HH whats the big deal

[blakeschack5466]

I am new to archery and have noticed that some people have quite an affinity to Howard Hill style longbows.

My question is: what are the performance characteristics that make this type of bow different from a r/d longbow or a recurve.

just looking to expand my knowledge. i have only ever shot a recurve.

[Overspined]

Tradition, ease of shooting, simplicity, and it's what the greatest archer of all time shot.  If you haven't seen the films of Howard, I urge you to do so. They are inspiring.

Read some of the first 1 or 200 pages of the Hill thread and it is described.

[David Yukon]

I'm pretty new to the Hill style bow, but from what I can tell, the first thing is the physical weight of the bow, they are super light, even bows in the 70#, are light in mass. Second thing that is great is the simplicity of the bow. An other thing that I quite like is the point-ability of the Hill style bows. And one great thing is they are dead silent!!

Some people say there is a some hand shock, but I can't notice any with mine, a Northern Mist Classic 68" 65#@29.  And I can't say there is more vibration either, I don't feel any.

One other thing is, it is possible to string them with out a stringer. That you won't have problem with limb twist.

I think they will be more people adding to this list , but these are my observations so far.

I have a R/D longbow, and a 62" BW PSA recurve, and I think I like the Hill style better than these 2 bows!!

Cheers

[Brianlocal3]

Since you specifically as about performance, I'll say in a chrono the same poundage American semi longbow and aggressive r/d bow the r/d will have the edge. You start getting into the mild d/r I don't see the speed difference so much. BUT as others have stated and more will follow, they are just a blast to shoot. For me they are easier to be accurate with when I'm not 100% on form.  To me they are less critical or errors and more forgiving for my multitude of form flaws.  
All that and they are just plain cool

[ron w]

When you get to shoot one.......you will really love it or really hate it. Performance.....there are bows that are faster, very few more silent. There are several grips, I like mine dished. I liked the ones I had, I have a Northern Mist now. Nothing says archery like a Hill style bow and a back quiver!! Just a great bow to go shoot some arrows with!

[two4hooking]

A sturdy non-delicate weapon that still possesses a graceful and beauteous profile both strung and at full draw. A stable consistent platform elegant in it's simplicity.  

[dtarbell]

Like your picture Greg,Hill style bows are light accurate,reliable and fun to shoot they also cast a heavy arrow well.

A fast pointing longbow, Hill shooting style, and a back quiver full of arrows, it is an archery version of an AR 15.  Don't tell Washington, because they will try to ban the back quiver and put us all on a watch list.

[Bob B.]

Why Hills ... they are so simple, but so sexy.  The slight curve of a string follow, the gentle arc of the limbs, the narrow limb with those thick cores ... oh man that those bows get me!!

They are very traditional and nostalgic, yet are a real hunting weapon.  Infact, with those lovely thick cores, they lose little in the way of performance when shooting heavier arrows.  

There is just something very satisfying to me when I harvest a deer or hog with an arrow I made and one of these bows.  It is not just a hobby anymore, it is a life style.  I love the sound of the shot as much as making the arrow go to it's target.

I love looking at them, holding them and shooting them.

That is why Hill bows are such a big deal to me.

Bob.

[northener]

I do not own a straight limbed, vertically stacked bow such as a HH bow but this style of  longbow has a long and rich history. This along with it's simple design just "makes it" for quite few people.

I get the mystigue surrounding the longbow and have yurned for one myself but so far I am happy with my recurves and modern longbows with a slight Deflex/Reflex. Maybe some day the HH bug will bite me too.

[Brianlocal3]

Bob that was spoken like a true addict   . But all true words

[centaur]

Need I say more?

I am always amused when a compound shooter stops when we are in my backyard shooting and they ask, "does that thing have enough power to kill a deer?" The deer racks laying around are apparently not enough of a clue so I tell them about a story I was told. A cop wanted to find out how good his kevlar vest was, so they braced a manikin against a saw horse and put the vest on it. Then backed up a few yards and shot it with a 140 grain Hill broadhead with a Hill longbow. They stood in horror as they realized that the second thump was the arrow striking the target behind the vested manikin.
Even though I still have a couple of my favorite Hill style bows, I have to say that the slight R/D bows are as fast as the fastest Hill style bows, are less harsh in the hand than many Hill style bows, and, for me, equally as fast to shoot and equally accurate. Some r/d bows have recurve style grips, which makes them slower to point and less effective when hunting than a Hill style bow for hunting because of the arm position. There are those that would disagree, which is fine, but, for me, it is that Hill style shooting form and equipment that can be used with that form are the two ingredients that makes it all come together. If one prefers to shoot with a straight up or static straight armed form one would be happier with a different bow.  If the goal is a more forgiving bow and you prefer standard form, a longer recurve can be a beautiful thing to shoot. I do not try to shoot my Grooves recurve with the same form and tempo as I use when shooting a longbow. Kind of a chicken and egg thing, does one shoot a bow that matches one's form  or is the form adjusted to match the bow?

[Mike Mecredy]

What Bob said...

[Rob DiStefano]

it's mostly a nostalgia/aesthetic/work-of-art thing.  if the beauty of an american flat longbow (afl) doesn't grab you from the get-go, look elsewhere at other trad bow designs.  

be forewarned that in the scheme of all things "longbow", hill-style longbows typically require a longer length for a given draw length, more than a mild r/d longbow, and far longer for an aggressive r/d longbow.

as the r/d of a longbow diminishes and becomes dead straight or reflexed or belly set, typically so does its cast.  but these glass/wood afl's typically have some awesome inherent stability, pointability and make excellent hunters, as publicized for decades by the likes of hill, swinehart, and many others.  

a bow collection isn't complete without an afl.   :cool:

[lpcjon2]

They are the girl next door of longbows!!

  So sweet,sexy,alluring,and reliable that you cant live with out them. They carry as much testosterone as a handful of Viagra.

[WESTBROOK]

They are for folks who find beauty more so in simplicity than fancy wood grain and realize there is to performance than speed.

Plus they rank way up there on the COOL factor!

Eric

[Sam McMichael]

All of the great things said above about Hill bows apply. They are beautiful, simple, and effective. For many, including me, there is just something "special" about them that I just did not feel with other bows, some of which will actually outperform my Hills. Its sort of a you love 'em or you don't situation (not much middle ground) whenever guys start comparing/contrasting them with other bows.

[Duncan]

Oh boy, you had to ask! Now we will have another 900 post thread.  

[smoke1953]

I just like the narrow profile, thick core, the forgiving length and they make a great walking stick.