if you are willing to go to 72" long than the whitewoods are very much an option for you. they tend to be straighter, the back doesnt have to be worked, and for a first few bows they are an easier way to get a shooter done. hickory will allow you to go into the low 50's as far as length and still be making a reasonably dependable hunting bow, and it can be made to your weight easily enough. if you go to about the 65" range you are in a comfortable, safe range-especially for tough hickory. the reasons white woods so much all center around efficiency and ease. the wood can be cut and made into a bow in relatively short time. the wood is usually fairly straight grained. the back does not need to be chased down to one ring. more of these trees are common to more areas, and due to the straightness point above, more trees in a patch tend to make good bow staves, so finding wood is easier. hop hornbeam or hickory are the two woods i reach for first when i just want to make a bow that finishes, stays together, and is reasonably easy wood to work.
selfbows are similarly easier than backed bows or R/D type designs, so i would suggest the simple straightforward selfbow as the design class to work with. actual measurements will of course vary, but if you shoot for 60-65" at about 2" wide, or maybe ~72" at 1.5-1.75" wide you would be in decent shape with either hickory or hop hornbeam for the weight and draw that you want.
enjoy, you wont make just one. SOM
