HH bug got me ... Part One!

[Mudd]

Bob B,  

I just loved your post about your bow.

I totally understand. If I am reading you correctly it's not nearly as much as how efficient or great the bow is as much as just how the bow makes you feel when you're shooting it.

I put my hand to my bow and I am transported to a different time and place. Could be "Sherwood" maybe not but it is a special feeling.

Thanks for your post.

God bless,Mudd

[toddster]

Just something about shooting a "HIll style" longbow the magic and legacy.  they are not fast, but beautiful, sleek and forgiving.  Watching that arrow sail into the target or animal quietly is so awesome.

[WidowEater]

Ever since I received my Northern Mist Shelton I totally lost interest in one of the finest bows I have ever owned and the only bow Ive had for the last 3 years, Liberty English.  

In fact, I even sold it.

I have gotten way too much into this Hill Style thing. (if that is possible)  I have thrown away instinctive shooting altogether and am working on good form and split vision shooting.  I used to be a snap instinctive shooter and I can already tell that split vision is going to make me wayyy more accurate.  It takes a lot more time and effort though.  

During this process I have also realized that I overbowed myself.  Not by too much though thankfully.  I can only really shoot about 12-16 arrows though before I start feeling fatigued to the point that I know my form will break down. So I stop right then and either wait until later in the day to shoot 12-16 more I just wait until the next day.  Eventually Ill be able to shoot more and more at a time.  Im not even shooting for accuracy now, just form and my groups are still tighter than when I was instincive.  Im not closing my eyes though the way Hill, Shultz, and Ferguson suggest. (so shoot me)

Going to be a fun fall dialing all of this in and hopefully I will be ready to shoot stacks come the Hog Hunt.  Ill have plenty of time since I wont be hunting during fall.

[Pat B.]

I agree about the Shelton !  

Got one from Steve not to long ago and it is an amazing bow and Steve is a great guy to deal with. Very easy to talk with and extremely knowledgeable!

Given that the Shelton is a string follow bow it's performance amazes me. Flings an arrow downrange in a hurry. What's more is I'm able to shoot it quite well, for me..  It's a great bow and I can't wait to get it to the woods.. I expect some critters will be wishing I didn't get along so well with this bow, grin..

[Ben Maher]

Giddyuuupppp Pat !

[MikeNova]

Anyone shoot anything yet? Been 3 times so far seen does each time. Doe day will start on the 15th and yes I have 2 tags!

[Longbowwally]

Beauty and the beast - my Northern Mist Classic(I call her Brown Sugar) fully outfitted and ready to hunt:

   

   

   

   

   

   

[Rik]

Methinks by the time I return to read these pages on October 1, there will be blood drawn by the Hill Gang.

See ya in a few weeks when elk season ends. Until then, hunt hard, have fun, and shoot straight! The high country is calling. . .

[Charlie Lamb]

Good luck, be safe and have fun in the high country buddy!!
Shoot a biggun.

 

[Ben Maher]

go get 'em Mr Hinton !

[Pat B.]

Good luck, Rik..

We'll be waiting for a story from you.

[molongbowman]

I am new here and not with a lot of posts but I could not resist this. I to love the Hill bows. I have a 68" Redman, 68" Tembo, 68" Robin Hood, 68" Wesley and two 70" Kramers when they were made under contract for HHA, Two 66" Miller bamboo bows. The feel these bows give me and the rich history about them is in the heart. No bow or style of shooting has a hold of me like these do. I really enjoy reading all of the posts and utube dlips. May the Hill bows live on forever!!! Your friend, Steve

[Bob B.]

Sounds like a hell of a collection of incredible bows molongbowman!  Wow!      

I love the feel of the shot ... as well as the sound.  I shoot often after work to unwind.  I shoot at night ot unwind, I shoot at half time of packer games (at my house of course) to settle down ... I guess it is just good therapy!

There is a contentment there that is hard to explain.    

Bob.

[molongbowman]

Bob, you have a nice collection as well. It takes a while to get them but they are more than worth the wait. I try and shoot everyday. Been a loooong hot summer but it is starting to cool down a little. Season opens here in a couple weeks. Can't wait. Used to shoe horses for 25 years and have had two knee surgies. A little slower now but thats ok. Steve

[Butch Speer]

Has anyone ever tested a 70" Hill that has a 28" or shorter draw and then compared an identical weight shorter Hill bow with the same draw and arrow?  I was asked this from a prospective buyer that like the looks and feel of the longer bow, but has second thoughts about the length and was then thinking about how short he could go for more power.  My longer bows are not comparable since they are not standard stuff and the 70" Hill bow that he had a chance to shoot was way too light for him to get a comparison to others.

[kestimator]

Originally posted by molongbowman:
I am new here and not with a lot of posts but I could not resist this. I to love the Hill bows. I have a 68" Redman, 68" Tembo, 68" Robin Hood, 68" Wesley and two 70" Kramers when they were made under contract for HHA, Two 66" Miller bamboo bows. The feel these bows give me and the rich history about them is in the heart. No bow or style of shooting has a hold of me like these do. I really enjoy reading all of the posts and utube dlips. May the Hill bows live on forever!!! Your friend, Steve

Welcome Steve!!!
I don't think Mr. Hill's legacy will fade any time soon if these guys have anything to say about it!  

[swampthing]

For shooters with 26-28" of draw length using bow lengths of 66-68" I have found that through a speed trap, the arrows out of similar weight but different lengths shoot very very similar in terms of fps. I used to shoot a 75#@28" Big 5, that was 68" . Running out of leverage during the draw, I pulled it 26.5" all the time. It shot 180fps with fast flight and 500g shafts.  I had a 66" 50#@28 W.Special that even when over drawn by me to 28" would only kiss 158fps.  What I am realizing is that even though I drop down considerably in draw weight and "can" draw 29.5", I don't shoot a bow like that for very long, I'll get in to a groove and "just shoot." When that happens, and as an athlete I will tell you it ain't cause I'm tired, 26.5" draw and accuracy is the result. Just letting natural reaction dictate what is needed for the shot scenario at hand, 26.5" no matter the draw weight, bow length, gpp, foc, etc..
The only thing I have ever noticed is that when directly comparing bows long and short, is that once that string angle has approached 90deg you have gone to far. Getting the string angle to be appropriate to your draw length, regardless of bow length, is a  big part of this system.
 Do you think Howard's heavy bow pulled 2-3# per inch in the last few inches of draw?? I doubt it on an 115#'er  more like 5-7# per  inch. Was it stacking? was it "smooth?" Nope, how else would you fit 115# of tension within 22" of power-stroke? I seriously doubt there was much, or ANY for that matter, "preload" in a string-follow wood bow.
Man, looking at my 500g arrows come off 47# makes me want to go back to 70#. I know, I know, not needed, overkill, you'll get hurt, but wait a second, you mean to tell me that a 500g cedar coming out at 150fps is gonna blow through the brisket on a frontal shot, of a relaxed, looking the other way, rut minded, 220#er, 10 point?? I know for a fact that 705g tuned efoc carbons will not penetrate a 300# shielded hog from close range, no matter how many times you try to, it ends up looking like a pincushion, your better off with a spear anyway with big hogs.
  I want no surprise's, no nonsense, reliable, boringly so, set-up that I can count on for the hunting shot that I wait all year for. Not me running through the woods tracking the thing down with "follow ups."  Is that 150fps for you? or is 180 a little more confidence inspiring??

[Cody Roiter]

Here's a bow I picked up rigth befor the GLLI, It's a 1950's Hill bow, Been told by a few guys, It's one of Howard's. But Still am unsure.. It's all bamboo with green glass on the back, and yellow on the belly side.. Maple riser (unsure if it really maple looks like it) Has brown glass riser over lays down the fade outs... Norrow limb bow and nice form fitting riser...

Cody













May your arrows fly true....

Cody

[tradlongbow]

Cody-

Bring that bow to the Hill hog hunt, Bob Burton will be there. Bob has traveled the country looking at Hill bows when he was doing research for his book, he should know the maker and year.