Howard Hill longbows

[jtwalsh62]

I am thinking I want to try a Hill longbow.How short do they come.

[Jim Picarelli]

I used to have a 60" Halfbreed...don't know if they come any shorter.Contact them...they'll let ya know

[mickeys4]

Here is a link.They will send you a free catalog.

 http://www.howardhillarchery.com/request-catalogue/index.php

[moebow]

jt,  I think you will find that Hill style LONG bows are more user friendly if they are longer!  You don't say why you want a SHORT LONG bow but I suggest that that is kind of self defeating.  If you truely need a SHORT bow then look at some of the short recurves, if you want a LONG bow then get a LONG bow.  Jim gave you good advice, call Craig and talk to him about your needs and perceptions.

[Orion]

Hmmmm.  How long is your draw length?  That should be the determining factor in selecting a bow length.  Hill bows are straight limbed bows (slight set back).  For a comfortable draw, i.e., little or no finger pinch or stack, they need to be quite a bit longer than severe r/d hybrids.

[SpankyNeal]

Put a 6 in front of the last digit of your draw length if you draw under 30", a 7 if over 30", and that will be the recommended length of bow for your draw. Most people can go down 2" from there pretty comfortably for a little more performance, or up for more stability. As was said above if you need a short bow look at some of the shorter recurves and hybrids you'll probably be happier with one of those. We're all different however and some people shoot the 60" Hills without problems, but i'm not one of them!

Ken

[Missouri Bowman]

I've shot 62 inch and over 68 inch Hills. The longer lenghts are easier to draw, smoother.

[far rider]

I pull ove 30" and shoot 68" and 70" models at Craigs reccomindation. However, the bows are marke 68" xx#@28. I know several guys that pull 28" and prefer the 66" or even the 64". I agree with all the other guys, if you draw 28" or less and want a healthy mix of performance and stability, then you will like a 66" bow, if smooth is the desire, or if you draw over 28" then go to the 68". Craig is a super easy guy to talk to. Call him or email him and ask his advice, he will shoot very straight, no sales pitch.

[Irish Archer]

I draw a little over 29" and my 66" Wesley feels just fine. But, it's the only one I've shot so far......Good luck.

[Dick in Seattle]

Another "formula" (attributed to Hill) was 60" plus the last digit of your draw length.   Comes out close to what was recommended above.   I'm blessed (or cursed) with a short draw, 25", and after shooting some 40 or so Hills from 60 to 72 inches, I have found that 66 seems really optimum for me.  Again, though, I'll sometimes go shorter for more speed (hard for me to get high speeds at my draw) or longer for easier draw on arthritic shoulders.   I like real short for take downs, and have had several 60" TD Hills (remember my short draw, though).  I build my own Hill styles now and recently did two take downs, one at 61" and one at 62".

[Irish Archer]

Someday I'd like to try a seventy-incher to see how it feels, but I'm not about to order one to find out.

I'm a month in on an order from Craig for a Halfbreed. Won't be long now......  

[David Mitchell]

Irish Archer, I own a 70" Hill Tembo and 3 other Hills all of which are 68".  My draw is 28 1/2" on the Hill bows.  I find that the longer I go the better they feel on the draw.  I also own several 66" longbows in the "Hill style" that are OK but I will not go shorter than 68" on bows of that design from now on.  I just believe that that design does not work as well on short bows.  I have two short "longbows" that do OK, they are designed to be short--not just a Hill design cut short--but they just do not feel as good to draw.  One is a 58" Tomahawk and the other a 56" Miami Valley.  They shoot well and I must say that a Hill at those lengths would just not work well at all--at least for me.  Short "longbows" can work well but they need to be designed for the short limbs.

[Ben Maher]

i have owned many Hill style bows and many from Craig at Howard Hill [ i used to be the Howard Hill Archery dealer here in Australia ] .
i have concluded that you can probably shoot shorter bows if your draw length is under 28" but that the longer bows are just plain easier to shoot . i draw 27" and a bit and i have settled on 68" as the length for me unless i am ordering string follow bows in which case i will order 66" .
but ring Craig and ask him ... great fella to talk to ...

Ben

[Bill Skinner]

I have a 58" Badger.  It is not a "D" style longbow, it is a handle forward, heavily deflexed model.  My draw length is 28".  Bill

[GingivitisKahn]

Originally posted by Irish Archer:
I draw a little over 29" and my 66" Wesley feels just fine. But, it's the only one I've shot so far......Good luck.

Other than replacing the word "Wesley" with "Halfbreed" - what he said.  I'm in complete and utter agreement w/ Irish.

[mo bo hunter]

my draw is 28 and i love 70" bows some people told me i should use shorter bows but the long ones work and feel great for me

[Rik]

Longbows are not ---------- S-H-O-R-T!

DU----UHHH!

That would be a recurve!

If you want to shoot an accurate "short bow" you buy a recurve.

If you want to buy an accurate longbow, you buy a L-O-N-G-B-O-W.

(Sorry-you pushed a button better left unpushed.)

Accurate longbow are long, 66" and better. Especially Hill bows.

Recurves can be accurate at short lengths, and are even more accurate at long lengths (check out what the Olympians shoot).

Each type of bow is unique, but you really need to know the strengths of each design.

Longbows are not short! Order a 66" Hill bow, and you will kill more game than you have ever killed. (Trust me on that one!)

(Okay, I am now stepping down off the soapbox. . . you are free to move about the cabin. . .)

[Irish Archer]

Rik,

Why don't you tell us how you really feel?....Let it out brother....Let it out!

I hear ya.

[Ben Maher]

I'm with Rik !!!
sounds like in sept 2010 i won't be the only standing beside a monster Elk taken with a " long " Hill longbow !!!

Ben

[Rob DiStefano]

i've had a number of hills and a fave was a 70" owl that craig built for me years ago - man, that was one smoooooth longbow for my 29" draw!