Toxo, I don't own one, but I have shot several 3-d shoots with a gentleman who shoots one. He shoots it very well and seems to like it. I have shot it a little and it just feels different than my 21st century. Not bad, just different. A little bit of handshock, but it still was a blast to shoot a bow designed by Howard Hill. Take care.
Howard Hill bows
Who has one and how do you like it? Is it worth the money.
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My first bow when I returned to archery after a long absence, was a HH Big Five. The hand shock was so bad I had tendenitis after one day. Other people say there either isn't any or it doesn't bother them. Many folks in the traditional community swear by HH bows.
Your best bet is to shoot one first and find out if you are succeptable to the hand shock or not. If you are you could save a bit of money and a lot of pain. If not, more power to you.
Dave
Your best bet is to shoot one first and find out if you are succeptable to the hand shock or not. If you are you could save a bit of money and a lot of pain. If not, more power to you.
Dave
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You know another one to give a try is the PL series from black widow. They have a try before you buy program too which is far too great to imagine for us lefty archers. We so seldom get to try anything first and I have heard nothing but good things about the widow long bows. I have shot their recurves and it is hard to say it but they seem worth it. They are dang good quality bows. They cost too much but doesn't most stuff these days. I think all the widow would cost you to try it is shipping and that ain't much when considering buying a big ticket item.
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I have a couple of HH longbows and really like them. The "American" style longbow generally has just a little relfex and shoots with a bit of handshock, although a FF type string generally takes care of most of it. I prefer this style to the newer reflex/deflex style hybrid bows. I don't mean to start any arguments but the hybrid bows are similar to older recurve bows and I have a difficult time calling them longbows, but to each his own. The Howard Hill bows are a good value, in my humble opinion. The last one I purchased, maybe 3 years ago?, is a 68" Wesley Special, which is one of their most expensive models. It has a core of three bamboo lams and edge cut bocote outer lams under clear glass, ebony handle and overlays, and some sort of fancy leather. It was $514 delivered to my doors and took about 3 weeks from start to finish. I asked and got the contoured grip and asked that it and the center cut be cut as deeply as safely possible. It shoots super and I'm quite happy with it. I also have a Dick Robertson (the original maker of the hybrids) relfex/deflex and a Norm Johnson/Blacktail r/d bow but prefer the length and smoothness of the HH. A lot of this is personal opinion and you really have to decide what shoots for you.
Look at the Archery traditions long hunter. I've shot the heck out of mine for almost 20 years with no problems and I love it. No shock and very quiet.
(706) 543-1893 in Athens Georgia. They had a web site www.archerytraditions.com but its not working. SInce I bought this bow I haven't even shot any of my other ones they just don't compare.
(706) 543-1893 in Athens Georgia. They had a web site www.archerytraditions.com but its not working. SInce I bought this bow I haven't even shot any of my other ones they just don't compare.
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toxo -
I have three, #73 Tembo, from 1975, #60 Big Five from 1979 and a #50 Redman from this year. The Tembo is the sweetest, least handshock, smoothest and fastest. The Big Five is my least favorite. The extra lams, really don't seem to help much, in my experience.
Straight limb "D" or Hill style longbows will have handshock, how much depends a lot on how well you set it up, and how well you know how to shoot it. A relaxed. lose grip, eliminates a lot, as does the right brace height and right arrows; honestly after a few ends, I really don't notice it. A friend of mine shot the Redman, and said the handshock rattled his fillings, he also threw a 2" group with about six arrows. The bows are pointers.
Best advise, is to try before you buy, some folks love 'em, some don't think they're worth it. R/D "longbows" will shoot very much like recurves, but I have enough recurves, thank you very much. Craig Ekin (HH Arcjhery) is a pretty good guy, you cajn always give him a call, as well.
Utimately, it's your call.
Viper1 out.
I have three, #73 Tembo, from 1975, #60 Big Five from 1979 and a #50 Redman from this year. The Tembo is the sweetest, least handshock, smoothest and fastest. The Big Five is my least favorite. The extra lams, really don't seem to help much, in my experience.
Straight limb "D" or Hill style longbows will have handshock, how much depends a lot on how well you set it up, and how well you know how to shoot it. A relaxed. lose grip, eliminates a lot, as does the right brace height and right arrows; honestly after a few ends, I really don't notice it. A friend of mine shot the Redman, and said the handshock rattled his fillings, he also threw a 2" group with about six arrows. The bows are pointers.
Best advise, is to try before you buy, some folks love 'em, some don't think they're worth it. R/D "longbows" will shoot very much like recurves, but I have enough recurves, thank you very much. Craig Ekin (HH Arcjhery) is a pretty good guy, you cajn always give him a call, as well.
Utimately, it's your call.
Viper1 out.
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Anyone get the notion that if it doesn't look like a strung broom handle there are those who turn their nose in the air? Give me a break. That is just the sort of thing that brings the sport of archery down. The whole my Ford is better than your Chevy thing. Of course it is then softened by to each his own. Yeah well go pluck an eagle for some fletches and chip some rocks for broadheads. 
They are like any other brand--some like them, some don't. I think some people get caught up in the romance of Howard Hill and think that style is the only "traditional" bow there is. According to Dan Quillian, there are cave drawings of deflex/reflex designs that are, I believe, over 2,000 years old. That would certainly make the deflex/reflex bow "traditional", woud it not? The Mongols used recurves--I'm not sure off the top of my head when that was, but they certainly pre-dated Howard Hill, and I believe the English longbow also.
My personal thoughts on Hill and Hill style bows--I don't like them. They hurt my elbow, the grips don't fit the way I like, and the ones I have shot are comparatively poor performers. Obviously they can be shot accurately, and they will do the job, as Howard Hill and many others have proven, but they are not the bow for me. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Howard, I just don't care for the same bow design that he liked.
Biggame, your experience is almost right the opposite of mine considering the BW longbow. I've talked to a lot more people that didn't care for it vs. the ones that liked it. I haven't shot the new one yet, but I did not like the old ones at all. Good speed, fairly smooth draw, but the handshock was unacceptable. This has been basically the same review I've heard from many others, including one top ranked IBO longbow shooter that shot some of them at the factory. The few that I've talked to that did like them didn't match the reviews given them in the BW catalog. Obviously some folks to like them, and I agree 100% to take advantage of the "try before you buy" program before getting one. In my opinion there are bows that shoot just as well and better for much less money. That's just my opinion though.
Chad
My personal thoughts on Hill and Hill style bows--I don't like them. They hurt my elbow, the grips don't fit the way I like, and the ones I have shot are comparatively poor performers. Obviously they can be shot accurately, and they will do the job, as Howard Hill and many others have proven, but they are not the bow for me. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Howard, I just don't care for the same bow design that he liked.
Biggame, your experience is almost right the opposite of mine considering the BW longbow. I've talked to a lot more people that didn't care for it vs. the ones that liked it. I haven't shot the new one yet, but I did not like the old ones at all. Good speed, fairly smooth draw, but the handshock was unacceptable. This has been basically the same review I've heard from many others, including one top ranked IBO longbow shooter that shot some of them at the factory. The few that I've talked to that did like them didn't match the reviews given them in the BW catalog. Obviously some folks to like them, and I agree 100% to take advantage of the "try before you buy" program before getting one. In my opinion there are bows that shoot just as well and better for much less money. That's just my opinion though.
Chad
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3,008 Posts
Jim, I didn't intend to insult you or your bow and I hardly meant to bring the sport "down." I'm not sure why you would interpret my note as such. I was just politely stating my opinion. I started shooting longbows long before the reflex/deflex bows were available and maybe I'm just partial to them. I purchased one of the first hybrids that were, arguably, orginally made by Dick Robertson. The relatively heavy riser and r/d limb design are very similar to some old Bear recurves I have with the r/d "longbows" being much shorter. I have no problem with short r/d bows, they just don't fit the longbow moniker, at least to me. As I recall, they were originally called flat bows but maybe that was just the local group. I've made a number of laminated r/d bows but not for several years. I still have the form I made from plywood after shooting Dick's bow. I have no problems with r/d bows, longbows, selfbows, recurves or, gasp, even compounds. I own and shoot them all.
The original post was concerning HH longbows and, as I posted earlier, I, for one, like them and think they are a good value. There are an incredible number of lonbows available these days and it can be very difficult to choose just one. I recommend doing what I did and buy them all, LOL. I'm not aware of a bad one out there.
Have good New Year!
Russ
The original post was concerning HH longbows and, as I posted earlier, I, for one, like them and think they are a good value. There are an incredible number of lonbows available these days and it can be very difficult to choose just one. I recommend doing what I did and buy them all, LOL. I'm not aware of a bad one out there.
Have good New Year!
Russ
"I recommend doing what I did and buy them all..."
ROFL...I think I tried that too AK! Hehe. I've settled down a bit now & wound up right back where I started w/a BW for my recurve! My 'go-to' "longbow" is an Adcock . It's been a wonderful journey though & I wouldn't change a thing!
They used to call the highly R/D bows "semi-recurves" way back yonder didn't they?
VicW.
ROFL...I think I tried that too AK! Hehe. I've settled down a bit now & wound up right back where I started w/a BW for my recurve!
My 'go-to' "longbow" is an Adcock . It's been a wonderful journey though & I wouldn't change a thing! They used to call the highly R/D bows "semi-recurves" way back yonder didn't they?
VicW.
Yes they did and that is what they are to me. Not many agree but that's OK. Not many people I've run into think I'm a "traditional" shooter because I like the metal riser, take down recurves. They're not "traditional" you know.
I go back to the late 1950s for my start in archery. A 58-62" semi-recurve wasn't called a "longbow" back then, but then I'm not traditional enough to know it would seem.
I don't think Russ said anything to bring the sport down. For crying out loud, all he did was express an opinion. The original poster asked about HH longbows and someone recommends a R/D Blackwidow. Maybe I should recommend a Hoyt Aerotech. That'll fix 'em (smiley face goes here).
Dave
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6,135 Posts
Don't get me wrong I wasn't trying to get him to shy away from the old broom handle I was just letting him know of one manufacturer that would let him have a trial bow to shoot. Can't beat that with a club or a broom handle I just hear a lot of guys say the newer offerings are cardboard bows and such as that way too much. Our sport of archery includes a lot of stuff and as someone mentioned the widow style bows may have been around a long time. I am not a historian so I don't know. We may have to accept even newer things take a look at the recurve hunter Hoyt made this year using their tec riser man that thing looks space age or martian I have not decided and word is PSE may be putting out a new offering next year using the xfactor riser and limb system they use in olympic bows in a shorter style set up for hunters. That would promise to be quite a slayer. I know I couldn't shoot a broom handle and a friend of mine shoots one as well as I shoot my recurve or better depending on the day. There just seems to always be a little well that ain't exactly a long bow or that just ain't quite a recurve mentioned often in the newer stuff that comes out and to me if it don't have wheels it is pretty traditional. Sorry if I ruffled so many feathers but as I said we got to stick together more. I don't care which type of bow he chooses. He can choose a Mathews switchback if that is his liking but if he is looking long bow I think the try it widow program will at least give him something to pull back the string on a few times without dropping a load of cash.
I just hear a lot of guys say the newer offerings are cardboard bows and such as that way too much. Our sport of archery includes a lot of stuff and as someone mentioned the widow style bows may have been around a long time. I am not a historian so I don't know. We may have to accept even newer things take a look at the recurve hunter Hoyt made this year using their tec riser man that thing looks space age or martian I have not decided and word is PSE may be putting out a new offering next year using the xfactor riser and limb system they use in olympic bows in a shorter style set up for hunters. That would promise to be quite a slayer. I know I couldn't shoot a broom handle and a friend of mine shoots one as well as I shoot my recurve or better depending on the day. There just seems to always be a little well that ain't exactly a long bow or that just ain't quite a recurve mentioned often in the newer stuff that comes out and to me if it don't have wheels it is pretty traditional. Sorry if I ruffled so many feathers but as I said we got to stick together more. I don't care which type of bow he chooses. He can choose a Mathews switchback if that is his liking but if he is looking long bow I think the try it widow program will at least give him something to pull back the string on a few times without dropping a load of cash.
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I love Howard Hill Bows. I have owned two Big Fives that I recently sold only because I had to come down in bow weight.
I just bought a HH Cheetah which is juniper and bamboo. I ordered straight grip because that is what I like. It is a sweet shooter and shoots where you point it.
I also have a Jerry Hill longbow and people will tell you it will rattle your fillings loose. I feel very little handshock with it and I enjoy shooting it.
I also don't care what kind of bow you shoot. I don't care if you are one of those that has to have every new custom double reflexed,recurve handled longbow or if you are closer to a dinosaur like me and like the older style longbow. It is all bow shooting and it is supposed to be fun.
Just shoot what turns you on. Always try before you buy if at all possible. One man's pleasure is anothers poision. Good Luck!
I just bought a HH Cheetah which is juniper and bamboo. I ordered straight grip because that is what I like. It is a sweet shooter and shoots where you point it.
I also have a Jerry Hill longbow and people will tell you it will rattle your fillings loose. I feel very little handshock with it and I enjoy shooting it.
I also don't care what kind of bow you shoot. I don't care if you are one of those that has to have every new custom double reflexed,recurve handled longbow or if you are closer to a dinosaur like me and like the older style longbow. It is all bow shooting and it is supposed to be fun.
Just shoot what turns you on. Always try before you buy if at all possible. One man's pleasure is anothers poision. Good Luck!
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908 Posts
I love 'em. As made by Craig Ekin and family, at howardhillarchery.com they are wonderfully made of beautiful materials. The short riser and bamboo limbs make them wonderfully light in the hand with medium and heavy arrows and long limbs, high performing. I use a light grip and with the low mass of the bow you will feel some recoil or a gentle 'thump', nothing I'd call shock, and when properly tuned a lovely low humm, like fine musical string instrument. Earlier bows from less skilled bowyers have been known to nearly tear a fellow's arm off, in the heavier draw weights. An Ekin-built bow, long and light, won't hurt you or your wallet. I too shoot around 50 lbs, 70 inches long.
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