In need of Longbow suggestions!

[GraniteStater]

Hello Tradgang 

I'm looking for a longbow that can meet specific criteria.  I'll explain my circumstances, and I'm hoping you all can help me to narrow things down.

1.) I'm looking for a longbow design where the widest part of the limb (usually at the top of where the shelf is cut) is somewhere around 1" in width.  My reason being my dominant eye looses its dominance at times when the limb is wider than 1 1/4 inch.  This is due to my anchor (when shooting split) tends to be a bit on the low side and my eye lines up at that point of the limb.  What really exposed this issue was I recently got an english longbow that is only a touch over 7/8 inch at the widest point and I had 0 instances of my none dominant eye taking over.  I can cant the bow and it does help prevent the blurring/none dominant eye taking over, but I also enjoy shooting my bows vertically as well. 

2.) Due to shoulder issues I need the bow design to be a light draw weight poundage and still be stable.  Ideally a bow that can be made around 30-32 pounds @28 inches.

3.) Preferably a bow with some indexing but still a low or broken wrist style of grip.

I'm not really as concerned about bow length, I enjoy short longbows and longer longbows.

Feel free to mention any suggestions, thanks!

[Pauljr77]

Leon Stewart, give him a call

[BAK]

Sounds like you'll have to have some sort of Hill style.

[Ron LaClair]

Try squinting your non dominent eye. Not closing it just squinting it, it will keep it from wanting to take over.

[McDave]

I used to have a Toelke Whip, which is one of the most popular designs Toelke has offered.  It is a mild reflex/deflex longbow, and I remember how narrow the limbs were.  I gave it to a friend, not because I didn't like it, but because I really wanted the friend to have it.  I'm not sure the limbs are less than 1”, but it is worth calling and finding out.

[Ron LaClair]

If he bought everybody's  bow suggested he'd probably still have the same problem

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I agree with Ron, better to figure out why you're having the issue and a way to prevent it.  You can go through a lot of bows and never be satisfied.  The bigger issue is you say it comes and goes.  Makes it hard to pin point and can make any bow good or bad given the day you're shooting.

I wish you all the best of luck

[Flingblade]

Try a higher anchor point.  I recently switched from middle finger to corner of mouth to my index finger on top of my cheekbone.  Raised my anchor about an inch.  I'm curious though if it's the limb in the way or your focus switching back and forth from target to arrow or bow?   

[stevem]

Just checked the width of my Whip- it's 1.06" at the widest point, just above the riser.  It has the narrowest limbs of any bow I have owned.  They come with either a classic or high grip.

[Ron LaClair]

Have you tried "squinting" your non dominent eye yet?
Sometimes good advice is overlooked

[DWT]

an eye patch is cheaper than a new bow, plus u would look like like a pirate, the mrs might like it.

[GraniteStater]

Try squinting your non dominent eye. Not closing it just squinting it, it will keep it from wanting to take over.

Thank you for the suggestion Ron.  I've tried this a few times before, but if feels very akward.  I almost lose my sense of balance if I do much to my none dominant eye, even just squinting it.  But I may try to revisit it, it's worth a try.  Thanks again!

[GraniteStater]

Try a higher anchor point.  I recently switched from middle finger to corner of mouth to my index finger on top of my cheekbone.  Raised my anchor about an inch.  I'm curious though if it's the limb in the way or your focus switching back and forth from target to arrow or bow?   

Great suggestion.  This last year I actually switched to 3 under and anchored at my cheekbone.  It greatly reduced the occurences of my none dominant eye winning out for the shot itself.  I like some aspects of shooting 3 under, one of which is actually utiilizing a site window.  In 11 years of shooting a bow, I'd never used a sight window due to having a lower eye tooth index finger anchor.  I actually may do a write up at one point on how much a sight window can really help with accuracy at some point.  The reason I'm thinking of going back to split is it just feels more natural to me, especially being an instinctive shooter. 

In order for me to shoot accurately 3 under the arrow has to be aligned in my peripheral vision.  I rely on that alot more than when I shoot split (split I don't really notice the arrow at all).   3 under really works nice for target shooting and time when I have the luxury to settle into a shot.  But on faster or moving targets where quicker reaction is needed, all the advantage I gain through 3 under seems to go out the window. 

Having said that both styles are great, just different for me personally.  What struck me about shooting the english longbow was that I shot it split finger and did'nt have the eye issue a single time.  (Probably first session in my life where I can say that definitively).  And the one thing that popped into my head was the width of the bow itself.  The reason being I have had to return certain takedown bows due to the riser flaring out into my dominant eyes line of sight when shooting split in the past.  So I've experienced the extremes of this issue (where the riser really is in my line of sight), the less extreme where it falls more in between and I have to cant to avoid, and with this english style bow I did'nt experience it at all. 

Having said all that, I'm going to experiment more with the english longbow and see if the eye issue continues to be a none issue.  I definately know that I am gripping the bow differently in order to get clean arrow flight (more toword the joint of my thumb, almost like carrying a suitcase).  So perhaps the grip is positioning the bow in a different alignment that is not interfering with my dominant eye.  I'll probably experiment with the wider bows I have and see if grip can make a difference as well.

Thanks a ton guys!  You all are giving great advice and helping me to work through this to figure it out.

[GraniteStater]

Just checked the width of my Whip- it's 1.06" at the widest point, just above the riser.  It has the narrowest limbs of any bow I have owned.  They come with either a classic or high grip.

Nice, thank you for getting that measurement.  The narrowest bow I have access to(aside from the English longbow) is a GN field bow that comes in a touch under 1 1/8 inch.  The problem is it's right handed and I'm now left.  But the whip sounds like it is in the ballpark of what I may be looking for after I experiment a bit more.

[GraniteStater]

an eye patch is cheaper than a new bow, plus u would look like like a pirate, the mrs might like it.

I love the idea, but I can't shoot well by obscuring my none dominant eye.  The whole sight picture changes dramatically for me and my equilibrium gets thrown off.  But I do like the idea of looking like a pirate though, so I'll have to take that into consideration. 

[GraniteStater]

I want to thank all the guys that gave different bowyers and bow suggestions.  I spoke briefly to a couple bowyers yesterday and once I figure this out for sure, I'll probably call more based on your all's suggesions. 

Thanks again all, I appreciate the assist.

[GraniteStater]

One last thing I'd like your thoughts on.  After replying to the posts and thinking about it, could the arrow orientation also play a role?  I typically shoot center shot to 1/8 off center bows.  The arrow is running close to the center of the bow, in order for my brain to calculate the shot I'm assuming my dominant eye tries to line up as close to the arrow as possible.  If the arrow runs through close to the center of the bow, then that leaves a portion of the limb to the side of the arrow(obviously above the actual arrow and to the side) that can interfere with my dominant eye.

On the english longbow style, the arrow is off the side of the bow.  So in order to try to line up with the arrow under my eye there there is no limb material in the way of my dominant eye.  Just a thought, it was just refreshing not to have any issues at all during a  long shooting session.  I shot for about 1 1/2 hours and my other eye didn't play a role at all.

Thanks again for the responses, it is really helping me to analyze and sort out something that has plagued me since I started shooting.  When I started I was righty and left eye dominant, and it happened alot more then.  It was like flipping the lense when you get an eye exam it was so bad when I shot righty.  But it still came up from time to time shooting lefty and being left eye dominant, and I think we are close to figuring it out!

[McDave]

If you want to shoot a longbow that has no sight window, fine, many people love them, although I don't.  Another alternative that might solve your problem with a potentially more accurate bow is to get a bow that has a big sight window cut into the riser, so that the overhang of the sight window is out of your vision.  The extreme example of this would be an Olympic recurve, although you can find more traditional bows with long sight windows as well, such as a Black
Widow MA.

[Flingblade]

Have you tried the higher cheek bone anchor with split?  I shoot split and switched to the higher anchor point not for eye or aiming issues but after watching a Tom Clum form video and realized my draw length was too short to really get into the back muscles properly.  The cheekbone anchor allowed me to add about an inch to draw length getting the alignment right and into the back muscles better and is repeatable.  Everyone's facial structure is different but it worked for me and the arrow is closer to the eye similar to shooting three under.  I am right eye dominant and shoot right handed so I haven't had the issues you're dealing with but my wife is now learning to shoot both shotgun and bow and she is left eye dominant but shoots right handed so I am interested in learning what I can to help her.  Her first coach told her to close her dominant left eye when she shoots.  I personally don't like the idea of closing or squinting an eye during shooting but again it's not an issue I have to deal with.  It seems when I draw and focus on the target anything in the way disappears. When I shoot at longer ranges where the arrow is held above the target the arrow becomes invisible right where the target is.  I do question if closing or squinting is a strategy that is repeatable under stress though.  Like when that 170" buck suddenly appears in your shooting lane.   Best of luck with whatever you find to work and if that is a new bow then all the better! 

[GraniteStater]

If you want to shoot a longbow that has no sight window, fine, many people love them, although I don't.  Another alternative that might solve your problem with a potentially more accurate bow is to get a bow that has a big sight window cut into the riser, so that the overhang of the sight window is out of your vision.  The extreme example of this would be an Olympic recurve, although you can find more traditional bows with long sight windows as well, such as a Black
Widow MA.

Great suggestion, I've never owned a bow with a sight window like that.  That is something else I could consider, thank you.