Ever shoot a Hill style and say "no thanks"?

[Rob W.]

I love the thought of a long D shaped simple bow with a back quiver full of cedar arrows. I may get there someday but for now the reality of that hunting setup isn't my cup of tea.

I remember drooling over certain Hill style bows for a long time until I got to shoot them. The first arrow said this isn't for you right now.

[cmh]

I have one bowyer (Eaglewing) that I will beg to build me a hill style now...... I have a hunt specific idea in mind and I feel Steve is the only bowyer that can bring my vision to fruition  

[mike g]

I luv my HH Big 5 49# @ 29'
   I use legacys 2018 cut to 29" with 125 up front....
   No vibration or shock....

[Biathlonman]

Terrible grip and they kick like a mule.  No thanks!

[ron w]

I just don't get the hand shock thing..... mine just have a slight thump......just like my old Bear recurve. I have been beat up more by some R/D longbows, But that's why they have different kinds. There's something out there for everyone.       I must add.....mine are all light in poundage 40-46#'s.

[SteveB]

Tried them 5 different times.
Won't be a 6th.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I'm with Steve O on this one.

[jsweka]

This is a great thread.

Hill style bows are kind of like heavily hoppy flavored beers.  The first time you try one, you hate it, but you eventually acquire a taste for them.

IPAs and Hill style bows for me  

[TxAg]

They are an acquired taste...kinda like a tasty beer or aged wine.  I'm relatively new to them. I love my r/d bows but there's just something about the Hill style bows. They draw me.

You know what they say...different strokes for different folks. Personally, I want to love recurves, but I just can't shoot them worth a darn and they are always so loud.

Don't worry about buying blind. Buy used and you can always resell it. You might lose $25-$50 at most, although you might come out ahead.  It's all part or the fun.

[TxAg]

Jsweka nailed it!

P.S. I had a Lagunitas Maximus the other day...nice IPA!

[akbowbender]

I resisted trying a Hill style bow for a long time. I just didn't think that a straight grip would work for me.

I picked up a NM Classic off the auction site two years ago. Yup, there was a bit of a bump that made it different from the R&D bows I had, but it wasn't bad. After shooting a couple a dozen arrows, I didn't even notice it any more.

As for the grip, it just fell in place without any thought. I was surprised! No need for me to even try a dished grip. Also, the straight grip, low wrist position solved the bow arm elbow pain I was having when shooting R&D longbows and recurves.

I now have five Hill style bows on the rack, and one R&D longbow that doesn't get shot.

[LBR]

I don't buy bows blind, period.  In the past 20 years I remember shooting one Hill style that I kinda' liked, and more than I can count that I didn't.  But, I've shot a lot of other bows I didn't like either.

[Todd Cook]

I think it mostly has to do with how you shoot. I love my straight limbed bows; shoot them better than other styles. I get a handful of a grip, I like it that way. Probably why me and mast recurves don,t get along. I don't like anything high wristed, and deep locators are not for me.

But they're not for everybody. I don't pay much attention to handshock, but they do have some. Heavy arrows tame most of it, but the mass weight of the limbs causes them to have some.

They sure are quiet though. And pretty. And deadly. I love em, but you should probably try before you buy. P.S. I also have a PL, and don,t particularly care for it. It's a super nice bow, just not my style.

[ScouterMike]

No, I tried, I like. Many of the Hill style bows I see at shoots are just not setup well. Usually braced too high. If you shot your recurve or r/d longbow that out of tune you would not like it either. If the bow is setup optimally then the brace height is much lower than the bow you were shooting and then the string is tapping your forearm which throws off the limb timing creating all kinds of nasty vibration and the hand shock reputation lives on. Either way you lose unless you bend that bow arm out and then if the bow is setup well you feel almost no vibration just like any other well tuned bow and you fall in love with them.

Having said all that I must add that my own son prefers a recurve. I thought I brought him up well, he had many hill style to try. I think it may be something in the genes, on his mothers side of course.

[Scott E]

I'd rather shoot a nice selfbow. As others have said the Hill bow just isn't for everyone. There are mild r/d bows that I do like that have a similar look as a hill bow.

[59Alaskan]

I shoot a hill style bow religiously once a year.  That's more than enough for me right now.  I keep an open mind though

[flinthead]

I like a heavy riser 3 piece longbow and recurve. Have shot several Hill type bows and would rather have a sore toe. Shot a 3-d with a friend Sat., he was shooting a Hill type and loves it. He also shot it well. Everyone is looking for something different, as has been said try several before buying such a different shooting bow. Good luck and enjoy whatever you get. Thanks, Roy

[ozy clint]

i shot one once, a wesley special i believe. that day i discovered what hand shock is.    

and if they require 'greater dedication' than what my recurve already requires then i'd have to quit my job and some how make a living from practicing with a hill bow all day every day.

question is can we get this thread to go up to 10000 posts like the HH bug thread?  

[lbshooter]

I bought one blind about 30 years ago after shooting a 67 Bear Grizzly from youth, I shot that same Hill Big 5 for 20 years. Loved that bow and shot it exceptionally well.  An arm injury forced me to back off it's 65# draw weight.  I was never able to bond with a lighter draw weight Hill that I could shoot as well so I mostly collect, and only shoot  them occasionally these days.  After a lot of wandering through a variety of bows I came full circle and finally bonded with a Schafer one piece recurve.  I still crave the simple beauty of the Hill style bow though.

[LongStick64]

Not all Hill bows are created equal, so it does matter what you choose. I started with a Martin ML-10 and that bows didn't do it for me, went through a couple of others until I got my hands on a Northern Mist Retro Classic, and that's the best Hill I have shot.