So, there is a similar thread from earlier asking about layout/design for making a hickory board bow. I’m going to be making a few hickory bows from staves, and all I’ve ever worked with is Osage. Being in Wyoming and primarily hunting in this super dry climate, the idea of making a fire-hardened hickory longbow or recurve selfbow is very appealing.
My compound bow DL is 28.25” and best I can tell, I draw my trad and primitive bows to ~27 inches. I’d like to back off the 57# @28 trad bow I used to hunt with and the 60 to 68# @28” (depending on humidity and weather as it is sinew backed) Osage recurve I currently hunt with and make something ~50-52# @ 28”.
I like a pistol grip with fairly large sight window above a cut in shelf (mainly as this is only design I’ve ever bought or made…so definitely a stiff handle bow, but I’m certainly open to an oval handle bow with a glued on wedge of an arrow shelf.
What would you recommend as far as design that you think would be the most efficient/fastest for poundage bow? I’d prefer to go longbow, as all my bows are recurves, and I just want to try a longbow for a change. Slightly reflexed limbs to tips…sure, but not true recurves.
Help me with overall dimensions….length, length of handle, handle layout, length of fades, width at fades, limb profile etc. Let me hear opinions on what y’all think would be the bee’s knees of hickory hunting bow design and your thoughts on why.
Thanks in advance for any much appreciated advice!
