Michigan Hunter & Riverwolf....thanks so much and here ya go...
The riser section is very unique even for a Big Jim TC as he used primarily "solid clear glass" which he claims will soon turn into an "Opaque Jade" type coloration...it's a 56"/46# 2pc TD...
The limb lams are of a wood I've never even heard of called "Vera" which according to Big Jim is in a family of the highest density known to man at like 80#s per cubic ft and is used in the making of submersible bearings for ships and exhibits a very unique "Flowing" grain...the limb cores are bamboo laced with CF and sport Moose antler tips which also caps the risers grip section...
Thanks 4nolz...From end of fade too end of fade?...the riser is only about a foot long...so it's an extremely "Limby" bow for only being a 56"er...and after taking the 64" cheetah through the range here at TBOF?..."SHORT"...became a very appealing trait in bows to me. LOL!
BTW:"By Happenstance" I got a chance to meet, speak and shoot with a fine archer named Don S.
He shot a 50# autumn oak widow and I learned much in speaking with him regarding mental aspects and approaches...and not just with regards too archery. ;)
At Denton Hill this year, Jim showed me a micarta riser takedown he built, and man was it nice. The guy is as good as anyone building bows nowadays, and I don't care who you name. He is selling that takedown, I believe it's 60" and around early 50's in pounds. It was tempting, even for a frugal (cheap) guy like myself. Heck he may have even sold it at the ETAR, I didn't go back to look Sunday.
Here's some more...after puchasing the bow Big Jim told me to pick out a bow sock for it so I did....then he told me to go ahead and pick out a shirt...so I did...and then he told me I have a 3 year NON-PRO-Rated warranty...and while he doesn't expect any calls over normal use and handling marks...that if I ever have a quality related problem that wasn't related to neglect or abuse..just call him...pay shipping....he'll take care of me...and now that what I call "Stand Up"...and I don't think many stand quite as tall as Big Jim! LOL!....the mans got my utmost respect and admiration! :)
"I've always wanted to try one of those forward handle short longbows,how's it shoot heavy arrows?"
Remember my debacle with 75gr inserts and needing 250gr points up front to get those 32" .400's to fly?....Big Jim I.D.'ed the problem...and it was with the cheetah...which he's taking it as a personal challenge as he thinks he knows how to repair it which is?...a crooked upper limb tip...which he said had that bows string tracking at least 1/8th" inward...on a bow that's cut 1/8th before center....so I was basically tuning a rig that had the shaft making contact 1/4" BEFORE CENTER...this TC not only crushed those 400's with the 250 points but they are even showing weal with 100gr combo points in those 75gr brass H.I.T. inserts..so if I want to shoot a heavy arrow?...the first thing I'm going to need to do is lop about 2"s off those .400's and then try (1) with a normal 16gr alum H.I.T. insert and start playing the musical point weight game...meanwhile back on the farm?...the Thunder Child crushed everything I had except...30" long .500 GT3555's with 100gr points in standard 12gr threaded alum inserts...and it smokes'em...but that's at just under 8GPP so...I dunno...going to have to play with things awhile...first I got the BS flying straight...
and then I tossed 100gr points on some of the fletched and snapped this out at 20yds...but I'm going to have to play around a bit to come up with what one might call..."A Heavy Arrow"
Well Folks?...I'm proud of myself today and Glory be too God as this makes 7 days since I was admitted into the hospital with a stroke (or two) and 5 days since I got out...exactly 1 week from the start of that event and this afternoon?...I grabbed my Thunder Child and quiver of 2 Bare/3 Fletched Axis arrow and began my final phase of tuning...Bare-Shaft Testing...and I was apprehensive about doing this after just having a stroke but to my surprise?...the fletched arrows showed the bare shafts (that looked like they were flying decent and within reason) to be (without question) on the weak side and after several confirmation groups?....(just to be sure I was warmed up and broke in)...I dropped point weight from 125gr screw-ins too 100gr screw-ins and got darts of'em all with real nice flight characteristics and this Thunder Child is no slouch...this isn't my greatest shooting but for having a stroke a week ago and tuning in and getting used to a new shorty longbow?...
I'm glad that you are feeling better Bill. You had alot of people praying for you, including me. It looks like you scored a winner on that adoption. Keep up the good shooting.
Because it was a very interesting afternoon with the Thunder Child and still recovering from a recent stroke?...I'm questioning and double checking everything from it's current state of tune too...how I shoot it.
Today my focus was on "Grip" and since I've just been doing the..."Grip it & Rip It"...thing?...I couldn't really explain (even to myself) what the heck I was doing with the grip outside of letting the web of my hand naturally seat the throat...but through execution of my shot with my eyes closed and doing the slo-motion record thing with my mind?...I could feel what I was doing and what was happening is I would start out with the web of my hand in the grips throat but as I raised a drew?...my hand was rolling down into more of a low wrist position using up a rather large contact portion of the grip...to me?...it felt more stable that way however my arrows told a different story as I identified bow hand torque as the gremlin that was giving me sideways fliers as I thought...
"Here I am in a world where everyone states that consistency is key and what am I doing?...even my bow hand is in an ever changing state throughout my draw."
So I decided that needed addressing first as I began to compare low wrist and high wrist results which were as follows...
Low Wrist: Even when held in/at a consistent pressure point throughout the shot?...this little lotta bow didn't seem to respond well too such and by far preferred...
High Wrist: Where the small of the grips throat nestled neatly in the "OK" sign web of my rather high wristed hand position...the up side of this?...the left/right fliers left the building and moving my nocking points as little as a wrap or two was immediately and consistently reflected in the flight of my bare shafts proving to me that this Thunder Child preferred minimal hand contact with the grip...The downside?..(which could really be an upside pending how you view it)...was...
With that little grip contact?...I needed to cut the tempo of my shot in 1/2...and very slowly with extreme smoothness execute my shots...which I guess isn't a bad thing and my group sizes reflected such as they nearly got cut in 1/2.
and that's it...and that was enough for today...still haven't super glued my nocking points in place but I'm taking my time in both tuning and?...
Thanks folks and Tricky, Tricky....everything I thought I discovered about the grip and having to shoot the TC high wristed yesterday?...flew out the window tonight cause the tricky part wasn't tuning the bow...it was tuning my form...explanation follows here and now...
The reason I was getting left/right fliers wasn't because of bow hand torque due to a low wrist grip and a huge contact patch...(which BTW feels great on my bow hand)...it was due to my lack of shoulder alignment unto the bow and why do I claim this you ask?...because...
Tonight I was wanting to move back...I had 10-12 yards down pat and 15yds was decent but I really wasn't shooting "consistently" tight enough yet to venture back to 18 & 20yds so in desperation?...I started trying to "Form Shoot" my TC and the first big differences there was...
"Posture" (standing bolt upright): and this brought the TC inward much closer too my body which resulted in much better alignment with my bow arm and what this did was...
Cleaned up my Release: Like house=keeping at the Hilton! LOL!..and got my Anchor & Loose in far better alignment with my now extremely more comfortable low wrist grip and?..
Schwaaaak!..Schwaaaaack!....Schwaaack!
Started banging them in there in nice tiny clusters at 15yds....but alas?...the sun was going down and the wife was hollering "Billllll!!!...Dinners Ready!"...but tomorrows another day and it sure is fun getting to know this little lotta bow! :)
Although not my favourite style of bow it does look very impressive.Looks as if you are going to be getting years of pleasure from that one.Have fun and enjoy it. OSR
and here's what a set of "Medium Length" ILF Recurve limbs look like up against the 56" Thunder Child and it's draw is mind-blowing smooth for a 56" bow but the draw is just the first 1/2 of the show...the other 1/2 is how comically fast and powerful this little pocket rocket whips out an arrow. :)
