HH bug got me ... Part One!

[swampthing]

Indeed, Split Bamboo. Myrtle. The, gentle in the hand, Hill style.

[Rik]

Mikenova, Thank you for the invitation. If I had a day or two more, I would seriously take up up on it, and it would be a blast to get to see new country will a fellow Hill shooter.

As for hunting from tree stands, I have two problems with the entire concept. (1) I cannot use stealth or terrain or trees and brush to sneak into bowrange, and even worse (2) I feel super exposed when in a treestand, it feels like every animal within a couple hundred yards can just look over and say "Hey, there's a human sitting right in the open in that tree" and be gone in the next blink of an eye.

This is going to be a real different experience for me, but you can be assured that this crazy Idaho ridge runner is going to slip out of the tree stand a few times and go, shall we say, sniffing around to see what's out there.

If 'Ol Dan'l Boone stalked quietly the North Carolina hills hunting fer game, I figger I should too. Just knowing he was there is going to make this trip ten times more fun. He had more than a bit of influence in my life, and it does look like that influence isn't over yet.

Aw shucks, a little talk about Dan'l Boone and now I'm feeling the urge to take my tomahawk with me. . .

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Thanks, gents.

Ben Maher, you're potentially causing me a lot of trouble over on Ozbow! That is a nice Chally Jeffery Special! If my wife reads this, I'm in all sorts of strife! Hmmm...

Cheers,

Ben

[RC]

Nice bows Ben. Good luck on your hunt Rik. RC

[Aussie Stickbow Hunter]

Nice collection there Ben M.

Jeff

[cahaba]

Very nice Ben M.

[sou-pawbowhunter]

The Hill-Bros must be busy hunting, I had to go to page two to  find my fix today! I don't have any hero pics to post yet, but I hope everyone is having a great season.

[Molson]

Post Office just called.  Seems a long package from Montana has arrived and is ready to be picked up...

[canopyboy]

Nate has helped me re-tune the tiller on my blank for three under.  I'm at 60# now.  I'm still having consistency issues compared to my recurve, but I'm not giving up.

Question for you guys:   If I'm having the arrow slap the riser sometimes, what am I doing wrong?  Is it a release issue?  (I'd ask on the shooter's forum, but I only have this problem with my Hill.)

My groups at 15 yards tend to be about 3-4 inches high and about 12-14" wide.  I've tracked the arrows, and it's not like some are consistently right and some left.  I'm pretty sure it's not the arrows' fault.  I did notice last night that my nocks were too tight on the string, so I dipped them in boiling water and spread them a bit.  I'll try them out today, but I can't imagine that is my main problem.  Any help on the slapping problem is much appreciated.

[Molson]

I just got back from picking up my 67" 67@26.5 Hill "Yellowstone" bow from the Post Office.  I will post some pics later when I get home.  This bow just screams old school!  I can't believe how neat the white glass is on the belly.  All I can say at the moment is the "cool" factor on this bow is way up there!!          

Ugh... Stuck at work four more hours with a new bow I can't shoot... Painful!!

[tradlongbow]

Molson-

I think your coming down with the "newbow flu", with a slight bet of "Hill fever", you might have to leave work early today.

I really like to see white glass on a bow; what riser wood did you decide on?

Congrats,
Darren

[tradlongbow]

Originally posted by canopyboy:
Nate has helped me re-tune the tiller on my blank for three under.  I'm at 60# now.  I'm still having consistency issues compared to my recurve, but I'm not giving up.

Question for you guys:   If I'm having the arrow slap the riser sometimes, what am I doing wrong?  Is it a release issue?  (I'd ask on the shooter's forum, but I only have this problem with my Hill.)


My groups at 15 yards tend to be about 3-4 inches high and about 12-14" wide.  I've tracked the arrows, and it's not like some are consistently right and some left.  I'm pretty sure it's not the arrows' fault.  I did notice last night that my nocks were too tight on the string, so I dipped them in boiling water and spread them a bit.  I'll try them out today, but I can't imagine that is my main problem.  Any help on the slapping problem is much appreciated.

Can you give me some more info? The bow is at 60#, what's your draw? what spine arrow are you shooting? what length is the arrow?

If the arrows are shooting high, raise the nock up. That should bring the arrow flight down. If the arrows are hitting left and right, there must be something else causeing it. I would need to know the arrow spec's.

Darren

[Molson]

I bought this bow from the in-stock list.  It was a custom that Craig built for someone but he made it right hand when the order was for left. Can't explain why, but this bow just stayed on my mind when I saw it on the site. It is brown glass back, bamboo, yew, osage, yew, osage, white glass.  The riser is light Shedua with a dished grip wrapped in rust. It has a gloss finish that I was worried about since I'm just a bowhunter, but it actually isn't flashy at all.  It really has a hand-rubbed look.  Hopefully it will shoot as good as it looks because it really is a beaut!

[tradlongbow]

The last bow that I bought was has the glossy finish, it's seems to be much more harder then the satin. I wouldn't worry about it, you could always dull it down or if you think you need to.

That combination sounds awesome, It's not even my bow and I can't wait to see it.    I was just talking to Craig yesterday about a new bow that I'm going to order.

Darren

[canopyboy]

Originally posted by tradlongbow:
Can you give me some more info? The bow is at 60#, what's your draw? what spine arrow are you shooting? what length is the arrow?

If the arrows are shooting high, raise the nock up. That should bring the arrow flight down. If the arrows are hitting left and right, there must be something else causeing it. I would need to know the arrow spec's.

Darren

Darren-

I think nock position is fine, vertical is not a problem.  I doubt it is the spine of my arrows, or I think I would be consistently off to one side, or something.  Bob Burton made them and swears they are correct.  I'll have to look up the spine when I get home.   I've looked them up in the charts for how my shelf is cut.  I've tried the calculator.  I've even tried other arrows (carbon) with varying tip weights.  I've also tried paper tuning.  Nothing consistent enough to indicate a spine problem.  Some left, some right, some bullet holes.

Sometimes I do get some shots that have perfect arrow flight though.  Sometimes I'll get 4 or 5 in a row, and the arrows stack on top of each other.  I'm really looking if anyone knows of a form/release issue that could cause the arrow to slap the sight window.  If you guys still think I'm going down the wrong path and that spine might be the issue I'm cool with that too.  But I just have to believe this issue is more with the shooter.

[Rik]

Plucking perhaps?

Is this bow lighter than your recurve? If so, that makes it easier to pluck the string.

[canopyboy]

Originally posted by Rik:
Plucking perhaps?

Is this bow lighter than your recurve? If so, that makes it easier to pluck the string.

Bow is heavier.  Most of my shooting with the recurve is at about 48#, but I also shoot it well with the heavier limbs which are about 58# at 29".

[Molson]

It could easily all be caused by nocks that are too tight.  Assuming though that it is not the arrows...

It sounds like you are not getting back with an even push-pull draw.  The arrow slaps off the riser because you are probably pulling with a high elbow, a low bow wrist, and using a slightly more open stance than normal. Basically you're just not lined up and probably end up with a stagnant bow arm and a loss of tension. I'm just totally guessing on this without seeing you shoot. Arrow slap caused by form is just usually a result of some type of tension loss.  Try shooting and paying attention after the shot to where everything ends up.  If the shot feels kinda out of control when it goes off, especially on the slapping shots, then you know you have some alignment issues.

[canopyboy]

Originally posted by Molson:
It could easily all be caused by nocks that are too tight.  Assuming though that it is not the arrows...

It sounds like you are not getting back with an even push-pull draw.  The arrow slaps off the riser because you are probably pulling with a high elbow, a low bow wrist, and using a slightly more open stance than normal. Basically you're just not lined up and probably end up with a stagnant bow arm and a loss of tension. I'm just totally guessing on this without seeing you shoot. Arrow slap caused by form is just usually a result of some type of tension loss.  Try shooting and paying attention after the shot to where everything ends up.  If the shot feels kinda out of control when it goes off, especially on the slapping shots, then you know you have some alignment issues.

Thanks.  I'll see how fixing the nocks changes things tonight.  I'm also going to borrow a video camera so that maybe I can see any alignment issues.  With any luck, it will be obvious.  I will also try paying closer attention to where everything ends up after the shot compared to how the shot went.  Maybe the higher poundage and the heel down is throwing my tension off a lot.

[tradlongbow]

canopyboy-

It could be the release or how the bow is being gripped, but I would like to know the arrow specs. just to rule out the arrow's length, point weight, string material, and spine as being an issue.

I have to go to work, talk to you later,

Darren