Nate,
and your opinion on thick FF 24 strand strings in substition of your old b50 18 strand strings?
and guys what about new b55? Maker saya it is very low stretch?

QuoteOriginally posted by San Paolo:
... and guys what about new b55? Maker saya it is very low stretch?

NO, b55 is NOT LOW STRETCH.  it's dacron (polyester) and very slightly larger in diameter than b50 or b500.  dacron = stretch and creep, period.  

hmpe polyethylene is the only way to go with bowstrings, world's better than polyester.  it would be like comparing dacron to linen.     hmpe is CONSISTENT, with far less stretch and creep than dacron and that IS the PRIME reason for using it, not faster arrow speeds.  there are no disadvantages with hmpe as long as yer bow is well built, limb tips and riser.  there are no noise issues, either, if the string is well made.  keep the strand count low and in proportion to the bow's holding weight.  at 100+# per averages hmpe strand, 8 strands will be waaaay more than 10x the bows needs.

Guys,
dacron is 4% stretch, .018 diameter
FF or similar are 2% stretch, .015 diameter
B55 ????, ????
Thanks for answering.

Kelly,  you can't never have enough shafts...I got pine, of course, and alot of good old cedar.  My buddy got a box of about 700 shafts at a yard sale for 25.00...the old 23/64 cedar...good stuff     most are spining out around 75 - 79#, a few are around 67 - 72# which will work for him.....what a mother-lode!!    

I tried the Zwickeys w/ the fastflight first, cuz I really like the feel, but arrows shot about 12" right at 40 yards and about 6 - 8" right at 10 - 15 yards, shooting in the dark.  My eye is used to a certain arrow flight, so I'm staying with the stiffer shafts now, and the b50...and then when I get old,  I'll have alot of lighter shafts for my 55 - 60# bows that I know I'll be shooting....

San Paulo...I really like 24 strand fast flight....it shoots real well and quiet....I know it's massive overkill, but I don't have the vibration feel that I did with skinny strings...because I detest string silencers on a straight limb longbow.

QuoteOriginally posted by San Paolo:
Guys,
dacron is 4% stretch, .018 diameter
FF or similar are 2% stretch, .015 diameter
B55 ????, ????
Thanks for answering.

where did you get that data?

that's a very broad generalization.  for the most part, i digitally mic b50/b500 at an average of .017", the same for dynaflight'97.  i mic'd b55 at an average of .018" diameter - a bit thicker and just a rubber band stretchy as b50/b500.  there are LOTS of other hmpe fibers with very different diameters - formula8125 is very thin compared to df'97 and 450+ is much fatter than df'97.  as to the stretch/creep, there is no contest with hmpe versus dacron.

To continue from my earlier post, I have a few photos.  There is a longbow in one of them!  Nate had his camera out a few times, too.  He has a photo of a graying, goofy looking guy in one of his shots  

Good pictures, Ray... looks like some fine huntin country.  

Picked up a dandy older "Big Five" and a Howard Hill back quiver tonight for $260. Heck of a deal.

This is my first Kramer built Hill serial # BK70164. It has quite a bit of backset, a very unique dished grip, and that classic old brown glass. 70", 60# @ 30". Real nice shooting bow.

I remember quite some pages ago where Nate ask for some hunting stories that contained Hill style longbows etc. Well a few days later I went hunting approx twelve hours west of my home to a place in Western Queensland called Cunnamulla. I was hunting with three mates, Craig and Keith who were also using hill style longbows and Rod who was using what I call a semi-recurve. I will give a brief account of how the hunt went and let the photos help tell the story.

We were hunting private property that I have had access to for around twenty years. We were hunting feral pigs, goats and a fox, cat or rabbit if we come across any.

Things were rather dry out west this year as to date they had only received five inches of rain which meant any game should be more concentrated near water than was the case on our previous trip around the same time last year. This proved to be the case and the pigs were generally in pretty poor condition to.

The first morning Keith and I spotted a small mob of goats that had come to water. I slipped in close to the trough and as the goats left I got a twelve yard shot at a young billy for meat; I saw the nock bury right where I was looking and the billy was down in approx twenty yards. When we got to the billy we could see he was in very poor condition with his hind quarters being skin and bone - so no meat from him.
   

Craig and Rod had gone for a thee mile plus walk and Craig was successful in shooting a young billy for meat. The meat would be for our evening meal to celebrate Rod's birthday in a few days time.

A photo Rod took along the way.
   
 
The young meat billy and Craig carrying out the meat.
   
   
 
Later that first day found us down at an area where there is a bore drain and a swampy area where there are usually some pigs. There were quite a few goats watering in this area as well so we decided to walk in a loop and hopefully get Keith in on one. We were only ten minutes or so from the Land Cruiser when we spotted a mob making their way through the scrub. We quickly made our way to a patch of brush for an ambush and it wasn't long and Keith (who was five yards in front of me) had goats feeding past him at sixteen yards. He wasn't shooting so I gave him a bit of prompting and I saw his bow come up as he reached full draw. I think you could say he was pretty nervous as his bow arm and body was shaking profusely but the arra was finally on its way and he soon had a big old nanny on the deck. To say he was stoked would be an understatement as it had been quite a few years since he was last out hunting and this was his very first kill with a bow he had made himself - congrats mate!!!
     
 
As we neared the water we could see plenty of pigs out in the open feeding but they weren't the ones we were after as there was no way to get near them.
 
The head of the bore drain
   

We slowly made our way along in the taller grass beside the water course. I soon spotted a couple of lone pigs feeding in front of us about fifty yards apart. I thought they would be boars so I stalked in on the first. As I moved in there were a couple of smaller pigs on my right that I had to sneak past but thankfully I made it past them unnoticed. With the help of a small bush I closed the distance to my intended target to approx seven yards. I waited and when the pig turned to quartering away I sent a 190 Ribbie (Ribtek) through it. It exploded and ran about thirty five yards and piled up in some brush beside the water. As it turned out it was a good sized sow.
   
 
To be continued.....

Thank you A.S.H.!!

Great hunts and pictures to back them up.

I'd love to come hunt with you guys.

God bless,Mudd

Thanks Mudd. I had a bit of trouble with the photos but got it sorted.

Continued........  I went over to photograph my pig and told Keith to have a go at the next pig as it was still there feeding. It was a good boar but just as Keith was getting in for the shot he spooked an unseen slip (a young pig) which was feeding close by and the boar took off to safer places. After taking photos of my pig I met up with the other boys who were gathered around a good boar and Craig's face had a beaming smile.

Craig and Rod had come across a few pigs out feeding so Craig went in for a stalk. He got into approx tens yards before taking a shot. When hit the boar exploded and ran about hundred yards and was down. It was a good boar indeed and it was Craig's very first pig. We were all so happy for him an we set up and took a heap of photos and then removed the jaw.

Craig getting in closer to his boar
       
Closer
       
Taking the shot
       
The beaming smile says it all!!!
   

To be continued.....

Continued....

The next day we hunted different areas and managed to flush some pigs that were bedded but the only thing that got a hole in it that day was the front left tyre on the Cruiser. I couldn't plug it as the hole was in the sidewall so we headed back to the homestead and we soon had the tyre off, a sleeve glued in place and we were ready for action again.

The following day we split up and spent the morning checking out a couple of watering points. Keith and Craig had some goats come into the water and Keith was successful in getting another nanny. Rod and I got some photos of goats and birds.
 
Some goats coming into water  
 
At the trough
 

That afternoon we headed for the bore drain again. Rod and I did a loop which brought us up on the far side of the bore drain while the other fellas stuck to the nearest side. We could immediately see pigs out in the open feeding again and as we entered an area with taller grass and weeds Rod spotted a couple of good sized black shapes and I said go gett'em. I watched from a higher vantage point and saw Rod draw and release and then saw a pig run about twenty five metres before getting the wobbly boot.

I went down to Rod and as he was standing there he saw another good sized pig in the grass to his right so he stuck a Ribbie through it as well. It was a boar and he also only went about twenty five metres where - while probably not needed - a quick follow up shot had the pig down. The pig rolled into a drain but me Ol' Mate Rod wasn't too keen on gettin' too close to that boar just yet but it was sinking so I managed to reach out and grab an arra that was sticking out and haul it up onto the bank. The things we do for mates.

It was hand shakes for my Ol' Mate and he even cracked a big smile a time or two. During this Rod remembered the sow and wondered where she dropped; I looked right behind me and she was laying a couple of metres away. It was a couple of happy Bowhunters and we set up for some photos and removed the jaw.

I will put this photo in of Rod with his sow and boar taken with his semi-recurve but since it isn't a Hill style bow if the mods wish to remove please do so.
 

I had a number of stalks in the more open area and in the dry weedy stuff but nearly every time at about twenty yards or so I got busted. It was getting late when we met up with the other fellas and they didn't have any success on the pigs but Keith managed to drop a young billy so we grabbed some photos of it and headed back to the Cruiser.
 

To be continued.........

Continued........   The next afternoon saw us chasing pigs again down where we staked the tyre a couple of days before. We were soon onto some and sent Keith in to try and get one. He got in on one and muffed the shot but there were more further over.

Keith stalking in on a pig
 

We set Keith up in a patch of fallen tress and brush and watched as a couple of pigs fed right past him with one under ten yards. We saw him draw back and then heard the sound of wood on wood as the arra deflected off an unseen twig - very disappointing.

There were more pigs further over and a couple seemed to be feeding and taking the same path as the previous ones so Craig stayed with Keith while Rod and I watched proceedings from further behind. One pig fed into about twelve yards but only presented its rear end so no shot could be taken.

You can just see the back of the pig in the upper left under the big log.
 

The pigs fed out into the open and Rod decided to have a go at them and made it to just on twenty metres and took a shot but missed. The wander back to the car via a water course was uneventful.

Rod taking the shot
   

The sun getting low
 

To be continued.....

Continued.......  Thursday had us having a look around for goats again but while seeing plenty there was not a decent billy in sight. The heavy mustering seems to have really taken its toll on the billies and we never even saw a good sized one for the whole trip. Having given the bore drain a rest the day before we headed for there again in the afternoon.

While the wind was good to us for the first few days things had certainly changed and we had swirling winds to contend with for the rest of the trip. This was very evident as we saw pigs heading for cover from the open area as we neared the bore drain. A number of stalks were blown because of the wind.

Another blown stalk
   

Rod and Craig did come across a couple of pigs in some thick brush and Rod shot a small boar.

I spotted a good lump of a boar feeding in the grass some distance up ahead. There was no cover but he seemed content on rooting around after something tasty in the grass so I thought I will give it my best shot. After some time I found myself getting into good range and at about ten to twelve yards I decided that was close enough and waited for him to turn quartering away. He soon obliged and I promptly stuffed up what should have been an shot; I couldn't believe it and I sure was annoyed at myself. Such gift shots just don't happen too often.

Feeling more than a little dejected I met up with the other fellas and we saw a good boar slowly making his way along the timber line. Craig and Keith were soon on their way and out of sight. Rod and I moved along in the general direction of the Cruiser as it was getting late. As we got to where we last saw the boar we saw Craig heading back towards the vehicle also.

However at the same time Rod spotted a pig coming into a little water hole back behind us and said he was going to have a go at it. He just started to head towards the pig when I heard a pig roar up where we last saw Keith head so I said to Rod I had better head up there and see if he was alright.

I started to make my way up a side feeder gully when I heard pigs fighting and realized that they must have been feeding on the carcass of Keith's billy. I made my way slowly along the tree line and soon saw a big black boar, a bit smaller boar, a sow and a slip - that got the heart rate up. The big boar just started walking away up the gully and into the timber, darn it, but the other boar was alright too.

I had only gone another ten yards or so when the sow just comes casually walking straight towards me. I stepped behind a dead tree but me guts was probably still sticking out however me checked camo would take care of that. The sow made her way closer and closer and I waited until she was broadside, about nine yards, and took the shot. As is often the case she saw the movement of me drawing but it was too late as the arra was on its way. She never made a sound and piled up at the edge of the timber a short distance from me. It was interesting that by the time the arra reached her she had spun from broadside to very much quartering away; the arra entered near the back of the ribs and came out just at the front of her off side shoulder.

The boar and slip never heard a thing so I decided to still have a go at the boar even though light was fading very fast. I got onto a cattle pad to help keep my foot steps quiet but again only made approx ten yards more when the boar decided to walk straight towards me. He looked like he was walking the same pad as me but turned slightly and would have passed a couple of yards to my right. I had absolutely no cover whatsoever so just stood very still and had my bow at the ready. He walked in to about nine yards before he realized something wasn't right. He stared at me and me at him for what seemed like a long time but was probably only fifteen seconds or so. He was front on to me so I couldn't shoot and there was no way he would be there by the time I got to full draw anyway. In the end I just started to draw and with that he spun and ran about thirty yards and stopped and huffed and puffed and then wandered up into the scrub.

While all this was going on Rod managed to drop the little sow that had come into the water. He came over and we got photos of my sow and then his and we then made a bee line for the Cruiser as it was now dark.

My sow
   

The next, our final day, was similar to the previous day. We did go back to the bore drain since it was our last day but the wind was bad and no one had success.  There was a nice sunset that made a great farewell as we walked back to the Cruiser just on dark.
   

I was using a G Fred Asbel quiver for the first time and found it to be really good. I have used a back quiver for many many years but now that I am getting older I find I need more water so I now use a three litre CamelBak and this doesn't allow me to use my beloved back quiver. I have tried a few different options but the GFA quiver seems to be the best alternative to a back quiver to date.

I was using one of my own longbows. Craig was using one made by Rod and as mentioned Keith was using one he had made himself. Rod was using a semi-recurve he made himself. We were all using Ribtek broadheads.

It was an excellent week's hunting with great mates!!!

The four of us
     

Sunrise near the beginning of the long run home.
   

The End!!!  

Jeff

Okay guys after reading all this  good stuff on hill style bows I think maybe I should order myself a Christmas present.
I am a little unsure about what bow length I need after reading all the discussions on this subject posted earlier on this thread. My go to bow I am currently shooting is a recurve 60" long, 47# at 27" using 2 blade broadheads 540 grain all up weight. Shoots with authority out to 25yds.( though I mostly shoot at 20 or less for whitetails) Would like to have similar perfomance in the Hill, so which Hill models would work and which length 66" 68" or 70". I am also a kinda short assed guy myself being only 5' 8". if that has any bearing.
Thanks for your advice.


It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells the kind of life you have lived

A.S.H, just read your whole hunting story, great posts.  I would've bought a magazine to read that, if that's where'd it been written.  Thanks!

A.S.H. thanks for sharing that story, it was a great read. Congrats on some fine critters!

A.S.H.-

Great story, I would like to hunt that area one day.

Thanks for sharing,

Darren