Hello. New to forum. Hunting Bow

[roofus]

Hi all:

I am new to this forum and I am a primitive archer. I use my bows for target shooting as well as big game hunting.
I have a 60's Damon Howatt recurve and two longbows that I built myself.
I would like to build a longbow that is sufficient for hunting big game and was wondering if anyone could suggest a wood type along with a style that would
balance performance and durability. Thank you.

Regards,

Roofus

[adb]

Welcome aboard! One word... osage.

[Pat B]

Welcome, Roofus. Many of the bows you see here on PA would be suitable for big game hunting and will make a durable bow of balanced performance.  There are as many woods as there are bows. Your location, draw length, draw weight and style of hunting will help to determine what you need. Pat

[roofus]

I hear people saying alot about Osage but I don't see alot of Osage bows being sold. Is Osage a trend? I'm not picking a fight and I mean no offense by the question I just don't have alot of experience and so I am looking for proven material and a proven design. I'm not looking to build something just because it's the flavor of the month. I want the only issue with my equipment to be operator errors. (I've got that covered, I can goof anything up) I have also heard alot about Bamboo backed Hickory anyone have any experience with this?

[sailordad]

yes osage is a great bow wood,so is yew,black locust,ipe and many more. to get a good bow from any wood,design needs to be considered.
i dont think osage is just a flavor of the month,it is very popular because it can be forgiving and yet be very user friendly and can be adjusted fairly easy with heat.
other woods have ther benifits too.like pat said youj info will help determine the type of local wood and style that should work out for ya.
welcome and good luck


                                                                           peace,
                                                                                 tim

[roofus]

Thanks for the info. I am in Northern Colorado and I have a good source of woods, however none of it is still standing. I have to but it from a shop, so it takes some fishing around to find the right piece. What do you think makes the fastest bow? Osage built reflex/deflex? Bamboo backed Hickory? Sinew backed Oak?
Again not alot of experience so all feed back is priceless to me. Thank you!!!

[hawkbow]

welcome brother, I am not much of a bowyer,but hunt everything with my bows.. Osage is tough, durable and holds up to the punishment i put my bows through.. happy huntng.... marc st louis built me a hickory backed osage 60# at 28 she shoots faster than any of the other bows i have..  Hawk

[bcbull]

roofus  we have a trad shoot in cheynnen sat  come on up  look at some of the bows  there maybe  you ll get some better ideas just lookin around and watchin  my boy shoot s a bamboo/hickory and loves it  i shoot  a yew long bow  but lot s of em work here where we live   iv probley got 6 osage bows i shoot off and on and love em all    so come up  have a look sat a m   brock

[Sidewinder]

Roofus.  I don't know a whole lot, but If you want a fast shooting, stable, laminated bow, go with a R/D boo/osage. If you want a self bow that will last longer than you will, go with osage. Its definitley not just flavor oif the month. The thing about osage is its not real tempermental  and where abuse and humidity is concerned its hard to beat.It will cover up a lot of beginners design flaws and still make a meat maker.
    You realize don't you, that you live only a couple hundred miles from some of the best creek bottom osage in all the world. Kansas and Oklahoma. If it can survive out here and still grow sraight enough to make a bow out of it, it'll last a liong time( thats the trickey part...straight enough). You can't go wrong with it. I don't care what anyone says. There are alot of good bow woods but I don't know anyone that will tell you that osage is not a smart way to go, no matter how wet or dry  or rough and tumble the environmnt. Unless they don't have good access to it and then I understand their need to adapt and ovecome. I must ask forgiveness though, cuz I live in the land of osage( Kansas) and I am hear to tell ya, the yellow brick road is not paved in gold bricks, but if it was it would be in 4x4x8 osage bricks and it would last longer than you an me.    Danny

[roofus]

Sounds like then Bamboo backed Osage is the way to go. I really apreciate everyones input. Thanks a million.
I guess I can purchase a stave online? Any leads?

[Pappy]

Welcome Roofus,just jump right in with any questions,I don't have all the answers but I bet you will find it here.Osage is great wood but so are a lot of others,Hickory,Ash,Maple,IronWood and many
more that will make a good hunting bow.Grab a piece and go at it.
   Pappy

[majsnuff]

Osage.
I have built bows of Yew, Oak, Vine Maple, various laminate combinations, etc. My Osage Flat Bow is the one I pick up for Elk, Deer, etc. It takes very little set even after a long day in the September woods. Shoots where I look. Has tolerable hand shock and decent arrow speed. But best of all it doesn't care if it rains, snows, sleets, freezes, or gets hotter than hades. Not the prettiest bow I have ever made, not the fastest. It just keeps on keeping on.
After 6 hunting seasons, a couple thousand arrows, and who knows how many 3-D shoots, this bow is looking  a little ragged, (snakeskin backing is beginning to fray) but still shoots a 535grain arrow through my pro-chrono at 151fps 3shot average. Not bad for a 53# bow.
I guess what I am saying is
OSAGE.

[son of massey]

  for a first time hunting bow? not osage.   i have never lived near osage and dont have experience with it, but this is my personal opinion based on the ease with which one can make a solid white wood bow.   a hickory bow is as sturdy to being beat up as osage is, or close to it, and there isnt the issue of chasing a ring to get the back.   a wide ash bow is maybe something that you wouldnt be able to use as a crowbar but the wood is a pleasure to work and being wide it shouldnt be finicky, etc.   nothing against osage bowyers-i just really like whitewoods and they have always been hassle free for me.   
   there isnt really any flavor of the month in primitive bowyery, the designs are based on the wood used, the weight intended, and the draw length required with a healthy dose of engineering built into them.   as many here have shown, about any wood can make a bow.   a solid hunter would be easiest to get out of any reasonably hard wood-start with elm or ash or so and anything more sturdy than them.   for a starter avoid evergreens, poplars, birches, etc.   about the easiest/quickest bow for a first timer is the red oak board bow, instructions for which can be found multiple places including on jawge's website (search for him, he is a member here).   SOM

[roofus]

SOM:

Thanks for the input. The two longbows that I built were of Red Oak backed with fiberglass tape. I followed a build along on a web site. Bow building for apartment dwellers. Something like that. One of the bows is 72" and 40# @ 28" the other is 58" and 45# @ 26" for my 15 year old son. He's small but strong.
They turned out o.k. and shoot well at the range but I want to step it up a notch for my hunting bow. I don't "feel" like the oak will perform like I think it needs to. I'll try to get some pics up to show you what I can do from a craftsmanship stand point. I think I am seviceable craftsman , But I need to learn the rules or ins and outs of bow building.

Here is a link to my bow pics   http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll124/roofus5/Johnson%2010/Bows/

[Auggie]

Roofus, check out the trading post here on PA for staves, Im sure you can find some body that can hook you up.