yew ring count

[willie]

From Badgers no set tillering thread...............http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,61588.0.html

I am working on a low elevation yew bow right now

  It seems that Steve is reporting good performance of his new bow for heavier arrows, and wonder if materiel selection (in addition to Steve's tillering expertise) could be partly responsible for the results. I am assuming that  low elevation also means fast growing/ wide growth rings in this bow. Perhaps he will tell us more about the stave.

I know that a high RPI count s preferred by some, and others find that to be not so necessary, and there is a broad discussion to be engaged in about the merits of various ring counts, where oftentimes the relevance to early/latewood ratios and resulting density are cited.

Looking beyond those qualities that are attributed to higher density, I was curious if some of the preferences for a high vs. low elevation stave, come from different intended purposes for the bow, as often yew is used to fling rather varied range of  gpp  arrows?

[Badger]

  Willie, I would say the ring count is about 18 per inch. Not real wide. The mass was coming in lighter than I wanted so I had to shorten up my handle and fades a little to reach for a little more bending limb. I am not sure how it does with light arrows as I haven't had a chance to try them yet. I have to wait for rain as the ground is too hard for the little flight arrows to stick. I am going to be shooting about 240 grains as opposed to 180 grains or so. If I can make 300 yards I will be tickled pink.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I'm not well versed in yew, maybe a dozen various styles Ive made. My best bows with no issues came from high elevation, thin ringed wood. I had some fat ringed wood from PA and it was junk, twice.

[vinemaplebows]

Ring count is important if you want the best of the best, yet any Yew I have worked with high ring count, or low, seems to makes a fine shooting bow. Large tree branches of yew will a lot of times look like medium ringed yew.

VMB