Here in Montana we do not have a premium on  great bow woods, especially here in the eastern  part of the state.  Mostly firs, chokecherry, ash, and cottonwood.  I  am currently helping several men in my church build a bow from ash but I was wondering  about cottonwood.  One  of our men  cut down and marvelously straight trunk the other day and got six really nice staves out of it. Can it make a good bow?  Will it need to be backed? Any other thoughts?

i've thought the same thing. it seems to be really straight grained. very light though

By the way,  to answer the question of some from a post I made back in October, I'm in Forsyth

Hey, I hear you guys are having a shoot there in ...?? April??

I'm in Billings..

SO..the ONLY way cottonwood will make even a decent bow is to back it... but I wouldn't waste my time..

WE've got lots of chokecherry and some service berry and lots of juniper... all three will make super bows... the ash is ok, but not as good as the chokecherry... this is mostly from "friends" experiences...as I mostly build glass and carbon bows...

Can the cottonwood....find the biggest, straightest chokecherry you can! Or juniper, backed...

Ernie

I wondered the same about cottonwood, my friend made a couple out of ash but cottonwood is pretty plentyful around here. Curious what people have to say about it.

Wow...Montana guys all over the place! Cool.

Not to get off subject but I read in the MBA magazine they are putting on a spring fling shoot in May in Miles City.

OK..sorry MTS...
Phil, something fell apart with that and now we are trying to sponsor the Forsyth shoot... Not too much further...you ought to try and get down there...

I hear you guys have a fun shoot in Glendive too...

Ernie

I am not by any means a bowyer but. I have been lurking around the bowyer forum and ther was a post about what woods to use and they all seemed to agree on any type of hardwood would work. Any tree with thorns they also said. I am going to try and make a bow out of honey locust trees.

I know Black Locust works....???

Yeah...cottonwood isn't a hard wood... it has some neat qualities... but bowmaking isn't one of them... It is VERY abrasion resistant and at one point in time, at least in MT, it was a law that it had to be used on public bridge decks...

E

I attended my first meeting of the archery club here in town last Monday and they were talking about a shoot coming up but I cannot recall the date.  Seems to me that it was later than April though. We are having another more well known shoot however, in June.  But it wont be arrows that are flying but lead, and lots of it.  The Quiggly Buffalo rifle shoot is Father's Day weekend.  Last year they had over 800 people attend.  I'm really looking forward to it.

I just checked, its June 28th, Pronghorn Bow Men or something like that...  Maybe I'll see you guys out there...

That Quigley shoot would sure be fun to go to.. Seems like there is some other shoot going on that I'll be at though...

Ernie

Cottonwood is in the poplar family and not a good bow wood. It is however good arrow wood.   Ash, choke cherry, service berry, and juniper are good bow woods.

Hmmmmm...cottonwood arrows.  Now that would be something almost "Montana"