Will Hickory make a good heavy bow

[Ian.]

Small update -  'No' hickory will not make a heavy bow by its self,  I did however get a piece of yew from a tree surgeon, together they have so far made a 125lb @ 29" the final draw will be 32" but my tillering string has worn out.
Dimensions are 34 by 40mm at the handle 16mm round at the tips and 6' 10" grove to grove. of that the hickory is 17mm thick.

[adb]

Pictures??

[Ian.]

 This is at 29" it has dropped in weight so the final figure is 130lb at 32" but as its so long it will be piked.

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[CraigMBeckett]

Hi Ian,
Seems to be something wrong with your secon picture, only the top few lines have come through. Can you post it again

Craig.

[medicinewheel]

Don't see the second pic either...

[Jaro]

Nevertheless the shape on first picsture is quite fine, I would try to get outer limbs somehow more further in tiler.
Though - I would be hesitant to put hickory, particulary thick one on yew as all yew bows backed with hickory had crushed bellies to some degree.
It is however good backing.
Ian, did you tapered the backing on the tips?

Jaro

[Ian.]

Nevertheless the shape on first picsture is quite fine, I would try to get outer limbs somehow more further in tiler.
Though - I would be hesitant to put hickory, particulary thick one on yew as all yew bows backed with hickory had crushed bellies to some degree.
It is however good backing.
Ian, did you tapered the backing on the tips?

Jaro

Thanks
 
 I am expecting some level of crysles on the yew. The hickory was taperd on the last 12" so to to about 10mm

[rudderbows]

Ian,  I make warbows from bamboo backed and Hickory backed Hickory as well as other materials. The heaviest from hickory was 140 to 150 pound class at 32" built for a friend of mine who competes in England quite often. . It was 76" long before the hoirn tips were applied and started at 1 3/8" wide in the center. It was a monster. My friend added the tips himself.  We also made a hickory backed osage from argentine Osage using a single growth ring on the hickory backing for a 175 pound at 32" English WAR BOW. tHE THING WAS 80" IN LENGTH before the horn tips were added. It shot a record 1100 grain arrow 439 yards in England.
 Also, we have made a few hickory backed Ipe warbows that were in the 130 pound class for some friends in a club over there and they really shot superbly.  The biggest problem was that some of the guys were using arrows that were way too light. It was like dry firing a bow.
 Hickory does take more string follow, but, it is definatly tough enough to make a heavy Englsih bow out of. Good luck. .

[Jaro]

It shot a record 1100 grain arrow 439 yards in England - who shot it and what event it was?  Since the record with flight arrow holds Jeremy Spencer if I remember correctly with some 400+ yards and self yew bow. That result sounds more like scifi.

J.

[adb]

Yah, Jim... I'd be interested in knowing who shot this magical 1100 grain arrow 439 yards. If that's true, it should be a new record.

[Ian.]

Hi rudderbows

 Thanks for the advise this bow ended up 140lb @ 32  very little set surprisingly, and shot very fast I was at a shoot with the finsbury archers and was able to strait shoot most of the roving target,
 But the hickory almost failed, it has a vertical crack mid limb so this weekend I'm going to make another and repair this one,
 On a side note with your heavy bows do you find 1/4 hickory cracks often in this way, how do you have the hickory on the back of your bows.

[rudderbows]

Jaro, ADB, rarely do I post here when no one says something crass to me. It was one of my customers in England.  Believe whatever you want.
 

[rudderbows]

Ian,  I use a considerable amount of hickory and found that not all hickory is created equal.  For instance I can pick up a piece that has thick, dense growth rings and is seems to take the punishment better than the thinner rings. Also, I have felt some hickory wood that is more spongy and it seems to need to be thicker to achieve the same draw weights.The spongy stuff takes allot more string follow.  I keep wondering if these trees had bad nutritian or bad growing conditions or something adverse.   The spongy stuiff feels light weighted in hand.  On the heavy bows I select thick growth rings and heavier weighted wood and have not had troubles with cracks or chrysals.  I do see allot more string follow on the hickory bows than I do the bamboo or hickory backed ipe and osage. The Ipe really makes a good bow with a hickory backing.  If I can ever help you please let me know.
Hi rudderbows

 Thanks for the advise this bow ended up 140lb @ 32  very little set surprisingly, and shot very fast I was at a shoot with the finsbury archers and was able to strait shoot most of the roving target,
 But the hickory almost failed, it has a vertical crack mid limb so this weekend I'm going to make another and repair this one,
 On a side note with your heavy bows do you find 1/4 hickory cracks often in this way, how do you have the hickory on the back of your bows.

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[Jaro]

 In the light of improbability of the feat in question, you should have expected to be called upon backing it up. Your hesitancy to do so over non existent pretext does not add any credibility to your claim.

1100 grains is 71 grams , in other words weight of the EWS livery arrow. A minute look at Batsford 2009 shows that there is only 5 people actually shooting over 240 yards with this arrow weight - with best results being around 260.

Now you waltz in and expect us, who have the actuall experience of making and shooting these bows to believe that somebody nearly doubled that?

I asked you simple question, which you could have expected to be asked and you play "oh I m mr. civil and wont talk to you, because you are being crass" ?
My patience and civility does not extend to liars.

J.

[Yewboy]

Hi Rudderbows
The people you are referring to as the ones who shot these massive distances are Magen Klomp from Fairbow and also James Farrar from Fairbow UK, however if they had told you these distances then they have mislead you. I know they arte good customers of yours and that they buy a whole load of Hickory and Osage from you but please take these outlandish distances as just pure fantasy. Here are the actuall results of both Magen and James:

QTR Pound Arrow 1750 grains
Klomp Magen 185 yds Stratton 144# @ 32" 166# @ 35" Italian self yew
Farrar James 205 yds with a Klomp 160# @ 32" Laminate - single ring hickory/Argentinian osage

EWBS Livery Arrow 965 grains
Klomp Magen 202yds Stratton 144# @ 32" 166# @ 35" Italian self yew
Farrar James 215yds Klomp 160# @ 32" Laminate - single ring hickory/Argentinian osage

BLBS STD Arrow 802 grains
Farrar James 198yds Klomp 160# @ 32" Laminate - single ring hickory/Argentinian osage

So as you can see the claim of 439yds with an 1100 grain arrow is vastly exaggerated.
Just thought you would like some clarification on this.
Cheers
Steve