A question for those who make the Howard Hill style longbows. How long between the tips of fadeouts do you make the riser?

I like shorty risers, 12"-13", maybe 14 for a 70"

My 66" straight longbows have a 16 1/2 ,68" 17 1/2 ,

From 14 to 18.  Eighteen is longish for a true Hill style but tends to be a little speedier compared to others given a 68-70 inch NTN.

You are correct about the riser length it makes for a little shorter working limb. Which increases the speed slightly. IMO. Most of my straight longbows shoot right around 172 ft per second. 8 to 9 grains per pound of arrow. With a high performance string material such as BCYX is my favorite 18 to 21 strands per string.JF

OK, I'm going to say it; Whats the point of building a long a$$ bow with short working limbs?
If you study the bows that HH shot, you will notice that they have short risers and consequently long working limbs.
Granted its probably less demanding to tiller short working limbs, but it short changes the desired effect of the bow, which is to be smooth, quiet and accurate.

The working limbs aren't that much shorter and they're still smooth and very quiet and quick... JF

Added plus anybody with a 29-in or shorter draw length the Bow stacks up good at that draw length. If you have a longer draw length then I make a little shorter riser. And I don't mean it stacks up bad he just reaches a nice peak poundage. JF

68-17.5=50.5
68-13=55
55-50.5=4.5

4 1/2" is a substantial amount of limb

Yeah well, so and I don't need as thick of laminations either, therefore a lighter limb. My limbs are still only 1.8 1.9 to 1.1 wide at the fade out still a pretty damn thin limb.JF

Nobody's complained yet out of 55 bows that I've built. JF PS I'm not changing anything.

Just a smidge over 1-in wide. At one point nine that makes it almost 2 in that was wrong they're under an inch and 3/16 closer to 1 in.

It's really no big deal getting a zero to eight inch stiffer bottom limb which I like the later. When you make the top limb a half an inch longer from the bottom limb so a good softer top limb, good tiller is almost built right into the construction. JF

Hey thats cool Jeff, I'm not suggesting you change a thing. I was pointing out that 4.5" is not insignificant and Howard Hill's personal bows had a lot of limb with short risers.
I'm sure the OP will determine how much working limb suits him and if he wants to build Hill style, or Jeff style, or Longcruise style, etc.....

I forgot to add that Howard was quoted many times regarding the different attributes of a bow that he favored and among them was string follow. Me too

No problem. It just have never held a hill style in my hand and I'm just going off of what's been working great for me. JF

I've been fortunate enough to see in person a few personal Hill bows and a variety of Hill bows made by the various bowyers over the last 70yrs. The very old ones had minimal risers and you could tell that they evolved from a self bow style. The more modern ones with pre-made fiberglass, around 1960's and on, had risers no more than 14" and most appeared shorter to me. The only Howard Hill Archery bow I own, was made by Craig Ekin in 1988. It's 68"
and has a 14" riser.

Thanks everyone. The depth or should I say front to back of riser including lams and glass, seem to be about 2 inches, from pictures I have seen. Is that in the ballpark?

Thats typical of the manufactured Hill bows. Some makers and Hill's personal bows, were narrowed substantially in the handle and consequently deeper. Personally thats the way I like them. A narrower handle makes for a more relaxed grip because it does not activate the hand and forearm flexor muscles to the extent that a fatter grip does.


Extensors, not flexors