From: Barber
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Date: 25-Sep-15 |
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Who makes your favorite Hill style bow ? There are alot of bowyers out there , so do you like Howard Hills the best or who's ? Not trying to start anything , just would like to see which you like best.
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From: Crossed Arrows
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Date: 25-Sep-15 |
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Howard Hill Archery has made more HH style longbows than anyone over many decades and they make a wonderful bow with a short order time and they have excellent service. If a guy likes the HH style bow and gets one the appropriate length and draw weight, it will serve him well for many years.
Northern Mist makes a wonderful HH style longbow too, as do several other bowyers.
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From: Barber
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Date: 25-Sep-15 |
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I have shot and owned several Howard Hill and Hill style bows. I was just woundering what some of y'all's favorite makes of this style bow is. In general I liked most of them . I think the one I liked most of the ones I have shot was the Howard Hill Cheetah.
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From: fdp
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Date: 25-Sep-15 |
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I've owned nearly all the Hill models and liked them all except the Crocodile.
Fred Anderson's ASL type bows are excellent, as is JD Berry's. There are several that are VERY good.
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From: Stilgar
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Date: 25-Sep-15 |
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Dave Johnson is worth mentioning, he came out of retirement recently.
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From: Brianlocal3
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Date: 25-Sep-15 |
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JD Berry Hands down for me. I just love the way they shoot!!!
I've owned almost all of the makers except two tracks, every other current maker I've bought and owned, JD takes the cake in my camp
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From: oldbow
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Date: 25-Sep-15 |
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Northern Mist longbows. I own several classics and love them all.
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From: killinstuff
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Date: 25-Sep-15 |
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I only shoot Jack Harrison HHC's which are not made anymore. Since they are not made I have three just about all the same, 66",60#@28", one converted to T/D and two sitting in storage for the day something happens to my T/D. When you find the perfect bow buy 3 of them.
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From: johnnail
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Date: 25-Sep-15 |
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Fred Anderson
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From: trad47
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Date: 30-Sep-15 |
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Craig Ekin made an excellent bow for me last spring. I have HH bug and want to get another one . Love them! They are the real thing...!
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From: romanator
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Date: 30-Sep-15 |
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Dittos on the JDBerry. Brianlocal3 is dead-on correct IMO.
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From: Pointer
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Date: 30-Sep-15 |
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I have a Northern Mist and a Hill Half Breed...both are nice bows but I tend to lean toward the Hill when I'm in the mood to shoot a longbow..
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From: soap creek
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Date: 30-Sep-15 |
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I've own several different Hill styles, NM, JD Berry and HH. My favorite hands down is my HH Redman. I also had Tempo which is a close second. Honestly they're all good, its just a personal preference.
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From: Dhanu
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Date: 30-Sep-15 |
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I recently had the pleasure of ordering a new bow over the phone from Dave Johnson in Oklahoma. He's been building Hill-style bows for over 30 years and really has it figured out. My bow is a work of art, and it shoots as good as it looks. Dave works fast and asks lots of questions, so you end up with just what you want. Red cedar is not a common bow wood, and it looks terrific with the myrtle riser and white and black glass. I prefer a lightweight bow, and this is lighter than any I've held. It has the shooting characteriscics of the finest bows I've shot.
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From: Jerelison
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Date: 30-Sep-15 |
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Dhanu, you bring up a great point. Lots of bowyers make great bows but far less built bows custom for exactly what you want.
For instance the 2 bowyers I typically use always mess up on one little thing or another. The handle was not as deep as I wanted the draw weight was off by a few pounds and the length was a little off, handle off by 1/4 inch etc. Not acceptable in my book. I understand certain bowyers only do things their way like a piece of art. I get it. Me as the customer paying hundreds of dollars want it done right!
So again can't really tell the difference between the mainstream ASL builders as far as function. Now actually get someone who listen's to every word you say, writes it down and delivers it in the mail!! Well now you get the cream of the crop.
By the way still have yet to find that kind of Bowyer!!
Dave Johnson sounds like a man to check out!!
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From: Dhanu
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Date: 30-Sep-15 |
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Yes, Dave was great on the phone and email both, discussing every detail along the way. The bow is a real treasure.
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From: Bowlim
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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Another very fine builder is Zach Fergusen. Byron's son. And Byron has his own bows also. Basically years ago Byron tried a lot of messing around with Hill bows trying to take them to the next level, and I think he succeeded up to a point. And another 20 or so years have gone by, they really have them dialed in.
On the whole you want them like you want them thing, well good for you, I feel the same way, but buyer beware, a lot of people have some bad ideas about what they want, mostly over grips. That's what they want, but it isn't helping them.
If you record all the details about your bows, painstakingly with a measuring tape and calliper, you may find some interesting things. I have two identical bows by the guy I consider the greatest bowyer ever (no longer working), and while measuring them up, I came across the fact that while they were inked to say same length and draw length and weight, one of the bows was actually 2 or 3 inches shorter than the other. If one of the greats of all time can have that kind of discrepancy, it makes me wonder what I should really be asking for. What if the guy hits your weight, but he cuts the bow so short it cramps your style at full draw, or is not the most efficient tiller for that particular bow or collection of woods.
But my point is some folks hit weight, and other don't. But the ones hitting weight may not be optimizing the bow in other ways. And possibly there are perfect bowyers out there who have the perfect stave and the perfect draw weight, but it is hard to know who they are. If you really know bows, it will surprise you how many really sweet bows have major problems.
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From: newell38
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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Jet archery and sunset hill. Those are my top 2. Here's my jet wolverine.
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From: JimPic
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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Some of my Hill's and Hill-style bows. My David Miller and JET longbows are two of my favorite.
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From: fdp
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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Not everything that a customer wants in a bow is possible to achieve on a particular design.
How could a handle be off by 1/4" or the length be off? The only way that can happen is if you are measuring them differently from the bowyer.
Same thing with draw weight. If you aren't using the same scale the bowyer did, measuring to the same place, your results are meaningless. If you want the finished weight measured with your scale, measured in a particular way, tell them.
Dave Johnson is a great bowyer, but I though he had kind of backed off on building bows.
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From: George D. Stout
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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No offense, but I would be hesitant to build you a bow with your tolerance level. It's microscopic. 8^(
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From: Jerelison
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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After re-reading my post it does sound harsh. I got a little carried away and maybe other daily influences were involved. fdp I was not referring to my scale but what the bowyers used. 8 pounds is enough to be significant in my book.
Yes I am OCD with certain things lol
Newel and JimPic those are some beautiful bows. Great color combo on the JET. Fine bowyer builds a great looking bow.
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From: Monte
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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JD Berry for me also. Love my new Morningstar.
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From: Kent Alan
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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Get a Sentman and you'll be hooked
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From: Jerelison
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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Bowlim... I like your points. Bottom line I am always learning. Also trying to always be more open to perspectives.
Thanks
How about the past best bow builders.... Sunset, Pete George, John Schulz etc.
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From: two4hooking
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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Nate Steen. Sunset Hill
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From: newell38
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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I have a Pete George on the rack. They're fantastic. I haven't shot jds asl models but I'd they're anything like his d/r models, they're top of the line!
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From: fdp
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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"How about the past best bow builders" Rocky Miller, Frank San Marco, Ted Kramer...there have been lots of great bowyers in the past and they were/are all just about equal.
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From: Lambow
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Date: 01-Oct-15 |
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Speaking of past longbow builders, Louie Armbruster's Zebra Grevy Is still among the best... if you can find one.
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From: Bowlim
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Date: 02-Oct-15 |
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" How could a handle be off by 1/4" or the length be off? The only way that can happen is if you are measuring them differently from the bowyer."
Not in the case I am talking about, it is as simple as standing the two identical bows against a wall, they are dramatically different in length. Yet check the inked specs they were presumably ordered as identical bows because that is what the script says.
I know one internationally known bowyer you mentioned you don't want to take winding sticks to a lot of custom bows, very inconsistent. All I can tell you is if you aren't measuring and scrutinizing bows, you wont see this stuff.
I looked over some Hill bows at one time, they were quite different also, some stuff that wasn't really supposed to be in there was happening. It was in the action point of the limb. Like I say, start really looking stuff over, and it will surprise you, and you will learn a lot.
"Same thing with draw weight. If you aren't using the same scale the bowyer did, measuring to the same place, your results are meaningless. If you want the finished weight measured with your scale, measured in a particular way, tell them."
Could be, I can calibrate my scale pretty easily, as far as I know it is accurate. It is an actual bow scale, not something pressed into service. Pretty easy to come up with a weight of record and adjust the scale. I am not personally all that interested in the exact weight. Any competent bowyer can hit your weight, the interesting question is how he did it. If you think it was mysteriously built into the form from the beginning, it was not, they worked towards it and adjusted he bow till it was on the weight, because they know we check that stuff, and to some extent arrow spine depends on it, but it would be interesting to know what might have been if the bowyer had more latitude. There is always a design spiral hard to get one thing without loosing something else, and to that extent everything is a compromise. Usually.
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From: cyrille
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Date: 02-Oct-15 |
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I enjoy shooting all of my bows be it a recurve or a Howard Hill model long bow. But I admit I'm fickle as of now my go-to bow is the "Classic" LB built for me @ "Liberty Bows" in Oregon
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From: olbuflo
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Date: 02-Oct-15 |
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David Miller, David Miller and David Miller of Miller Longbows. I have his bamboo-laminated bow and it's a beauty: plus, it draws easy and shoots well. It's so pretty I think my wife's a little jealous of it.
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From: flyfish1
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Date: 02-Oct-15 |
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Of the bows I haved owned and shot,hands down it is my JD BERRY MORNINGSTAR best performing bow I own,just a joy to shoot.Lou
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From: JimPic
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Date: 03-Oct-15 |
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I have a Union Jack coming today. Always wanted to try one but you don't see these for sale too often
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From: redheadlvr
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Date: 03-Oct-15 |
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Bruce Clark out of Ohio. Great HH style longbow. Bruce also makes top-notch mandolins.
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From: Barber
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Date: 03-Oct-15 |
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JimPic , nice looking bow .
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From: beave
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Date: 03-Oct-15 |
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I have 2 HH bows by Craig Ekins a 2 piece "TEMBO" and a "WESLEY SPECIAL" and 1 by David Miller "THE EXPEDITION"
I can't tell a difference in the 2 HH and they both are great bows. The Miller Expedition is something special, it draws well and shoots faster than my HH bows and absolutely beutiful.
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From: Buckscout
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Date: 04-Oct-15 |
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I have owned: Wesley Special, (very nice), Miller tomcat, (very nice) and I currently shoot only a Liberty English Classic made by Allen Boice. I bought it used, and it is a string follow bow that is absolutely beautifully made. It is designed much like a reverse handle bow and it is absolutely the smoothest, most comfortable Hill style bow I have ever owned. I have found what I was looking for!
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