I was wondering what your favorite D shaped longbow was. I shot a Belcher Union Jack at
Compton and was impressed with it. Most Hill
style bows have to much handshock for me,but
the Union Jack did not seem to.Due to a neck injury, hand shock seems to bother me.Any
otherones out there that are easy on the hand?
THANKS BOB
That did not turn out to good! BOB
Bob I haven,t shot alot of them, I have moosejaw bows that I really like so I haven,t looked for anything else. If something happens to these I have shot JD Berrys bow and it was a very nice bow, The only bow I shoot now was one Gary Sentman made for himself, but he dropped his poundage so he sold it to me, It does have slight rd but takes on the D shape when braced, it will stay with me until I can,t pull it anymore, just a pleasure to shoot.
I shoot pretty exclusively, only D Style Longbows. Except for a Martin Stick, I've never experienced hand shock. With proper tuning / brace height, one really shouldn't have to deal with hand shock. I think especially the HIll Bows get a bad rap about handshock but with proper tuning that rap is unfounded.
Liberty shoots the best for me. Northern missed (as a buddy says) was good too.
SL
what about a good selfbow?
Mohawk! Awsome D shape longbow.
For me and my limited experience with longbows the Abbott was a pleasure to shoot.
The two that I own, my Horne's Traditionalist and my Mohawk.Two great bows out there now as far as I'm concerned.
JD Berry, Abbott and my present favorite D-bow a Wallace Mountain by Dave Wallace. The Abbott I owned was bought from KY..Rob two posts up. That was a sweet bow. I wish I had it back! Here is a pic of it.
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z130/bruce_smith777/Avatarpics6.jpg)
That is one pretty bending piece of wood!! :thumbsup:
Here's one of the Wallace Mountain.
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z130/bruce_smith777/WallaceMountain9.jpg)
-Leonard-
Robertson Stykbows
Northern Mist, hands down. Steve builds the best longbows i have seen. He just recently built me a Shelton. 4 lams of bamboo with an ebony riser.
hopefully ill have some pics up soon.
I really enjoy my Hill's,haven't experienced the any handshock that everyone talks about.I did feel handshock on my Hill with dacron and silencer puff's.But I swapped that for a D97 string and what a difference that made.And my Green Mt. Classic is a sweet shooter,too bad they are not being built any more.
what are some of the differences between these?
Do they have wider limbs or anything? Is there different designs involved?
I don't really know how to phrase my question I'm sorry. Are there noticeable differences between shooting different D-bows?
For instance I see on the Howard Hill Bow website aside from limbs and different options for woods they are the same bow. Are these bows you guys are talking about just different lam combos and handle styles or can you really tell a difference between them?
I guess I'm really asking will 2 D bows of the same material and length and poundage vary in speed, and noise by the bowyers take on the D bow?
As you can tell I have very limited experience with them.
The answer to your last question is yes. I'm not a bowyer but I have spoken to alot of them. Even though they have the D shape when strung, their unstrung profiles can vary. I believe that it also has something to do with the lams, type and style.
Either one of these will be good to ya
Northern Mist Shelton
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h121/mandoman_2006/000_2329.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h121/mandoman_2006/000_2330.jpg)
Robertson Vision longbow
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h121/mandoman_2006/000_2327.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h121/mandoman_2006/000_2325.jpg)
Eric
My HH Halfbreed is a bit handshocky, I guess, but my hand only hurts when I'm not shooting it. :-D
I too love my Horne Traditionalist and now have added a Mohawk takedown to my favored list. Both are very pleasant to shoot as well as look at.
Ron
oh. well I know about the r/d. I have one of those. I was just wondering about differences between classic straight d bows.
The only one I have is my Hill Redman, so it's my favourite!
And I don't notice any of this handshock business with it, but my mate does!
Mahantango
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f196/jjeffer/Mahantango06.jpg)
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f196/jjeffer/Mahantango01.jpg)
MOHAWK L/B's by Vince Migliorato, of Conifer CO. builds a "Superb" "D" Bow !!
The handshock is usually from gripping the bow wrong or too light of an arrow.
Eric
I had a JD Berry Renaissance that was a very sweet shooter....just a tad too light for me so I had to let it go. Stunning bow, however.
For a top of the line bow, look at a Wallace Mountain or a Hill.
If you want to save a few $$ and are handy with the basic tools, check out a blank from 7 Lakes. They're not as fancy as the other choices you've been shown, but they are good, functional "D" bows.
As Crash says, strung they are all D shaped but unstrung they can vary a fair bit. Here in the UK and Europe, Longbows and AFB's (what you would traditionally call a longbow) all need to conform to the D shape when strung when used in competition.
Look at the Border Flat bows, these vary a fair bit when unstrung but all conform to the D shape continuous curve when strung.
In terms of shooting (poundage, speed, hand shock) , they vary as much as any bow.
I also have a Northern Mist Shelton
(66"long, 54#s @ 28"). No noticeable handshock!
A couple of others have mentioned this but Hill and other "D" bows usually need a heavy arrow to prevent handshock. I had a Hill that was uncomfortable to shoot...okay, it would darned near jar the fillings out of my teeth...when shot with arrows that weighed 8 grains per pound of draw weight. I made up some arrows that weighed 12 grains per pound and that was one sweet shooting bow. The stored energy in a bow has to go somewhere. Better it go into the arrow than up your arm.
I know that I didn't answer your question about one bow vs another but I think the bottom line is that most handshock problems can be dealt with.
John
Thanks for the help guys.
I notice the handshock but it never really bothered me. I guess I grew up where if you told someone your bow hurt your hand they'd tease you. Maybe offer you some puddin'. But to me at least its a non issue. If I literally shoot for 3 hours in a row, my wrist will be a lil sore. That is a reasonable expectation to me.
I was just asking because I have a slight r/d longbow, and one that is almost completely straight. I really like the straight one and I eventually want to start making completely straight ones. I was just curious if some were more quiet based on length of fade out, or number of laminations.
Northern Mist Baraga. Sweet shooting bow that has a bit of reflex when unstrung but keeps the D profile when strung. I'm no expert but some highly distinguished individuals recommend the Northern Mist bows. I trust them and am a believer after purchasing the Baraga.
Thanks for the input.I hope to be able to test some of these at Denton Hill. BOB
Have to agree with Jedimaster, of all I've shot the Northern Mist Baraga was the best for me.
The Northern Mist Shelton has little bit of string follow (opposite of reflex) built into it. Its a sweet shooter!
Eric
I've thought about that and it always seemed genius.
Like a well worn self bow.
I think I've either owned or tried almost every classic "D" braced longbow out there for the last 40 years or so, including the more recent stealth aggressive r/d variety, and I'm SO glad I found Vince and his Mohawks ... my search is over ... the Mohawk 2pc TD double Tonkin cane is best for me - incredibly smooth drawing out past 30" for a 62" length longbow (I pull 29"), zero shock release, super slim handle with tapered locator grip (even on the Connexion TD bow!), and arguably the fastest of this style/type of longbow when using heavy GPP arras ...
www.MohawkBows.com (http://www.mohawkbows.com)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/rfdee/archery/tdfull.jpg)
For me the choice is clear, Howard Hill :thumbsup:
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/420W/IM000346.jpg)
liberty engligh with the semi reverse handle and ever so slighly r/d profile
I will put in another vote for Abbott, I've had one for over 17yrs and it is still my "GO TO" bow.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/david_lenz/olschooljz5.jpg)
70" 70#@29" Osage
The D-shape on current mild r/d longbows isn't quite as D-shaped as it is on Hills and other straight or slightly setback limbed bows. Though wooden self-bows have almost universally had a d-shape when strung, it's Hill bows that popularized and defined the D shape that others have since compared themselves to. In addition to my Hills, I like my almost D-shaped Robertsons, Great Northerns and Dwyers. :saywhat: I've also liked Libertys, Yellowstones, Abbotts and Northern Mists, though I don't currently own any.
QuoteOriginally posted by Orion:
The D-shape on current mild r/d longbows isn't quite as D-shaped as it is on Hills and other straight or slightly setback limbed bows. ...
"...isn't quite as D-shaped"? In what way?
Besides using my peepers alone, the test for me is with a 6" metal straight edge laid and moved slowly along each limb. If there aren't any
significant flat spots I call it a curve. "Significant" because ALL curves are created from "flat spots". There ARE SOME "mild r/d" limbed bows with tips that exhibit a small about of flat, but not a Mohawk, Liberty, Horne Traditionalist, Abbott, Sunset, etc., etc. What you will find with a reflex longbow ("Hill style") is MORE curve near the tips. To me, a curve is a curve, and my 'Hawks all have contiguous classic "D" limb curve when braced. :saywhat:
Never shot one but sure like the way those Mohawks look.Abbot makes another I like.Never shot a Hill that agrees with me.
I've had a fair number of Hill longbows. I sure do love the looks and aesthetics. I don't like the "teardrop" cross-sectioned straight handle, would rework them rounder and with a bit of "locater" added. I find I need to be more aware of my form when shooting a Hill - the reflexed limbs are just less forgiving than a mild r/d longbow. And the right string, brace height and using heavy arras helps smooth out the Hill hand shock. No, you don't have any "hand shock" shootin' yer Hill? You ain't spent time with a good mild r/d longbow to realize there IS hand shock with a Hill.
I notice hand shock in many straighter limbed longbows. I would probably never notice it though if I had never shot ultra high quality (in my opinion) recurves and r/d longbows. I really like the mild thump in my hand though.
I shoot Northern Mist (Shelton), Ron Maulding's, Hills and a Schulz. My shelton is probably the "smoothest", with my Mauldings being almost a tie and the others a close second. The bows I've gotten the most "hand shock" out of have not been my Hill styles but some of the R/D's I've shot.
I prefer the solid hand placement the straight grip affords one and am able to shoot them much more consistently and accurately.
Best suggestion is for you to try different ones out and see which fits you best.
QuoteOriginally posted by Bowman0202:
... Best suggestion is for you to try different ones out and see which fits you best.
That IS the best advice. :thumbsup:
Love my two piece Wes Wallace Royal with 'boo limbs, Maccasar Ebony limb veneers, and a combo of Gabon Ebony/Maccasar Ebony Riser. It has the small sleeve with a locator grip. For me, it is more forgiving than a Hillstyle Longbows and it has no noticable handshock.
It's 66" Nock to Nock, 56 lbs. @ 28"
Here is a few photos of the Royal:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/dalzell/MVC-012S.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/dalzell/MVC-010S.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/dalzell/MVC-013S.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/dalzell/MVC-008S.jpg)
Rob: You're right re Hills having more bend toward the tips. That's where the capital letter D has most of its bend as well. That's what I call a true D shape. A lot of others form more of a crescent. Also D-shaped, but not quite as much, at least that's what I was trying to say. Really doesn't make much difference, of course, except maybe to penmanship teachers.
QuoteOriginally posted by Orion:
Rob: You're right re Hills having more bend toward the tips. That's where the capital letter D has most of its bend as well. That's what I call a true D shape. A lot of others form more of a crescent. Also D-shaped, but not quite as much, at least that's what I was trying to say. Really doesn't make much difference, of course, except maybe to penmanship teachers.
Yep, I agree - the slight Hill reflex allows for much more of a "D" brace shape than those somewhat snaky mild r/d's. In the long run, it's all a compromise of sorts. Heck, even those aggressive r/d "stealth" hybrids that have a "D" shape have their own issues, too - that dang noodle limb wobble. The best compromise for me is a well designed and well built mild r/d longbow that uses Tonkin cane exclusively for the limbs - still has a classic curved arc when braced, a bit more arra speed, and a smoother finish to the shot. Love my 'Hawks.
Im throwin out another vote for the northern mist baraga. Its just an all around great bow and i have all the confidence in the world when its in my hand
I've had pronghorns,robertson,morrison,and shot a few others but for me the best D shape longbow is a Fredrick Baron.Very little reflex w/ very tapperd trapped limbs and narrow tips.Much like the Berry's and Harrisons but have yet to shoot either.
MOHAWK!
The Northwind Tempest has been a pleasent surprise in it's accurate shooting abilities. It's got my vote.
Now I just need Vince to build me an "Osage MOHAWK" !!