Heavy longbows

[Buckskinbob]

Anyone into shooting heavy bows? I know the thing now is fast light poundage bows but i find myself intrigued by the heavy hill style bow. if you are shooting 90 plus pounds, what string are you using? What arrows? How do you get them heavy enough for the bow? Have you tuned arrows for the bow? What game have you taken with the bow?

 

[Wilderlife]

I'm interested in history so I like the idea of an English longbow that's over 100# at some point down the line, but that style of shooting is very different to the sort of shooting I do with my trad hunting bows.

I have a longbow that's 65# at my draw length and a recurve that's about 62# at my draw length. That's plenty heavy enough for me.

 

[Buckskinbob]

I'm interested in history so I like the idea of an English longbow that's over 100# at some point down the line, but that style of shooting is very different to the sort of shooting I do with my trad hunting bows.

I have a longbow that's 65# at my draw length and a recurve that's about 62# at my draw length. That's plenty heavy enough for me.

Those bows look pretty awesome too. I would like to get ahold of a Joe Gibbs war bow one day.

 

[Wrench]

I shot a martin ml 10 70#@28 for years. At my 30" draw....it was a tab hungry mofo. I shot beeman 340's with zwickeys back then and it worked alright....but I was never as accurate as I am today with 50-55# bows, and honestly I don't feel handicapped in any way.

 

[Buckskinbob]

I shot a martin ml 10 70#@28 for years. At my 30" draw....it was a tab hungry mofo. I shot beeman 340's with zwickeys back then and it worked alright....but I was never as accurate as I am today with 50-55# bows, and honestly I don't feel handicapped in any way.

Bows in the 50 pound range definitely get it done. Did you take any game with your Martin?

 

[Wilderlife]

Those bows look pretty awesome too. I would like to get ahold of a Joe Gibbs war bow one day.

Yeh, the problem is they've much harder to tune arrows for and the arrows need to be big and beefy because of the nature of the bow. A friend down here (Outlaw bows) makes lam bows and warbows and I'll get a warbow off him one day. I'm a school teacher so I might be able to use it as a teaching resource.

I find getting arrows heavy enough for my 65# longbow (Norseman Chieftain) hard enough as it is. I don't like the idea of buying any points/broadheads heavier than 200gn because they're much harder to come by here, so I need arrows with high GPI and able to take heavy inserts/components.

Have some 350 spines here that are 12gpi and I use a 100gn inserts and 200gn head. They weigh just on 650gn because I cut them so short. Haven't killed a critter with them yet but I have with 300s and about 290gn up front. Slightly longer arrow obviously but about 580-590gn. Nowhere near as nice to shoot but wow those arrows are moving fast out of a longbow.

 

[oldgoat]

With my long draw I'd have to buy shovels and cut self nocks into them if I shot that heavy of a bow!

 

[Buckskinbob]

Yeh, the problem is they've much harder to tune arrows for and the arrows need to be big and beefy because of the nature of the bow. A friend down here (Outlaw bows) makes lam bows and warbows and I'll get a warbow off him one day. I'm a school teacher so I might be able to use it as a teaching resource.

I find getting arrows heavy enough for my 65# longbow (Norseman Chieftain) hard enough as it is. I don't like the idea of buying any points/broadheads heavier than 200gn because they're much harder to come by here, so I need arrows with high GPI and able to take heavy inserts/components.

Have some 350 spines here that are 12gpi and I use a 100gn inserts and 200gn head. They weigh just on 650gn because I cut them so short. Haven't killed a critter with them yet but I have with 300s and about 290gn up front. Slightly longer arrow obviously but about 580-590gn. Nowhere near as nice to shoot but wow those arrows are moving fast out

Yeah its definitely difficult trying to build a heavy carbon arrow when everything is being built to be as light as possible.

Fortunately grizzly stick had a bunch of 1st gen 170 spines on clearance, they are 14 gpi I believe and come with a 70 insert. I'll use a 50 grain weight and 400 grain field point to be at just over 900 grains as long as the arrows tune right around 28 inches. The bow I just got is 100 pounds at 27 inches.

I use 400 grain tuff heads already so I won't have to switch broadheads.

 

[Buckskinbob]

With my long draw I'd have to buy shovels and cut self nocks into them if I shot that heavy of a bow!

Make sure to use a trench shovel so you have a good 3 to 1 broadhead ratio haha

 

[bobinmi]

Look into Monty Browning if you're interested in heavy bows. If my memory serves me correctly, he hunted with a 90lb longbow for a long time. I believe he thumped his monster grizz and rhino with it. Not to mention if you've never heard the man do an interview or give a talk, you are in for a real treat. Some humans were put on this earth to tell stories and Monty is one of them.

 

[Buckskinbob]

Look into Monty Browning if you're interested in heavy bows. If my memory serves me correctly, he hunted with a 90lb longbow for a long time. I believe he thumped his monster grizz and rhino with it. Not to mention if you've never heard the man do an interview or give a talk, you are in for a real treat. Some humans were put on this earth to tell stories and Monty is one of them.

Thanks! Now I know what my next read is going to be. I'm finishing up A Man Made of Elk right now.