Hill style bows: Backset vs String Follow

[Tradcat]

Ok gang...It will be interesting to get everyone's opinion and preference on which type Hill bow profile they prefer and why.....GO

[LongStick64]

I like a little backset, bow seems a bit quicker and snappy.

[Centex]

I just recieved a new Halbreed with backset and I am super impressed.

[Paul_R]

I have 7 Lakes Carolina Nights with a bit of string follow that's dead in the hand and dead silent. Not just quiet, dead silent. All I hear is arrow swish. My HHA Sirocco is straight and almost as quiet. Almost.

The rest have varying degrees of backset. They're noticeably faster and not as quiet though by no means noisy and very little hand shock. Except one which has hand shock that I would describe as an elbow jarring jolt.

All are good shooters and very arrow tolerant, not finicky at all.

[David Mitchell]

Originally posted by LongStick64:
I like a little backset, bow seems a bit quicker and snappy.

Same here.  

[Kris]

I will be ordering a string follow bow from HH for all the reasons you are/will hear i.e. quiet, accurate, dead-in-the-hand, etc.  I like how they look unstrung actually...they carry nice and the string (unbraced) doesn't have to slop around on them as it parallels the limbs (funny reason but true).

Kris

I let someone shoot my half breed that had similar draw as me.  Mine has the standard backset. He was telling about my hand shock, before he shot the bow.  Surprise, my Halfbreed from a blank does not have any more hand shock than Bear Super K and it is dead steady after the shot.  I don't know if they are all like that, but I would always go for the five lam set up to get more taper.

[Brianlocal3]

Originally posted by LongStick64:
I like a little backset, bow seems a bit quicker and snappy.

X3

[David Mitchell]

Kris, I don't understand about the string thing slopping around unbraced.  Please explain.  I have owned two Hill string follow and two Northern Mists in string follow.  I am down to one--a NM.  It was a retirement gift and not going any where.  My decided preference is for the slight back set. One of the absolute quietest and most pleasant shooting Hill style bows I have owned (and still own--she's not going any where)is my Hill Wesley Special.  It loses nothing to the string follow bows in pleasant shooting qualities and picks up a bit of speed and crispness over them in performance. Hills have very little string follow.  This picture is a Northern Mist SF on the left and a Hill on the right neither of which I own any more.

       

[Kris]

David Mitchell,

It is a very minor observation but when you un-brace a string follow bow and the top loop is snug to the limb, the string exactly runs along the length of the bow.  

By contrast, when you un-brace a recurve, R/D or hybrid, with a tight top loop, you have two loops away from the profile of the bow that always seem to catch on things when loading/unloading, fall away from the bow, etc.  

Even a setback bow, the string spans the setback from tip to tip if the loop is tight, thereby making an "arresting wire" by which to hang-up on.  

I'm embarrassed I brought it up....sorry!

Kris

[Bob B.]

I enjoy shooting string follow bows.  I like they are easier on the early part of the draw and easier on release.  I have an elbow problem on my bow arm.  String follow bows are gentler to me and I can shoot longer without much ill effect compared to back set bows.

I know they are slower.  I guess I do not care so much.  The bow feels better to me throughout the draw and on release.  Sting follow is the style of bow for me.

Bob.

[akbowbender]

Here's my Dave Johnson "Whitetail Magic" and JD Berry Misty Dawn. Both are 66" 51@28".

 

I bought the Misty Dawn because I wanted to see what string follow was all about, but I couldn't tell the difference when compared against the 68" 50@28" NM Classic I have.

Then I got the Dave Johnson with it's straight limbs. It is heavier at the start of the draw, and really zips an arrow down range. It has a fairly smooth return to brace with very little in the way of noise.

On the other hand, the Misty Dawn is softer at the start of the draw and easier to get to full draw. The return to brace is very smooth and it doesn't emit even the slightest noise. It is a bit slower, but it is more forgiving. It's not truely an apples to apples comparison as far as the forgiving part of my comparison due to the difference in grips.

Both are great bows. Maybe I need to get just one more 66"er with some backset to cover all the bases....

[Jim Picarelli]

I have a Ferguson due any day with a good bit of backset. This is my 1st backset bow so I'm kinda looking forward to seeing the difference. All my other longbows are straight-limbed    

 

[RC]

I have owned a couple of string follow bows  and even more with backset. I can`t say the stringfollow is much different than the other other than slower. I won`t get another.There is one exception and that would be a Sunset Hill.RC

[7 Lakes]

I build them both.  The reflexed bow is hands down the fastest, I don't know why but I'm more accurate with the deflexed bow.

[rnharris]

String follow was a little more accurate for me think it has to be by design IMO if I wanted more speed I would shoot a heavier bow both will getter done

[rnharris]

String follow was a little more accurate for me think it has to be by design IMO if I wanted more speed I would shoot a heavier bow both will getter done

[Ron Roehrick]

For me its hands down the string follow bow, they are more forgiving and only a few fps slower, I just ordered another Miller Yew special, Yew core wood with brown glass. I have four Miller longbows including one with backset but I prefer string follow. Just my opinion after owning about a dozen different longbows in the last 15 years.

[arrow flynn]

to each their own I own or have owned all three strait backset and string follow all shot good for me .but I prefer a bit of backset now to get a little more speed since im shooting bows 50 lbs and under.

One that has not been mentioned here is the reverse longbow.  The Morningstar that I recently recieved has everything I could ever want in a longbow.  It is two pounds stiffer and four inches longer than my very fine Robertson.  They shoot the same speed with the same arrows.  A reverse Hill Razorback that I bought for a kid did not seem to lack in speed either.  Both bows are amazingly accurate and forgiving.  When I shoot ten arrows with my other bows from 18 or so yards, the core of the grouping is about a soft ball, with three or four shots out to basketball.  With the reverse it is a tighter pile and one or two out to cantaloupe size. If I torque the release and/or the bow with the r/d on a quick first shot, I can at times dump the arrow a foot and a half off.  I cannot tell if that same error has much effect with the reverse, I have not had any shots jump like that with the reverse.