Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Marc St Louis on February 22, 2026, 03:27:32 pm
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I talked about such a bow about 10 years ago http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,54972.msg746709.html#msg746709. At the time I wasn't interested in making it but I did get around to building one, after the guy couldn't find anyone to make it for him, but never got around to posting pictures. There is no full draw image but here are a couple pictures
(https://i.imgur.com/XeQ3cAA.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/PPC4lvu.jpg)
The bow was 150# @ 30" and made out HHB backed with Maple. It was a "crazy" build and not something I would recommend. The string tension at brace was nuts. Here is a picture as I was tillering it drawn to 29"
(https://i.imgur.com/dADOaQo.jpg)
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Fantastic build! I hate building heavy bows! I can’t pull them back, strain myself stringing them and not knowing where to start on tiller. I have some draw weights written on my tillering board for a hundred pound long bow from one I’ve made but still not a lot of fun.
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Wow! Have you gotten any reports back on the bow?
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Yes heavy bows are not pleasant to build
No never heard back from him after I sent it to him
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Thanks for sharing Marc. Your bends always look perfect. I would love to have one of your bows , but not that one.lol I’m sure that was a struggle to get to first brace. And second, third, ect.
Really good to see your work again. Always gives me something to aim for.
Bjrogg
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Ya that’s crazy nice. Not that I could shoot it either but it looks very well made for certain. A special stringer is a must to get this beast strung up. Looks like a great bow for flight record maybe. Good to see your bows here.
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Very nice work Marc, glad I don't have to do the testing and shooting it in though. :) :)
Pappy
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What a beast! Looks so similar to the bows you make in that style. How long was it and how wide were the limbs?
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Wow that is serious. I can't imagine how fast that would shoot with the right arrow and the incredible hulk to pull the bow!
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Goodness, how much set did it take? Do you remember its dimensions, id like to build a replica of it for flight.
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Nice bow!
The interesting part is the backing. Why maple instead of hickory or bamboo? What species did you use, and what kind of backing slat – sugar maple, a single growth ring, or something else?
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The images all say "Content not available in your region"
I've had it on other posts too... I want to see Marc's bow!
:( :-[
Del
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I had a few requests for higher poundage bows over the years but nothing over 65#, that is why I started putting double nock grooves on the top limb an a wider one the bottom limb, so I could could use a simple cord bow stringer to string those bows when they were first strung up at probably 75#+ pounds. At first I left the overlay chunky and filed it down to one groove as I finished the bow. Later I started incorporating the second groove in the finished bow as a way for the owners to easily and safely string their bow with a two loop piece of parachute cord.
A chunky stringing groove that has almost been filed away and one on my later bows;
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massive ;D
well done!
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The images all say "Content not available in your region"
I've had it on other posts too... I want to see Marc's bow!
:( :-[
Del
Got to get yourself a VPN! I’m using surfshark. Think it’s about £1.60 a month. Pretty easy to do, just google surfshark and download it and follow the instructions it gives you
Incredible bow, Mark. What are the dimensions of it?
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I had a few requests for higher poundage bows over the years but nothing over 65#, that is why I started putting double nock grooves on the top limb an a wider one the bottom limb, so I could could use a simple cord bow stringer to string those bows when they were first strung up at probably 75#+ pounds. At first I left the overlay chunky and filed it down to one groove as I finished the bow. Later I started incorporating the second groove in the finished bow as a way for the owners to easily and safely string their bow with a two loop piece of parachute cord.
A chunky stringing groove that has almost been filed away and one on my later bows;
That's exactly the upper tip overlay that I am doing these days for EXACTLY the same reason. My bows now go out with a bowstringer that has a leather cup for the bottom limb and a leather tab with a little hole to slip over the tip and fall into the uppermost smaller groove. Someone that bought his first bow from me back in 2011 just got a another (his 3rd or 4th, cannot remember) just commented on how much he loves using a bow stringer. The latest bow was 59# @ 27" and he said it was a bear to string the push pull method, but even his 8 yr old daughter could string it with a little effort.
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I had a special jig that I used to brace heavy bows, nothing more than a 2X8 with several 3/4" holes drilled down it's width and a support for the handle. Even with that it was a nightmare to brace it for the first time.
As far as dimensions go I didn't really keep track of the information but if I remember right it had 1 3/4" wide limbs and the length would have been in the 67" range
The backing was sugar maple and I found that maple is a more reliable backing than hickory and it was quarter sawn, or edge grain. I had access to high quality sugar maple from land I owned.
I'll try and upload picture to the site, I'll have to crop and reduce their quality to do that.
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Very cool mark. Those short little recurves look sweet.
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150#... sure... why not... :-\
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The title says 150# but I noticed last night that the folder those pics are in says 135# so I guess it's actually 135# @ 30". It was still a crazy build, might have been that bow that made me quit :fp