Best pattern for hickory? & first bow

[Hawkdancer]

Got a nice hickory stave from Mo-Coon-Catcher (Kyle), got the center line, length, and handle measured and marked.  Then started wondering where to go fron here, as in the simplest pattern to make.  Originally thought about a pyramid, then re-read TBB 1, and saw the Meare Heath replicas and thought that may be a good choice.  It appears to be similar to the pyramid with less limb taper.  Does any one have a pattern?  My target draw & weight is 45/50# @ 26", bow length 66".  Or a better, more practical idea? 
Hawkdancer

[Stick Bender]

The very first usable hickory bow I made was from the book the bent stick I followed all his advice in there and ended up with a solid usable hickory bow all though not very fast 520 grain arrow 150 fps with b50 but the simplist handled design is probably the parallel limb design its easy to tiller and a solid design its confusing when starting out and that design is very strait forward ,Paul in his book makes a over built version of that design !

[bubby]

Personally if it is a nice straight stave a pyramid is the best build for a first, if not then a standard parallel limb bow

[Pat B]

Full width half way out then taper to the tips. This is a semi-pyramid and works well with hickory. A pyramid works well too, just don't concentrate on even thickness for the limbs. Tiller it out so both limbs bend evenly and together. Overbuilt bows works well for hickory too.

[BowEd]

Starting out a good 1.75" wide at the fades will more then get you what you want at that length.Hickory loves a heat treatment too if you are inclined to do that.It will gain noticeable draw weight gain though.Mostly side tillering usually gets it back to what you may want then.Keep it dry.In the house in at least a 50% humidity enviornment before/during /and after tillering and finishing.

[Hawkdancer]

Thanks for the advice and info.  I do want to proceed slowly and leave room to screw up and still correct my mistakes ! My SOP seems to be Murphy' Law, which is governed by Mc Connell's Theorm, i.e., Murphy is an optimist!  I'll be glad to hear from anyone else who wants to weigh in.  I hope to get a friend to do the rough out on his big band saw, being a gun maker, he is good at shaping things and leaving enough working wood. 
Hawkdancer