Look at these osage rings and

[stringstretcher]

tell me what one you would choose to follow for the back of a bow.  This is the best piece of osage I have ever seen or worked on and I do NOT want to mess it up.  Tell me what you think on this one
 
 
 

[Orion]

The first, top, one looks the best to me.  If it's already messed up a little bit somewhere else on the stave, no problem moving to the next one down.

[4runr]

Charles is that this?
 

[stringstretcher]

4runr.  No that is not that one.  Than one is in the floor, with glue on its back drying after I took the bark and sapwood down.  I was looking at the fourth ring down, thinking the thicker ring would be better for the back?  Or is the thinner flatter ring better?

[Hillbilly Bowyer]

Yeah, why not just go with the one you've got?

[Pat B]

If the back is in good condition, I'd stick with the one you got and clean it up a bit...unless you really want to remove a couple of rings.   Pat

[dposalski]

Question for you.  Do you go with the light part or the dark part.  when you say ring, are you talking about the dark area or the light area?

[stringstretcher]

The Dark area is the growth ring.

[dposalski]

That is what I thought.  Makes it a little easier to chase one.  LOL

[Jack Skinner]

You can use any of them thats a beautiful stave.

[Walt Francis]

If the top ring is good use it, if not I would go down two rings to the one just above the really big one.  That would give you the best good wood to bad wood ratio.