Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Horn Bows => Topic started by: loefflerchuck on March 03, 2016, 05:31:33 pm
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Someone a while back asked about a bighorn bow for hunting. They asked if I could do a 25+ inch draw bow. I had a trophy set of old horns with 30+" around each top curl. I'm not sure why this set of horns proved to be less temperamental than nearly any I have worked with, but the entire process of sinewing and seasoning over 6 months the bow developed no twist. I was able to get a longer useable limb from one horn and like always can not bring myself to cut anything off something so valuable. The bottom limb measured from the handle to nock is 20" and the top is 21.5. I love the feel of shooting more center in a short bow and became a deadeye target testing this bow. The handle is just a lap splice with 2 coper rivets and a thick wrapping of sinew. The tips are a sinew wrap nock.
Overall length along the curve nock to nock is 46.5". The bow has a 48-50# draw at 26"
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Pictures
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You will notice the longer top limb has a longer recurve which I discovered makes for a more even looking tiller.
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The string in the photos is 3 ply deer backstrap sinew. The belly is finished in the traditional way of rubbing with a smooth bone for a shine. The sinew was coated with shelac on this bow for extra weather proofing.
Thanks for looking
Chuck
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Once again, Wow!
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I wrote it down somewhere but can't find it. If I remember correctly 112 grams of shredded elk leg sinew weighed to have the exact same amount on each limb. Used the longest leg tendons I had(up to 22" long) to have unbroken layers on the top and bottom layer. Shorter bundles in between.
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That looks fantastic chuck, love it
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Not having the tallent or materials to make a bow like this in horn, i am going to try and replicate it in osage. I love it.
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Wow! Amazed at that full draw. Really cool with the recurve difference. Looks tremendous.
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It's amazing how much those limbs bend. Great job on that trophy bow.
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That's a real beauty Chuck!
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Chuck that bow came out awesome. A full draw horn bow would be a lot of fun. I bet it's been a long time since large game has been hunted with one of these bows
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Another awesome horn bow Chuck, thanks for sharing
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Great hairy Zeus on a traffic light! What a beauty!
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Great bow Chuck. I'm really liking the draw on that beauty. Nice work.
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Does it feel like its stacking badly at the end of its draw?
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Thanks everyone. Sleek, no it does not stack at 26". The reason I made that full draw is I can start to feel a little bend in the handle at 26.5". Since it has a splice I don't want to test that too much.
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Its so great to see your incredible bows on here. Thanks for sharing! :-)
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Dynamite little bow Chuck.
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Just found that beauty via BOM. Great bow with a good long draw, unbelievable what you could do with that bighorns.
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That is one Beeutiful Bow, simply breathtaking. Thanks for posting this bow.
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Awesome, decent draw length :p
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That is a thing of beauty. It is nice knowing that this art of bow-making is being preserved.
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Wow...unbraced profile is just amazing. Im curiose, how much reflex is there, and what type of wood did you use for the core, and how thick was it? Realy amaizing bow..
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No wood in the core, Akila. Just horn and sinew.
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Ohh, i see...sorry for the stupid question...probably i was reading to fast and i didnt noticed that its only aboute sinew and horn. This is realy interesting. Maybe using Oryx horn, wich is usualy longer, should be able to obtain a bow with a longer draw?? 28''-30''? Im thinking for a long time now, aboute building a horn bow, but with wood, i find it somehow more dificult. There are so many variables to consider...maybe without wood, would be everithing a little bit easeyer.
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Chuck; just another beauty to the long list you have posted. Keep them coming and thanks.
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Akila, I think the reflex is 9 inches. After the sinew seasoned 6 months the reflex was much more. I used heat to decrease it to 9. I have never made one but I have seen simple gemsbok horn bows that were nothing more than the entire horn spliced in the middle. Just a self bow of 2 horns. If you split a gemsbok to make a real composite they are very thin. Thinner than water buffalo. Without a wood core a long gemsbok horn bow with sinew would have a very light draw. The wood core also stables the bow to keep it from twisting. Bighorn sheep horns are one of the thickest horns. Even so I was only able to get 49# on this bow at 26". I am trying a 28" draw bow for someone next. In 6-8 months I'll see how much weight I can get from it. My goal if 60#. I know it's possible but don't want to make it too wide.
Thanks everyone for your kind words.
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Thank zou very much for your answer and advice. Honestly i wouldnt want more then 40-45lbs @ 28''. I can shoot heavyer bows but only for a short time..my shoulder dosent realy apreciate this :). I think that from Oryx horns, its possible to get 3-4mm thickness..there ist this part at the base, wich is to thinn, and it should be aniway removed, but the rest, is a little thicker..do you think that 3mm thickness, wouldnt be sufficient, for a 40lbs bow? I could ofcours try to do the entire thing, with the wood core and everithing..im just a little afraid, of this gluing horn to wood part..usualy that is the week spot to say so..delamination between wood, and horn.
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Its so great to see your incredible bows on here. Thanks for sharing! :-)
DITO!
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SWEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
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That looks fantastic chuck, love it
Figured it up here in grains for sinew you used.Close to 1800.Is that including the wrappings on the handle too?That must end up to thickness wise being a good 1/4" thick for sure then dried.How wide did your bow end up too?
I used 1000 grains on my latest composite over a 48" length and it ended up a strong 5/32" thick on 1and1/4" wide@ fades limbs.I too use elk leg sinew mostly using my longest ones for the last course.Around 20" long I guess.
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I wrote it down somewhere but can't find it. If I remember correctly 112 grams of shredded elk leg sinew weighed to have the exact same amount on each limb. Used the longest leg tendons I had(up to 22" long) to have unbroken layers on the top and bottom layer. Shorter bundles in between.
Sorry quoted the wrong statement.There that's better.