Ok...
So what's the bottom line?
What do you reckon the best lever to limb ratio is?
Del
the BEST ratio DEPENDS on what you want to achieve.
SHORTEST LIMB: I think that for a higher poundage bow, the 3:2 ratio is awesome (lever:limb), provided you have enough wood to get the width you need. Reducing the lever itself in mass should bring up arrow speed too. Good power, good for hunting or for defending the fort or what have you.
LONGEST LIMB: Great for a target bow. It's very light and responsive. This bow is only 38# at 26" but it shoots FAST!
1:1 RATIO: Works awesome. I shot it after shooting the 38# (it is 50# @ 28" and shows zero string follow, thanks to late-in-the-game heat tempering)...and whereas the 38# shot fast and very satisfyingly....i thought the 1:1 could go right through a tank. This ratio is probably good for either a high weight (go a little wider) or a target weight (thinner preferably to narrower).
TBOD was right: i changed the parameters too much to compare accurately. I was surprised to see that the 38# couldn't handle more weight, since it has more length of limb to bend. Glad it didn't break! It actually pulls to 28" (around 44#?) but it gives that tick sound sometimes which i don't like. I put CA in the tiny little crack and wrote 26" draw length on the bow...hope that's enough.
For quarter sawn white oak, at least, You need to make the limbs a little wider than you would for say, Osage. But you still get a great bow! Even the 38# could probably down a deer, the arrows fly so fast! I really like the holmegaard look and the easy draw, the fast release...
I've got some elm coming in...gonna make recurves and holmegaards out of that, to see which i like better...
Hopefully i can get Robert to chime in about this project, since his ONE post influenced me so much...
