Tradlab provides fact based bow reviews with no bias from sponsors. I also leverage the industrial sciences to identify best practices in tuning, arrow set up and shooting. The goal is to continuously improve the sport of Traditional Archery.
I usually enjoy writing trash 🗑️ and lies about Cody Greenwood but I can’t in this case because now I know who he is and this post is outstanding and the knowledge being shared is fantastic! Thank Cody ! I will just have to start trashing the guy from Gunshy Archery or Fred Eichler ! This going to be tough ! 🏹🦌🏹🦌🏹🦌
I just bought a das 17 with the Das fitting non ilf. I had a few problems with this brand new riser. Limb butts were one of them. Sanded my Samick r3 limbs butts for clearance. The bottom tiller bolt was too big in diameter to turn in the tiller bolt one turn from factory setting without the bezel hitting the riser, clearance problem. I took an old bezel that I had, ground it on an angle so to have more clearance and was able to turn in 1.5 turns in from factory to bare shaft a 350 spine arrow. My samick R3 limbs are 45 lbs and now I'm guessing I have 48 lbs at 28 inch draw.. any problem with bottom tiller bolt clearance for you hitting the riser?
Hey don’t insult idiots such as myself with your accurate and well thought out reviews of bow with well designed charts that actually express what you are explaining! I happen to be an idiot according to my daughters when I make them behave! 😂 ❤ 🏹🦌🏹🦌🏹🦌😎
I was under the impression that most traditional bowhanna's. Kill deer at 15 yd average 20 at the most.I can't understand the difference.It would make at those distances in speed
It would be awesome if you did a video on how to set a Das bow up. Like where the limb bolts are actually bottomed out at. Is it better to measure brace from grip to string or from string to side plate. There’s a lot of confusing stuff in the manual.
I’ve been hunting with my English since 2007, best longbow I’ve ever shot. I sure wish I could have met Allen in person to tell him the same. RIP…God Bless sir. 🙏
I have owned 70", 68" and a 66" Howard Hill Bamboo core longbows. My draw, after a motorcycle crash is 24", so the 66" is perfect for me. The 66" limbs are significantly more streamlined and a look significantly better to me. The 70" had significantly more hand shock upon release. One would have to use a quite a bit heavier arrow to tame that bow.
Sadly Howard Hill Archery will be shutting down shortly as announced on their web site. Two of my bows are 66" Wesley Specials, but the limb core is cross laminated bamboo, called "Lamboo." Outstanding bows!
I’m looking at snagging a 66” Wesley Special for a good price that’s built for string follow. In your opinion; would the string follow negate enough of the critical-ness of the bow to even out the performance vs forgiveness issue? Also, my other concern is that it’s 66” instead of 68”. I have a 66” ASL already, but it’s reverse handle. I’m worried that the 66” standard handle will stack at my 29” draw.
I had a Hill sentential with a dished grip, that I found put to much d shock in the web of my hand. I much prefer the straight grip. I have been a straight limb bow guy for 30 years. We are always looking for another bow that has superior performance. Thanks 😊 My personal favorite so far was a Jack Harrison Black Wolf.
CODY: HOW DO WE ACCESS ALL THAT TRADLAB TESTING YOU HAD ON YOUR WEBSITE BEFORE YOU WENT TO DOING RU-vid ONLY? That is the most valuable information on trad archery testing that has ever been done, and it really let us know what is out there and how it performed. Is there a way to get all that data from you ?? Jeff. P.S I shoot Centaur Triple Carbon Elite #59@31, and I have 3 Toelke bows: 2 66 inches one at #48 and the other at #53, and the 3rd is a Whistler #52. Thanks.
A HH bow is my dream bow, in 60 or 65 lb at 68in with no shelf. can shoot ether hand no dominant eye and am fully ambidextrous so why get 2 bows one for each hand when one with no shelf lets me shoot it ether hand. hopefully, in the next few months, I'll order one if the truck stops breaking
I asked Bob Wesley to order me a HH bow after taking his class. I have a 70” 55lb Wesley special. Great review. I found, like you, that with a specific grip the hand shock is significantly reduced. For me i don’t even notice it. The speed is not great, but who cares. And I like your term “tightness”. I always just said that it seems to jump up quickly in weight as you pull but then smooths out till you reach anchor. Love the bow. Very nice review.
Love my Westley specials 68" 65@29 and 64" 60@29 In the past I have had these, a 70"tembo 70@29 a 70" King of the North 70@29 and a Centennial 64" 70@29 The simple long bow is nothing more or less than I need. Remember that the closer the game the more certain the outcome, no matter the weapon.
Man, I learned a lot here! I really hate to ask this question for fear of hate mail but where do you think the Bear Montana longbow would fit here? Are there any bows you mentioned that would be similar?
Bear Montana would fit in a fence like any other fence posts... And that is all you need to know. 😂😂😂 Sorry, I don't mean to offend you or anyone, but there are many, many better and more efficient bows for almost half the price out there.
@CampfireKodiak Thank you for your kind answer. The intention of my comment was really just to make you reconsider your decision to buy one or to understand that you are not the only one disappointed if you already have one. The bow is very badly made for a price, and highly inefficient due to bow profile and heavy, broad limbs, especially in the last third of limb length. The bow has a tremendous handschock and is slow. They sell under average bow just for the name of it for a price that would enable you to get a really good bow elsewhere. Best wishes!
HHA advertises their bows have a speed of "115 feet per second plus the weight of the bow." 43 plus 115 is 158, so 166 is very impressive. However, I do wish you to test heavier poundages to see if they have better performance while retaining the smoothness.
With ILF the limb is not supposed to be bottomed out against the tiller bolt. The dovetail hardware bottoms out leaving a gap between the limb fork and the tiller bolt.
The straight limb laminated fiberglass longbow is the easiest to manufacture and maintain. My first one was great. My 3rd one was excellent. Don't fool yourselves, these bows are great, but never worth more than $300, even for the best. The only way one could cost more than $300 is if it was made from unobtainium wood. Even a homeless man has access to adequate supplies to make a good hill style bow.
I've played a little with velocity vs bow length. From what I've seen the bow length difference has to be a little extreme. More like 64 to 58. I had a friend make me a 64", 60", and 56" reflex deflex bows.
My question is does that mass balance point change with high wrist vs low wrist grip style. Then would the weights help tuning these for individual shooting style or grip position.
Thank you so much for your test i personally own a Wesley and legend stick and man they are both great shooting bows!!!!!! Craig at Hill Archery they are a great comp to deal with. Cody please keep up the good work love your test.
Yea, no one seems to say much about short draws. I'm 6'5" but due to a few serious elbow and shoulder injuries I only have a 26" draw. (I probably would have a 31+ draw if I never had injuries, but neither arm can be straightened out, so I have a very short draw!)
What stone setup were you using in the video and what stone(s) would you recommend, I have these blades but I want stones for other uses as well like other broadheads and knives. Thank you