Recurve Bows

[dk17hmr]

A good buddy of mine stopped over tonight and we made plans for my recurve. He is doing his student teaching, wood shop teacher, has alot of free time during the day so he is going to start making a bow for me.

He built one last year in one of his college courses and it is absoultly awesome, he let me hunt with it last year, at 62# it was bit much for me to do anything but snap shooting. But I got to the point were I could hit a paper plate at 20 yards every shot within a few hours of shooting it. But my tree stand was set up for my compound and isnt very open. I had a difficult time shooting it in the stand so I went back to my compound.

Getting 52# limbs and he is going to make the riser out of cherry that I have dryin in my shop. He is also going to inlay either DK on the rise or a deer hoof, maybe DK in a deer hoof, probably inlayed with Black Willow that I have in my shop as well. It is going to be take down limbs that are going to have allen screw heads bolts. Also going to have him set in an anchor plug, so I can screw my fishing rig into it for the carp run.

The limb kit is going to be around $75 he said but we havent really talked about what he is getting out of the deal yet. I am going to be throwing some money his way and probably doing some work on one of his Mosin Nagant rifles, probably scoping it stock work and reloading for it wants it to be a deer rifle, what better then a cast bullet, pretty sure I have a mold that will work for it, now finding reloading dies and brass.

[frank505]

I will bet you will discard the contraption after getting a real bow in your hands. And you will HUNT from the ground with the bow. Practice makes perfect, please shoot cedar shafts also and Zwickeys or something similar. Interesting test, James Shulcz stacked up some saddle skirting and then drove a cedar Zwickey tipped arrow about 4 inches into the stack. A contraption with some idiotic designed point bounced off !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hmmmmm maybe Howard Hill and Fred Bear were right. Did you know that Fred Bear was so unhappy with the contraptions he wanted to quit the archery business?

[MT Gianni]

I really like a recurve for whitetail in the river bottoms, you really don't need much more. Gianni.

[357maximum]

I will bet you will discard the contraption after getting a real bow in your hands. ?

Stetements such as yours have generally lead to heated discussions on many boards I have been on.

Personally I use both types of arrow launching devices, they both are effective, making fun of or belittling ones equipment is just plain bad form. Either device is perfectly suitable in the right hands.


I would not part with none of my "gadgetry" or my kohanna recurves either by the way.

:twisted: I will bet once you use an atlatl you will quit using them noisy guns/overly complicated long bows to hunt with.

:twisted: Boy I would bet once you start simply throwing rocks with your arms you will quit using that overly complicated slingshot for rabbits too........derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr see where I am going???????????????



If you were trying to start a wizzin contest I am sorry for budging in.


SINCERELY
MICHAEL

[doc25]

Cast broadheads are kinda soft I'm told. Sounds like your buddy is pretty handy with wood. I still have a round wheel bow and probably won't graduate to the cams. I also have a little flatbow and understand the attraction to the less complicated.

Good luck and good shootin'

[dk17hmr]

Mike is an amazing wood worker, been working at a cabinet shop the last 4 years and now he is going to be teaching wood shop.

2 years ago I switched my current bow which has cams, before that I used a wheelie bow. I am not picky, the tradition/modern debate does not intrest me. If I get good enough to shoot the recurve at 35 yards and kill a buck every time thats great, if not oh well I have my compound that I have shot 3-d comps and shot close to perfect scores with it.

Gents its not about stick and string, or training wheels, its about the sport. Bows and Rifles are my top 2 sports, then fishing,

Where can I get a mold to cast broadheads?

[woodman51jfk]

..........first time a friend convinced me to try his compound bow I nearly dropped it.....it hit the break point & I thought I'd broke the dang thing fer good........put me off 'em right then...I reckon I'll stick with my old Bear 54# recurve for the small critters & my Bodark 74# indian longbow for the big ones..........either way, I'm still gonna be packin' my 45 colt Blackhawk with my own cast 310gn boolits........at least 'till I get Cayoots wide flat & kinda heavy group mold......

[floodgate]

357Maximum:

Ackshully, I regard the "David's sling" as the most effective, compact lethal weapon ever devised. Rolled up, it can hide in your palm with a stone in the pocket, and it'll kill to maybe 50 yards - IF you spend half a lifetime mastering it. Even if you miss, it makes a hellacious racket going by the target. The Romans used slinger auxiliary troops, mostly sheep-herders from the Balearic Isles off the Mediterranean coast of Spain. They provided orange-wedge shaped cast lead sling bolts (Whew, back on topic once again!!) stamped "Die Persian Scum!", or whatever was in vogue at the time, and these turn up in old battlefields all over the Mediterranean and Near East. Pretty impressive weapon, in the hands of an expert (not me, though!). So, of course, is the atlatl (most flint or obsidian"arrerheads" we find today are actually atlatl points), or even the lowly "rabbit stick" - the North American equivalent of the woomera, again in the hands of one who had used them from childhood.

floodgate

[mr mom]

dk and 357: have you ever herd of comptons???? they hold their shoot every year at our gun club... its a big 1 and i mean big... last year we had over 6000 people walking arond and almost all had recurve or long bows... its a 3 day party.. this year it is i think the 15 -17 of june..... fathersday weekend.... on friday night they have a chile cook off and all the chile you can eat . and all the hotdogs the kids want.... we have 4 3 d coures set up. and it i think 15 bucks to shoot all weekend. lot of stuff going on all weekend long.
last year gene and berry wensel were there ... they are 2 of the funnest guys you will ever meet. glen st chariles will also be there .. you should have seen him 2 years ago on the ranges with his little humaround....
check in to it ... here is the clubs site.. www.bcsportsmansclub.com .. look under comptons. you would even see me sitting at the archery shed in the shade...

mr mom

[357maximum]

I have other plans every fathers day weekend, until I don't have a father anymore, but it does sound like good times.

My above post was just a heads up, we do not need anymore dissention of the hunting ranks.

To me compound or recurve or longbow it do not really matter much, may make a range difference as far as what i feel comfortable letting the arra loose, but the result is basically the same after the arra leaves the device.....dead critter, or dead foam, it is fun to me either way...I will admit to liking the extension of range and power of the "contraption" though....

May your arras always fly true

Michael

[Bigjohn]

Well, here we go again!:-D

I have for many years shot and practiced with the bow and arrow. Finally settled for two custom built longbows, both 75#@28".

I can not use a compound as they come to a sudden stop short of my draw length of 32". Nowadays, I have to do some fancy footing to extend the length of the wooden staffs to get usable shaft length. Currently out of shafts so shooting practice has stopped. Too much time spent castin' boolits.

Have fun, what ever you shoot;

:drinks:

John.

[MT Gianni]

357Maximum:

Ackshully, I regard the "David's sling" as the most effective, compact lethal weapon ever devised. Rolled up, it can hide in your palm with a stone in the pocket, and it'll kill to maybe 50 yards - IF you spend half a lifetime mastering it. Even if you miss, it makes a hellacious racket going by the target. The Romans used slinger auxiliary troops, mostly sheep-herders from the Balearic Isles off the Mediterranean coast of Spain. They provided orange-wedge shaped cast lead sling bolts (Whew, back on topic once again!!) stamped "Die Persian Scum!", or whatever was in vogue at the time, and these turn up in old battlefields all over the Mediterranean and Near East. Pretty impressive weapon, in the hands of an expert (not me, though!). So, of course, is the atlatl (most flint or obsidian"arrerheads" we find today are actually atlatl points), or even the lowly "rabbit stick" - the North American equivalent of the woomera, again in the hands of one who had used them from childhood.

floodgate
Add to that the Argentine "Bolas" 3 rocks on ropes that either wrap around the legs or shoulders while the 3rd smaller ball an a longer rope whips around to your head.

[357maximum]

Well, here we go again!:-D

I have for many years shot and practiced with the bow and arrow. Finally settled for two custom built longbows, both 75#@28".

I can not use a compound as they come to a sudden stop short of my draw length of 32". Nowadays, I have to do some fancy footing to extend the length of the wooden staffs to get usable shaft length. Currently out of shafts so shooting practice has stopped. Too much time spent castin' boolits.

Have fun, what ever you shoot;

:drinks:

John.


I have a large lanky buddy that has the same issues as you seem to, he ended up shooting cut off fiberglass shafts from them reflective driveway marker sights, and then went to ramin(sp) wood shafts made from dowels available in 3foot lengths from the hardware/craft stores, they make a truly tough arrow if you pick/sort the grain of the wood, and the price for the dowels is right nice. I liked them so much I made a 5/16th in set for my skinny limbed recurve, in a short measly 26 inch draw length... I think that if you are willing to sort and shoose and watch the grain as he does your looong arra issue may have a solution. He made a jig for his radial arm saw with a sander blade attached to do his tapering for the point/broadheads, and a another one for the nock end.....

[KCSO]

Recurves and long bow from 1960 to 1993, then I had to drop out for a while. Now I shoot a 45# long bow and maybe someday I can work back up to my hand made 55# long bow. I too shoot a 32" arrow and I have mine custom made. I sure don't use hardwood dowells as you can't properly gauge them for arrow making. When I made my own arrows I ordered good cedar shafts. My arrow making friend took two 4x5's last year with his home made bow and arrows and this year he is hunting with hand chipped flint arrows. By next year he will be using a spear with a fire hardened head?

[357maximum]

I sure don't use hardwood dowells as you can't properly gauge them for arrow making. ?

with a spine tester and a scale one can make arrows as good or SUPERIOR to any shaft material, you just have to be willing to sort a bit, and for the price, one can afford that, especially when you work with the owner of the shop and can return the undesirables......

[waksupi]

We're lucky to have a very good traditional supply shop here. You can buy arrows that have been matched in weight and spine, for around $20 / dozen. Ask around, there may be someone in your neighborhood.

[hpdrifter]

You might need to throw a considerable amount of money and/or barter gunsmith work, cause builking a TD Recurve is pretty time consuming.

I've built longbows and TD's. The bows themselves can be glued up in a couple of hours, not counting curing time. The mold is what takes time. The handle/riser don't take tooooo much time, just getting those fadeouts just right takes a little while tho. And working with that nasty fiberglass is worth quite a bit.

What fun tho!

Enjoy.

[mparks]

Yep, $75 will by the kit for the limbs but for a take down you've also got to deal with mounting hardware. If you're buddy already has the forms and hot box to cure the limbs than that will save some cash. The easiest place to go through is http://www.binghamprojects.net.

Here is a page I put together from the first recurve I built. I think I had $250 in materials from Binghams for that first one. Probably can build one for $125-150 now that I've already got the forms and hot box:

http://msu.edu/~parksmi1/recurve.html

For traditional shoots, I've been to Compton's, the GLLI, and The Michigan Bow Hunters. My favorite by far is the MTB Rendevous the last week or so of June at Hanson Hills in Grayling. They have some really cool air brushed cardboard targets that is just something a little different from a normal 3D.

[Bigjohn]

I have a large lanky buddy that has the same issues as you seem to, he ended up shooting cut off fiberglass shafts from them reflective driveway marker sights, and then went to ramin(sp) wood shafts made from dowels available in 3foot lengths from the hardware/craft stores, they make a truly tough arrow if you pick/sort the grain of the wood, and the price for the dowels is right nice. I liked them so much I made a 5/16th in set for my skinny limbed recurve, in a short measly 26 inch draw length... I think that if you are willing to sort and shoose and watch the grain as he does your looong arra issue may have a solution. He made a jig for his radial arm saw with a sander blade attached to do his tapering for the point/broadheads, and a another one for the nock end.....

I have even thought of ripping square shaft length from a good timber and then working them to rounds. However, to get suitable timber supplies to sort through is a 300 mile oneway trip. No-one carries much other than 'Pinus Radiata' here and having worked in the industry some years back; it's all about quanity output, not quality.

I keep lookin' for a good supply and take the time to check the Timber Suppliers in Adelaide when I'm there.

I have thought about the fibreglass stakes they use for movable electric fences; get the wire brackets off without damage and trim to length required.

John.

[dk17hmr]

Yep Mike has all the jigs and boxes made to make a bow, plus he said a bunch of his students are going to be making them and he was going to use mine as an example to help them out.

I have been looking at lumber on ebay for the riser, found some rosewood but cost of shipping would kill me for the 20" he needs to work with. Going to look around and see if I can find a local saw mill that might have some interesting wood.

[357maximum]

DK

Where you at exactly?

Johnsons workbench in Charlotte would more than likely have more than you can imagine....

I have some osage, what size do you need? It is 8 or 9 yr. airdried....

Michael

[dk17hmr]

Owosso 4 days a week, Standish the rest of the week. If I cant get rosewood in time I will have him use the Cherry that has been air dryin in the shop for the last 5 years. But I am going to do some checkin tomorrow to see if I can get some rough sawn reasonable priced around here.

[357maximum]

Johnsons Workbench in Charlotte will more than likely have the rosewood you seek, "reasonable" may be another issue $$ altogether though....they have a well stocked wood room..

I know a fella locally that owns and operates a small porta band side bussiness, I could check and see what he has...

[woodman51jfk]

.........somebody say boolit...or lead.......sumthin so this thread doesn't get closed......if you can find a source for Bodark, aka Osage Orange its strength and flexibility properties are ideal for bows, and when naturally aged assumes a rich warm honey/orange color.......no preservatives needed, naturally resistant to mold, rot, mildew, bugs, etc.
Like others here, my height and length of pull necessitate a longer bow and arrow length, my longbow & recurve both reach max at 32 -34 inch pull, and the bodark takes that on a regular basis.

[357maximum]

.........somebody say boolit...or lead.......sumthin so this thread doesn't get closed.......

Does not happen here very often, it is still a projectile project is it not? bows/cats/boolits/sheep/brass/deer it's all permissable I thinks.........this site is not run by nazis with control issues like other sites, wandering into balls covered with lanolin will not even make people flinch. As long as it is healthy somewhat related, and no one is being mean or making trouble, what does it hurt?

[mparks]

The riser has a lot to do with the looks of the finished bow IMO. A real nice effect is to lamiate several pieces together. I like the looks of 1/8" contrast woods or phenolic. All of this stuff is available from Binghams as well as some of the more exotic hardwoods. It's real common to see bocote and bubinga in riser woods. I used bubinga in the link I posted. I was real happy with the results.

I built one for my uncle and he laminated two pieces of walnut together and that was nice too since it was from trees in his yard.

The inlays and things sound real cool. There is a lot of wood to work with in a recurve riser so you should have no problems there.