HH BUG GOT ME - Part Two!

[Lambow]

Glad to see this story surface. Joel told me about this several weeks ago. The funny part is, there were many souviner stores visited on the trip, and this was the last one around, and you and your wife started not to stop there.
I'm glad you did, and that it worked out for you to get those bows.

Looks like a maple riser with four bamboo lams that are probably concave \\ convex. Also looks like a
linen string. What is it backed with? Could be trunk fiber paper.
Can you measure the amount of backset?

[deathwind]

I come up with 2 inches of backset in that bow if I measured it right. The handle has a leather wrap on both bows made out of pigskin. The string is made out of some type of linen I believe. I know it is nothing like B-50.   I don't know what the bamboo is backed with but it lays over the nodes very smoothly. The other bow is made out of one piece of yew.

[Linwood Hines]

Deathwind, you are very blessed - and it was in the stars that you stop at that shop.  Wow, What a story!  Would you document this (and pictures) - maybe Trad Gang could feature it somewhere related to the HH threads for future HH Bug people?

[WESTBROOK]

DW I'm sure Bob Burton at whispering winds arrows would love to see and hear about this find. He is one of the most knowledgable people around on all things Hill.

[deathwind]

I thought about calling Bob Burton but didn't want to bother him. I have his book on the Howard Hill longbows and that was one of the reasons I knew what it was when I saw them hanging above the door. I had Don Carson's son sign a certificate of authenticity on both bows. I guess I watch pawn stars way too  much. I have talked to both John Lee and Jerry Hill about them. When  it warms up a little, I will take them outside and get a couple better pictures of both bows and put them on here.

[WESTBROOK]

I dont think Bob would consider it a "bother"..just the opposite.

[Goshawkin]

Wow! Congrats on an incredible find! To each his own, but I'd string up Howard's bow and go hunting.

Good thing I did not find them.  I would have shooting them to death.  I wonder though, if it would be safe to slowly work those limbs until they could be braced and bit at a time until they got could be pulled to 28", I would not go beyond that or keep them at any draw for more than an instant, and then shoot them.  This would need to be done by someone with much more patience than myself.  Seems that I read somewhere on how to get very old self bows shooting after a long period.

[David Mitchell]

I would never risk bows as special as those.

Oh come on, wouldn't you like to take a few shots just to feel what Howard Hill felt?

[1flyfish]

That is a fanstatic story,just seems like it was meant for you to be in that place at that time.Things in life are meant to be sometimes.Lou

[ny state land]

Shoot them? Heck yea!

I understand not wanting to risk it, but I recall of advice on how to to get an old bow shooting.  I t involved warming it up, then bit by little bit flex the bow.  Every day when the bow is warm flex it a little more until a string can be put on it.  then every day go through the flexing from scratch until the string is on it and then pull the string a bit at a time a little further.  If I recall it right, the writer said to start from scratch every time and not make assumptions  that you being where you left off.   I did it once with an old osage bow with remarkably straight grain.  The bow was not anywhere near my weight so I gave it away.  Now I wish that I had it back.

[sou-pawbowhunter]

Originally posted by pavan:
Oh come on, wouldn't you like to take a few shots just to feel what Howard Hill felt?

I'm glad I don't have to deal with that kind of temptation. I would probably have to try to build some semblance of right handed form.   :rolleyes:

A local metal craftsman is letting me use his shop to turn some of my 190 Rib Tecs into a single bevel Hill shape.   It does seem like this Hill fever has pretty much died.  I wonder if all the fuss was more or less a novelty for many and have gone either back or on to more modern designs.  I am sure that many  developed into a longbow shooting capability that they are satisfied with and have a life time stock of bows, so the new acquisition fever pitch has faded for most.

[Robert Barfield]

Hill Bow set up with wood arrows. Got a Cheetah 45' at 27'. I have a few questions to cut the learning curve, figured the biggest following of Hill Bows is here. First what would be the average brace height for this bow be I currently have it at 6 1/4 but that seems low would not hurt to go up, so is there a maximum brace height, or how high would you go. also for the wood arrows I understand all bows are different and was wondering if a 35-40 spine arrow would work better than a 40-45 spine. I will be shooting 125gr head draw length of 27". want to keep it wood. Any suggestions would be appreciated

[GregD]

Robert, You didn't say how long your bow is but everyone I have ever had would be 66-68 and I shot them all between 6 and 6-1/8. I would start with the 40/45's, I think you would be able to get them to work with a little experimenting they are much easier to weaken than stiffen. Good Luck, Greg

[Robert Barfield]

Thanks Greg, it is 66" so I am on target, little more tweaking, I have 40-45 spine, need to mount one with a broadhead an check flight against field point, thanks. Starting nock height at 1/2.

You must be nocking the arrow below the nocking point.  I generally set mine at 1/8" up from level with arrow above the nocking point.  That way if I shoot a mix of skinny aluminum 1918s or fat woods the nocking point almost always needs no adjustments to match the arrows.

[Robert Barfield]

That is something I am definitely going to try, you're right I nock below the nocking point, have never tried nocking above. Thanks that's why I am asking these questions I'll draw on all the knowledge I can get from everyone. First Hill Bow, and she is a little different but I like it and shoots good.