I am a lover of Howard Hill bows have been since I was a kid....I am going to be buyng a Hill bow from Howardhillarchery (unless someone convinces me otherwise) and was wondering what your suggestions would be on the type of setup I should order.
I am going to be using this bow for hunting.
should i get a shorter bow or would that hinder smoother shooting(I am a 27in draw length)
I would like to get a take down for easier transportation....anyone have any negative with two piece take down longbow?
What style of bow is the best and why?
For example... Wesley, Big Five etc.
If there is any suggestions other than what I have mentioned that you think of I would love to hear them....I would like to get a bow that I will not regret buying in the future. Thanks
I recently received one in a trade and I absolutely love it. Its a 68" Big Five 50@28". It is very smooth to draw which is a big plus for me as I have a longer draw. A two piece would be much easier to transport but I dont have any experience with one of those.
I like their 2pc bows. My current hill bow is a 66" big five which firs my 27"draw fine. I owned a 66" cheetah take down which I foolishly sold. It was probably the best looking hill bow.
Aaron-
The 2 piece are nice bows, but you have to consider that with a 2 piece, you only have two options. You either get the large handle or the small. There is no option for a locator grip, straight, or for a dished grip.
Also, what draw weight are you shooting? At 27" draw, I personally would only consider a 66" bow. However, other folks might suggest a 64" If I were you, I'd call and discuss all you questions with Craig Ekin. He will help you decide what is best for you and your shooting style.
Danny
I have 3 Hills. I draw 28", and have 64", 66", and 68" bows. The 64" is a tad short for my draw, the 66 and 68 are just right. My 66" is a Cheetah takedown, and so far it is my favorite. I like them all, but the Cheetah looks really nice, and I like the t/d function. Talk to Craig, he will be able to help you with choices. HHA is super fast in building bows; so far it has taken 3 to 4 weeks from placing an order to having bow in hand.
I'm going bear hunting in a few weeks, and enroute I will be stopping in Hamilton and checking in with HHA. I went there many years ago, and I'm looking forward to visiting again. Great bows and great service.
I have a 66" Cheetah (slight backset), and a 66" Tembo (string follow), both have dished grips. I draw 27" also. I don't think there's enough preformance difference in the models to sway me one way or the other. The Tembo seems slightly smoother, could be the string follow or less lams or just because it's 5lbs lighter.
One thing that I'm glad I did was to get 8 and 9 strand strings on them. The handshock was not an issue with me before, but they did feel more solid and a bit quieter after switching.
I am considering a 2 piece also. My concern is if the grips are similar to a 1 piece or more rounded. I'm hoping there's one at Denton Hill I can at least hold this year.
Have you shot them before? some guys find they don't prefer them. I love them. Where in Pa. are you?
There are a number of good Hill-Style makers out there. Both of mine were made by Craig at HHA. With his reputation and build time, I don't think you would wrong. He is also very helpful with questions.
I have a large sleeve takedown (great grip if you like a straight grip) that has four alternating laminations of rocky mtn. juniper and yew and it is by far my favorite bow. My only regret about it is that I had it made 68" instead of 66 or 65" (I draw just a hair under 27") John Schultz shot "shorter" Hill bows and if you've seen the videos he had no problems with them.
No one with a Cheetah or a Redman ever seem to complain about their bows so it's a good place to
start
66" should be fine for you. If I was ordering from HHA I would opt for the Bighorn (all red elm) or red man (all yew) I prefer these woods over bamboo myself. My go to bows are JD Berrys but he does not offer a 2pc.
If you want a great take down Hill Style call Steve Turay at Northern Mist. He uses the connexion hinge which allows for a much more traditional grip as compared to the sleeve styles.
Hill style bows are a great thing CSA!
You didn't mention what draw weight you might be considering? I might recommend that you be careful not to over-bow yourself with too heavy of a draw weight or your enjoyment factor will drop due to a number of factors.
For a 27" draw length a 68" Hill style would be a good choice, but you could also consider 66".
Keep the wind in your face!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
Byron Ferguson's "Become the Arrow" recommends a 64" longbow for someone of 27" drawlength AND hunting.
He starts out with a 68" bow for 28" drawlength and subtracts 2" of bow length for every inch of drawlength less than 28. Then he takes off another 2" for hunting, for effeciency, because you might draw short when you're excited and you won't lose as much speed.
A 64" longbow, I just wanted to explain it like he did. Hope that helps.
But think it would be cool to have a really tall bow.
Also, Bamboo cores seem to be popular.
Enjoy your new bow when you get it built!
I have 5 Hill bows, 2 Wesley Specials, 2 Cheetahs, and a big 5. They are all very good bows, so there is no way to say which is actually the "best". My favorite is my first Wesley simply because it was my first ever custom ordered bow.
I like 68" bows as they seem to draw very smoothly. I have seen all the recommendations based on bow length as related to draw length, and it seems to make sense, but I just like the feel of the longer bows. I have about a 27" draw.
All of my Hill bows have bamboo cores. They are smooth, indeed, and I recommend bamboo, However, my next Hill will hopefully be a yew Redman.
Also, I prefer the straight or the dished grip. One of the Cheetahs has a locator grip but is not my favorite; however, the price was right.
Some of my bows have a gloss finish and others are more subdued. The gloss looks best to me, and a lot of things can be done to tone it down while hunting if that is an issue. Black Hill bows are beautiful!
When shooting a Hill bow, it is a natural fit to shoot wooden arrows. Good luck. I believe you will enjoy both the quality of the bow and the excellent customer service form Hill Archery.
I have a Tembo string follow 45@ at 26" and 66" long.I did do a FF string and was give 12 strand. You did't say what weight you wanted the bow at. I really don't think that their will be any performance difference between the models. Your length will depend on what you want. Either length will suit you fine. I personally struggled with 66 or 68 and went with the 66 and I'm happy. Their is a theory that the more lamination's causing more glue makes the bow more active in the lighter poundage bows. I would recommend that you get the carmalized BOO. That's what I have on mine.
Thanks for all the replys guys....I was thinking about going with a 52 to 55# bow
Oh and Randy I am about and hour north of Harrisburg in a little town called Dornsife.
My Big 5 is 50# and one of the Cheetahs is 55#. Those are excellent both for hunting and for 3D, so your weight range seems very good. You do need to realize that when the selection is made pics are required. Look forward to seeing them.
Bama Bows all the way! Nathaniel Steele is a great bowyer and his take down bow system is the best. Also as far as customs go, the price is right. Definitely give him a look.
I would call HHA and order a Cheetah. They are their best looking bows. Wesley Specials do not shoot any different. 3 weeks later you will receive a new, top notch bow. I would go with 68". Remember HHA charges by the number of laminations so you can choose whatever and it costs the same as their other bows. This past year I bought an all Bacote bow with carmelized boo under clear glass and it cost the same as any of their other bows. It turned out to be a stunning bow.
I agree that the Cheetah is a looker. Here is a pic of mine, which is the t/d version, although you can't tell by looking at it.
(http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac67/peastes/GOPR0274_zps41dced1b.jpg) (http://s886.photobucket.com/user/peastes/media/GOPR0274_zps41dced1b.jpg.html)