Self Bow Question

[blueslfb]

I have an osage self bow that I finished under the instruction of a seasoned bowyer at Compton a few years ago.  

My question is, is it normal for self bows to have sooooo much handshock.  I love the bow and would love to shoot/hunt with it but it has so much hand shock I can't stand to shoot it.  Any info would be appreciated.

[Pat B]

Generally hand shock comes from either the tips being too heavy or the limbs are not in time with each other. Where the limbs are bending can also have an effect. If the tips are to big they can be reduced to eliminate the excess weight. If the limbs are out of time you will have to retiller so they recover together.
   Can you post a few pics? Front and side view of the tips, unbraced, braced and full draw would help.
   Pat

[blueslfb]

Unfortunately I can't do pics.  I am such a novice its not even funny but I did try to re-work it but I don't have the know how to fix it.  I did try to reduce the tips after a friend applied antler overlays but it still has a lot of handshock.  I think it is a tillering problem and I am tillering impaired.

Thanks for the info.  I will try to find someone around me that has the knowledge to help me fix it.

[Lost Arra]

This sounds crazy but turn the bow over, upper limb is now the lower limb, and shoot it. See if it feels the same. I've had bows that shoot better one way but not the other.

A lot of "first time" bows are overbuilt which is good to prevent the instant takedown effect but like Pat said the outer limbs/tips can be heavy too making it kick.

[George Tsoukalas]

How heavy are your arrows? Light arrows can cause hand shock. Jawge

[Glenn Newell]

I wouldn't be afraid to turn the bow up the other way and see how it shoots either. I made a real nice osage selfbow at Mojam in 2000 and it had a bit more handshock than I thought it should have. Another bowyer over there told me to turn the bow up the other way and it really made a big difference to how the bow shot and the bow took even set and still shoots good today...Glenn...

[shamus]

Handshock is a result of improper tiller or wide tips, or a combination of both.

[Pat B]

By flipping the bow over you are changing the tiller. Pat

[John Scifres]

I would guess it is overbuilt too.  What are the dimensions:  length, width at fades, midlimb and tips.

[Roy Steele]

Tips wider than three eigths.I dont mind my tips a little heavey and stiff to where they won't been.But to much will ad hand shock.Bending to much through the handle.But main'ly poor tilling,or just poor wood.I've seen bows that everything was done right looked good but shot poor'ly and had hand shock.
   I know it sucks and you don't want to give up on it.But remember you can always build another bow you may have to.Wood is Wood

[crosseye]

also, try holding the bow rather lightly and slightly bend your left elbow (if you shoot right handed) when you shoot.  the first time i shot a longbow, i had a tight grip and a locked elbow, and nearly every tooth in my head rattled.  same bow shot with loose grip, bent elbow was nothing but a pleasure to shoot.  

stan

[Eric Krewson]

Another cure for hand shock is to shoot heavy arrows,600gr +.