85#@ 28" Hickory Backed Yew Warbow (video added)

[Bob W.]

Greetings folks, awhile back I built a bamboo backed yew warbow that pulls 110@28" , in order to shoot it and finish her up(sanding, finishing the nocks and strike plate shes ready to go) I need the bow strength to shoot it so i built this warbow off the same piece of lumber although this one is full of knots to build strength. It's got   1/8 hickory backed, 72" ntn, 31mm wide for a good section of the center then tapering to the 12mm buffalo horn tips, more so the last 10 ". 24mm thick at the handle and out 10" either side of the handle, then tapering to the tips. The strike plate is mother of pearl that I got from Upstatenybowyer, thanks Jeff. Its finished in tounge oil. 20 strands of D-97 string so there is zero stretch. I'm surprised that it has held together with the all the knots, goes to show how tough yew is. I've put 200 arrows through it and its as sweet a bow I have ever shot although I struggle to get to 28.

The arrows are 3/8 poplar dowels with 7 " turkey feathers that i wrapped with upholstery thread and coated with TB3 the nocks are reinforced with 1/16 phenolic because I had some. I forged those bodkins out of 5/16 steel rod. I have'nt shot them yet, I'm still finishing the other 3. I will report back after testing them out in a field. Thanks for looking, Bob

[Bob W.]

[Bob W.]

[Bob W.]

[Bob W.]

I was using the timer and it snapped at 26" draw. The arrows are 32. Thanks for lookin!

[Ryan Jacob]

 So, I have no experience with ELB’s but maybe the backing strip was too thin?

[FilipT]

It looks awesome to me. I really like the contrast between darker yew heartwood and white hickory backing.

[Del the cat]

Nice work. Hickory Yew is a great combo.
Tidy looking arrows too
Would be good to see it at a 30" draw
Del

[sleek]

So, I have no experience with ELB’s but maybe the backing strip was too thin?

He ment the camera snapped the picture ar 26" not the biw snapped at 26.

[Bob W.]

Thank for the kind words. Here is me shooting it, arrows fly awesome, did not measure but it is 200+ yards easily. heres  a video  shooting, I got it to 90#@29, I will get it to 30 eventually Del https://youtu.be/hxJqv3tuEy0

[Ryan Jacob]

Sleek
I guess I’m a little paranoid, snap is a scary word

[Del the cat]

Looks smooth in that video.
Your draw is very much pulling straight back brute force.
With a long draw heavy bow it can help to draw pulling your right hand high as if wiping your forehead, what happens then is that for the last say 4" of draw your right elbow travels back and down in a looooong arc of about 12" effectively giving you 3:1 leverage.
It's a bit like those over centre catches...
Del

[Bob W.]

Thanks for the tip Del, I'll work on it!

[FilipT]

So in the beginning of pull you put the elbow high and then in naturally comes down when you are near anchor point. Makes sense as I just practiced this movement.
Interestingly, when watching youtube videos of various archers one can notice that they usually put elbow down from the beginning. I might say I am also guilty of that, but I never pulled above 70#.

[joachimM]

awesome bow!