[robert]

I just bought this longbow.

http://www.traditionalarcherysales.com/root/e107_plugins/easyshop/easyshop.php?prod.809

I have transitioned from compounds, to Martin recurves, to my Black Widow recurves, and now to this Hill. I have NEVER shot a longbow. The bow will be here on Friday next week. I'm almost good enough to hunt with my Widow. Almost but not quite.

Anybody wanna tell me what to do with my soon to be mine H.H. Big 5? Thank you.

 

[Jim Picarelli]

I looked at that bow a few weeks ago at the Balt. shoot. Beautiful bow. Being that it's cut pretty far from center, you'll need a softer spine. If you do get 72# at your draw, think 70-75# spine. I've had pretty good success shooting arrows spined at the bow weights on my Hill's. Play around with your grip...if it's shockey, you need to adjust the way you're holding the bow. Brace hgt. should be around 6.5"-6.75" on a 70"

 

[robert]

Thanks Jim. I feel better hearing that you've seen the bow. I got my BW from Mr. Busbee, and now I'm getting this H.H. from him too. He's a pleasure on the phone and seems like all round great guy. Love his website. Excited to learn to shoot this big boy H.H. Hoping I won't launch one into the next county.

 

[Jim Picarelli]

Just spend a couple weeks or so shooting only that bow and you'll figure out what you need to do. My Big 5 is my favorite Hill out of the 11 ASL's I have

 

[longbowguy]

Welcome to our merry band.

While you wait you could get a selection of heavy field points to fit your arrows, and some blunts and Judo points. Heavy Hills shoot sweetest with heavy heads. When it arrives grip it with your last two fingers as Howard did, or maybe your middle two, and relax your thumb and forefinger. One of those should balance the pressure of the bow in line with the upper bone in your forearm.

Cant the bow and tilt your head to match. Adjust the angles until you shoot roughly down the target line. Then I suggest you take your bow roving in forest and field. Shoot stumps, pine cones, weeds, gopher holes. One or two shots at a time then move on. No aiming, just yearn to hit plumb center. Bond with your bow. Feel how it wants to work.

After a few days of that you could try the target range. Maybe walk backs from 15 to 25 yards.

Kindly let us know how it goes. - lbg

 

[John in NZ]

I would hang my other bows up for quite some time.
Develop some form an shoot the heck out of it.
Stumping with lots of impossible long shots to make the close ones easy.
Do some trick shooting at swinging tennis balls an such.
Find some small game.

Congratulations.
It sounds such fun I wish I was there.
John.

 

[robert]

You guys are getting me pumped. However don't expect too much from me. My eyes are whacked out. Each lens in my glasses are blended for each eye.

Even when I was shooting my compound I never took a long shot...b/c I can't make a long shot. I can't shoot 3 pointers in basketball. I can't throw a fast ball or even get it near the batter. My bowhunting success has always been in reading deer sign, and then setting up the appropriate ambush from a tree stand.

Of course I can make a 25 yard shot, but I prefer 10-15 yard shots. I have waited many many times for animals at 20 to come closer, only to have them leave all together. I also am prone to lose arrows.

I am going to do as you all say and hang my recurves away and work w this H.H. Of course I'm going to be letting you all know how it's going b/c I'm still going to need help.

I've always shot heavy arrows and 125G Muzzy's. Do you all think I'll need heavier than 125G? Thanks.

 

[ChadMR82]

Sounds like your getting a great bow. I miss my D shaped longbow and plan to get another in the future. Dont forget to post pics.

 

[Cyrille]

Just spend a couple weeks or so shooting only that bow and you'll figure out what you need to do. My Big 5 is my favorite Hill out of the 11 ASL's I have

It could be that I am mistaken... But I took the above advice literally and shot my HH LB
exclusively for 336 hours. Of course it took me much longer than two weeks to accomplish that but in the end it paid off handsomely.

 

[Sirius Black]

I've shot compounds, then recurves for a while (still own 2), now have a Byron Ferguson Safari longbow, and I'm really liking it. I think you'll like your bow! Good shooting!