Warbows & Hunting

[Adam Keiper]

I'd like to hear from anyone who uses or has used a heavyweight (80#+) ELB and to-the-ear draw for hunting.  How is your accuracy compared to a "normal" 50-70# hunting weight bow and conventional corner of mouth draw at close range hunting distances?  Can you comment on treestand useage vs. ground hunting?  Has the extra bow length been a hindrance in the woods or in the presence of game?  How about the same for the draw weight and longer draw length?  Has being still for hours on end in cool weather affected your ability to draw or shoot when the blink of opportunity has presented itself?  Can you elaborate on actual hunting shots or kills?  I just finished my heaviest bow to date and am pondering the possibliities.   

[Davepim]

I'd like to hear from anyone who uses or has used a heavyweight (80#+) ELB and to-the-ear draw for hunting.  How is your accuracy compared to a "normal" 50-70# hunting weight bow and conventional corner of mouth draw at close range hunting distances?  Can you comment on treestand useage vs. ground hunting?  Has the extra bow length been a hindrance in the woods or in the presence of game?  How about the same for the draw weight and longer draw length?  Has being still for hours on end in cool weather affected your ability to draw or shoot when the blink of opportunity has presented itself?  Can you elaborate on actual hunting shots or kills?  I just finished my heaviest bow to date and am pondering the possibliities.   

Adam,
    I am not a bowhunter, but from reading books written by old-time bowhunters, I can see that in the US, the style of bowhunting has changed radically over the last 70 or 80 years or so, from a roving/stalking style to one of "assassination" from stands and hides. The length of an ELB makes it tricky for climbing or dense woodland, but not impossible. There's no reason for a long draw to be less accurate for game shooting - they're both instinctive styles -  but it's a steeper learning curve. Up to around 30-35 yards you should be able to shoot pretty accurately with an ELB; the original broadheads of the medieval period were enormous, with extremely long cutting edges, so maybe the pinpoint accuracy needed with modern broadheads wasn't as necessary. What would be more of problem is, as you mentioned, keeping muscles warmed up if you are in a stand for long periods. However, it is also possible that hunting bows were less heavy in draw weight than warbows.

Dave

[nickf]

I do certainly believe that hunting bows were lighter. 140-200lbs for hunting is like using 12"naval guns to hunt rabbits. I guess they were in the 50#-90# range, and made from elm, wych hazel and other whitewoods, because of the scarcity of good yew.

Drawing to the ear seems very likely to me.

Nick

[youngbowyer]

I agree with Nick the poundage would be too high and if you are in a tree stand you would want a shorter and lighter bow.

[Bill Skinner]

Prior to WWII, Howard Hill used a 105#, 72" long bow for hunting.  He used a 28" draw.  He was well over 6' tall, he delibertly shortened his draw, he said he was more accurate with a shorter draw length.

[nickf]

"heavyweight (80#+) ELB and to-the-ear draw for hunting."

no ear draw for howard hill.

I've shot my 110# today... beer bottle hunting. Didn't feel too good. shot a few necks though

Nick

[Adam Keiper]

Howard definitely shortened his draw.  I've always used a corner of mouth draw for all my shooting, hunting included.  I'm not as accurate when stretching my draw, but I just get these itches to hunt with a particular bow, or arrow, broadhead, or method.  It's neat to set a goal on what or how you want to kill a deer, and accomplish that.  A medieval military setup just has my attention lately.

[Rod]

Adam,
They made bowhunting illegal here after I shot small game as a kid but before I came back into shooting heavier bows.

All I can tell you is that we did not generally shoot from tree stands.
I guess a poacher would still-hunt or use a natural ground blind.
It's what I would do.

But a lot of the legal shooting of deer was done on driven game, contemporaneous pictures often show the archer standing by a tree.

It is relatively simple to step out just enough to shoot fine past the edge of the tree with virtually no apparent movement from the point of view of a deer, especialy on a day when there is plenty of wind movement.

Gaston Phoebus talks about green painted hunting bows (definitely a plus with a yew bow that has a naturally bone white back), and about lower draw-weights.

I guess that would be an 80 to 90 pounder in those days.  :-)

If you are comfortable and are used to a slight degree of offset, why not?
And if it is a weight you can manage when cold....

I have shot the longbow from treestands and worse on occasion and whilst it is certainly possible, it can at times be a little inhibiting as compared to shooting a shorter bow.

Rod.

PS: Whilst Howard Hill shot a heavier bow in Africa for big game, he is also on record as saying that 70lb or so was his prefered hunting draw-weight.

[Pat B]

I believe the war bow was an artillery weapon and meant to out shoot(distance) the opponents bows. Not meant for short range shooting. Accurate at 200m+ but not necessarily at 20m...although it could be done.
 A heavy weight hunting bow is made for shooting at hunting ranges...but could shoot an adversary at 200m.

[Kegan]

I like longer bows and heavier weights, but I still draw to the corner of my mouth. I like my bows around 75-80# or so (as that's the heaviest I've built for myself at the moment), and recently stretched my draw to 29" at the corner of the mouth (much more comfortable at this length now). I hunt from the ground, and last year I used a 76# semi-ELB 70" long for hunting deer. I got within range a number of times, only reason I didn't get one was because I never managed to pick a spot- not because of the gear I was using.

[Rod]

I believe the war bow was an artillery weapon and meant to out shoot(distance) the opponents bows. Not meant for short range shooting. Accurate at 200m+ but not necessarily at 20m...although it could be done.
 A heavy weight hunting bow is made for shooting at hunting ranges...but could shoot an adversary at 200m.

Really Pat. If you can be accurate at 200 paces or yards, 20 is a stroll in the park.
On the other hand, the ability to be accurate at 20 does not guarantee the ability to hold a tight group at 200.
For this you would need to be VERY accurate at 20.

I guess what you meant to say that is that higher draw weights (beyond one's optimum) are less conducive to holding a tight group.

Rod

[Del the cat]

Why?? Do have Frenchmen roaming in the woods?
Del

[adb]

Very cool, and well done, sir!!!