Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Badger on June 28, 2014, 01:23:56 pm
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I consider this bow my lifetime achievement bow for several reasons. It is currently the bow I hold the world record with in the 50# broadhead flight class ( 500 grain arrows, with a broadhead tip) 221 yards.
I built this bow about 2007 and have compted with it for several years. It is 65" nock to nock, draws 50#@28". 22 oz of mass, limbs aremostly paralell but start to slightly taper just past mid limb. Nearly all the bending area is mid limb and very stiff out of the fades and slightly working outer limbs. Net reflex is about 3 1/2". The osage has a ring count of about 20 rings per inch. It must have been some good wood because the bow has remained in absolutely pristine prime condition since its first shot. It has not lost so much as an ounce of draw weight or a speck of speed. Bow currently tests at between 188 fps and 191 fps with a 500 grain arrow. By far this is my lifetime best with a self bow. I have been keeping it a secret for a while now. I have to admit that I credit the wood more than myself. I kind of feel like this bow was my reward for building so many and staying after it for so long. Kind of like the old miner who spends his life hunting for gold and finaly finds it.
The reason I called this bow overbuilt was because I built it like a hunting bow, not a flight bow. Tips are a full 3/8 wide limbs are about 1 5/16 wide. I used to be a big proponet of low mass bows but now I believe you have to have enough wood to do the job, low set trumps everything else in my opinion.
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That's a very nice bow.
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Sweet bow Steve. I would call that "ideally built".
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Glad you finally figured it out !
looks kinda like what I end up with except that you put more of the reflex into a smaller area nearer the tips.
I am more of a strait limb kinda person.
I also credit the wood for any kind of decent bow that I end up with!
one of my favorite sayings is "if I did anything right it can't be my fault, blame it on the good Lord"
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That bow looks great, and that's pretty impressive that it has held that much speed for so long. Definitely a bow I'll be looking to for design ideas.
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Thanks for sharing this Steve. I think we all get kinda hung-up on "under built" bows tryin to eek out a few more fps.... Thats a bow that will most likely be around for your grandchildren to shoot. Well done Sir!....Brian
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It is a beauty.
I agree with you on overbuilt being good.
Jawge
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Great bow Steve. Is it equal length limbs? How does it feel when it shoots?
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Great bow Steve. Is it equal length limbs? How does it feel when it shoots?
Dead quiet and zero handshock.
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I'll take two ;0)
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I'll take two ;0)
LOL :laugh:
Yeah that's a great bow... dunno about overbuilt, I don't see any spare wood on it.
Damn that's fast for a 500gn arrow from any draw weight.
My fastest was 181.... (70# ELB)
Mind the 100# ElmWarbow may have been faster... just no way I could shoot it acurately through the chrono'...
(Through the garage door yes, no prob' >:D )
Del
(Nah, I'm not jealous >:( ;))
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I would have never thought that bow would have shot that fast by looking at it. Not overbuilt but not underbuilt either. It's just right
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Mark, I had never tested the bow before. I knew it was pretty fast but I expected it to test out in the low 180's. It is very rare that I ever get a self bow to pass one 180 and if I do it seldom holds that speed past being shot in real well.
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Is that what you are shipping out on the Bow Trade? If it is, I am going back in and rigging the name draw in my favor!
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Steve, That there is a hunting bow...Wicked profile and beautiful tiller...I would love to shoot that one just one time, just to say I did 8)
Don
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I would have never thought that bow would have shot that fast by looking at it. Not overbuilt but not underbuilt either. It's just right
Exactly my thoughts. I myself wouldn't classify that as over built, but you are going mostly by physical weight Id assume. I call yours the perfect way to build an osage hunting bow!
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Pearl, the strategy was the same as most all my osage bows, I put them on the cawl heat in about 3" reflex, if they keep most of that I might add some flipped tips. This one just kept a bit more than the rest of them.
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Them tips really come around. Must have killer early tension.
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It does have high early tension, it didn't do so well with the light flight arrows as it did the broadhead. Kind of typical for a high energy storing bow.
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The unbraced profile tells Me a lot - VERY nice ! Bob
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That is one awesome bow! What an accomplishment! Thank you for sharing that one Steve!
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very very cool, beautify
chuck
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Not too shabby Steve! :D
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A super accomplishment, 190 with a wood bow is nothing short of astounding..
From what little I know it doesn't sound "overbuilt". Sounds like every sliver of wood that needs to be there is and ever sliver that needed to come off did ! Perfect..
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I've made bows with a similar profile Steve, maybe not quite as much reflex in the tips. They performed quite well but I don't think they had 190 in them. Have you tried replicating it to see if the design is consistent in performance?
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Whenever I hear a real high report of speed I tend to doubt the validity of the test. I will do a machine shot test on the bow for a more accurate speed rating. 190 really is pushing the limits for a self bow. I get real excited when I see these good numbers. I know the bow is fast but I really owe it to myself and everyone else to make sure it is accurate. I just noticed some writing on the bow where it is marked as 50#@27 3/4". I tested it at 28". And I just now re weighed the bow at a crefully measured 28" and I am at 52 1/4#. So the arrow should have been about 22 grains heavier taking the speed down about 3 or 4 fps. The range of the shots were 188 to 191 so the bow will probably test out on the maching around 184 which still matches my best for self bow. Will run a careful accurate test today or tomorrow.
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You misunderstood my question Steve, I was not doubting your results. I wanted to know if you've tried making another bow exactly like this one to see if the results were unique to this bow or the design
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Mark, when I made that reply we were posting at about the same time, I didn't even see the response you had. Tim Baker and I joke about the "other paradox" which happens when a bowyer gets excited, always good to go back and double check. After adjusting arrow weight today I am getting 184 to 186, still my best. I shot a hole through my brand new chrono so no machine test today.
As for will I build another one like this, funny answer here, I start most all of them out the same, I put about 3" reflex and get the center limb working to take them to brace. If the bow allows me to continue just working the mid limb and leave the fades stiff I will continue as far as I can like that. If I feel a tiny weight loss I start getting the inner limb bending more. This particular piece of wood allowed me to just tiller the inner limb, when I got all done it had taken no set so it allowed me to reflex the tips back a bit more. So the answer is if I find another piece of wood like this and am being careful enough to recognize what I have I might repeat this.
I am convinced that your deflex designs put less stress on the wood from the beginning and are more consistent.
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Well I may try it with some HHB when I catch up on my house renos.
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I think I will try the same style with a boo backed osage and see how it does.