Originally posted by Gregg S:
I like the looks of the Hill bows but my shoulder doesn't like the hand shock. Any suggestions on a 66" or 68" longbow that has the D shape when strung but is easier on your shoulder?
The D-shape of the particular longbow you speak is the cross-section of the limb, not profile of the bow when strung. Normally these bows are built with either some limb backset, straight, or string follow. Cannot speak for everyone, but myself, I like backset in a hunting bow that is a size shorter than a textbook ideal length, I like straight limbs in an all around bow that is at a textbook ideal length, and string follow in a target bow that is a size longer than a textbook ideal length. The slightly longer bow with string follow tends to be more forgiving to me when trying to shoot most accurately.
As for handshock, I can easily take my most forgiving and sweetest shooting Hill bows and turn them into vibrating monsters by doing a combination of a few things. The pivot point on the bow handle where the equal energy of the returning upper and lower limbs divide upon loosing an arrow, is at a lower point on the handle than some other high wrist bow designs. I can raise the heel of my hand to effectively choke up on my grip above the pivot point so that the limbs do not return in time to create shock. Add to this having the brace outside the sweetspot, and/or the arrows a tad on the light end, and you can turn a silk smooth bow into a tooth rattling beast. It is easy to duplicate in a well built bow, so I'm of the opinion that much of the handshock debated is operator induced vs bad bow design.
Even with B50 string, the musical tone that may resonate from well tuned and properly shot Hill is most pleasant in the hand and to the ear. If this is bothersome, one may need to pad their feet when walking across deep shag carpeting to prevent their footsteps from shaking loose a tooth
If I may pass along some sage advice given to me years back by longbow archers far more experienced than I:
Use the heaviest bow you can shoot accurately with ease. In that context, it is very important that you fully engage the rhomboids between your shoulder blades to execute proper form. You hold with the rhomboids and not with your arms. In doing so, it is very important that you keep your bow shoulder down and back to prevent long term shoulder injuries. If the bow is of such weight that your shoulder is forced up and is compressed while at full draw, you are on the fast track towards impingement and long term injuries. An old rule of thumb when shooting Hill style with longbows is to measure at full draw the distance from the lateral center of your bow arm bicep directly across to under the arrow. Anything under 5" is a sign that the shoulder is collapsed and is not down and back into the socket.
Hope this is helpful. As for recommendations, I just recently switched to a Hill "Wesely Special" built to my hunting specs. Though not quite as fast as my old "Cheetah", this bow is on the upper end of the scale for being very smooth and forgiving. It's a great feeling to have a light and lively bow draw and loose so smoothly.
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Topic: D shaped longbow without hand shock? (Read 3115 times)
