hi All i just thought i would make a little post about my Howard Hill Longbow,,
so i got this Bow of Dick Wightman's ,,Howard Hill Longbowmen's Web Site off his Classified Ad Page,, i allways keep an eye on this web site beacuse iv allways like those bow,, and its a great web site full of use full trational information,, and after reading ,, Hunting the Hard Way,,, i had a great interest in Howard Hill and his bows ect,,,
so Because i live in England,, all my bows have to be take down,, and i try and keep away from the buying and selling sections,, beacuse i got more than enought bows,, and not enought money, :) and i saw a take down on the web site,, not only was it a take down,, it was one of Jose Dominguez' Bows, 70" and 65#s,, right handed ,, cheeta,, with silver inlay of a lion,,
to cut a long story short,, this bow was made for me,, so i collected in my debts and told Dick ill buy it,,
So i got it posted to Price George ( Canada, ) where my brother is a Forester,, and when he flew home for Xmas, ( England) be brougth it with him,,
I ordered a Bow Sock From the Howard Hill Website,, for a take down,, and it cost
$20 i think,, but man,, that was money well spent,, that bow sock is awsome for $20 i did not expect much,, but it perfet,,
so any way Im studying Forestry In Finland at the momnet,, so when i flew home for Xmas,, i dumped the rucksack of dirty clothes ,in the laundry room,, ( where my mum soon got me by the ear and told me that those clothes are not going to wash them sleves) :)
I had been not stop thinkng about this bow,, all the time,, wondering what it would be like,,
i had read lots of different opinions about howard hill longbows,, iv read that these bows kick like a mule,, and iv read that these bows are the last bow people will ever shoot,, and obviously read about Howard Hills adventures and well he dident seem to have to much of a problems with the bows,,,
the bow is 70" and i really did not now what to expet,, i had spoken a lot with my Trad Brother Andy ( Tradtusker ) i think )thats what he calls him slef,, and we had come to a decision,, after looking at his 2 shrews that a 70" bow,, is going to be interesting,, to be honnest i was expecting a broom stick with a string,, i thouhgt i would be big,, clumbsy,, kiking like a mule and was impossible to shoot accuralty,, i thought the handle would be like wraping my hand around a beer can, and a twang that would make sure every one in the nabouhood would now im out with the bow,, and i was expecting big problem with arrow tuning,,
so any way,, my brother was out for a walk,, so i could not wait for him to come home and get me my bow,, so it litterally took me 2 seconds to find the bow in amonst his stuff, and about anothr 2 seconds to inpack it,,
and that was when i realised what i had just waited 2 months to wrap my hand around,,
im my imagination i was expecting a big bow,, but when i unwarped it,, i was amazed at the size of the bow,, the the risor was about 1/4 of the mass i was expectin ,,, the limbs were so slim, and yet all perfectly probortioned,, it was light, the craftman ship was out standing, and yes its 70" but sure dose not look and feel like that,,
i guess you could say i was expectin a big rought tought man of a bow,, but i was amazed at i had a beautifull, smooth,, curvey perfectly propotioned silent lady of a bow,,, definalty capable of being a hart braker,, when armed with a sharp broard head, ;)
so any way,,,, after being bowled over with the beauty of this bow,, it was time to sting it, ( the take down,, was perfect,, smoth,, snug,, perfect and not to heavy, but a nice weight to it,, id probly find the bow to litte with out the take down,, but with it,, its PERFECT, ) so once string,, this bow was looking NICE,,, but i was still concerened about the grip,, and kik,, ( this is my first longbow,, and i have height expectations after shooting SilverTips, and
Shrews,, )
and well my hand just sat around the grip perfectly and i did notice a little bit of a movment in the first few shots,, but i certanyl would not call it a kik,, and after shooting it few doz,, arrows,, i dont now if its gone,, or i just dont notice it,, but it not a concern of mine, this bow is completly silent,,
i can shoot this bow as good as my SilverTip,, with out any problem to about 20yards,, then things start to get a little hazy,, but thats not the bow,, its just me,, ;)
ive started to try gap shooting,,, i just shoot completly instinctivle,, but now im trying to gap shoot,, with a little instinctive :) if you understand, and there is definalty potenshall there,, it just going to take some practice,,
i started by shooting carbons,, but that was just till i got my woodies ready,, i was not sure what spine to go for,, beacuse it is 65# at 28,, and i draw just over that,, and i read that if the bow is not center shot you should spine a little low,,, so the arrow shaft is more flexible to go around the shelf,, so i got 29" 60/65 and 65/70,, and stared with making up 6 of the 65/70,, shafts,, the shafts im using are Boyton Pine shafts, ( an English guy,, making them,, i think,, and im not sure you get them in the US,, but any way thats not important,,
This is the first time i used these pine shafts,, iv heard alot about them,,, and they seem to be very popular,, and so i got a dz of each of my spine,, and when these shafts arrive,, i was over the moon with these shafts,, they were the straightest, straighest grain,, toughest,, best quality shafts iv ever had,, im definalty geting them again,, these shafts are leages ahead of the quality of the ceder shafts, iv been getting,,
iv been cuting my 5.5 in banna feathers,, with a 170 grain tip,, and these arrows fly perfectly,, i was very happy to see that my set up worked,, first time,, :) 170 grain,,, beacuse i want to use Hill BoradHeads ,, ( when i go on my hunting trips) but im stuck,, beacuse if i want to gap shoot,, should i be practicing with broard head all the time,, ????
any way ,, so im totally hooked on the HillBows,, i just cant put it down,, i love shooting it,, i love looking at it,, and i just love the trad/simplicity of this bow,, for me,, its the simbol of traitinal archery,,
so id just like to say thanks to Dick for spending the time to make such a Great Website for all the Howard Hill shooters,,
and to Jose Dominguez' for not just leting this bow sit on his bow rack,, and passing on some thing great, ,,
I got my Howard Hill Longbowmen, patch and all be going on my rucksach with pride, :)
iv got some pictures of the bow if you would like to see them,, give me a little while to get them sorted,,
James
This bow had a very smooth Draw,, but its a good 65# and im usually shooting 60# and just not quite getting it back to my anchor,, at full draw,, but its nothing a few extra pressups, pull ups a bit of extra breakfast and practice wont solve,,
so in these pics you can see im just not quite at full draw,, but actually since these pics have been taken,, im back to full draw now,, but beacuse im gap shooting im holding for longer to take my aim,, so i a week or so ill be more than confortable at holding at full draw long enought to get a nice aim,,, but im sure with practice ill be able to aim faster and faster with gap shooting, ,,
ok so here are some pics,,
there just of me out and about with my little brother,, stumping,,
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i164/The-Last-Wild-Man/CSC_0626.jpg)
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i164/The-Last-Wild-Man/CSC_0624.jpg)
dont worry im not in the habbit of shooting broard heads in to the sky,, it just so you can see the silowet of the limbs and tip ect on the sky, :)
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i164/The-Last-Wild-Man/CSC_0625.jpg)
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i164/The-Last-Wild-Man/CSC_0627.jpg)
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i164/The-Last-Wild-Man/CSC_0629.jpg)
this one im just messing around,, trying different shots,, and positions,, for different hunting situations,, bit i like this one,, beacuse you can see the beautifull limbs nicly in this pic
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i164/The-Last-Wild-Man/DSC_0575.jpg)
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i164/The-Last-Wild-Man/DSC_0276.jpg)
this is my little borther,, he finds it very funny that my bow it taller then he is,,, but i dont say the bow it big,, i say he shuld eat more dinner,, :)
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i164/The-Last-Wild-Man/DSC_0580.jpg)
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i164/The-Last-Wild-Man/DSC_0612.jpg)
Great Story and pictures. Thanks for sharing .Great looking bow enjoy and good hunting. bentpole
Tradman, your story and pics are inspirational. I'm so glad your 'bow dream' has come true. Dick's site is a big boost to those who are interested in the Hill and Hill 'style' bows. A lot of valuable information is to be had with those who participate on his site. I wish you and your brother good luck and many wonderful days ahead with your Hill. Super pictures by the way..................Shick
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great story, that bow looks good at full draw. You gotta love those Howard Hill bows, there is no other like them, Thanks for the story and pics I really enjoyed the black and white pics with the Hill heads on your arrows.
Well, that's gonna be entertaining in a 5 foot tall adobe blind in Namibia!
Nice bow Jim & great photos mate :thumbsup:
Hay Rob,, i CANT wait Till we go to Namibia,,
im just doing a little bit of animal identification,,, beacuse i dont now what any thing is,, and i dont want to be sat in the hide with you and every 5 seconds,, asking whats that animal???? can i shoot it??? how much dose it cost????
beacuse im sure youll kik me out of that hide after the 20th animal walks past, :)
so ill be a pro on Animals by then :)
I REALLY want to hunt with my Hill im Namibia,, and when me and Andy go on to South Africa afterwards,, But i have doubts beacuse i want to use HillBrored Heads,, My pine shafts,,, the 5.5inch Banna fletch,, and a self nock with buffalo horn insted of hard wood,, they look sweet,, but iv never seen any one else do any think so trad,, and im thinking thats for a good reason,,, beacuse there will be a lot of animals running around with an arrow in them,, but not going down,,
what do you reccon,, or you think i should go with the good old SilverTip,, Carbons and big old snuffers,,
Allso,, im going to have to put a good old can't ( i think thats how you spell it,, when you lean the bow to one side, ????) in the 5 food hide,, ill cant from bottom left to the top right corner,, and fingers crossed ill fit ;) ;) ;)
Im counting down the days,, :)
James
ps I just got my slef a video Camra,, so ill try and get as mich of the hunts on Film,, and Andys got one to,, so we could try and put some kind of a dvd together,, when we come backk,,, just an idea,,,
or try and get put on the next tradgang dvd,, HILL STYLE :)
James
James, great story and photos! It reminds me of when I was 16 years old. I will be 69 next month and I still shoot everyday with my 47# longbow. You might consider geting something to log in your stories and photos inorder to look back on them years later. The excitment you feel is the same I feel everyday because of the longbow. Maybe because of my roots in England(there are about 10 or more townships named "Denton" my last name). I like to thank maybe they ran with Robin Hood. Thanks,and pick a spot when shooting. Ken Denton
Jim, you'll never know unless you try mate! You'll kick yourself forever if you don't take it. We'll have plenty of chance for spot & stalk hunting as well as sitting blinds, so the Hill won't be a issue. There's been plenty of game taken with Hill heads & wooden arrows, so as long as they're flying well, don't even give that a second thought.
James. Great story and photos. Thanks for sharing them. Have a great hunt!
That was fun! Thanks!!
James...I just stumbled onto your thread... Great to hear that the bow finally made its way to you and that you are pleased... I guess i can say you're pleased :^) That was a beautiful bow and I might have been tempted to keep it myself, but I just can't pull the weight any more. Have fun with it.
Dick in Seattle
Great thread! Thats a fine looking Bow you have yourself there! Good luck on the Hunt in Namibia. I was there in 05' although it was with a rifle in hand next time will be with a bow in my hands! Good luck!
Joe b!
TTT
thanks for sharing bro, i was thinking about it the other day and i recon that is the best looking hill bow iv seen. hows it goin over in finland now? is it still prety cold?
looking forward to when you get back so we can get into some practice for Africa.
keep well :wavey:
Congrats on your Hill bow and thanks for the pics.
Gene
James, congratulations on acquiring your new 'Hill. I have 4 now myself, and am thinking about a takedown. The one I shoot almost 100% of the time is a 66" Halfbreed. It's very hard to explain the admiration and attatchment some people have to their Hill bows, but from reading your first post I suspect that you're already getting attatched. To me, they just epitomize the longbow. Best of luck to you.
P.S....I hardly shoot any other bow these days, and I just received a new Bear Cub from Craig for my 6 year old boy. I think I over-bowed him and may have to sell it and have another one made. Post some more pics. if you get time...good stuff. Take Care.
I just noticed you're shooting without an arm guard....haven't been able to pull that off with any of my Hills. I have paid the price for trying though:)
James, great thread. Thanks for taking the time to put down your story and the pictures. I have come full circle on my opinion of these bows, from "beercan grip" and "kicks like a mule" to I don't know how I got by so long without one. Good Hunting!
Yes James, thanks for your story and for the excellent photos. I have two Hill bows and yup, they are definately addictive! There's no prettier bow profile than a Hill longbow at full draw...and I haven't found a quieter bow yet (after shooting LOTS of bows).
The best part of your story, though, is simply how much you seem to like shooting and owning your bow. There's something about the pure joy that someone shows in using and apprciating old-style traditional gear....well its just good to see.
Good luck with your shooting, and with your upcoming hunt(s). And please do post any more pics you might come up with. :thumbsup:
Sweet looking bow man! Can't wait to have a shot with it! Great pics! ;)
Nice bow James,nice story too.
Gil
Cool pics.Good luck hunting.
it very nice that you all enjoyed reading my thred and you all seemed to like the pictures that my little brother took of me,, ill pass on the compliments to him,,
when i come back from Namibia and South Africa ,, ill definalt post the pics and storyes and adventures that i had with my hill bow over there,,
Andy,,,yep i cant wait to get back and start some serious practicing for the hunt,,
Yip its pritty cold over here in Finland still,,, im really looking forward to going to Africa,, get some hot sun on my skin,, :)
c ott yes, i were an arm guard,, but in these pictures it is under my jummper,,
Thanks
James
That is the kind of excitement and interest that makes trad shooting worthwhile. If you love your equipment like James does, you are more apt to use it and enjoy it.
Great story and pics. Enjoy yourself.
Great story and fantastic phots, I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.
"...just not quite getting it back to my anchor,, at full draw,, but its nothing a few extra pressups, pull ups a bit of extra breakfast and practice wont solve" .... true that!
James, check out John Martin's workout for heavy bows on the Longbowmen website. I am 6'1", 185, and I have found them to be very effective in increasing my comfortable poundage for bow shooting. I had an injured shoulder, so I was super careful on form and starting with light weights. Now I do the exercises 3x week with 15 pound weights and my 66@28, 70" halfbreed Hill is very comfortable at my draw length of 29---probably 68-70 pounds.
Also, it is great to see two brothers having fun outdoors together. My brother and I used to hunt and fish all the time together growing up in Vermont, USA, and I treasure those memories. Now that we are grown with families, we still try to get together and hunt/fish, at least a few times a year. The relationship in those instances is the same as when we were teenagers. Good for you that you are building a friendship with your brother.
Bill Smith
Africa is gonna be awesome James! I'm really looking forward to SA with you and Andy! :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: :campfire: