[Kegan]

in reply to: What type of bow does everyone shoot #46781

Hickory selfbows mostly, 65-60# at 29.5″. Flatbow style, with very stiff tips. Around 66″ nock to nock for the most part.

Lately I’ve started experiementing with making glass bows, hybrids and straight bows, and so far I’m liking the hybrids too. Good cast with low shock. Just need to make one with a grip I’m more used to:wink:

[Kegan]

in reply to: How do you sight with your bow #46774

Gap shooter. Almost like Hill’s split vision. Draw in line with the target but I don’t do anything consciously with the arrow up and down. When I ignore the arrow I have a bear of a time, almost as bad as when I only worry about it and not the mark.

[Kegan]

in reply to: Does any one use true traditional Equipment #44291

I shot primitive for a while, but drifted towards pickign and choosing. I never had the patience for knapping, and my sinew/rawhide bow strings gave me headaches. Now I’m still shooting mainly selfbows, but now I use Fast Flight strings and carbon arrows out of them.

I like being able to pick and choose what to use from the whole spectrum of ancient (my bows) to modern (my arrows):D

[Kegan]

in reply to: A Question of Draw Weight #42096

Heaviest I’ve ever shot was 85-90#. I began lowering the draw weight as I built better, faster bows, in the hopes of maintaining the amount of power while increasing my accuracy. Lately I’ve settled in at around 65-75#, which I can shoot very comfortably but still get my 600 gr. arrow moving very quickly.

I think the biggest reason I didn’t pursue heavy bows over 75# was because I have/had alot of toruble getting my arrows much over 600 gr. without screwing up the tune. At 90# a 600 gr. arrow left alot of handshock.

[Kegan]

in reply to: Howard Hill Tembo Very Disappointing #42068

I’m a Hill fan as well, but have no taste for some of the hunting practices of the days, or some of the videos. Pope and Young, the Thompson brothers… almost everyone from back then indulged in shots that were just too far. And Hollywood, as usual, had to put their two cents in as to what should be in the movies. Besides his elephants, Hill didn’t talk a great deal about the shooting he did in Africa. Several people made comments that Hill considered the shooting for the movie almost as fake as we all do.

Hollywood ruined the actual archery and hunting in Hill’s movies, as they had in many older flicks. The only old Hill videos that I particularly like are the ones where he doesn’t have to fake a hunt, the ones with the simple trick exhibitions.

[Kegan]

in reply to: nfaa 300 #16447

I like shooting the NFAA 300 round (when I have arrows that is). It really is a good mark for progress. I’ve recently changed up my form and shooting, and so far the best I can do is the mid 210’s, with most being around 205-210. My goal is to break 240 and keep it there with my 70# selfbows. It’s taking a while though:)

[Kegan]

in reply to: Making an IF #35214

Yes, my IF’s are similiar to Dr. Ashby’s. Actually, I built mine around what Dr. Ashby wrote on them:D That thread in particular did alot towards giving me an idea of what the IF looks like.

[Kegan]

in reply to: Making an IF #31482

Thanks Dave! I like having been able to use arrows that otherwise would have gone to waste. And that they can go through big ol’ critters, that’s just a nice bonus:wink:!

If I ever get them into something furry, I’ll be sure to let you all know how they work. If anyone gets a free set of light carbons, I say jump on it! These IF’s are a piece of cake compared to some of the other stuff I’ve tried, like juggling or listenning to the evening news:lol:.

[Kegan]

in reply to: Making an IF #30409

Finally got around to making up some IF arrows. I used the Gold Tip 400’s, 100gr brass inserts, carbon collar from 3Rivers, oak dowel internal footing (3.5″ parallel, 5.5″ tapered section), and my normal 250 gr points. I only had six, but I made them up as best I could. They finished off at 700 gr and felw straight out of my 73# selfbow. With broadheads they flew straight and hit hard. Maybe not buffulo gear, but they’d be good enough if I ever had the chance at something really big here in the states.

I was suprised at how easy they were to make. I read through Dr. Ashby’s report where he said that despite the differences in taper, all of the IF arrows survived. These held up to the tree test, and since I don’t have a Grizzly on there for really wicked critters, I figure that as they are now they would be more than enough for even the most off the wall North American game I may have the opportunity to use. I shaved down a 1/4″ oak dowel, used a hand plane to taper the back, and then just sanded it up. Not an issue at all.

Thanks for all the help everyone!

[Kegan]

in reply to: Bow Season vs. Crossbows #25056

They allowed the first season with compounds in archery season here in PA. As expected, every gun hunter who really wanted to down Bambi bought a crossbow and archery license. That’s all you hear now. Frankly, I don’t care what people USE, but what it’s classified as. There’s a different season for flintlocks than other muzzle loaders here, why not just add crossbows to the “All Muzzle loader” season. You still have to buy an extra tag and get some more season, but then there’s no chance for the destruction of archery season. It seems that although there is that driving stupidity in the compound market, a number of folks are getting wise to actual effectiveness, good hunting practices, and the enjoyment of 3D. However so far, those using crossbows are either people wanting to blow money on a new toy or gun hunters who don’t care. And we already have more than enough of those.

[Kegan]

in reply to: Making an IF #12610

I was reading through some of what Dr. Ashby wrote about IF’s, and it seems that the trailing endge isn’t that big an issue, but matching and fitting being more consuming. No problem. If I can get photobucket working I’ll do a build along so all can see, and possibly help me along.

Of course, I’ll have to do a test with the first one to see if it actually holds up (that is, to see if I did it right)… poor sacrificial lamb:cry:!

[Kegan]

in reply to: Making an IF #9365

Thank you! Now to get some dowels and start sanding.

[Kegan]

in reply to: Sights #32266

I tried taping a match stick on the back of my bow to help with form issues, but I’ve gotten so used to different ways of aiming with the arrow point it messed me up worse. Don’t think it helped that my bow stacked in the last two inches either:D

[Kegan]

in reply to: 50's style bow #14717

The only difference between those bows was that mine didn’t have fiberglass and their shelves were flatter. Actually, I based my last one OFF of a photo of a 50’s Bear.

There are some of them still around, I’m sure you could find someone who’d let you try one to see how you like it. I didn’t spend anything on making mine besides time, but I certainly didn’t like them. Too light and unstable for me. I guess that’s why Bear keot experimenting with design rather than just stopping there:)

[Kegan]

in reply to: 50's style bow #13603

Answer: Not at all. At least not the ones I made.

I made a few after I got into recurving my selfbows. Selfbows are a bit slower, but are physcially heavier- and even then the bow was so hard to shoot that I gave all of the ones I’d tried to make away in disgust. Most recurves these days have deflex, which makes them much more shooter friendly, as well as the heavier risers.

Now, I have a friend who took the lightest one, which was only 35-40# and 68″ long (my first try), and he could shoot it without issue out to about 20 yards. The rest were all above 55# and about 62-66″ long. They were fast for sure, but they sure were hard to be accurate with!

[Author]

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