Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: WhistlingBadger on February 28, 2026, 04:20:29 pm
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Finished this one up a couple weeks ago. I made it from a very twisty, bendy Rocky Mountain Juniper log which I cut with a hand saw and hauled out of the Shoshone National Forest on my shoulder. It was character building. ;D
Backed with four layers of elk sinew, covered with a bull snake skin. (Yep, that's all one skin--it was a rather big snake)
Elk hoof tip overlays and arrow pass inlay. Handle is wrapped with deer leather lace.
Finished with pine rosin/lard/beeswax varnish. Coyote fur string silencers.
60" long nock to nock; limbs approximately 2" wide. Has several degrees of prop twist which you can clearly see in the full draw pics. I thought about trying to remove it, but with the amount of steam bending I had to do just to get the string to cross the handle, I decided to leave well enough alone.
It pulls 45 pounds at 27". It spits 450 grain arrows at 145 feet per second, which isn't blazing fast but not too shabby for such a weird piece of wood. Thanks for looking.
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/full-draw2-jpeg.377872/)
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/front-draw-jpeg.377873/)
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/braced-jpeg.377874/)
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/braced-side-jpeg.377875/)
There is a big knot on the upper limb that I wrapped in sinew to keep it from coming apart. Then I covered the sinew in snake skin to make it look nicer. The black dots are just decorative, made with thin hide glue mixed with powdered charcoal.
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/belly-jpeg.377876/)
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Unbraced back
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/back-unbraced-jpeg.377882/)
Unbraced profile. It holds around 5" of reflex after shooting for a while. (also, Tayo, my bow-testing assistant)
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/unbraced-profile-jpeg.377883/)
Inners. Wow, that red juniper heartwood is gorgeous stuff. Some day I want to find a log big enough to make a whole bow just from that.
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/inners-jpeg.377884/)
Upper
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/upper-limb-jpeg.377885/)
Elk hoof arrow pass inlay. Juniper is very soft wood so the inlays/overlays are a necessity. I'm not completely tickled about the fit, but it works for now.
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/arrow-pass-jpeg.377886/)
Close up of the knot wrap. I put a skin wrap on the other limb too, so it looks like it's there on purpose. :)
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/knot-wrap-jpeg.377887/)
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/handle-jpeg.377888/)
Elk hoof tip overlay
(https://www.fishforums.net/attachments/tip-jpeg.377889/)
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That marvellous WB! Love these character building bows! Looks awesome with the snake skins too. Well done.
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Well done indeed Thomas. Really like it. You put a lot into that one and it shows
Bjrogg
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Really nice to see you get this character together! It was a fun bow to follow and it came out really nice and seems to have held plenty of reflex. Nice work!
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Beautiful build on a difficult stave. Well done. :OK
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That is one wild looking bow!
Well done!
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Nice job on a tough stave, got to love that. :)
Pappy
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Thanks, guys! It was a fun (and occasionally infuriating) challenge for sure.
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Reworked the handle a bit to be more comfortable in the hand; removed some tool marks from the lower fade, added a different handle wrap (bark tanned mule deer leather stitched with elk sinew), and a better-fitting, leather arrow pass to replace the hoof one. I liked it before but it's better now: Quieter and more comfortable to shoot.
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uq0JCD4iLgJ3hGdeexe5GUQcXHFucwnSyVzCatKkvB56zkt6tkpveQ1XNuKHwcFdD9zNY-hWKxcbnl2R-jkWoVn5D85R7gZWUTYBtWTi-T80WLYKTFY-ZwhpMeohhk9350Bkbo_JsNOzow6hGx_KvSEaSdaaGrBGgzM0VoxSZUBSXGOYrclyxFN8KIg/s320/handle2.jpeg)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfYCXvghRZ7TMYKXFsNDrL8VLWtzfbPtyxywJ6RUHhpHKUb-tU3v3GqibCoI8SHbxiT9GktH_03Ho7Wj4JH5DViY_2LIeNGu6kX6GRS5hkdMqJflNH0dzc8Pp7OfFSlT9U-IUzdpU9RacE2DrTD4Inc11GTICDWsoo4HCXgPN1WhKPC3kr4b9PVH8uK8/s320/fade.jpeg)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiw7GRT_h6dE3zhIBKG7bf2tTo7vb58u8vkVUQxtp6OXfTwAgBkCmLkFLaz4fvzSdnkmvjmd2PbXNUETmvYzuK-E7nsVUi2A0g1355yy6JKeUOTWfGL3qQlOICtqAF4du7Q540ZOQjQEZ_fxOkEzmDb-eCjTebOe9QDDVgIbGWgYUSJqRb8XJgOxTETXw/s320/new%20rest.jpeg)
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Nice finishing touches. :)
Pappy