Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: loefflerchuck on August 03, 2014, 01:47:17 am
-
Correct me if I am wrong but I have not seen a scrub oak bow on this site. For that matter I have not seen one identified for 700 years. I have seen Apache oak bows but don't know if it is white oak from a little bit east. Seems to me that oak is oak and oak makes a bow. This single tree I cut had lots of bumps but no twists. It split right down the middle. I removed the bark and shaped and tillered the bow from there. Made as a Anasazi scrub oak repro. Almost round cross section. 48" tip to tip. 33# @23.5". I know it's light weight but feel like this wood can make a great bow. Also wanted to stick to the historical dimentions. This bow with a 200 grain cane arrow and bird point would take any large game with the right shot. All the paint is made with earth I found in southern Utah. 2 ply deer sinew string. Arrows are phragmities with greasewood foreshafts.
My uncle spent a lifetime exploring the southwest. He told me he stumbeled apon a rock shelter and fornd a digging stick and a bow he thought was scrub oak. This was over 20 years ago and I explained to him that wood was not used. Turns out he was right.
-
Chuck, another beautiful bow. Always enjoy seeing them. Great work man!
-
Nice ! Bob
-
Very interesting and a beautiful set...That's keeping it all natural, excellent work 8)
Don
-
Great equipment, always enjoy seeing your work Chuck.
A really primitive looker, the f/d is awesome and the paint job is excellent
-
Nice work as usual Chuck. I may be mistaken but I seem to remember someone on PP making a bow from this wood some years back.
-
Very nice. And to think, there is an entire gully filled with this 2 minutes walking distance from my house.
-
Jon W, I'm sure your right. I have not seen one. It's just another tree that grows thick in some parts of the west that makes a good bow.
-
This winter when cutting wood I harvested Osage, black locust, honey locust,red cedar and some black jack oak, never used oak before but gonna try one now.
Nice as always chuck, you would make the acients proud my friend!
E
-
Very cool and I love the authentic look of the bow, and the arrows also.
-
Haven't seen anything you've made that I didn't think was amazing. Thanks.
-
Very cool little bow. Nice tillering. Gotta make one.
-
Very nice set!
-
Man I am digging this bow. Looks amazing.
I recall a 'maul oak' bow on PP years ago. As I understand 'scrub oak' is a common name for a couple different species of oaks...
Gabe
-
Thats a nice little bow there. Very authentic as usual. Nice set of arrows as well.
-
Thanks everybody
-
Great work Chuck, as usual, looks like it works to me
-
Chuck, I found this thread doing a search for Gambel oak. Do you still own and shoot this bow? What is your longer-term perspective on this wood? I ask because there does not seem to be much information on Gambel oak -- and it is not listed in Tim Baker's list of suitable bow woods over at Paleoplanet. My interest stems from having moved from bow-wood rich Oregon to the Chihuahuan desert of south-central New Mexico. I see Gambel oak identified as bow wood and atlatl wood in archaeological papers about the cultures in this part of the Southwest.
-
Real nice set, Chuck! I would like to find a couple of nice scrub oak staves. Time to scour the woods! And chat with my rancher friend to see if she has scrub oak, and chokecherry. I would have to make it slightly heavier, about 35#-36# to be legal for big game here in Colorado. Would you have to increase bow length to increase the draw weight?
Hawkdancer
-
I had this bow a few years before I passed it along to a new owner. It is oak and all oak makes bows. Just be careful of it getting too dry.
Hawkdancer- I thought 40#was minimum legal weight for Colorado. With a primitive bow design I would want 50#+ for the sake of clean, humane hunting.
-
Excellent authentic work as usual Chuck.The arrows too.
This might be interesting and related here.No meaning of robbing highlights of your thread at all.
There was just an article in the local paper here about a long time local artifact hunter 10 miles to the north of me here that has found what he thought at first was a walking stick but to his surprise it is a native american bow.He's very familiar with the local native american campsites he searches in around here.Like others here they find many many numerous arrow heads and axes.He's got to get the bow carbon date tested to authenticate it but has'nt.He says it is a very expensive process and can't afford it.The bow itself is 48" long.
(https://i.imgur.com/NdUz0Kc.jpg)
-
I had this bow a few years before I passed it along to a new owner. It is oak and all oak makes bows. Just be careful of it getting too dry.
Hawkdancer- I thought 40#was minimum legal weight for Colorado. With a primitive bow design I would want 50#+ for the sake of clean, humane hunting.
Chuck,
I double checked - it is 35#, arrows have to have at least 2 steel cutting edges. I would think at 10 - 15 yards, a well placed shot with a super sharp broad head would be enough, but I haven't hunted big game with a bow. I do remember a training session where the instuctors said you should be able to hit a grapefruit every time at whatever range you shoot! I have to get my fingers toughened up and practice a bunch! Don't want to hijack the thread, though! Looking for some scrub oak staves though!
Hawkdancer
-
I sure like that. Bare bones roots of a primitive bow and a beauty at that.
-
A grapefruit would be pretty safe in front of me, at any range :D :D
-
Looks very good, Chuck. Been tempted to try scrub oak.
-
Love the bow. looks like a museum piece.