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Hazel longbow

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jameswoodmot:
I’ve heard mixed things about Hazel from it being a very good bow wood to “passable at best” . I had a couple of shots with one of Del the cat’s hazel bows and it definitely wasn’t “passable”!

There is a lot of it around but it’s surprisingly hard to find a piece that isn’t corkscrewed and large enough to use. I found a very clean and straight stave about 2 1/2” diameter at the base on a walk and brought it home.

I underestimated how thick it needed to be so over thinned and narrowed a bit before heat treating and tillering and it only came out at about 29lbs. I took 3/4” off of each tip and it’s up to 31 at 28” and holding an inch of reflex after shooting. Getting 160-163fps 10gpp.
I had planned for it to have a bit of bend in the handle but as I took the limbs down too much it’s stiff though the middle. I’ve got the other half of the stave though so I’m now set to go with that.
Took the heat really well and was very soft to work with.

A little bit of leather stain, an arrow test and handle wrap.

65” total length
31@28”
162fps 10gpp

Let me know any improvement you can see in the tiller. It had a bit of deflexed in both mid limbs but it then also took a bit of set there, I think I could get the inners and outlets bending a bit more?

jameswoodmot:
Pics

superdav95:
Sweet bow!  I like the bend on this bow.  Looks good to my eye.  From the pic it may appear the bottom limb is slightly stiffer but that’s not a bad thing.  Well done. 

stuckinthemud:
Love a hazel bow, lovely job.  A good heat treatment makes the world of difference

Del the cat:
Looks good to me.
I think the hazel is really well suited to that sort of bow and the lower draw weights. The speed of yours is impressive :)
Del

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