I have made a search on our forum but didn t find anything about guys hunting with " english longbows " .
I am interested to get one , but we hunt wildboards over here and i dont want to have to draw 80pounds bows to assure enough penetration for hunting . What is the reality about their real performances ?
Thank you
Shot placement, scary sharp broadheads and properly tuned arrows for you and the bow are more important than the style of bow used. I've hunted with a 55#, osage ELB with no difficulty...and from a tree stand.
An "English Longbow" doesn't have to be 80# or more. "English Warbows" are generally over 80#(usually 100#+) but they aren't necessarily good for hunting. It would be like hunting with a howitzer.
I only own one ELB, but feel it would be totally adequate for hunting. It draws 50# at 28" draw. I pull less than 28" so don't get the full 50#, the same as with any bow. Accuracy is just as good as my ASL. So, hunting with the same poundage as any other style bow should be just fine. I hope to read your hunting stories this hunting season.
I hunted with my Strunk made English longbow, 65#, back in the 80's. The only issue I ran into was the freezing temperatures, typical of the season, clearly effected the cast of the bow so I ended up going back to my Hill bow.Other than that, I would have seen no issue using it. It does take a lot of muscle meory work to intuitively place your off hand for a consistent arrow rest.
My Don Adams English Yew wood Longbow. I hunted a lot with that bow with no problems
(http://tradgang.com/ron/ron39.jpg)
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Yew_canoe.jpg)
Check out Carson Brown with Echo Archery, he's a sponsor here.
Ok the " gang "
Thank you for your answers
english style longbow...not sure why it would not be good for hunting...afterall it is a bow and if well made will throw an arrow with authority. the so called WAR BOWS might be different story as they were more weight for casting further distances. You could hunt with one I suppose but are typically over 6 feet long and heavy draw weights.
No reason at all though why an English Styled Longbow wont work....afterall Pope and Young used them...correct?
I have owned three different John Strunk ELB's from 45-65# and I suspect all were more than adequate for taking deer or pig with a well placed shot. The 45# yew Strunk was surprisingly snappy and shot 10 or even 12gpp arrows with authority.
I agree with Allen Boice, check out Carson and his bows!
Says alot coming from another talented bowyer such as Allen!
My first selfbow, an elb of osage, built by another fine bowyer, Steve Martin, of Kentucky, back in 1989.
Properly made, you should be fine, and fun!
Jay st Charles.
I'm not a very knowledgeable on the subject but I know mine liked heavy arrows and arrows 2" longer than normal because of that big fat riser they had to get around I guess.
by far the best ELB I ever shot was an Osage ELB by Joe don Jones of Genesis longbows,,,, I sold my two welchman ELB's after shooting one at ETAR then ole Joe decides to not make em anymore,, I said forget it and just went back to recurves.
I will be hunting this year with a yew ELB of my own making. They're as deadly as any other... and some of the very sweetest to draw and shoot.
if you want to shoot a 80 pound English war bow have at it.... there's no such thing as overkill when it comes to wild boars and thick shields.....with that weight you can run a 4 blade through them.