I love my Hill bows. I really do, and I do not see that changing even now after buying a R/D longbow. However, last season there were some times when I really wished I had a shorter bow, so I decided I would do a little research and pick up a "shorter" longbow.
I spoke with a couple bowyers but ultimately I decided that I wanted to support a local bowyer here in North Georgia, Billy Hudson of Flatwoods Custom bows. I must say I am very happy with my choice.
I also decided that this would be a bow I would probably use later in the season when cold weather had set in so I went a bit lighter in weight than is normal for me and asked for 70#@28.
I received delivery last week and man is this a beautiful bow! The bow is 64" and ended up at 69@28. The riser is bubinga, the limbs are red elm with bubinga overlays. I am shooting CE Heritage Shafts out of Taulmaril weighing in at 733 grains. While I have not chrono'd the bow yet, she is fast, very fast. Extremely smooth on the draw and the shot. I admit I can see what you R/D guys have been happy with all these years! Am I a R/D convert, no....but then I like shooting all kinds of bows, my romance with Hill style bows has not waivered.
Billy Hudson is a great bowyer and a great guy to boot, he has a HUGE following here in North Georgia, in fact at a North Georgia 3D shoot last month his bows were everywhere you looked.
In case you are wondering, the name "Taulmaril - The Heartseeker" came from the "Forgotten Realms" fiction novels. This bow was said to be enchanted to shoot so fast that arrows became flashes of bright light in flight. After shooting this bow, it was an appropriate name.