Good Osage-Bad Osage

[Eric Krewson]

My osage stash was collected from far and wide, I cut what was available, I call my stash "the good, the bad and the ugly".

My latest bow is probably my most disappointing, a perfectly tillered static recurve that is a rocket launcher for the first 10 shots, up until shot #10 it is the most accurate bow I have ever made, then the limbs change and the power and shootability drop like a rock. All of the arrows I shot with perfect flight for the initial shots become overspined and hit left. I have checked the tiller after the limbs have turned into noodles and find it is still dead on.

I made the bow from mis-matched billets, I could tell the billets lacked the typical hardness of the nice buttery dense osage but thought a good heat treating would cure this, it didn't. Here are the billets in the almost finished bow, the mismatch didn't appear until I took 20 years worth of surface darkening off the billets as I cut them out.



Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose in the bow making game, I have a new bow in the works.

I still have the best bow I ever made but after some health down time the poundage is just a little too much for me now, for the first time in three years I am planning to bow hunt, I have the health stuff straightened out for now.

As a footnote; I had cataract surgery last Thursday on my right eye, I had already had the left done. I shot my bow without glasses for the first time ever, amazing! I was drilling dime sized spots on my target at 18 yards before my bow wimped out on me.

[TimBo]

That's disappointing for sure.  So are you saying the bow recovers and has ten more good shots in it again after resting, or did you just shoot it for one session?

[Eric Krewson]

It will recover if left unstrung for a little while, it probably has 2000 arrows through it, maybe more. It has been like this from the start, when I was shooting a tournament with it in years past and it went sour, I thought it was me. It has been getting worse over time, at first, I could get 30 arrows through it before the limbs got weak.

[Eric Krewson]

I will have to do some testing; the poundage of this bow is perfect for me and I planned to hunt with it this year. I only need one shot if I am hunting. I can practice a little with it, and switch to my other bow for the rest of my practice session, both bows are a carbon copy of each other, one is higher poundage.

I have a lot of 3D targets, I will set up a few deer, walk out on the deck cold and take a few shots with the bow, the first shot is the only one that counts.

Another footnote; I tried to bend the statics on my future new bow today, I tried one limb twice and it cracked really badly both times I tried to bend it. Back to the drawing board. This bow blank is made from sister billets, again they didn't seem like normal tough osage to me.

[TimBo]

Huh.  That's true that you only need one shot, so hopefully it works for you.  I guess the other question is whether it will turn noodly after being strung for a while in the woods, but I'm sure you either know that already or will figure it out.  That's pretty cool about the no-glasses thing; I don't have cataracts, but couldn't hit a Sasquatch without my glasses, so I can only imagine the freedom you are feeling!

[bjrogg]

Glad you got your eyes fixed Eric. I would love to do anything without my glasses. I’ve been wearing them since the second grade and can’t see the big E on the eye test. I know it’s a big E though even without them
.

That first shot is the one that counts. It really important we make it count. Good luck hunting. And I agree. Not all Osage is equal.

Bjrogg

[bassman211]

Longitudinal limb cracks even with a good piece of Osage can be problematic. It happened with my favorite 35lb. sinew backed 64 inch at 25.5 inch draw target bow after hundreds of arrows. Crack stayed with in the limb. I crazy glued the crack. It still shoots fine, but annoyed by it.

[Jim Davis]

Eric, glad you are healthy enough to hunt this year. I have had both eyes repaired but mine were good before the cataracts arrived. Now, I am dealing with a stiff neck that won't turn left far enough to let both eyes line up on the target.

Have had to learn to shoot with the left eye closed. Now I understand what your friend had to deal with when we shot at the Pre-Spring Arrow Fling several years ago. It can be done.