Static osage ?

[Stiks-n-Strings]

What is the shortest I can go on a static recurve osage selfbow with a 28" draw?

I was thinking maybe 56 to 58" shooting for about 55#.

Stiks

[Osagetree]

58" IMO

Hey Kris!

[Pat B]

The osage static recurves I've made were 60"t/t(58"n/n) for my 26" draw but I always tiller them out to 28". 55# isn't a problem with them. If you go with a bendy handle bow you can go a bit less.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Sounds good.

I will probably work on it through winter.

Stiks

[Pat B]

The bow in my avatar is a 60"t/t osage static with a stiff handle. 56#@26" tillered out to 28".

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Pat I love that bow in your avatar. That's what i'm after on my next bow for me. I got to build a couple other bows first But my next hunting bow is gonna be one of those right there.

I ordered some yew. Do you think it possible to build a static curve out or yew?

[Pat B]

Definitely!!!...and yew bends well with wet or dry heat.  Check out TBBII and the chapters on "Recurves" and "Bending Wood"!

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Sounds like a plan Pat.

[Pat B]

Kris, this is my hunting set up for this year. The bow is 60"t/t osage static recurve that bends in the handle only at full draw. It has choke cherry bark backing, pulls 55#@26" and shoots the 650+gr hill cane arrows like a rocket.  I'll be shooting Wensel Woodsman, a Zwicky Eskimo, 2 trade points I made yesterday and 4 different arrows with stone points made by friends.
 The two arrows with stone points and one with a trade point are sourwood shoot arrows with tied on fletching. Note the one tangential 3 fletch using full length small goose feathers.

[b.glass]

Wow Pat! Your set-up looks beautiful AND deadly. What a combo!

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Pretty sweet Pat.

I just finished up my primitive arras yesterday and I'm gonna put up some pics in a new thread in the powwow. I love that bow. I'll have to give you a call sometime when I get a chance to sit a talk. Got a few questions on that bark backing.

[red hill]

Pat, were you a Native American in another life?  Great get up.
Stan

[SEMO_HUNTER]

That is a cool looking outfit. The Osage Indian's Spirits would be proud!

I was thinking along the exact same lines for one of my Osage staves I've got drying up in the rafters of my garage. Making a short selfbow with a stiff riser and maybe try my hand at wood bending? I was reading about it in the Bowyer's Bible on google books. I spent about 2 hours sitting here reading at my computer until my butt went to sleep!

[Pat B]

This bow shoots very well for me. I can feel the handle bend a bit as I hit full draw. At 55# it slings these 650+gr hill cane arrows with authority.
Here are a few more pics of the bow




If you will note there is a floppy rest on both ends of the handle wrap. I can shoot her with either end up.
 Chris, the choke cherry bark is cool stuff. This came from Oregon. Generally the lichens and mosses are removed to reveal a beautiful coppery colored bark but I opted to leave the "bling" on the bark for camo and aesthetic reasons. This cherry bark is very strong and does add a bit of zip and protection to a bow.