Howard Hill with FF

[Pack]

A bow shop had a couple of Howard Hill longbows for sale with no tip overlays.  I inquired as to whether they would take modern string materials.  The guy called Howard Hill Bows and was told that they would take modern string materials even if there were no tip overlays.

I don't think I would feel comfortable putting modern string materials on a bow that is not meant for them.  Is there anything special about the way Howard Hill's are built that would allow for that?  I have never had one, but I would like the option of trying both kinds of string without worrying about damaging the bow.  What do you guys think?  Maybe I should just keep looking for one with the tip overlays.

[JR Belk]

If it has wedges, it's also FF compatible

[ron w]

If you pad the loops with B-50 0r B-55 you can put any string material you want on any bow out there......even self bows.

[Orion]

Agree with JR and ron.  I use padded loop D-97 on my Hill.  Gives it quite a bit of extra zip and reduces hand shock.

[LBR]

I've never seen a controlled study that proves anything one way or the other.  I have a few bows that aren't compatible with high performance materials, and I like the bows, so they get B-55.

There's lots of variables to consider:  Bow construction, string construction, arrow weight, draw weight, draw length, etc.  All can make a difference.

Chad

[M60gunner]

Padded loops are the secret. BUT you will get different opinions about the pros and cons of FF on HH bows. There is a post on Tradational Archery Society right now with different pros and cons. I used FF on my HH style bow. It had the wedges mentioned above. I agree it made the bow a little faster but not so sure about hand thump.

[Sirius Black]

I have a BCY-X on my wedge-tip Hill. Quietest bow I've ever owned. If you're having a string made by a string maker, mention that it has wedge tips, and he will make the loops smaller than he would for a bow with overlays.

[frank bullitt]

Yes, yes and yes!

But it isn't just the string!

The tiller has to be right!

A heavier physical weight arrow is part of the equation.

Finding comfort and performance,  is key!

[elkhunter45]

I would think that the Hill style being approximately 1/2" deep cored instead of a thin recurve tip probably helps as well. But I have been wrong on plenty of occasions.

[meatCKR]

I'm the guy that started the thread over on the TAS website that M60gunner mentioned.  Back in March this year when I first got my Wesley Special, I took off the B50 string it came with and replaced it with a 8 strand 450+ string padded to 12 in the loops.  It shot well, but the bow was not a quiet as I thought it should be and to me it just felt like that string was too harsh on the bow. No scientific data to back that up, just felt that way to me.  Here is a link to a youtube vid I did shooting it with that 450+ string.  Arrow was 535 grains. Pay attention to how the string wobbles after the shot.

 

I decided to put the B50 string she came with back on and try that.  To me, I perceived a big difference.  The bow seemed quieter and more well behaved on the shot. With a 535 grain arrow, still seemed pretty quick to me. I emailed the bowyer, Craig Ekin, to ask him about the string that came with the bow.  He said that if the customer does not specify otherwise, he send every bow out of his shop with B50. That was good enough for me.  Here is a link to a youtube vid of me shooting that same bow with a 535 grain arrow with a 12 strand B50 string.  As before, watch the string after the shot.

 

Only you can decide what is best for you. Perhaps get a Fast Flight string and try it. Many variables and it might work out for you. But for me on this bow, I'm sticking with Dacron B50 or B55.  Also, don't worry too much about stretch.  If the Dacron string is built right, it should not stretch on you much.  I build the 12 strand B50 you see in the video and when I first string it, it braces at 6 & 1/4" and after shooting a couple arrows it comes down perfectly to 6 & 1/8 and does not move after that.  I make the splices 7.5" long.  Best of luck to you!

Steve

Agree with everything stated. You may be surprised to find that one of those shoots just right with a B 50 16 strand string.  Before making that decision, I would suggest watching the Howard Hill and John Schulz You Tubes.

[ron w]

Some say I'm nuts, but I don't pad the loops.....I do the whole string. 5 strands of D-97 in both bundles and then I add 3 strands of B-50 to each.....so there are 6 strands of B-50 just along for the ride.        I like how it feels, how it sounds and my nocks fit nice! So far it seems to be working just fine. Mike Treadway told me about this.

[meatCKR]

That sounds like a good combo Ron.  IMHO, This is what is great about traditional archery, just regular folks tinkering and trying things and finding what works best for us. And everyone is so willing to share.  I think it's great!  

By the way, that thread over on TAS has some great information in it about the tone of the string on the shot and the fact that the low hum of the dacron string might be an advantage in that Deer have a harder time picking up lower tones. Interesting stuff.

Steve

[David Mitchell]

Ron, I think Mike Treadway does something similar.

When a Hill style bow shoots right with a B50 three bundle string, it does a lot of other things right as well.

[bulldog18]

If the builder says it is OK. Then it is OK. You need to decide which string material you want.

[LBR]

Yep--what Bulldog18 said.

As far as pro's and con's...

HMPE and HMPE blends are much stronger and more durable, with less stretch and creep, and aren't as susceptible to changes with the temps (especially the blends).

My favorite material is BCY-X, on any bow.

[Sirius Black]

I've gone to BCY-X on all my bows.    

[Pointer]

Had a Half Breed without overlays that I shot with a padded loop FF string. Liked it better than the dacron string. It had wedges in the tips so I was not concerned about it.

[two4hooking]

Agree with Pavan!