I've been doing some research lately on the masters of the sport (mostly the old but some new too), trying to find out things like their shooting forms, favorite equipment ect.
Well I've found a lot on Howard Hill, Fred Bear, Byron Ferguson and Ron LaClair; but almost nothing on Ben Pearson (I found a lot about the company but next to nothing about the man), John Schulz or Dan Quillian
So I was curious does anyone here have any info on these three? I want to know things like what
What length bow did they shoot?
Did they do any personal modifications to their bows?
What were their preferred poundages?
How did they grip their bows?
Were there any "Weird" things about their form?
Videos and pictures of them shooting would also be much appreciated
:archer2:
I can chime in a little about Dan "the man"
Dan shot a lot of different bows he designed and had Owen Jeffery or martin to build. I believe his favorite in his last decade of hunting was a 80# 68"Longhunter Longbow.. I want to say it was Red Elm cores maybe not or bamboo. Dan shot a secondary vision/instinctive. I know this because he gave the best shooting I advice ever got.. Come to think of it, i use it as my signature line in this forum........Short story here....I was struggling in early 90's of shooting my first traditional bow.. I was trying to profect the "burning the hole" method and i will leave it at that.. One day i was in Dan's shop shooting different shop bows and he pulled up a chair and watched me spray arrows......he just sat there and grinned.. i asked " Dan, give me a tip please. this is aggravating" He said " Ok, if your arrow is not pointing to the bullseye, it will not hit there".........BAM light bulb went off... I asked, " so i should look at my arrow linement?" He said " yes, if it is not pointing at bullseye, move it!!!!!!!!" in his gruff voice.. Then i started adjusting my windage with my secondary vision. It all came together.....How big an Impact did it make?.......I won the Howard Hill World Chanpionship and Southeastern three months later...
Dan shot split finger with a deep hook. Dan shot extremely quick. I knew him when he was in his late 60s so he could have been a dot master way back but he was an average shot. But........he definitely was not overbowed at 80# in his 70's i know that. Dan shot a low wrist, he GRIPPED the bow.. he was strong as an ox..held like if you were holding a tennis racket. definitely his brace point was at base of thumb knuckle.
I lot of still miss ole Dan and his ole shop and how it was laid out....just piles and piles of stuff....he was "something"...they dont make em like that anymore
Good stuff JoeBuck.I emt Mr. Dan once and I felt like it would be something I would never forget and I was right. Never saw him shoot but Shot with his Son DD a time or two and he was above avearge.
John Shulze would be near identical in shooting to Howard Hill I would think.RC
I have read an "interview" of J. Schulz from G. Wensel. In that article John described the "heavy bow route" and that he shot in the 75# range for a while, had no problem with the "flight weight" bows but his 3 current personal bows where 63-67#s.
Jeffery has made some longhunters recently. i shot one really nice.
John Schulz wrote a short book about Howard Hill in which he explains how Mr Hill shot, and relates some personal stories. Its a short but great read. He was taught to shoot personally by Hill. My sense of it is that he has never departed from the "Hill style". He also put out a video called "Hitten em like Howard Hill". I suspect you know all of this but just in case I posted.
He built American Longbows for a long time. They may still be in production, I'm not sure.
If you want to know about Howard Hill, Bob Wesley also shot with him a good bit, and seems to know a lot from personal experience.
Bob ala H Hill griped his bow with a death grip. I never could get the hang of that myself, but Bob shot wonderfully well.
John schulz also has another book detailing some of his form, hunts,talks with hill etc. It's called "Straight Shooting"
This should be a wonderful thread. I will be following it. The owner of the bow shop I patronize was real close with earl hoyt jr and will tell you ANYTHING you want. They have free coffee too, good thing cause Jack can talk thru about two pots. All kidding aside jack is a wonderfull man and is very open to his knowledge
Man I'm suprised about how many people have already posted. I'm beggining to see some pattern as to how all of these men shoot/shot (but I'll get more into that later)
I am also learning things I've never heard about
Like Hill did A LOT more expirimenting with bow design than Hill bow purist would like to believe (I've found a couple of pictures and videos where he was shooting R/D longbows :eek: )
I also had a thought that if Fred Bear were to come to my local archery range they would tell him to drop 15/20# and strongly suggest some lessons (in fact they would probably tell that to all of them) but he made it work
Both of the Wensels were good friends with Schultz when they lived in Montana. They may be a good source of info about him.
I first met Dan in the mid 60's when I was living in Vidalia, Ga. He was still living up North and working for American Archery I believe. I remember one night at an old tabacco barn we were practicing and Dan gave me some tips on shooting. He taped a paper match on my recurve (Cheetha Supreme..American Archery) to show me what it was like to use a sight pin.
I later was on a hog hunt with him in Uvalda, Ga. and we shot in a Field Round Tournament in the same group in the 70's..may have been in Elberton, Ga.. He and I were in Hunter Class A. I'm thinking he was shooting a Hoyt or Howatt recurve that day. We both shot terrible ..I remember that. I think he was living in Athens then and may have started building bows. Last time I saw him.
I do remember he built a hang on stand. Everybody called it a Quillian. It was made to be really lightweight. It was just a piece of heavy gauge aluminum...bout 10ga. with the sides and front turned down about 1". It was just big enough for about size 12 boots to fit on. We all used pole climbers back then and didn't know what a saftey harness or belt was.
Dan was a little older than me and I always looked up to him...size wise and as a special man with a good heart.
I bought my first longbow from Dan Quillian in the 1980's. It was a Bamboo Longhunter.
I had been out of archery for a long time but had a notion to look into it again. I saw a magazine in a store with Mr. Quillian's name and number. I called him on a Saturday, just to find out where he was located.
He told me to come to his house (60 miles away) that same day. His words were "Shoot one of my bows, and if you like it, take on home". At that time he was selling out of his house and had not yet opened the shop beneath the shopping center in Athens, GA. Well, I liked it and have been shooting longbows since.
He advocated heavy poundage bows if you could handle them. He coached me a bit on taking a deep hold on the bow string down to the first joint on my hand and taking a very firm grip on the bow. He also thought there is some advantage in shooting long arrows.
So I wound up with a 68" Bamboo Longhunter at 58#, which I later traded for a heavier draw. (Wish now I had it back.) When trying out his bow in his back yard, I missed several shots and was concerned about losing his arrows. That's when he gave me a very fine piece of advice -"Don't fall in love with your arrows, because they won't be around all that long."
He was a very likeable and knowledgeable fellow. Later, when he opened his shop I went several times to shoot on the indoor range, and, even though he hardly knew me, he always took time to speak to me and point out flaws in my form.
Dan Quillian did a lot to promote archery and bowhunting. I was very pleased when Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia received permission to name our yearly state tournament the Dan Quillian Memorial Shoot.
Dan sounds like one of the coolest guys ever. Does anyone have a video of him shooting?
I want to see if his form is anything like the others.
I have a 64" 60# Bamboo Longhunter and must say that it is very smooth and points extremely well. The bow does not lack for any lumber and has quite a bit more mass than my other longbows. Which I suppose helps its shootability. Very good design!
I'd love to hear from people who knew Ben Pearson.
QuoteOriginally posted by SELFBOW19953:
I'd love to hear from people who knew Ben Pearson.
I had a guy pm me earlier that said Ben Pearson was kind of lacking in the personality department and wasn't too well liked
Joshua Long, aren't those Long Hunters shooters :archer: I've got a 68" 70# model that is one of my favorites
Ben Pearson died in 1971 so I never met him. I was around some of the pioneer bowhunters in Arkansas county when I was a child. Still remember them shooting those vintage bows. Many people shot Pearson archery equipment because it was an Arkansas product and they could just go to the factory and pick up bows and other archery equipment. That he was a great shot and promoter of archery is no doubt however I have heard some unflattering things about his personality from people who knew or hunted with him. Just what I've heard so don't beat the messenger. LOL It will be interesting to see if anyone else has heard the same or conflicting stories.
Ross
http://archeryduns.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/14895607-hit-em-like-howard-hill-parts
Hope this works.
Thanks Tradgang.
i recently watched the schulz video. WOW!
to describe his shooting as fluid doesn't seem...smooth enough.
maybe someday. for now, i have to settle at full draw, at least for a second.
but...maybe someday.
joe
Ben Pearson was born in Saline County, Arkansas on November 16, 1898. Events are hazy and accounts conflicting, but it's safe to say that Ben made his first bow sometime prior to 1926, a six foot hickory patterned after the English longbow obtained from instructions on bow building in Boy Scout articles written by Uncle Dan Beard. Later, in the Boy Scouts' Merit Badge Series for Archery, he would author his own instructions with "How To Make A Flat Bow." Ben performed numerous exhibitions across America for youth and scout groups and according to a recent article by Arline Chandler, "Pearson never charged a fee for his demonstrations, nor asked for expenses."
In 1926, Ben entered the Arkansas State Championships held in Little Rock and placed next to last. It was a humbling experience for the budding archer. Determined to improve his skills, Ben worked at upgrading his equipment and learning to shoot. The next year, he once again entered the Arkansas State Championships, but this time he walked away as the Arkansas State Champion. During the next 10 years or so, Ben would become a regular fixture at target events, develop into a highly respected competitor and place seventh behind Pat Chambers during the 1938 NAA National Tournament and 24 places ahead of a young Fred Bear. Pat would later go to work for Ben in 1940 as a field man and author "Archery," the first publication issued by Pearson Archery.
After completing grammar school, Ben worked on the family farm in Lonoke county until he was drafted toward the end of WWI. The Armistice was soon signed and Ben's short lived service came to an end. Ben returned home, but the farm couldn't hold him and he moved to Little Rock. In Little Rock, Ben would land a job with the Little Rock Railway and Electric Company, move on to the Arkansas Power & Light Company and as the Depression deepened in 1931 he would take off on his own. He tried the floral business in Pine Bluff, but with little money and even less experience his venture soon collapsed and he resorted to selling caterpillar tractors for John Riggs, doing some work for Lee Woods, Inc., of Pine Bluff and producing archery equipment in his garage.
It was during this period that a chance meeting would forever change his life. It seems that Carl Haun, a retired oil man from Blackwell, Oklahoma, had purchased a bow and arrow set for his grandson. It didn't take the grandson long to lose or break all his arrows. Grandpa set about to replace the youngster's arrows but found the task more difficult than anticipated. Upon learning of Ben Pearson, Mr. Haun cranked his airplane up and flew to Pine Bluff. Soon Mr. Haun was knocking on Ben's door and Mr. Haun's arrow problems were solved. According to Roy Hoff, "That was the beginning of a great partnership little known to the user of Ben Pearson equipment. Carl listened intently as Ben explained his dream of mass producing archery tackle and became intrigued. This was still during the depression years, but evidently not in the oil business."
Ben later commented on the meeting. "He was tickled to death to find some arrows for his grandson. So, Mr. Haun invited me to `go for a walk'. He said he wanted to look for some For Sale signs. He took a dim view of mass production in a backyard garage. We came upon an old sorghum mill with a For Sale sign on it." At that moment Carl Haun's financial support and Ben Pearson's mechanical knowledge were joined, forming Ben Pearson Company. Ben Pearson Company would later lay claim to being "the world's greatest mass-producing archery tackle manufacturer."
Ben Pearson retired from the archery manufacturing business in 1967 and passed away four years later on March 2, 1971 at age 72, after revolutionizing the manufacturing of archery tackle, providing quality, functional equipment well within the means of the average person. He left a legacy in the "Bushmaster" and the unsurpassed "Deadhead." He left another in Longbow, a 400 acre retreat near Prim, Arkansas, now restored by his son Ben, Jr. in tribute to his father and those who stalked the hills before him. His presence is still felt there in his get-away cabin. The cabin provides an awesome view of a waterfall cascading off a rock bluff into the blue-green pool below. - Cliff Huntington
Danny, Thank you for a nice write up! I've always liked Pearson bows and I've never heard that part of Pearson's development. I own quite a few Pearson's and although some shoot better than others I like all that I own. My favorites are the Mercury Marauder and the Mercury Hunter.I still use the Pearson Switchblades along with Zwickeys and they perform very well.
Living in PineBluff in the mid 60's I had several friends that work at Pearson Archery and was in and out of the factory many times. There was an outlet store and indoor range out on 79 hiway that sold bows and arrows. Saved my money and bought a short recurve 60# that was more than I could shoot. The Pearson's owned a Motel in Pine Bluff named the Ben-Mar and the company I worked for did all the floor work there and I got to meet his wife many times. When we installed a new kitchen floor in the Pearson home I met Mr Pearson and I told him about the bow I had just bought. He asked how I was doing with the bow and I told him I had to work up to the poundage. His suggestion was to take it back and get another bow, he recomended a longer bow at 50#. The outlet store didn't take returns but he called them and made it happen for me. Altho he didn't take a lot of time to chit-chat he was very pleasant to talk with.
Lots of good stuff here already. I have to share my first an only meeting with Dan. It was at the NC Bowhunters banquet in hickory, nc back in about 1991. I had shoved a black dimond delta through my forearm the season before. (another story). Dan did his broadhead test where he had a green steer hide stretched on a one foot square frame and would pull it down on broadheads fixed on to a 6 inch shaft set into a block of wood. the wood was on a scale. He was trying to prove that cut on contact heads were the best for trad guys I stayed after his talk and showed him the scare on my arm. His first response was "What did you feel when it happened? ". I told him I didn't feel anything except I knew I had screwed up. He got this big smile on his face and said, " that's what I thought" . I'll never forget it or him. I don't think he would be considered Politicly Correct today. He was wearing a hat that said " If you don't like Loggers, Try wiping your a...ss with a spotted owl" . When I think about legends in archery, Dan is the first one that comes to my mind.
My only encounter with Dan is a very nice note he wrote to me on the receipt for some items I ordered from him. I would have loved to met him.
I bought a one piece canebrake off of Dan for my first custom bow. I think it was 15 to twenty years a go. I can remember Dan telling me to make sure you get a deep solid hook on the string. That bow was stolen from a me a couple years later. Should have the name "Randy Parrott" on it.
Quillian also did an instructional video. I thought the Schulz video was much better.
I have a bunch of H Hill movie short videos. He was remarkable. He gapped but did it so quickly and fluidly it was amazing.
I've often wondered if instinctive shooting was accually gap shooting done instinctively. Byron Ferguson helped me more than any with his split vision style.
I met Dan in 1988, after a house fire that destroyed all my equipment. I had been shooting an early Jennings compound, but was thinking about a take-down recurve so I could pack it easily when flying. I saw one of Dan's ads, and called him. I lived in Conyers, GA at the time, not too far from Athens. He was still working out of his house, and when I walked in, there was a pile of bows in front of the living room hearth, literally. He asked me if I had ever shot a longbow, and I told him I started with a fiberglass Bear as a kid. He pulled a Bamboo Longhunter, 67#, from the pile and we went outside. I loved the bow, and Dan gave me some coaching which immediately improved my shooting. We started discussing wood arrows, and the need for stronger, better quality shafts, and next thing I knew we were in business. Dan was my sales manager when I opened Tallahatchie Woodworks to make the Superceder shafts.
Dan's video was simple, just him shooting and describing the process. He used a push-pull method of drawing, looking down the arrow to the target as he brought the bow up during the draw, and only paused enough at full draw to settle in his sight picture. He strongly advocated the longest draw possible, saying another inch of draw was like adding 10# to the draw weight. I learned more about archery from him in the first year than I had managed to learn on my own in the previous 30.
He used a tab of his own design, heavy leather with holes for the first and third fingers instead of the middle one. I still have the one that he took off his hand and gave to me. He put the string at the first joint of his fingers, and advocated the heaviest bow you could handle because you automatically got a cleaner release when the string left, among other reasons.
Dan was a brilliant man and a true iconoclast, and people either loved him or hated him. No one was ambivalent about him after a conversation. He didn't hold back. I loved him, because I always knew where he stood. We were close friends as well as business partners for years, and I stayed in touch with him up until his death. I still think about him frequently, like every time I pick up a bow.
I still have that Longhunter, and killed a bull elk with it the first year I hunted with it. With his coaching, I became good enough that I rarely left a 3D shoot without a trophy, usually first place, including several state and regional championships. His son DD was/is a phenomenal archer, and once won the GA state archery tournament, shooting his 90# Longhunter bare-bow against field archers shooting recurves with all the accessories. Dan didn't shoot competitively while I knew him, but I shot with DD several times, and it was always much fun. I could occasionally best him on the range, but he usually won. John Hood was his shooting buddy, another phenom. The three of us shot together at the HH World Championship one year and had a blast. John won it that year with his 90# Longhunter. I shot in the top 5 more than once there, but 4th was my best showing.
Dan believed that traditional bows were better hunting tools than compounds, but didn't hesitate to innovate and change things, always experimenting. He was not a bowyer, but his commercial bows were all made to his specifications, with most made by Jeffrey and some by Martin. Owen Jeffrey and Dan were old friends, and argued archery endlessly. Owen would criticize Dan's designs, and Dan would make him make them that way anyhow. Dan modified the shelf of his bows after he and I experimented with cutting away most of the shelf so that the arrow only touched a small spot at the bow back, but contacting the side of the bow directly above the grip to reduce torque. His commercial bows were made that way in the last year or so that he had the business, but the new owners went back to the "traditional" shelf, not understanding the improvement it made, especially when your form wasn't perfect.
The last modification I saw him do was to use putty to extend the shelf farther, a bit out in front of the back, to get the longest distance possible from the contact point to the string.
When FF strings were developed, he converted most of his bows to use them, recognizing the increase in performance that could be had by using a lighter-weight string. The commercial bows had 14 strands, but he went as low as 8 for certain customers who couldn't shoot heavy or long draws.
Wonderful memories! I still miss the old rascal.
This is the kind of stuff I like to read, personal stories about traditional archery legends!! They were businessmen, and, in order to survive, had to cater to "modern archery" (wheelie bows), but they continued to offer traditional bows. Sadly, I never met any of them-almost, but not quite-almost only counts in horseshoes, atom bombs, and hand grenades.
Dan told me about his first experience with compounds. He didn't like the letoff, and modified his so that it only let off maybe 10 pounds. He shot at 4 deer, killed 4 deer, but just didn't like the complexity- he was a firm believer in Murphy's Law. He retired the compound and went back to his longbow.
My Longhunter has the cut off shelf. It's a fine shooting bow and built tough as nails.
Don, I bought a dozen bareshafts of your Supercedars from the classifieds awhile back. They made for some great flying arrows. I keep an eye out for some more to pop-up. I believe I read that they are made of Mississippi Magnolia.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with Dan. I wish I could have met him.