Hill bow hunters ...

[Bob B.]

I have a question.  I know many tradgangers are hill lovers and shoot them often.  I am curious as to how many of you hunt deer with them as your primary hunting bow.  What Hill bow do you hunt with and what is your length and weight?

Bob.

[Earl Jeff]

Northern mist 66" 57# @ 28. There are four of us headin to maine with Northern mist hill style bows for a bear hunt. make that three I hurt my hand and had to have surgery.

[straitera]

Hills/style only 35 years straight. Prefer straight handle, 70" ntn, & draws over 70#@28". My shortest is 66" ntn. Shoot from climbing treestands, makeshift ground blinds, & stillhunt often. No shoot problems. Just takes getting used to. Favor my Tembo.

[Ray_G]

I only have one bow and it hunts whatever I am after.  The specs are in my signature and the bow is pictured in my avatar.

[dragonheart]

I have hunted with a 70" down to a 64".  Bow length is based on your draw length.  It just takes some planning on hunting with longbow on your setup.

[Shooty1]

Big 5, 70", 60@28.  Not partial to the Big 5--just happens to be the model I always end up with. Next one will be 68".

[Benny Nganabbarru]

I'm not a regular Hill longbow hunter, although I have done so just a few times. Also, I've not hunted deer. I've killed only three billy goats, two boars and one sow with Hills. The goats were with a 67#, 66" Redman. The pigs were with a 75#, 70" Wesley Special. Wooden arrows were used. Now, Rik and Ben Maher, they are the gurus on hunting with Hills! A lot of wins there... Also, Australia's own Jeff Challacombe has hunted with some Hills but more-so with bows of his own making in the same style, and he's put-away a good deal of game.

[sou-pawbowhunter]

68" Jerry Hill Elite, 60# @ 28, and I draw 29 1/4.  I have hunted with other bows as short as 60" ntn, and I've not noticed any handicap with the longer bow.

[frankwright]

Hill Cheetah, 66" 53@ 27.

I have hunted with 68" and 70".

[Nate Steen .]

Hill style longbows for the past 26 years...also backquivers, and wood arrows only.  I prefer 66" lengths for a 27" draw.

[Squirrel Bait]

Northern Mist Classic 68" 63 @27"

[bicster]

Last year I hunted with a 64" 50@28" Howard Hill Longbowman's Choice and killed a deer with it. This year I will be using a Northern Mist Shelton 66" 50@28". I hunt out of a Tree Saddle and on the ground.

[Ken Babicky]

I have two Hill I use and switch off depending upon what I feel like taking that day.
* 70" Wesley Special marked 63# @29"
* 66" Big5 53# @28"

I draw an honest 28". I think the Big5 is a little heavier in poundage than it is marked and the Wesley is marked a little high in my opinion. They feel the same when I draw, my cheap hand scale weighs them almost identical and I can shoot exactly the same arrows from both. I use wood although I have dabbled with alum and carbon.

I don't worry about the length, I actually prefer the longer Wesley but I also agree it takes a little getting used to and a little extra precaution in tree stands and heavier cover.

[Quickblood]

70" Big Five 72# @ 28" for the past 33 years, hopefully for another 33 years

[BowHunterGA]

This will be my first season hunting with Hill Style bows.

68" John Schulz Trophy Hunter 59# @ 27" and I pull an honest 28"

66" Northern Mist Shelton 56# @ 28"

Wood arrows and 145 grain STOS Broadheads with both.

[MikeNova]

I shot a fox last year with a hill bow he's at the taxidermist now who has been telling me it will be done in about two weeks for the last three months.......Nate's making me one now and I'm hoping I might bring home some cube steak and hamburger with it this year.

[Aussie Stickbow Hunter]

I've been shooting Hill style longbows for over 27 years. I have hunted but not shot a deer with one.

I shot a Hill Big Five in the 1980's and took a lot of game with it. I have shot my own Hill style bows since 1988. I used to shoot 72# for a lot of years but as I got older I've gone down in weight. I went to 66# and have now been shooting a 59# @ 26.5"  bamboo bow since about 2000 and it is 66" long. I use wood arrows of around 725 grains.

Jeff

[Ben Maher]

I hunt with a bunch of Hill style bows ... deer, hogs , goats and a bunch of other critters too ! Like Nate I like a 66" bow for my 27"+ draw .
Since 1999 I have shot one animal with with an alloy 2016 ... the rest of the critters fell too wooden arrows tipped with Ribteks, Ace and Tusker broadheads . These arrows spend most of the time in my back quiver ...which was made by Nate Steen .

[dragonheart]

Here is a deer that was taken with a Big River "Hill", 66", 55 @ 26".  I shot the doe out of a "boat seat" tripod stand in Llano, Tx.  She was quartering away and I hit the off side shoulder.  The STOS broadhead went through both sides, just not a pass through.  One thing about shooting a Hill style bow is to get your bow arm shoulder "inline" with the path of the arrow.  Shooting from the seated position, I "close" my shoulders and "point" my bow arm shoulder at the target.  I have a tendency to shoot left when seated, and this helps to stay inline.  Food for thought on hunting with "the Hill".    

   

[Bob B.]

Dragonheart,

I appreciate the "food for thought".  Nice pic of your doe.  Do you usually get a pass through with that set up if you do not hit large bone like a shoulder?

Bob.