HH bug got me ... Part One!

canopyboy · October 17, 2011, 01:24:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by pavan:
The problems is I am having a hard time deciding which Hill model and specs to get for baby Savannah. It would have to be very short.

You'll just have to teach her to shoot with an extreme cant...

Molson · October 17, 2011, 01:24:00 PM

Well Pavan with a name like Savannah she's gonna be granpa's sunshine, sweet tea, and honey! The Wasp Cub should fit her just fine!!

canopyboy · October 17, 2011, 01:33:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by tradlongbow:
canaopyboy-

If you have a fastflight string try it, with
B-50 string I always shoot 5#'s weaker spine arrows out of my Hill bows.

Darren

I did, it didn't make that big of difference. Neither did fitting the nocks better.

I've made some improvements just really concentrating on form. But the biggest so far is to consciously shorten my draw a little bit. But that still feels a bit awkward and will take a little time. I borrowed a video camera from a friend (haven't bought a new one after the last one was stolen from my baggage last year) and plan to record myself both with my Owl and my recurve and see what there is to see.

You know, if I had it to do over again, I would have gotten a much lighter bow for my first Hill until I learned to shoot that style. Even though it's not much over the heavier limbs on my recurve, I'll state the obviuos in that I'm sure the weight is a major factor in my slow learning curve.

As an aside, when I asked to borrow the camera to tape myself shooting he asked, "What happens to my camera if you miss?" Without hesitation I somehow managed to fire back, "That's why I'm borrowing yours." He didn't know what to say for a second or two...

turkey-lurkey · October 17, 2011, 07:40:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Molson:
Well Pavan with a name like Savannah she's gonna be granpa's sunshine, sweet tea, and honey! The Wasp Cub should fit her just fine!!

She's got everyone wrapped around her little fingers, although as her mama I could be a bit partial.

Once she's older, there's always my little Herter's Jr recurve from when I was a kid.

ChrisM · October 17, 2011, 07:48:00 PM

Nothin like a baby girl!!

GRINCH · October 17, 2011, 09:13:00 PM

Congrats Grandad

Molson · October 17, 2011, 09:43:00 PM

Pavan's new addition to the family has inspired me to call up Craig today and add my own new addition...

After a bit of stewing I changed my mind on the Big Five and decided on an Owl. String follow, clear glass, osage, bamboo, bamboo, osage. An osage riser, dished, wrapped in rust, 67" 54@26 and I named it, "Habanero".

Hopefully it lives up to its smoking hot name and also "cures what ails me!"

StanM · October 17, 2011, 11:47:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by stik&string:
Pavan that is the best pic in this entire thread and there has been a lot of good pics so far. Congrats!

Very well put! Congrats, pavan.

October 18, 2011, 01:03:00 AM

The congrats should go to the mom who gave us the country baby. So mom, where did you come up with a name like turkey lurkey? The Hill quiver is ordered and the arrows are in the mail.

GRINCH · October 18, 2011, 01:13:00 AM

Does Hill make along bow 62 inches or less just have trouble with anything over this length,

Ben Maher · October 18, 2011, 01:15:00 AM

Yep , Craig will make a bow 62" and 60 " .....

Don Lampkins · October 18, 2011, 09:19:00 AM

Talking about heavy arrows, Do you think you need to bump up in spine. Say like you are shooting a 525 gr cedar 55-60. Then go to an ash 675 gr. Do you tink you would want to jump up to a 60-65?

MikeNova · October 18, 2011, 02:15:00 PM

Just got a Dave Johnson longbow. After a bit of a struggle to get it tuned I got it shooting good. The fit and finish are really good and its quick and smooth. Going to shoot a deer with it thursday evening. Waiting on a Sunset Hill then I'm closing the book on buying bows. I'll have two curves made for me by my good friend Owen Jeffery and two hills. Figure I'll be a better shot from concentrating on fewer bows rather that trying to juggle 20. I would like to have 20 bows just don't think I would be a good of a shot!

MikeNova · October 18, 2011, 02:16:00 PM

Oh yes I'll try to get some pics up when I can.

Nate Steen . · October 18, 2011, 02:53:00 PM

great looking bows...white glass makes a beauty of a bow and don't be afraid of glossy finishes. We worry about that more than necessary. Lots of stuff 'shines' in the woods. I always make sure my bows are 'waxed to a polish' and this weekend I could have shot a deer (12 yds) and an elk (25 yds) had I been in possession of the correct tags, and this is during rifle season wearing red plaid and on the ground. Neither animal was concerned by my presence.

I'm going out on a limb here, not to be controversial, but to add perspective from another point of view...for what it's worth.....
One of the 'expectation fallacies' of an American Semi-long longbow is handshock, and the best known remedy is heavy arrows. Some shock is due to individual shooting styles/form, but I believe most is from bow design. There should be no reason to be forced to shoot heavy arrows to tame down the bow. A well-built semi-long longbow will shoot moderate weight arrows very well. By that I mean in the 8 - 9 gpp range. Many are the customers/friends of mine across the country who shoot cedar arrows out of their bows with no adverse handshock. Arrows weighing in the mid 500s to 600 grs with 125 gr heads. Back in the day (up through the early '90s) most longbowers shot cedar arrows to the detriment of many, many animals. There wasn't the 'handshock' cry of the masses back then. But back then there were the tried and true bowyers who were building like the old-time bowyers. It's not the same nowadays. Very few bowyers of American Semi-longs are building bows like the oldtimers did. You can look at these modern straight sticks compared to the old bows and see the differences. This isn't to put the modern guys down, it's just that maybe the new designs and limb material formulas are really to make the bow pretty and to be "updated" and aren't to make the bow shoot any better. I don't know. Limb tiller and timing is such a crucial part of bowmaking. With modern glues and glass you can get away with bad design, the old bows would blow up if they weren't built well. Something to think about anyway. hhhmmmm... I like arrows around 550 - 600 gr. which is about 9 gpp out of my bows, and have no shock issues or penetration issues.

MikeNova · October 18, 2011, 03:15:00 PM

Nate you got that close and didn't take a shot? On the ground wearing plaid thats old school. When you going to start making hill's from the 1920's and 30's area lol!

tradlongbow · October 18, 2011, 03:31:00 PM

MikeNova-

I'm also interested in seeing your Dave Johnson bow.

Darren

October 18, 2011, 03:34:00 PM

The bows that I tillered from Hill blanks have very little hand shock at the length I draw them. on my favorite bow it has a little more harshness when drawn an inch under my normal draw 26&1/4" and my son tells me that it has a little more at his, 27&1/2", longer draw. The bow is 68" long. Most people won't believe that they have less hand shock until they shoot them. I have noticed that longbows with a thicker initial core and more taper in the lams are better for me. When they are thick cored but flatter tapered, I round the belly at the tips all the way into the belly glass. Right or wrong, it works.

Benny Nganabbarru · October 18, 2011, 05:19:00 PM

G'day Don,

I would guess not. Arrow spine ranges are more forgiving than we are wont to suppose on TradGang. My usual Douglas firs are, say, 680 grains made-up. When I wanted to shoot heavier arrows, I bought some Hickories at exactly the same spine, and they flew fine. They were over 900 grains made-up. That was out of a Wesley Special, too.

Cheers,

Ben

canopyboy · October 18, 2011, 05:30:00 PM

Nate has been kind enough to go several rounds over email and even on the phone with me to help me tweak the tiller on my Hill blank.

While I'm still not shooting it the way I'd like, I have to admit that there is no longer any noticeable handshock shooting it 3under. And I think I'm under 10gpp.

Thanks again Nate.

-Dave