Anybody know what r/d longbows can be built with a deep straight grip like a hill? I have been talking to mike from 7 lakes and he can do a short night with the same grip as his hill styles but wanting to check through all my options. I know great northern offers their traditional grip but that is more of a broom handle than what im looking for. Im wanting something that can give me the feel of a hill in my hand so the grip is familiar but in a smaller package and im just not sure about a shorter asl.
Robertson Primal Styk is a good option for that. They are a special longbow for sure and the grip should be about what you are looking for.
I had a Northern Mist Superior with a dished grip. One of my favorite bows ever. Once strung you couldn't tell it was a R/D. I bet Steve could build you a Baraga with a straight grip in 60-62". I have a 60" Baraga with a contoured locator grip and it shoots great and is smooth out past my 27" draw. Looks D shaped when strung. Looks like a little kids Hill bow other than the grip, LOL
Rich at Yellowstone Bows told me he could do his 62" Hunter or renegade with a straight grip as well.
It's possible to put any kind of grip on any bow, but a straight ASL grip probably isn't the best fit for a moderate r/d bow. You'll notice that the riser of a moderate r/d bow begins to deflex before it reaches the end of the fade outs. That's not the case with an ASL handle, which is straight to at least the end of the fade outs before the limbs start a gentle curve toward the back (back set) or belly (string follow).
Too, most r/d bows are 1 1/4 to 1 3/8 inches wide at the fade outs, compared to about an inch for a typical ASL. So, putting a 2-inch straight grip on a bow width that starts at 1 1/4 to 1 3/8 inches would yield a very large circumference grip. And, thinning the grip area down a bunch might look a bit weird.
Of course, you can construct the 2-inch deep straight grip on a deflexed riser. Haven't seen it done, but I'm sure someone has tried it. Would like to see what it looks like.
You might want to look at the Osage Royale made by Chuck Jones, It has a slight R/D to it. Mine has a straight grip, is 64" and shoots very much like my 66" Hill ASL at my 28" draw...so much so that I find them to be very similar in speed and just about interchangable with the same woodies despite the Hill being 4# heavier. The grip is very slightly larger and more oval on the CJ bow and for me feels great in the hand, even better than the Hill.
I have a post with pics somewhere in here, it shows what the bow/grip looks like on the CJ. It has darkened nicely since I bought it, that Osage Orange sure does have a neat look to it. Nice bow and prices are very reasonable.