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Is Yew Good?

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Cromm:
Hi, I've never made or owned a Yew English longbow but being British/English it seem's to be in my blood to have one! The thing is i spoke to a top bowmaker in England about a yew self bow and he said that yew is a rubbish bow wood if you want a long lasting bow.......He said that they work well for the first year max then after that they turn to jelly, and that i should go for a Hickory backed Osage orange longbow instead. The bow would be 55lb at 28in. So is he right because i do not know what to do now?
Thanks for your time PA fans!!!!!

Marc St Louis:
Well now.  That is interesting.  I just read on PP where Steve Gardner just tested a Yew longbow built in 1948.  It's still shooting quite well, in fact he chronographed it at 164 fps with 10GPP.  Not too shabby IMO

Lost Arra:
Sounds like the top bowmaker is out of yew.

david w.:
 ???  there are warbows in a ship wreck that were about 400yrs. old and i am pretty sure they were shootable.
If i am right it is what you call a Mary Rose bow

Keenan:
Well if that is true no one has bothered to tell my yew bows ;D  They just seem to get stronger with age. Seriously most I've made with yew have gained a little as they aged.

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