just my .02 worth of observations and 'little things' that make a Hillstyle longbow shoot better and less generic feeling...something to think about
since the early 90s and the popularity of clear glass, mixing wood materials in the limb has been popular. However, imho you are mixing materials of differing densities and flex ratios, thereby minimizing the best qualities of each wood material, in other words, "dumbing down the limb" for the sake of cosmetics. This results in a 'generic' shooting/feeling bow. I.E. a bow of bamboo/yew doesn't feel much different than one of bamboo/juniper or bamboo/osage or bamboo/elm...etc. This requires more lams/glue lines which adds limb weight. However, if you compare in similar specs. a bow of all yew or all bamboo or all red elm to a mixed lam bow, you can definately feel the difference. Limb overlays or wide tips add weight to the area of the limb which should be lightest (like the end of a fishing rod) thereby further making the bow shoot as generic as the others. Long risers creating shorter working limbs help add to the 'generic' shooting qualities of the bow, even sometimes making it feel like a R/D bow....start adding up all these things and pretty soon most Hillstyle longbows all feel pretty much the same, even when purchased from different bowyers.
Now if you take a bowyer that makes a Hillstyle longbow from all one limb material, (bamboo or yew is preferred but Red Elm makes a wonderful limb also) uses a short riser for longer working limbs, makes small, light, skinny limb tips, and uses fewer lams, you are getting the best representation of a bow that Hill designed, and the bow will feel and shoot differently than the other ones. Hill and his bowmaking disciples were very adamant about keeping to certain standards in the bow design...I believe he had found the qualities that made the bow shoot the best. Even one of his early bowyers made the comment that the best shooting Hillstyle longbow would be made (if it were possible) of one lam of bamboo like a stave...keeping the glue joints as few as possible. where do you hear that today? nowhere. Everyone wants to make the bow as pretty as possible, thereby making the bow a good shooter, but perhaps not a great shooter.
I get the impression that most people are fine with good, generic shooters, like they are with a good assembly line vehicle. Most vehicles are made for the masses. But if you could get a custom Porsche/Ferrari/etc. for the same price as a chromed out Cadillac, which would you pick?
There is a reason why the old Schulz bows, old Pete George bows, old Ron Maulding bows, old Armbruster bows, etc. are so popular even today. They were built differently than the Hillstyle longbows of today. Where has the last 20 years taken us? Prettier bows for sure, but did we lose the shooting characteristics of the old longbows for the sake of cosmetics and assembly line feel?
I guess I'm on my soapbox because of something that happened on one of my personal bows recently that reinforced to me how the 'little things' about a bow add up when making a great Hillstyle longbow.... I made a white glass longbow last year to the same specs as two of my favorite bows and shot it for a whole year to get used to it. It didn't shoot quite the same, felt a little stiffer when pulling and shot higher and jumpier than my other bows. Same length, same riser length, same poundage, same limbs, everything the same EXCEPT that the limb tips were 1/8" wider than I usually make. I never felt quite as comfortable with that bow as my other favorites. Last night I decided to narrow and lighten the tips to my favorite 7/16" width and taper the limbs accordingly. Bingo. I shot in the dark at an illuminated target up to 30 yards. I couldn't see the arc of the arrow flight at all. All I could see was the arrow hitting where I looked. This bow now shoots the same as my other favorites...same point of impact, same soft feel at draw, same soft feel at release. I don't shoot a myriad of bowstyles, so my instinctive eye is always the same and this bow now put the arrow exactly where my other bows do. Do little things make the bow shoot great? I believe so. I believe it's worth the effort to add up all the little things when dealing with Hillstyle longbows. I like my stable of Porsches...
Topic: HH bug got me ... Part One! (Read 139168 times)
