Ok, so the bow building bug has sunk it's teeth in....what is the fps performance of hickory/bamboo vs IPE/bamboo vs fiberglass/ lam longbows????

I know that's a broad question but I'm just looking for rough ideas of what to expect.

Yes, that's a broad one alright.

I've never shot bows through chronographs, but have shot them for distance to compare them, and when the draw weight and profiles(d/r longbows) were exactly the same, the bows without glass shot at least as far as the glass bows. Bamboo backed bows of heavier woods like ipe and osage shot the same distance as the glass bows, sometimes beat them by a couple of yards, and bamboo backed yew bows regularly outdistanced them all by 8 to 10 yards... same arrows too of course.

Good glassless bows certainly won't disappoint you. Expect to enjoy yourself.

That is a question that can and has caused some heated arguments.

There should actually be no difference in performance in any of the bows you listed if built to the same draw weight as long as the side view profile is the same, and the front view profile exhibits the same type of weight/mass distribution in the limbs.

Close enough you wont know the difference. I've shot some dog ass glass bows same as dog ass self bows or laminated all wood bows. You either build a good bow, or you don't regardless of its make up.

a well built and tiller BBO will shoot just as fast as a well made and tillered glass bow most of the time... I have both and shot both at MoJam in our flight shoot... my BBO that has thousands of shots under it's belt shot 211 yards with a 10gpp arrow pulled 28". My best DR glass longbow with tiny tips and curvy limbs, shot the same arrow 208 yards. I totally think the distances equate to what I would see if I shot them through a Crony. I have shot both enough to know that I can shoot the same arrows without any problem.

See... told ya :^)

Learn to build bows chase fps later

If you reflex the wood bows when you glue them up the difference will be small

A well made selfbow with 2” of reflex behind the handle with little set will keep up with the well made glass bows. Of course I prefer wood bows. Arvin

I've been making and breaking bows since '89. I make more than I break now. I just don't make as many now as I used to.

I have never made a backed bow except for rawhide, silk, linen and burlap.

I actually make only selfbows whenever possible.

I can't answer the question. That's the way it is. :)

Jawge

This may not relate to this thread, but Borders doesn't use glass on their world record setting bows because they believe it slows down the response of the wood. This is what they told me on the phone. I have a Borders griffon II a 71 inch longbow that is not glassed that will shoot an arrow faster and further than any bow I have ever owned. It does have a thin layer of carbon on the front and back. I think glass was used for durability not performance.

Just my inexperienced guess.

Glass also plays a role in performance. A solid wood bow of the same stack thickness as a glass laminated bow will not have the same draw weight.

But it does allow board to be built from lamination that would not be safe in an all wood bow.

Modern longbow broadhead flight record 258 yds. Boo backed Osage with linen string record 260yds that’s the facts. Arvin

I'd suggest putting the chrony away at first.

Yes it was 6-7 years and a 100-150. Bows latter before I needed to think about that kind of speed. But that’s just me. Some make it happen faster. Arvin

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