I have a martin savannah, laminated longbow, where the riser is cut to be pretty close to centershot.

But I really would like to have a hickory selfbow. Just because. Ones I looked at had a little tiny shelf. I know the arrow can't be set to perfect centershot. So it sounds like with these bows, you have to shoot around it, with extreme paradox, which to me sounds like you need a real weak spine to do this? That means one's accuracy can suffer?

Is all this correct?

Maybe someone would help me understand. I would like to have one of these selfbows, but sounds like finding a arrow match is much tougher because bareshaft tuning is going to show weak spine but you have to have the clearance.

The closer you get to center, the wider the range of spines you can shoot accurately with the bow.

It just means youwill have to be more specificin reguards to finding the correctarrow spine (deflection).The bowwill be more picky.

No, it just means you have to find the correct spine.

And remember that at one time, people shot off their knuckles (no shelf).

Thanks Bob. I see what your saying. I was reading that Howard Hill's bows had extreme paradox cause materials at that time, made it difficult to cut a window and he was pulling some outrageous pull. So what your saying, is I can get away with spine being off, but he couldn't at all?

To a point, correct.

But also remember that if you are shooting tournaments, there are restrictions in classes on how close to center a certain bow can be cut.

Bob covered it well. The hickory bow can be shot just as accurately, you will just have to be more selective of arrow spine. The arrow will recover from the paradox and fly straight.

Bare shaft tuning will generally show heavier than the actual spine you need, especially with bows cut past center. For instance, if you bare-shaft a 65#bow with the riser cut past center, it's liable to show you need arrows spined in the 100# plus range, when you can get"bullet holes" through paper with fletched arrows that spine 75-85#. I like a combination of bare-shafting, then paper tuning with fletched arrows.

Chad

Excellent info Chad. Thats exactly what I was wondering.

A guy at Gila bows or Acme bows said his hickory's are just as fast as any laminated bow. But after talking to some bowyers at a show, they said thier selfbows won't have the performance of my laminated bow. I like the speed of my laminated.

Also, I pulled back several from ash, to maple, to hickory and several more, and was surprise to see them just as smooth draw as my laminated. One guy did tell me when shooting selfbows, I need to always keep the limbs in motion, or almost snap shoot them. he said wood can have memory and holding a bow back 2 or 3 seconds before shootingis not good. I never heard that before. Have you?

I have not shot long bows since the 80s, but from my experience, that is half the fun. It is a fun game to play getting your shafts tunned to your bow. Ive cut nad cut and cut shafts, then put heavier and heavier points on them fighting the selfbows. I think that is why I have not picked up a self bow in over 20 years. I use to love shooting rabbits with my last long bow. I sold it when I went of to college and have yet to get back into the selfbows.

Well, I've shot some pretty quick selfbows, but a hickory bow that's as fast as any laminated bow? I'm not from Missourri, but you'd have to show me before I'll take that as fact.

Selfbows, like any other bow, can be built to be extremely smooth. This new 72" feels (dare I say this?) even smoother than my Crusader (Crusader gains 2.5# per inch). I haven't scaled it, but it's supposed to be the same draw weight, just 6" longer.

Wood bows can take a set and loose pounds/cast. I've never heard that you have to snap shoot them, but I couldn't say that isn't fact because I just don't know. I know I won't leave mine strung while I'm not shooting it--but I won't snap shoot it either. I rather mine take a set than start practicing bad habits--it's not like I don't have enough of those already!

Chad