Where to start??

[Sam Dugo]

Hey fellas, I’m new to this forum and wanted to introduce myself and hope to get some pointers. I have been shooting recurves and longbows for 5 years now and love to shoot target, 3D and bowhunt. Currently I am shooting barebow recurves (IBO RU class type bows) and I got the itch, bad , for a self bow and wood arrows (maybe cane or bamboo). I love shooting modern recurves but I’m really wanting to try something new!!!

So how does a guy get started? I looked at the Rudder bows and with no disrespect the quality if just not there imo. I am sure I could make a self bow, I have built several flintlocks. On the other hand I have a wife and 4 kids 10 and under and we are getting ready to move here in the near future so I really don’t have a ton of time. I know I would want a bow with some kind of a shelf as shooting off the hand doesn’t float my boat.

Not asking a lot out of the bow just a decent shooter for close (25 yards and in) range hunting.

Also what weight? I guess what I’m really asking is how much performance lack is there between a 45# modern recurve and a 45# self bow? I really like the 40-45# range but don’t want a complete dog of a self bow either, I know they won’t stack up neck and neck but I would like to send a 400 - 450 ish grain arrow around 170 fps+, what weight am I looking for?

I’m sure I will have about 500 more questions here soon lol

Thanks Sam

[bubby]

Here's a start, not a lot of time inexpensive and fairly easy to build, you can cut a shelf in if you want but i wouldn't go center shot just get the right arrows and if you can use hard maple  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,35312.0.html

[Sam Dugo]

I have been looking at board bows and have been thinking about one in hickory, how does a hickory board bow compair to a stave bow of osage?

[bubby]

Hickory is good wood, really all a board bow is is a decrowned stave the only thing about boards is after a while they get boring cause everything is nice and straight, osage is the king but hickory, maple they are at the round table

[Sam Dugo]

Ok i think i will try a hickory board bow then, whats a good AMO to start with 66" ? now can i use FF string if i put horn tip overlays and the string is endless loop?

[PEARL DRUMS]

For a 27-28" draw. Id suggest 2" wide at the fades until mid limb, then straight taper to 3/8-1/2" tips. 66-68" ntn will work fine. And yes, you can use fast flight on the bow. 6-8 strands is plenty.

[blackhawk]

I see two paths that you can take in front of you...

The first...is to try and make your own...but beware and warned!!! For some it can be highly addictive, and very rewarding building your own. If this happens it will pull you away from everything and everyone you love and hold dear to you. It can be like a drug to some,and cause you to drop/discard/ignore the important things in life. It will more than likely take you countless hours,days,and even years to be able to produce a top shelf master made weapon. So lots of time will be invested to get there,and ya never really do get there and make them what  what ya want them to be.

The second....take the easy way out and avoid all of the first paths conundrums and fork over some money to some poor wood fiend bowmaking junky whos already a lost cause that can make what ya want....lmao 

[Sam Dugo]

hahahaha 

[okie64]

Laugh if you want but what blackhawk said is true. It's one of those hobbies that can completely take over your life if you let it, especially in the early stages. With every bow you build you will think of something you could do different or better on the next one. After 40 or 50 bows or so the urgency to move on to the next bow and do something better kind of slacks off a bit. Build a couple and you'll see what we are talking about:)

[Badger]

  Blackhawk wasn't lying, I have been quitting for the past 5 years. I just have to build a couple more bows. I bet I have built at least 50 this year already. If you are pretty handy with hand tools and wood I would start with maybe 1 board bow from red oak or hickory and then go straight to an osage stave. They don't take that long to build. Once you get the stave we can walk you through it. Also a good chance one of us may live close by and some hands on coaching will set you months ahead in 1 day.

[Sam Dugo]

I laughed because i know it's true, building flintlocks is pretty similar. Well I'm off for a nice camping trip to Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma for the weekend, when i get back I'm going to start searching for some wood... My wife is going to love my new hobby!!! 

[Onebowonder]

<snip>I'm off for a nice camping trip to Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma for the weekend<snip>

Do you live in the proximity of Tenkiller?  ...because if so, there are several of us not too terrible far from you.

OneBow

[nakedfeet]

One thing that no one else has touched yet: The difference in performance between a modern fiberglass recurve and even an average selfbow is ... well, not that much. Even though a lot of glass bowyers do a lot of high-end detailing and use pretty, exotic wood, *some* of them still don't have the basics of performance down and still ship out -- all told in the end -- average performing bows.

An average shooter will probably not notice much difference in speed between an *average* glass bow and a selfbow. And a really good selfbow will be *better*.

But a really good glass bow with all of the tech and tillering tricks we know will win out over wood, that's true. But for the vast majority of us, you won't notice *much* of a difference. A lot of the perceived "slowness" of some bows is actually partly that guys shoot heavy wood arrows.

[lebhuntfish]

What everyone else has said is very true. I find that selfbows are smoother a 10 times quieter! They also have almost zero hand shock compared to a glass bow.

Welcome to PA! And let us know where you live. Like Onebowwonder said there is several of us that ain't far from you! Patrick

[okie64]

<snip>I'm off for a nice camping trip to Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma for the weekend<snip>

Do you live in the proximity of Tenkiller?  ...because if so, there are several of us not too terrible far from you.

OneBow

Yep, I live about 30 minutes from tenkiller and I work around the lake everyday, small world