Ah, I have muttered those same words before.......5 bows ago. LOL. I have my next "last" bow comming next Thursday

Yeah nineworlds9 I agree with you.  David's attention to detail and perfection just might create the ultimate American Semi-longbow.  I don't think anyone is crafting one better.  I have two of them and hope to order a third next year.  Best of luck with it.

Hey Hill Fans - Just thought I'd show off the Hill Style longbow I just finished building.  It's 68", 54# @ 28". It has brown glass on the back, gray glass on the belly, amber actionboo cores, and myrtle riser.  I really like how it turned out and I just came in from giving it it's first workout.









If you're interested, I documented the building process over on the Bowyers Bench.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=009131;p=1

great work there bud!!!!!  I am so jealous of you guys with talent.  Ill cook your breakfast lunch and dinner for a month for a bow like that!!!

Oh, and that is the prettiest myrtle I have every seen

Love the glass color choices!!

Very nice bow Sir!

Very Nice!  

Excellent work jsweka!  Love the gray glass.  I'm thinking of going with a gray belly on a build I have in mind down the road.  Enjoy that beauty.  I gotta learn how to build one of these things.

QuoteOriginally posted by mikebiz:
Yeah nineworlds9 I agree with you.  David's attention to detail and perfection just might create the ultimate American Semi-longbow.  I don't think anyone is crafting one better.  I have two of them and hope to order a third next year.  Best of luck with it.

Thanks Mike, I briefly owned a Big5 a couple weeks ago before I sold it back to the owner (he had seller's remorse haha) and while the Big5 was plenty nice, I feel the Miller is even better, but like all things everyone has their preference and I love all bows (don't want to get flamed haha) Building my little collection thus far my goal has been to have one outstanding example of each bow type (except recurve, not my thing) R/D, American long, takedown etc.  The Miller more than fits the bill for the American long slot.  

And as for it being my "last" Hill bow, well we'll see     Might have to try a split bamboo someday haha, maybe something really long like 72"...

Gorgeous bow build jsweka!

When life with the kids gets a little less hectic I'm gonna try my hand at one myself but that's a way off.

You're setting the standard high!

Of my Hill style bows my Granpa is easily the most accurate. It just has that natural 'point at what I want to hit quality' and I'm really trying to figure of what gives it such intrinsic shoot-ability so I can hopefully reproduce that in other bows builds in the future.

It is my only stringfollow bow, is all bamboo (no glass), dished grip (my others are straight) and heavier by 12 pounds than anything else I shoot.

My theory so far is:

- the string follow makes it more forgiving
- the deep, dished grip causes the arrow point on distance to be closer than my straight gripped bows thereby making it easier to get the right 'instinctive' sight picture
- the extra weight cleans up my release
- the all bamboo, string follow design causes it to feel much lighter than its draw weight and gentler in the hand on release (reducing flinch).

I'd be interested to hear others thoughts on this topic (particularly the stringfollow element).....

Is the Liberty Classic a hill style bow? I like the reverse handle--two N.M. Whispers--but I want to try the string follow bow.
  Frank X.

The all wood bow has a nice linear thrust to it's shot, no whipping, no snapping, just a smooth progressive thrust.

I wonder if Ron LeClair is still shooting the same way he always has. I love that relaxed anchor on your lips style. My target draw is over 29" my relaxed anchor on the lips is just under 26." Wonder which one would wear my cartilage out sooner....

QuoteOriginally posted by nineworlds9:
I just acquired my Hill style bow for life, no need for another:  2nd hand mint condition Miller Old Tom 66" 50@28.  Truly excellent craftsmanship, graceful/elegant shaped limb tips, gorgeous myrtle riser.  I think he's got one up on HH bows.  Awesome shooting bow.  Draw I can only describe as "liquid".

Chuck ,Glade you Like My bow !!! LOL

Lets see some pics of this Old Tom then.... :-)

Yes post em up!

Random photo with my new Legacys. They fly well with 160gr Howard Hill broadheads and a long adapter for 207gr up front.

Sweet build sweka!

Brian, I saw the Shrew Hill on the auction, it was pulled.  I contacted the buyer and he's a tradgang member, and sold it to me straight.  Another really incredible design, great feel and it's actually center shot!!! Between the Miller Split Boo, the Shrew Hill, and Northern Mist Classic, I can't decide which to shoot anymore....all of them is what I've come up with            

Not cut to center, but he built it so the string aligns with the limbs, but is lightly offset at the grip/riser so it can take a stiffer spine and more spines of arrows.

This copies Hill's design and few bowyers go to that extreme.  It's pretty awesome, but takes more work to make it that way.

Rosco,  the heavier draw weight can make a big difference as you are seeing.  Flatter trajectory, cleaner release.  That will usually make you a happy archer. Unfortunately i am stuck with lower draw weights due to injuries, but i have played with them enough to know.  I would love to shoot the 55+# bows.  It makes a big difference if you can handle it.

That said,  I have never shot a string follow ANY better than a backset or straight. I think partly it may be due to a little quicker arrow and thus, flatter trajectory when there's  backset. I have a couple SF that I really like, but I think it's the overall design, not so much the SF.  

Don't give up on a well designed backset bow like the one you have in the same weight.  You may end up with 2 favorites!