HH bug got me ... Part One!

[swampthing]

I'm thinking 70# is a good "upper" limit. 85# if I had no job, kids, responsibilities, etc..  Maintaining control on something like that I imagine would require a touch more dedication than 60#.  

It was not about control, it was about how many bungee chords I could hook onto my chest pull handles. It does take a lot of muscle training to shoot those stiff ones. When I injured myself lifting weights, turned an elbow loosing control of a set of heavy dumb bells, is when I learned that a 37 pound Hill will kill a deer.  That kind of diluted my dedication to shooting the heavy bows.  I can still shoot the heavy ones, I keep in shape by drawing two 64 pound Schulz at the same time, but I don't like to make a habit out of it. Now with the rib and ruptured disc injury I am sticking to the 52 pounders until I am feeling better.

[tradlongbow]

HeyGang-

I found his article in Popular Mechanics Magazine from 1940. Howard was interviewed, and this is only part of the article. I had to type the following. I hope you enjoy it.

Darren


"Beating Robin Hood at his own game"

"A field archer must be in good physical condition-his reactions trigger-quick." He must know the flora of the woods, the different types of terrain and the habits of animals he is stalking. He must be able to shoot from any position- sitting, standing, kneeling, and crouching.

"When hunting, a field archer should use a bow that is as heavy as he can draw. The reason for this is obvious. The field archer does not use the point-of-aim technique but draws the arrow under his eye so that he may sight along the shaft. A sixty-pound bow will cast an arrow about 40 yards in a flat trajectory while a 100 pound bow will throw it 70 yards or eighty yards. Thus, a stronger bow is more accurate for longer distances."

Hunting bows, says Hill, are usually made of Osage orange wood because it is tougher and stronger than yew wood commonly used for target bows. Better yet, however, is bamboo---faster, more durable, and tough as steel. Hunting arrows are longer and heavier than target arrows and are tipped with barbed-steel heads.

When stalking an animal, the field archer should carry his arrow notched on the string of his bow. From this position he can shoot at the first flicker of movement. When he knows that game is near by, he may have his bow half drawn. The target archer draws his bow in two movements-the thrusting out of the arm that holds the bow and the drawing of the arrow; the hunting archer, however, performs both movements at the same time in the "spread" draw. Hill has learned the best shot is to aim for the chest cavity of an animal. Such a shot brings death quicker and more mercifully than a bullet.

"The man who says he would face any animal in the world with bow and arrow is either crazy or a liar", declares Hill.

"I have shot moose in Canada, Big Horn sheep in the Rocky Mountains, alligators in Florida and wild boar in California, but not without certain precautions. I wouldn't shoot a charging animal unless I were certain I could get out of his way. I have put an arrow clear through a charging Grizzly bear and it didn't stop coming. It's always common sense to have a tree or rock near by to get to when big game charges at you."

Howard Hill, as well as being the top-flight field archer in America, also makes archery tackle. "Science," he says, "has provided American archers with the best tackle in the world. With Yankee love of invention and improvement-whether it be archery tackle, radio, or airplanes-we have developed ways of making bows and arrows that are far superior to those of olden times.

"Although many archery champions do make their own tackle, if you're a beginner you'll have more success if you purchase your bows and arrows. There are about 300 bowyers in the United States today- all expert craftsman.

"Arrows are even more important than bows. It is possible to be a good shot with a poor bow, but not with poor arrows.

"Bows are still made without the use of machinery, but the modern bowyer has a scientific knowledge of woods, grains, seasoning, strength, etc. While the bow is being shaped carefully from the raw wood it is subjected to continual tests and measurements. Both top and bottom must bend equally along their whole length, and the maxiumum spring must be developed.

"Arrows are even more important than bow." It is possible to be a good shot with a poor bow, but not with poor arrows. The arrows's of today's archers are made from straight-grained cedar, machine-tooled to absolute straightness, fletched with feathers from the same wing of the same bird, and balanced to the fraction of a grain."

Archery is a sport for men and women of all ages, popular around the world. In a hurrying, mechanical age, archery's primitive appeal is a strong one. (Beating Robin Hood at his own game, pg.114A, Popular Mechanics 1940).

[Rik]

Tradlongbow.

What a way to STOKE THE FIRE!

[stik&string]

Thanks for sharing the article Tradlongbow!

[tradlongbow]

I thought the article was intersting, I beleive this was written before fiberglass was added to bows. I like how Howard seperates Osage being stong, Yew is good for target bows, Bamboo is strong and tough.

Darren

[2treks]

Cliff Huntington has a good story in TBM this issue. Titled "Howard Hills Mysterious Florida Snakewood"
It is pretty cool.


CTT

[tadpole]

Great article!!  Thanks for posting.

[Red Tailed Hawk]

Tradlongbow that article is great!!!

Thanks for posting.. Yeah I think that was before fiberglass.

[Red Tailed Hawk]

I thought having the bow at half draw was pretty interesting when game is present.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

I want one of those sixty pound bows that can throw an arrow flat for forty yards!

[Molson]

Originally posted by Ben Kleinig:
I want one of those sixty pound bows that can throw an arrow flat for forty yards!

Yeah me too Ben!!!!

Great read Darren! Thanks for posting.  Definitely before fiberglass.  How interesting that even in the 40's archery was thought of as an "escape" from the modern world! Good stuff!

He may be referring to 'point on' in the article, in that case the term in today's lingo would be more like "relatively flat", or 'pretty flat', or 'kinda flat', or 'less than point on'.  Something may have been shortened beyond his control. In 'Hunting the Hard Way' and in other articles, he explains, very precisely, the arc of the arrow at hunting ranges.

[ChrisM]

First Off I want to say that I hate this thread!!!  Every time I think I might have kicked my disease I take a gander and am infected again.  My poor recurve and RD bow can't get any lovin.  

Next I think I had a break through today.  About 5 yrs ago I had the pleasure of sharing a hunting camp if Tom Parsons.  Now Tom is one heck of a longbow shot.  Well around the campfire he was helping a fella with his longbow form.  I was slightly interested but was a stounch recurve guy at the time since I was new to the sport and thought a longbow was way too tuff.  Well he told the fella that you have to hold the bow on the side and not get too much behind it or you would tourge to the left.  Well while I was shooting today and have that problem his words came to me.  Well I was not even touching the side just on the back and front.  I adjusted my grip to where I was touching the side while still keeping the front of my fingers as nate says to in his video.  Bang arrows flying like a dart, no torge, and bow was as quiet as ever.  I shot for quite some time and they were all great.  Now I will give it a week or so to see if the results stay the same before I call it.  It just goes to show you that you never know when advice you heard long ago will help you today.

[mikebiz]

Chris M
Can you elaborate on what you mean by "touching the side" of the handle.  I think this would be of great interest to many of us here.  Thanks.  By the way I have a recurve and R/D collecting dust as well.

[ChrisM]

Well I'll do my best Mike just remeber I ain't no professional.  Now that I am doing it I think I understand what nate said once about holding the bow like you were lifting a heavy piece of luggage.  The hand wraps around the grip touching along the side and back with the back line of the handle running down the life line of the hand.  The front seam of the handle hitting just out from you nocking nuckles in the middle pad.  Or like you hold a double bit axe handle.  Is this clear as mud.

[tradlongbow]

Originally posted by Two Tracks:
Cliff Huntington has a good story in TBM this issue. Titled "Howard Hills Mysterious Florida Snakewood"
It is pretty cool.

CTT

Cliff-

Tell me if what I'm going to tell you differs from the article in TBM.
Since I live in Florida, and only minutes from the areas where Hill was shooting in the 1920's. I was looking for the Iron wood that Howard Hill mentioned in his book. This is what I found out, through my research the Florida aggriculturist never heard of a Florida Iron wood. So that left me scratching my head. After that I met Seminole Cheif Billie, He is an elder and is the Chief for all the Seminoles, I asked him what is Iron wood because from Hill's book he hunted with a Seminole Indian. Cheif Billie told me that the Indians use the word iron wood for a tough strong wood, but it could be any tough wood. They use the word "iron wood" to desrcibe any wood that was tough and strong.

If you could summarize summarize what TBM said about Florida Iron wood.

Thanks,
Darren

[Berliner]

Darren,

the 1940`s article is just great. Thanks  

[tradlongbow]

Molson-

When I got back into archery around 92', it was to "escape modern life". It's the best desicion that I made.

Darren

[Stone Knife]

My Big Five at rest