, I could definitely hear the arrows sliding across the bare wood shelf and side plate on the DRAW. As a result, I added the leather.

As Nate said, the arrow shouldn't touch the bow on release, so noise on release isn't a factor. Maybe I'm overdoing it, but I like quiet!

So if taking the leather off makes them more accurate and center shot, why just not make them that much more center shot to begin with?

[Rod Cam]

Chris, Nate is right in what he is telling you about the side plate, many years ago I met John Schultz and got to know him, he told me then to take the side plate off and my shooting would become better, I really cannot explain why but it worked.  Everything that John advised me to do and I listened to him was always to my benefit.  I have never seen anybody shoot a bow as good as John.  One other thing he told me, keep the arrows as short as you can and shoot one bow only,

[swampthing]

Pavan Question. "So if taking the leather off makes them more accurate and center shot, why just not make them that much more center shot to begin with?"
Probably not wise to cut that deep into a piece of Myrtle that is on an 84#'er, Especially when there isn't any glass, 37 glues lines of laminated reinforcements, carbon fiber,  etc.. etc.. to keep it together. Besides, when you determine the depth by cutting it, till it "shoots right" why would you want to go any further.  

[canopyboy]

My arrows are showing a tad stiff anyhow.  Maybe I'll pull the sideplate off tonight.  If Nate and John both say the same thing, it's worth a shot (or a 100....)

[tradlongbow]

Dave-

I don't shoot with the side plate either, what I use to protect the finish and to make it silent when the arrow is drawn across the shelf is this tape they use in the doctor's office, it's soft cloth surgical tape. Buy one roll and it will last forever...

Darren

[MikeNova]

I dont use a side plate on my sunset hill. I jusgt put a little johnsons paste wax on it. I was thingking about useing a trick the wensels talk about. Putting some tire gel on the arrows.

[Mudd]

What's tire gel? and what do the Wensels use it for?

Inquiring minds want to know....lol

God bless,Mudd

[two4hooking]

In one of the "Masters" DVDs one of the brothers said he uses Tire black on his shafts so they pull easier from targets, and possibly aids in penetration on animals with a slick surface.

[Shakes.602]

Hmmmmm....... Bottled "Owl Snot". Whoodathunkit??      

I have heard about the deeper sight window cut from Craig, years back and the fear of the back lams cracking at the sight window.  I cut my own 1/8" from center and  use a thin piece of deer skin. I have never had anything crack at the sight window, I think it may be because my bows bend more out at the tips and that may take some strain off the center. My longbows that I bought from John Mac Donald are cut more to center than my own, they never crack either and I have to admit that I can get by with a stiffer arrow out of them, but if  such a small thing can make as much difference as some think, perhaps a softer more forgiving arrow would achieve the same effect.  Certainly Hill's personal bows were cut much more shallow than some of the more modern bows, but still I have tried taking all of the side plate off, I did not see anything change with my own setup for arrow flight or accuracy at the time. That was with 64# Schulz bows. I decided at the time that I did not like the sound of my cedar arrows while being drawn so I went to some thin deer hide to quiet the draw down.

[MikeNova]

Mudd one one of masters of the bare bow I think #1 one of them ( I cant ever remember which is which lol) says he wipes his arrows down every 3 weeks or so with that stuff you put on tires to clean them and leave a shine. Supposed to make the arrows real slick.

[30coupe]

Originally posted by MikeNova:
Mudd one one of masters of the bare bow I think #1 one of them ( I cant ever remember which is which lol) says he wipes his arrows down every 3 weeks or so with that stuff you put on tires to clean them and leave a shine. Supposed to make the arrows real slick.

It's actually the tire gel that you put on AFTER cleaning the tires. It just keeps them looking shiny black for a while. I've used it on arrows too, and it does make them slick. It kind of has an odor to it for a while though, so if you're going to hunt with them, you might want to put it on a couple weeks in advance. It certainly helps with pulling them from foam targets, but I find that I have to hold the fletches to pull because the darn stuff makes the shafts so slick.

The Wenzels are using it on carbon shafts, but it works fairly well on woodies as well...not so much on aluminum in my experience. I can tell you a little of it goes a long ways on arrows. One bottle is a lifetime supply and then some!

Pavan and I are on the same page with the sound issue. The goatskin I have on my sideplate is probably thinner than the moleskin someone else mentioned. Plus it looks better and lasts longer. If I ever get to where I shoot well enough to notice 1/32" of difference in center shot, I'll be a happy camper!    

[JCJ]

"If I ever get to where I shoot well enough to notice 1/32" of difference in center shot, I'll be a happy camper!"

No kidding!

[two4hooking]

Nock, Nock.....????

I have been practicing nocking per Schulz video from the back quiver.  Getting a little faster without looking.  I was fooling around with a vintage Bear arrow with the old wide mouth speed nock and found it was much, much easier to nock compared to the Bohning classic nocks I had been using.  Really funneled in the string.

Does anyone still use a similar old style nock with success??  The Nirk nock looked about as close but is still a snap type....  Using the split finger Hill style I am no longer that concerned with a snap fit….  Are there any other modern options still available?

What say you all?

Greg

i use Mercury nocks they have a higher rounder vane to get the thumb on than the Nirks. I have always been a bit scared of the Nirks, I have had a number of them explode on me when shooting in cold conditions.