Is there any downside to using hickory for bow laminations? I know it's probably slightly heavier than Maple. It's readily available for me already at the 1.5"width I need. I heard some bowyers use it..

I've used curly hickory for veneers but not cores.

On POA at the walk the talk thing I believe one of the fastest bows was hickory cores.

Sounds like a good idea I wish I could find some around here that was worth using.
Please share your experience if you do.

Well actually I just built one with hickory. But it's the first bow off a new form I just designed so I can't compare the performance to another bow off the same form with Maple. It's super smooth tho even with a light riser. No hand shock at all. If I could figure out how to post pictures of it I would show it here

"If I could figure out how to post pictures of it I would show it here"

Been a lot of discussion about that lately. I have always just attached them from my laptop.
Thanks again for clueing me in Roy.

It works fine. Pretty much any wood that makes a good selfbow will make a good composite/glass bow too.

Yeah the only exotic I typically use is bamboo. Hickory walnut ash elm hard maple is what I'm using. Hickory and walnut most often.