Howard Hill?

[kenneth butler]

For the same reason you see so many twisted limbs on recurves but can't hardly twist a longbow limb. Stability. >>>>-----> ken

[pavan]

If it ain't broke.

[Overspined]

I’ve never stood next to a recurve shooter and thought man, what a quiet bow. Longbows are ultra quiet, I’ve also never seen a thread asking why their longbow is so loud. I see it commonly for recurves.  I’ll shoot either but prefer a longbow. I also favor a heel down design like a hill bow or a R/D that’s designed heel down. It seems to suit hunting well because it’s a strong grip and easy to quickly repeat. I can shoot it with gloves when it’s cold. The longbow designs don’t leave me wishing for a recurve, they’re fast, quiet, stable, and only a tad longer. And they don’t collect so much brush in the limbs. I just can’t see a reason to go curve.

[MikeNova]

Owen Jeffery told me at the time Howard was not set up to make and sell recurves. Therefore no reason to promote them,however, you can get a reprint of the Howard hill 1965 catalog from Cornell press. Including kids bows there are 9 different recurve for sale and one longbow!

[Roger9070]

Owen Jeffery told me at the time Howard was not set up to make and sell recurves. Therefore no reason to promote them,however, you can get a reprint of the Howard hill 1965 catalog from Cornell press. Including kids bows there are 9 different recurve for sale and one longbow!

Mike but I don't think there is any doubt in anyone's mind he preferred a longbow for his personal hunting and shooting.  I think any savvy businessman is going to sell what it is in demand even if it goes against his personal preferences.  I think it was Howard being Howard and he was teasing when he said it, instead of going into detail as to why the longbow was his personal preference, he made a humorous remark instead or at least that is the way I took it.

I'm not a bowyer and I could be completely wrong on this but I also think that the weight bows that Howard shot and the materials they had available back then would lend themselves to Howard building and using the longbows he favored.  I know I saw a few videos of Howard building and tillering bows and I believe they were self or composite bows without any glass in them.  Maybe the recurve designs before fiberglass became widely used didn't hold up or weren't easy enough for Howard to make in his shop.  Whatever it was we all know it was not because Howard wasn't good enough to shoot a recurve so that's why I'm going with the tongue in cheek angle.

Good Hunting.

Roger

[MikeNova]

Prob so there's that story I've read often about him going into eicholtz shop and grabbing a recurve and then doing some of the greatest shooting eichholtz had ever seen then Howard turned around and said "I ain't never been able to shoot one of these"

[Roger9070]

Prob so there's that story I've read often about him going into eicholtz shop and grabbing a recurve and then doing some of the greatest shooting eichholtz had ever seen then Howard turned around and said "I ain't never been able to shoot one of these"

Mike that sounds like something Howard would do!  Like I said I think the statement was made in jest and Howard never meant it to be anything but that but then these things take on a life of there own!  I bet Howard is getting a good chuckle out of it now watching us all speculate on what he meant!

Roger,

[Overspined]

As Schulz says in his video, he dominated the sport of archery, and we all know how difficult it is to do what he did. Now we look for explanation in his writings and anything we can find about his thoughts and secrets, because no matter how many times I’ve watched the videos and film of Howard shooting, I can’t seem to consistently “hit em like Howard Hill”. Roger, I agree with much of what he said was in jest, seemed to have quite the sense of humor, and we may read into it too much.

[bihunter]

Who is eicholtz? 

[MikeNova]

He owned a bow shop and is credited w being the first man to back bows with fiberglass if I understand correctly. He backed Howard's bows with fiberglass.

[bihunter]

Ah, OK. I've never run across that name.

[Pat B]

I shoot a longbow better than I shoot a recurve and I think it is because the recurve is more sensitive. If I practice hard with just a recurve I can shoot it OK but with a longbow all I have to do is shoot it.
If I shot as well as Howard with a longbow why would I change.

[Roger9070]

As Schulz says in his video, he dominated the sport of archery, and we all know how difficult it is to do what he did. Now we look for explanation in his writings and anything we can find about his thoughts and secrets, because no matter how many times I’ve watched the videos and film of Howard shooting, I can’t seem to consistently “hit em like Howard Hill”. Roger, I agree with much of what he said was in jest, seemed to have quite the sense of humor, and we may read into it too much.

Overspined I wish I could have met him, he was larger than life not only because of his shooting but he had the presence and personality as well!  Not many guys could match him on the range or in the woods and even the guys who were really good said just when you thought he couldn't up his game anymore he would pull off a shot that would leave you speechless!  A true sportsman and showman that the archery world may never see the likes of again!  He could also keep everyone in camp entertained and laughing the whole time, he was the real deal in every way!

Roger,

[pavan]

Rabbits and quail, That is what Hill had over us.  Because of various farm practices those numbers are no where near where they were in the 60s, but in the 60s all I heard around here was that they were no where near where they were in the 50s.  Hill loved hunting small game.  Think about it, what else can prepare one and show proof of shooting skills more than small game hunting where one gets lots of chances to prove and improve one's skill.   To be honest if we had the rabbit numbers that we did in the 60s, I would probably mostly hunt rabbits.   Over 1500 bunnies while he was still keeping track of his hunting kills.  According to Schulz, he never tired of rabbit hunting like he did with deer hunting.  Give that a little thought, today that would be a complete impossibility even with a shotgun.

[McDave]

I can relate to that.  Assuming a bountiful quantity of rabbits, there has to be a lot more shooting for the amount of time spent doing other hunting chores hunting rabbits than just about anything else.  And the meat of cottontails, while meager, is very tasty.

[pavan]

The only places that I have to hunt, that have hunt-able numbers of cottontails are large messy farm groves. Thank God for large messy farm groves.   Nothing is more fun than a back quiver full of shoot away blunts, except for maybe adding a good dog that sicks close that has a nose full of rabbit.   I currently am lacking that rabbit dog, so life is hard.

[Phillip Fields]

I received a copy of "Hunting The Hard Way" for Christmas. He spends several pages talking about the subject of "sensitive bows". He considered the recurve to be too sensitive and that was why he couldn't shoot them as well as he could longbows. Given the tone of these pages, I do not believe he said this in jest.

[two4hooking]

You have to remember ol'Howard was making these shots:

[pavan]

In the photo with Hill shooting two arrows, he is using his finger as an arrow rest.  In a video that i have with one shot he was floating the top arrow and the second attempt, he has an arrow rest taped to his bow.  I tried that once with an 80 pound bow and almost broke my holder finger.  Sticking a Pararest on the side of the bow works way betterer, sort of.  Back in early 70s a goof ball here did that with the added arrow rest and shot a deer from a tree stand, both arrows,1818s out of 58 pound Bear recurve, went through the deer, needless to say it was down and dead very quickly.

[two4hooking]

Can you shoot 2 at once on either side if that duo shooter?