Red Oak bow can shoot

[NTProf]

I have not shot for a long time because of snow and poor weather. Today was nice so I got out 3-4 of my bows that I shot regularly last fall. I shot a hickory-backed yellowheart and bamboo-backed ipe. Both were smooth, and very quick, with no noticeable handshock. But then I got out the red oak board bow I just finished. It outshot them hands down (at least in my hands). It was not as smooth, had some shock, was a little slower. But it shot right where I looked shot after shot after shot, at out to 23 yards. The lessons I learned again that I keep trying to igore: 1) bows do not have to be made of the best wood or of fancy design to shoot well; an inexpensive red oak board bow can be made to shoot well; it just feels right in my hands; 2) I will trade a little extra speed, smoothness, and a little extra handshock for dead on accuracy any day. This is true for me, not necessarily for anyone else. I have already posted this red oak board bow before. But here it is again.

[NTD]

Nothing wrong with redoak

[Ifrit617]

All my red oak bows shoot great... And boards can be made into some real nice bows with cool designs like the little Seneca bow I just posted..

[Bevan R.]

It doesn't matter how fast you miss, it only matters where your arrow ends up.

Bevan R

[George Tsoukalas]

Nothing wrong with a red oak board bow. I don't think board bows are slower than log staves at all. jawge

[toomanyknots]

"Nothing wrong with a red oak board bow. I don't think board bows are slower than log staves at all."

You can make a real fast bow with red oak if you got the balls to stress it a bit. I do find red oak sluggish like many people, but thats because red oak is a bit lazy. So you gotta push it a bit. What I am getting at is it seems to me the red oak bows I have made that are more stressed for their design seem to perform alot better than the longer over built ones. When red oak used in a 70" long flatbow, it can be sluggish when compared to other wood bows of the same design. But a 60" red oak flatbow seems to be faster than other woods I have used, I suspect because it is lighter than other woods. This isn't really what I mean, it just seems like red oak is a good wood if you stress it more than you would like to.Anyway, I agree with you. 

[JW_Halverson]

It doesn't matter how fast you miss

Bevan, for a flatlander you sure said a mouthful!

The dead-on accuracy you are talking NTProf is so deeply satisfying. 

[jwillis]

I have discovered that arrows matched perfect with a certain bow is like magic. Jim

[aznboi3644]

I've found you can get pretty narrow with the nocks on red oak.  Reduces the shock to nothing.  I shave mine down to 3/8" -1/4".

[Badger]

  Honestly after testing every wood you can think of red oak scores just about as well as anything else. Some of the woods that test consistently a little bit fatser tend to have problems with chrsysaling. All in all very little difference between any of the bow woods if talking straight stave bows. Osage and yew both seem to produce more than their share of good performers though.

[NTProf]

Thanks for the imput on red oak, everyone.

[Matt S.]

I have been very pleased with my latest red oak board bows. Just the other day I got virtually all my bows out and shot arrows at a stack of papers at least 1" thick. My latest 35# bow (built for a trade, not the PA trade though) was getting penetration as good as my old 45# red oak bow. Of course that old bow was WAY overbuilt with very wide tips. The hand shock was startling compared to the smooth drawing 35# bow.

I think this is an example of why sometimes people view red oak as inferior wood; it's the fist wood they start making bows with, so the designs are not the greatest. As a result, the blame falls on the wood.

[Lombard]

I put a sweet shooting Red Oak in hands of a co-worker, told him to keep it a week or two, and shoot the devil out of it. He calls up this weekend, and says he loves the bow, and would I sell it to him. Well I don't build bows for sale, but he does have a bench sander that he doesn't use, could be a possible trade going on next weekend.

[jimmy]

if possible, look at the chapter on design and performance in the Bowyers Bible vol. 4. Tim Baker has a red oak bow that pulls 57# and shoots 172 fps. it is only 60" long. all the dimensions are given as well as pics. it pushes the envelope, but it does perform. i just finished one like it last week, except mine is two inches longer and backed with burlap for added protection. i will try to post this bow soon.

[NTProf]

Jimmy, Yes, I will be interested in seeing your red oak bow.