Not a gun, but still cool none the less

[Boerrancher]

Here is a few pics of a little project I have been working on. I have to have something to do as I am too broke to do much shooting these days. It is my first bow build. Archery season started here this past Thursday, and I am still not quite finished with this bow, but the only thing left to do is put a nock on the string and she will be ready to go. It is a 60# at 26 inch draw Hickory long bow, (yeah I know should have used osage, but I wanted a cold weather bow). For a bit of extra speed and durability I backed it with copperhead skins. IMO the copperhead is a prettier snake for such undertakings than the rattler. Here is a few pics of the bow. The first is of my middle son holding it so I could get a full length shot of it.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/Presnbow-1.jpg

Here is the handle and fades area, the handle is a wrap of sued leather.
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/Riser.jpg

Top limb
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/Toplimb.jpg

Bottom limb
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/bottomlimb.jpg

and finally braced.
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/BowBraced.jpg

Thanks for looking fellas. I have several hours in this baby, and am looking forward to hunting with it in a day or two.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[winelover]

Really like the natural camouflauge you built into the bow!

Winelover

[dragonrider]

Nicely done Joe

[HollowPoint]

Just wait till you have your first successful hunt with this bow. It will increase the
appeal of this bow immeasurably.

Your kids will want you to make them one too.

Nice job.

HollowPoint

[TCLouis]

That is a pretty build.

May it serve you and yours many a meal.

Check for a PM

[crabo]

Don't lay it down in the grass, you'll beat it to death with a shovel before you remember what it is.

The back looks nice where you joined it together.

[plmitch]

You have done some pretty nice work there.

[swheeler]

Very nice bow!

[largom]

Beautiful bow but it needs a feather or two.

Larry

[longbow]

Very nice bow indeed!

I am just working on a black locust bow now to replace my well worn yew stick.

Mine are very plain Jane compared to yours. That is a beauty for sure! If it shoots as good as it looks (I'm sure it does) you have a real winner there.

Best of luck on your hunt.

Longbow

[waksupi]

Joe, osage works fine for cold weather, but it do get a bit stronger!

[a.squibload]

Very nice!
Is the skin sewn in the back, or glued, etc.?
I'm guessing whatever you used has to be flexible.

[Topper]

Very neat idea, nice work;).
Curious on what you used to tan the snake hide.
My secret ingredient is PGA mixed with glycerin.
The alcohol pulls the moisture from the hide and the glycerin keeps it from drying out so it remains supple.

[Artful]

spooky cool - nice job

now you need to figure out how to make some snake headed arrows

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I like it... I would not have thought about snake skin. There is nothing wrong with hickory for a bow. Bows have been built with just about any descent straight grained wood sucessfully.
Mike in Peru

[hiram1]

you did good. craftman for sure. i would be proud of it.

[Boerrancher]

Thanks for the compliments fellas. Your kind words are appreciated.

TCLouis, I haven't gotten a PM

a.squibload, I used a hide paste glue and coated the back of the bow after sanding across the grain. Once the layer of glue dried, 24 hours later, I applied another layer to the bow and one to the hides. I placed the hides on the back of the bow and positioned it where I wanted, then took a full can of soda and rolled out all of the excess glue. Once the glue excess glue was squeezed out, I wrapped up the bow in an elastic ace wrap to hold it in place to dry for 3 full days. After it was dry I trimmed up the excess skin and sanded the edges to match the wood.

Topper, I didn't tan the hide, the beauty of snake skin for a bow backing is that it works like large strips of sinew. The outer side of the skin is moisture resistant, and the underneath side is coated with glue. A light coating of olive oil protects the wood and the hide from any additional moisture and prevents it from drying out too much in the winter time.

Once again thank you all for your compliments. I have been trying to get a deer with it. The other day I was stalking a young doe at the edge of my field. I started about 100 yards away. The wind was in my favor and slipping up on her was no issue at all. I was about 20 feet from her and needed one more step to get into position to shoot her. I was so focused on the doe I was stalking, that I totally failed to see the one just off in the brush at the edge of the field. I didn't see her until she stepped out looking at me less than 10 feet away. I was in mid step when I saw her and she saw me. I couldn't put my foot down to take a shot, and she started stomping and snorting to make me move. All of the racket caused the one I was stalking to get involved in watching me and making me move. Try standing on one foot at the edge of a field with two deer less than 20 feet away and not move. I couldn't stand it any more and had to put my foot down. Before my foot touched the grass both of them bolted off into the brush away from me before I could even think about getting a shot off.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[Boerrancher]

Just wait till you have your first successful hunt with this bow. It will increase the
appeal of this bow immeasurably.

HollowPoint

You are absolutely correct. Here is a pic of a button buck I took this evening with it. It was Deer number 5 for a homemade bow with homemade arrows with stone points, and the first one that didn't run a single step. You can see where it kicked in the leaves a bit. I noticed when I skinned it the stone point took a huge chunk out of a vertebra on its way through, as I was shooting up hill. Both lungs were deflated as well. You can see in the photo where it kicked with its front legs for just a short moment. The kicking around broke the arrow shaft right at the point, but I managed to find it. It will go in my point collection next to the others I have recovered from deer.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/2011bowkill.jpg

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

P.S. I dressed skinned and cut up this critter in short order with my stone knife. This is deer #5 for that knife, and it is ready for #6

[Reg]

Very good !!!!!!! Congrats !!

[winelover]

Doesn't get any better than that![smilie=w:

Winelover

[Boerrancher]

Thanks allot for the compliments on the deer. I have been hunting with stick bows and stone points since I was a kid, and I am always impressed with the way they take down game. Even with my 45lb bow in years past, they always are driven to their knees on impact. and the internal damage is unbelievable. I have found that 150 to 200 grain broad heads seem to work the best, and the thicker the better as long as they are not too thick to affix to the shaft.

Best wishes,

Joe

[45nut]

Thats just cool as heck!

[alongston]

Crabo: lol. Beautiful bow and nice shot.

[Boerrancher]

Thanks fellas. Here is a couple more pics of the arrow and arrow head. This broad head design was inspired by what was named the heavy duty point type. This one weights just a bit over 200 grs, and has a width to thickness ratio of 2 to 1, i.e. really thick and heavy. It is not my typical point choice, but I like to experiment. I generally like my points long and thin and weighing around 125 a max of 150 grains.

Here is the arrow and point

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/100_2440.jpg

Here is a close up
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/100_2441.jpg

Just the other side of the point
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/100_2442.jpg

and a side view to show the thickness
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/100_2444.jpg

It is not my best knapping, but I refuse to affix my best looking points to the end of a stick and launch them to lord knows where. (missed a big doe yesterday eve and never found the arrow as I watched it sail over her back and out of sight in the brush)

Thanks again and best wishes,

Joe

[a.squibload]

Well, there's always the glowing nock (tail light?) but just wouldn't look right I guess
on a handmade arrow!

[Boerrancher]

Well I redeemed myself from yesterday, here are some pics I took with my phone. I remembered to put the bow in the photos this time.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/Photo0017.jpg

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/Photo0019.jpg

Best wishes,

Joe

[Boerrancher]

Well Here is Deer number 3 for the copperhead bow. A nice little 8 point buck. Nice body, but not a huge rack. It is very unique though because the tines extend really for forward. I was going to make knife handles and pressure flakers out of it, but because it looks so different, my hunting buddy didn't want me to cut them up, so he is giving me several sets of antlers that he has laying around. Any how here he is not much to look at but it is still meat on the table.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/100_2638.jpg

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/100_2639.jpg

Tomorrow is opening day of Firearms season so I guess I will be headed out to the woods with my old reliable Mod 99 in 300 sav.

Best wishes,

Joe

[MtGun44]

Very interesting!

Bill

[part_timer]

Now that is hunting!!! Nice looking deer.