Please explain "hand shock". What is it by definition and what is it's cause. Thanks.

A varying degree of vibration in the hand to kick back.  Bad handshock can feel like holding a 2x4 in one hand and smacking it hard with a hammer with the other.   Or it can be severe kick back up the arm felt more in the elbow, neck and shoulder.

Oh yeah causes.  Heavy limbs, (mass weight) bow design, brace height can effect its severity.  Low arrow weight.  Anything to have energy not transfered as efficiently to the arrow.

Bowdude,
Thanks very much for the quick replies.
Years ago when I shot recurves and compounds with a high wrist and open bow hand I had to wear a strap to hold the bow or it would jump forward out of my hand. I guess this is a form of hand shock. I've never experienced it shooting with a low firm grip that I'm using now on longbows..

It's basically energy that's not transferred to the arrow--it has to go somewhere, so it resonates down the limbs to the riser.

Some bows mask it well with a heavy riser, some folks are much more sensitive to it than others.  I have a bit of arthritus in my bow arm elbow--some bows that tear up my elbow won't bother some some folks.

Another way to help reduce it is with a low stretch string material--my favorite being Dynaflight '97.  I have a selfbow I can't shoot much at all with a dacron string, but a Dynaflight string calms it down considerably.

Chad

Use a bow that has it, and you will know it when ya feel it....

I have a Martin ML-10 that demonstrates it without any explination necessary.

When your eyes go crossed and a new filling falls out----that's handshock ! Sorry , couldn't resist. I had one that nearly done that.No names mentioned.

Quint.. I believe if you shot your longbows open hand you would lose it to jumping forward just like the others.  That is a natural occurance from releaseing the arrow.  

Shock , to me, is more from the limbs vibrating so that you can feel it, often because they are so tip heavy compared to the riser, or due to design concerns.  Often because they are vibrating or hitting the end of their travel at differing times from each other  Tiller being off will also accentuate the shock you feel.  I believe that in almost all of the situations above, except off tiller, and maybe brace height, you can alleviate a lot of the shock by using heavier arrows, and sometimes by going to a stretchier (B50) string).  This is because a heavier arrow will transfer energy to the arrow, away from the vibrating limbs.  or something like that.
ChuckC

I had one of those, Flinttim.  I can't blame anyone but myself because I made it.  I wound up grinding the antler tip overlays waaaayyy down, narrowing the limbs some, and doing a little work on the grip area.  Tamed it down to where I am able to shoot more than a dozen shots at one session.  Learned a lot from that bow and the look on my cousin's face the first time he shot it was great.  I had seriously thought about naming it Molly after some of the cantankerous mules I've been around.

Dennis

Yeah you kinda have to be the proverbial "Rocky" to shoot those things!  "After a while it starts to sting Adrian."

If you think an MA/SA widow looks clunky it definitely has a look that suggests no handshock

Heavy riser, light limbs

My kodiak magnum is horrible!!! Any easy cure like sims products ???

try a hill long bow then you will see hand shock first hand first one I tryed I was shocked how rude a bow could be

I have several Hill bows that are as smooth as silk no shock at all.  I can tell if a bow has shock because it hurts my elbow. My Hills are smooth and my elbow thanks me for it......stabow

PS- If your shooting a Hill bow and are experiencing hand shock your doing something wrong.......stabow

I second what stabow said.  Shooting a recurve and longbow are worlds apart on grip.  Just like all bows are different and have there own temperment.  If having hand shock, ensure have slight bend in bow arm.  When I usually get a new bow, I stand close to the target and shoot with different grips to get a feel for the bow.  If you try different grips, arrows, anchor, release, and are still getting hand shock check tiller, might be problem with bow (not usual but have seen this on some selfbows).

Bending the arm allows for a shock absorber for sure.  But.. the shock is still there.  The fact you have to bend your arm proves it.

Looking thru a 2 yr old Tradbowhunter mag I found an article from ashbel talking about ways to quiten and dampen a bow. I am going to try using some sims stuff on my rig as well as taking it to a shop next week some time

I had a heavy hill made in the early eighties that was painful to shoot.  The newer ones are much better shooters.