Early this fall I cut quite a bit of osage from a local fencerow that I have been eying for years. It is all very straight, but as to be expected, there is a wide variety in the growth ring thickness. Aside from being easier to work the back down on thick ringed stuff, which do you prefer from a shooting stand point? I have heard that thin ringed osage tends to be a little snappier and thick ringed wood more sluggish. Any truth to that? Does thin ringed wood make as durable a bow? Thanks for any input!
IMHO - The thinner the rings the more latewood a given peice will have. Latewood being soft allows the bow to take on more set or string follow. 8 to 10 rings per inch is probably a good peice of osage and is what I look for. But, I would rather have a stave with thicker rather than thinner rings. A thin ringed bow will be pleny durable if void of flaws like knots or checks in the back. Snappy, is usually more in the design of the bow, but who knows. selfbows are like finger prints,,, no two just alike!