starting warbow archery

[lonbow]

I allways had an interest in warbow shooting and building, but I haven't started yet somehow.
Since I cut some awsome yew staves two months ago (three of them with 135 rpi 😊), I want to get started in warbow building and archery.
Before starting, I'd like to ask some questions:
Since I would not like to stop "normal archery" with shorter draw lengths and lower draw weights, I'm a little bit worried to get confused with both shooting styles. Could that affect my technique in a bad way?
Then I don't know which draw weight I should use. I did some testings with elastic bands and I could pull 115 lbs at 28". I pulled it to 30 or 31 inches. 130 lbs at 28" was definitely too strong for me. How much should be my draw weight at the beginning? Something like 80 or 100 lbs at 30"?

[penderbender]

80 lbs is probably a good start. And 135 rpi? Show us a pic of that! Cheers- Brendan

[paulsemp]

That's 8 to 9 rings for every 16th inch. What did you put a microscope on it?

[lonbow]

I wasnīt able to count the rings with my eyes, so I took a picture of it and counted it there. 
Note that the ruler has a centimeter scale (2.54 cm = 1"). The inner rings of the stave are thicker than the rings I photographed.

Is it possible to upload bigger files? The rings are so small that you canīt see them exactly on the reduced picture.

Cheers,
lonbow

[DC]

However many rings, that's a nice looking piece. Is that the factory sapwood thickness, 1/2cm thick?

[penderbender]

That's a crazy nice piece of yew man!

[lonbow]

Yes thatīs the factory sapwood thickness

[penderbender]

Lonbow where are you located? Or where was the yew grown? Cheers- Brendan

[Del the cat]

The style of drawing a warbow is so different to drawing anything else, it just isn't a problem.
In fact some of the techniques for a warbow will possibly help you control a more "normal" bow slightly better.
Aiming from a warbow draw is totally bonkers, but you eye/brain somehow slowly works it out... it's a bit like shooting from the hip!
I'd avoid going to your maximum weight, but if you can pull 115# you'll probably be fine with 100# or 90# to play it safe...
But you will find it's easier to draw with an arrow than it is to draw elastic bands.
I've got a Youtube warbow build along, which may be useful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR28fBBADdY&index=1&list=PLBz2tD9476KRkSOSICLsc-zj5ADyPKLZB
Del

[lonbow]

Thank you very much for the build along, Del! Itīs a really nice one! You recommended the book "weapons of warre" in the first video. Which volume were you talking about?

The wood is from the northern part of the alps

[Ian.]

 If you cut them two months ago then they aren't going to be ready to make into a bow for a good while yet.

Depending how fit you are and also how tall something around 80lb @ 30" should be the first bow. Your first bows wont be very good though so they will feel lighter than they are.

[lonbow]

Hello Ian! I'm sorry, I didn't tell that I'm going to wait for at least a year or maybe two until I'm going to built a bow with the yew staves I cut two months ago. I will give it some time. Meanwhile I will maybe built a quite strong bow of meanwood. The yew staves I cut can be seen as the trigger for starting warbow archery. Until now, I have built 30 bows or something like that. The strongest bow I made is a yew longbow that has a draw weight of 65 lbs.
Why will my first warbows feel lighter than they are? I don't understand that.