Anyone ever build a plains-gullwing style bow?

[IrishJay]

I'm currently working on a R/D bow out of black walnut, but I'm looking at some of the other staves I have curing, and I have a nice piece of ash I'm thinking might make a nice plains gullwing bow. Does anyone have any experience with this style bow? What are the strengths/weaknesses of this design? How do they shoot?

[bradsmith2010]

i have never made one,, I have made some bows inspired by that design,, but I have only read positive results from the guys that do make them,,,

[IrishJay]

Being new to bowyering, I'm enjoying trying out different designs to see which I enjoy making, and shooting, the most.  Brad, when you say "inspired by," what parts of the style did you keep, and which did you change, and how were the results?

[bradsmith2010]

the ones I made were longer,, not quite as a dramatic bend as some of the Native bows,, I think I was just lazy, it was alot of wood to bend,, and I could get a pretty good straight limb bow to shoot well,, I think if your gonna make one,, the shape will hold better if you sinew back it,, but I think you will enjoy the build and shooting one,,check out Jim Hamms first book,, bows of the Native Americans, he makes a sinew one in there,,

[IrishJay]

I'm planning on going pretty long myself, probably 71" ntn. But sticking with the extreme reflex at the handle and deflex on the outer half of the limbs of the traditional plains design. So I guess mine will be more "inspired by" than it is traditional. I'm curious to see how it will compare to an R/D bow of similar length and draw weight. 

I'd like to make one of each, with the tips about inline with, or slightly forward of (<.5") the handle. I just want to compare the shooting characteristics of 2 bows that have the same amount of backset, but achieve it through different limb geometries.

[NorthHeart]

I don't know a lot about em...so naturally i had to try 4-5 to see what happens

All sinew or rawhide backed, 4 osage, 2 yew...

Its gonna be a few months though lol.

[NorthHeart]

Also the threads i read on these seem to indicate they didnt shoot all that impressive...i wonder why.  Does the deflex allow for more draw length from a short bow, but make it a bit "sluggish".  I dont read so much as i "do" and then Chrono results and such.  Not trying to hi-jack your thread.  You kinda got me pumped up again about continuing forward on these.  I have 2 short ash staves to so am interested as to your question:)

[bradsmith2010]

I am guessing,,,if designed properly,,.they will shoot well without being sluggish,,,,if reflex is incorporated in the design..

[PatM]

It's hard to exactly pin down the attributes of the design but whatever they are it was enough for it to become a dominant design for a large part of a continent and one that hung on in the face of repeating weapons.  No other bow style has really done that.

[IrishJay]

Pat, that's very true, and I think it's a big part of the reason for my intrigue with the design. It seems that nowadays it's more common to deflex at the handle and reflex at the tips vs reflex at the handle and deflex at the tips. But, then again the design wouldn't have been so historically popular if there weren't something to it right?

[NorthHeart]

It's hard to exactly pin down the attributes of the design but whatever they are it was enough for it to become a dominant design for a large part of a continent and one that hung on in the face of repeating weapons.  No other bow style has really done that.

That is definitely a good point Pat, but perhaps other bow styles have done that. For comparisons sake, the English/Welsh longbow, the Asiatic/Eastern composites ...the design that worked(for whatever technical reason) prospered on throughout the region and time period?

[bradsmith2010]

It would be fun to make one

[IrishJay]

They're all fun to make, that's why we're here right?

[PatM]

It's hard to exactly pin down the attributes of the design but whatever they are it was enough for it to become a dominant design for a large part of a continent and one that hung on in the face of repeating weapons.  No other bow style has really done that.

That is definitely a good point Pat, but perhaps other bow styles have done that. For comparisons sake, the English/Welsh longbow, the Asiatic/Eastern composites ...the design that worked(for whatever technical reason) prospered on throughout the region and time period?

The other ones did not even carry on against single shot weapons.

[bassman]

Northheart, nice profiles.