Hill Handshock

[Ben Maher]

i don't notice handshock with my Hills. and i still occasionally shoot my heavy handled recurves and my radical r/d's....and i when go back to Hills i still don't notice the " supposed " shock.....i gather some people feel the unpleasant shock/bump, i just find it odd when people tell me that i should feel it and that i'm obviously just hiding my bias by suggesting that i find them comfortable to shoot.

[SpankyNeal]

Arwin I have a 26" draw with my Hills, and about 26 3/4" with a recurve but I don't extend my arm all the way out with the recurve either as it's uncomfortable for me. Ken

[JRY309]

Some shooters seem more sensitive to handshock then others.Hill's are like any other bow to me when you properly set one up and shoot it correctly.I shoot Hill's and don't feel the percieved handshock that others claim they have.I shoot a padded loop D97 and use arrows that are 9-11 grs. per inch.Some like Hill's and other don't,I traded for one a couple of years back and now have five of them.I am a Hill fan,I have always shot longbows though and prefer them.Most of the shooters that really complain and the handshock are recrve shooters.

[mike g]

Arwin....
I have a 29" draw with my Hill and my Legends Recurve....

[gregg dudley]

You either like Hill bows or you don't.  I fall into the second camp.  The recommended grip is not at all comfortable to me and when I hold one in a comfortable position it rattles my dental work. I am a very sensitive guy though      Shoot before you buy, but if you don't like it they have pretty good resale value. There is no shortage of people ready to buy one for the name.

[Orion]

I don't hold my bow arm any differently when shooting a Hill compared to other longbows, and my draw doesn't change.  The key with any bow is to hold the grip gently, let it find the center of your palm (or some other comfortable place on your palm) and just lightly wrap your fingers around the back of the riser.  In short, don't grip tight.  That increases the felt hand shock on any bow.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Finding a way to mitigate handshock is not the same thing as handshock not existing.

I've shot Hills and Hill style bows and yes, they do generate some hefty handshock.  So much taht you will have to adjust your stance and shooting style to the bow.

I prefer to fit a bow to how I shoot, but that's me.

[Shaun]

I used to hate the feel of Hill bows and thought they shocked like a mule kick. Then I learned to shoot self bows and when I tried a Hill again I was amazed how much better they felt. There is a learning curve but its worth it. I don't think there is a more forgiving bow style and accuracy is more important than most other factors.

[Bill Skinner]

I have a Wesley, it is 45# at 26".  I draw it 29" for about 51#.  It is 64".  The size of the grip has a lot to with feeling hand shock.  With a smaller grip, holding the bow properly is more important.  I have noticed I am more consistant with my Hills if I shorten my draw to 28".  I can second the Tembo as a good learning bow.  It is also faster than my other Hills and Hill type bows.  Bill

[Pete W]

http://talonoptix.com/Howard_Hill.html
 The video explains it all.

[SpankyNeal]

I don't agree Pete. If you look at the Handshock Experiment 2 video on the same site where he compares the Hill to a 21st Century both with a Dacron string, you see they are almost identical, even with the Century's longer riser, r/d limb design, and heavier physical weight. You put a FF on the Hill and it too tells a different story! Best regards...Ken  

[Pete W]

I didn't make a statement one way or the other.

[SpankyNeal]

I didn't mean it like that Pete, and I apologize if it sounded that way! I was simply saying that the video does not give the whole story. Sorry if there was a misunderstanding! Regards...Ken

[Ian johnson]

I shoot a revers handle hill style bow made by Jeff Massie, if I grip the bow really hard, Iget some handshock, but if I push the bow forward with the heel of my hand and just slightly wrap my fingers around the other side, it shoots great

[Pete W]

LOL
 Don't apologize, but they do kick like a mule.
 The video shows it very clear. It looks like the guys arm is trying to swallow his hand.
For those that say they do not have shock, take one in a death grip and shoot 50 arrows from it in rapid succesion, then re think what you perviously thought.
 Finding a way to grip or hold it and not feel it does not make them shock free. It just lets you not feel the shock.
 Wearing goal pads does not make the puck not hit hard, it prevents you from being hurt by a hard hitting puck.
 Letting your hand go back with the ball when you catch it  keeps your bare hand from stinging, but it does not mean the ball is harmless and doesn't hit hard. It just absorbs the impact.

I had a 36" barrel single shot stevens 12 ga that would make you purple from your neck to your wrist if the ducks were flying, but I learned how to shoot it so it didn't kill me too.
I would never say it didn't kick, but I  learned how to hold it.
 I am not saying I don't like a HILL bow.

Pete

[David Mitchell]

Pete, I shoot 50 arrows in rapid succession often--no problem!  I really do believe the idea that some people are just more sensitive to recoil than others.  Bad hand shock from Hill bows is just a vicious rumor    ....Dave

[Pete W]

with a death grip?

[Diamond Paul]

You either like longbows or you don't; I don't.  I've never shot one of any make that didn't have more handshock than I like.  Some guys love them; that's why they make chocolate and vanilla.

[Gordon martiniuk]

I love long bows Just don't like to shoot hill style bows ,, shoot a Kemph or a acx or morrison then tell me your Howard Hills are smooth.with no shock!      :confused:

[Swamp Pygmy]

my point is why would you shoot them in a death grip? It's simply not how you shoot them. It's kind of a silly analogy. Knives are unpleasant if you hold them at the wrong end too.

The question I'm answering is not a pyshics question about whether they have handshock. All bows have handshock to some degree logically. The power of the limbs slamming to an abrupt stop is going to continue down to the handle. That is physics.

  The question is do you experience handshock from a hill bow. I take that to literally mean if my hand is feeling shock. My hand does NOT experience shock when held correctly. Therefore my bow does not have handshock.

Holding it incorrectly, much like holding many different things incorrectly, can lead to you becoming hurt.  

If the question is does a straight limbed longbow with a tiny riser shoot with more vibration then a recurve or other design that is reflex deflexed and has a large heavy riser section I'd say that is fairly obvious without a video demonstration.

I didn't take the question to be one of physics, I took it to mean does your hand hurt from a hill bow. And the answer is not if you shoot them correctly.