Since we're around the campfire….

[rwbowman]

#4592

.. I thought I’d take a moment to say thanks- to tradbow.com and the good folks herein that continue to open their keyboards up and offer any and all advice. I recently brought home a longbow (I’m accustomed to shooting recurve)and came looking for advice in the one place I knew to look. As always, the minds and keys were open and along came suggestions about first bareshaft testing and tweaking (which I’d never ever done- eye opener). Thanks.

Three days of shooting the new bow and beginning to understand the differences between recurve and longbow have got me getting pretty good up to around 19 yards.

[Ben M.]

#32039

Congrats on the quality longbow, bro. Keep up the good work! I intend to return to the longbow quest after this hunting season but until then it’s my recurve, hickory arrows, and me. Twenty days ’til season opener… try to get some sleep (i dare ya).

😉 Ben

[rwbowman]

#32390

Oh man, Hickory arrows? I’d like to see those. Do you make them yourself? I doubt I’ll get much sleep between now and then- probably fall asleep as soon as I sit down in the woods!

[Todd Smith]

#32477

Yes! Great website and great people. Kudus!!

Hickory arrows… I gotta look into the availability of those… 🙂

[George D. Stout]

#32621

The secret to understanding the difference between recurves in longbows, is to know there is not a lot of difference, and you really shoot them much the same. I don’t shoot my longbows any different than I do my recurves; weight is pulled into the thumb/web of the hand at draw, and fingers lightly around the bow…just enough to keep it from flying out of my hand, on the loose. Some would have you believe it’s magic, but it only seems that way. 😉

[rwbowman]

#32714

Nice way to put it, but I still believe in magic!! I’ve noticed that my form is much the same, but that my hand seems closer to the arrow, causing my bow hand to be a bit higher and my sight picture is a bit different, with the arrow farther out in my peripheral view away from the spot I want to hit. Once I get that burned into memory, I’m sure I’ll do away with the errant shots between good groups.

[Ben M.]

#32770

RW,

Thanks for asking about my arrows! I love my archery tackle and I think my wife and kids get tired of hearing about it sometimes…

I buy my shafts from Bill Bonczar at Allegheny Mtn. Arrow woods (Al-uh-ghee-nee. Hard to pronounce, easy to work with.) I’ve gotten pretty darn specific about my arrow specs and Bill has been exceptionally easy to work with. He delivers a very high quality product.

My draw length is 31″ so I use full length 32″ arrows, with a 10″ taper on the nock end. I like bright colors (easy to find) so I make all my arrows blue and gold now, and hunting arrows yellow and natural. I heat-hook straighten the shafts and stain them with alcohol-based powdered dye. Then they get two layers of spray-on clear coat (because gasket lacquer will cause the dye to streak), cresting, and a final dip (or two) in gasket lacquer. I chop my own feathers and I think traditional cut is my favorite.

My bow draws 60# @ 31″. The finished arrows weigh 875-895 grains, are spined at 75-80lbs, and have an FoC of ~10.5% with a 145gr broadhead. (And they hit HARD.) When I shot cedar shafts I broke about a dozen a month. In the last 3+ months of shooting hickory I’ve broken only 6 arrows. They’re tough! It’s hard to get hickory shafts spined under 70lbs so if you’re looking to buy some keep that in mind.

Enough! No wonder my family needs a break from me talking about archery! 🙂

1. First batch of hickory arrows. Decided red wasn’t bright enough for me.

2. Various hickory arrows.

3. Fletching/cresting.

All of these images bend around the center of the picture. I have no idea why my camera does that.

-Ben

[Wexbow]

#32884

Totally agree RW, this forum is a great place to hang out and a mine of information.

And nice arrows Prowler 8)

[rwbowman]

#33142

I couldn’t find the smiley icon for drooling idiot, but that would be me! Nice arrows! Oh, and if the red isn’t bright enough for you, I’ll gladly take one of those off your hands! Very nice.

[Author]

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