Bowstring for Howard Hill Wesely Special

[Welshman]

What is the correct bowstring length for a Howard Hill "Wesley Special" 55lb@28inch 6-3/4" brace height?
Also what string material(s) are recommended?

[Kevin L.]

What's the length of the bow?

[FlyinCedar]

I usually go 3 inches shorter than the bow for a longbow... use a flemish, and you can twist it a hair longer, or a lot shorter depending on how it comes out.

Salineville huh? I got a coon hound from over there a few years ago... Tiny little town, but looks to be some good hunting around there.

[Stone Knife]

Dacron on a Hill anything else is sacrilege.

[straitera]

B-50 or B-500 is dacron. Longbow strings are normal 3" under AMO. Hills are 4" under. Call 3-Rivers and ask them to be sure or Craig either one.

[Jason Jelinek]

Stone Knife,

Once I shot a hill style bow with a linen, fast flight and dacron string I realized that fast flight is closer to linen in how a bow shoots than dacron.  To me, Dacron on a hill is more of a sacrilege than fast flight.      

Fast flight with tip overlays on a Hill bow makes the whole experience better (little or no string slap, quiet, durable and fast).  I like to brace mine to around 7-7.25".

[fireball31]

Fast flight is not sacrilege.  It works great and allows for less strands, hand shock is gone, better speed, quieter. But I guess it isn't traditional enough. (insert eye roll here)

[fireball31]

sorry, to answer the question go with a string that is 3" shorter than the bow. I'll leave the material up to you. Good luck, and awesome bow choice.

[swampthing]

Have had best luck with 4" under a.m.o. length {nock to nock} Dacron only for me.

[frank bullitt]

Well, for what it's worth. I have shot and made strings for Hill and other straight limbed longbows for over 20 years.

I prefer F.F. or modern made materials over Dacron.

 And as for length, 3" shorter, unless you like a high brace, no arm slap, or the dacron has so much twist, that it stretches to 3" shorter, when braced.

Good shootin, Steve

[SpankyNeal]

Actual length sometimes varies regardless of what the AMO length says. I usually measure my strings with a tape measure on the braced bow. Measure from the outside of one loop to the outside of the other - comes out perfect everytime! Usually ends up about 3" less than AMO. I shoot all of my Hill bows with padded loop D97 strings because they are quieter, have better cast, and handshock is all but eliminated! My old beat-up wrists from years of working on cars can't handle B50 anymore - hurts too much! Howards original bows used linen strings which have even less stretch than FF materials, so I consider the traditional question about FF strings to be a matter of personal taste and not tradition. Just my $.02 worth.

Ken

[frank bullitt]

Yeah Spanky, and Howards original bows were all Bamboo and no glass!

Those poor fellas probably sawed-off tips all the time with that low stretch linen.  

[SpankyNeal]

Your probably right Frank, but you know if FF works ok on selfbows then a Hill is a no brainer in my book! I've got probably a couple thousand shots at least on my Tembo, including two   :rolleyes:  busted nock dry fires, and it's still good as new! I'll stick with D97 based on my own experiences - it just works better!  

[frank bullitt]

Tembo, now your talking! That model is my favorite. An older gentleman who got me started shooting longbows, had one built when Schulz was his bowyer.

When folks say a longbow is more forgiving, that bow testifies for the fact!