What is the best hickory species for bows?

[zinger]

Hickory is commonly suggested as the all around, go-to bowwood, but only rarely does anyone suggest a particular species. In my area (around Charlottesville Va) we have 5-6 species, including bitternut, shagbark and pignut. Does anyone have an opnion on which species makes the better bow?

[JonW]

I have used most all of them I believe. I can't really say which makes a better bow but I find that Shagbark and Pignut have less twist than the others on the average.

[Weylin]

I've heard they're all great. I've only made one hickory bow and I don't know which species it is.

[okie64]

Any of the hickories will make a great bow, I've made em from mockernut, black, and pecan and they all act and work about the same. The mockernut hickory staves that I have are extremely heavy compared to the others, it feels more like the weight of osage.

[turtle]

Have read that pignut is the best. But i would use whatever species is easiest to obtain.

[TRACY]

Used them all except for pecan, and really like bitternut hickory. It is also more plentiful where I am at. I would use any when it comes right down to it.

Tracy

[BowEd]

I've made 4 shagbark and 1 pignut.Both are good but the pignut bow I made did something different.The more wood I removed from the belly floor tillering the more reflex it took on by itself.Really tension strong.The thing about them is that they really do well after heat treating their belly.Gaining anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds draw weight after I do them anyway.Retiller them back down and you have a lighter mass weight bow that shoots the same weight as before.Faster.

[Ifrit617]

All of the hickories make excellent bows. Real like using butternut hickory ,  but that is because it is what I have available. Great stuff.

Jon