Booked for Water Buff

Dsturgisjr · January 27, 2005, 09:26:00 AM

Ryan, will do.

Are you shooting your buff bow bare fingered? I don't know how you guys do that.

Ryan Rothhaar · January 27, 2005, 01:31:00 PM

Denny

Yup, bare fingered...you just need to grin and bear it! After about 15 years you dont feel it anymore..

Stykbowslim · January 27, 2005, 02:48:00 PM

Ryan, sent you a PM.

...bare fingers... damn, that hurts.

Extremist · January 29, 2005, 04:28:00 AM

I shoot bare fingers when I shoot trad, always have. I started to develop a hard callus under my first finger and on top my middle finger, further preventing any damage and pain. I was told this is bad, since I shoot some heavy weight, and am thinking I should get a nice glove, that would almost be like using a release.

Thunderbow · January 29, 2005, 10:53:00 PM

No it isn't a release aid! LOL! But I too like to shoot 20-30 arrows a day without a glove. After the initial blistering, it is good to know that you're capable of shooting bare fingers when necessary. A cordovan glove is the obvious choice for heavy bows.

Extremist · January 30, 2005, 01:26:00 AM

I just figured I would add this (for $hit's and giggles). My father is a Martial Arts instructor, among other things, and "Old School" at that. He's been teaching since he was 19 and he's now 53. The one thing that everyone notices about him when they first meet him, before he even speaks, is his hands. He has abused them over the years, beating on things I wouldn't bother to hit with a hammer, and his hands reflect every strike. He calls them "conditioned" and "prepared", but to me they look more like a foot. He says the human body is like clay and if you show it how to be tough, it will be tough; you can mold it into a weapon if need be. I can't say this is what I would like to do with my fingers, but I can see his point. The English archers of yesteryear would shoot so many arrow each day, and for so many years, that archeologists can now identify their bodies by the contortion/curvature in their spine. Robin Hood(s) aren't born, they are made, and it takes that type of dedication and devotion to achieve that level of skill. If a little pain in my fingers is what it takes to get there, then so be it. It just seems to be the natural and traditional way to go. Besides, you can feel the string a little better and that gives you a little edge. Just some thoughts from some guy, who's a little on the Extreme side anyways...

Al Kidner · January 30, 2005, 01:54:00 AM

When I was on the "Dark Side" I shot Oneida bows without a glove. When I seen the light and moved to traditional gear I went to useing a Howard Hill style glove. But of late I been a thinking ( and that gets me into all sorts of trouble at times) I might just go back to bare fingers..........

As always, Al in Oz.

Rick McGowan · January 30, 2005, 10:27:00 PM

I've been shooting bows for so many years now that I have a permanent lump on the top of my middle finger, its not even a callus anymore.

Dsturgisjr · January 30, 2005, 11:28:00 PM

Rick, Don't tell me you shoot bare-fingered too! Pain is fine, but loosing the feeling in your fingers? You guys are nuts!

I want to be able to feel my wife if you know what I mean.

Ryan, Shot through my chrono today. Broadhead arrow weighed 1060. Talked to Ken Beck; he said my bow probably weighed 79 - 80# at 27". Average speed with fingers (and yes, a tab) was 152. I can draw longer, but seems to pull me out of line and accuracy suffers. I'm sure it would shoot a little better through the machine, but who knows how good my chrono is. Bottom line is the bow shoots great, arrows fly awesome and if I do my part I can really hit good with this set up.

Rick, Can't wait to get together over there. I'm way too excited for this stage of the game. Let me know when you get home. Denny

Ryan Rothhaar · January 31, 2005, 07:30:00 AM

Denny, that is about what I figured you'd get through the chrono, sounds like plenty!

About the bare fingers shooting....we DO cheat a little on that-we use 2 nocking points and nock between them then triple serve the string for a couple inches above, and about 3 inches below the nocking points to beef up the string some. I used to use a Black Widow tab, but Jim Emerson's black lab ate it when I was 12 and I never got another one. Plenty of feeling left in the fingers, but I get a callous on my ring finger that I could probably put a match out on without feeling it!

I was fooling around shooting some fresh steer leg-bone assemblies I got from the butcher yesterday. I was really impressed with what a 1000 grain arrow going 162 FPS will do to bone! I can also tell you I've figured out a way to bend a Grizzly 160gr broadhead into a "U" on bone, too LOL. I think I was really doing a "test to fail" situation with that leg bone, though. One thing that was interesting, even when shot pretty much straight on into the bones that were 2.5 inches in diameter, the arrow would take off a chunk, and glance around the bone, still giving good penetration into the bale behind albeit at a bit of an angle. I can see where a 2-blade is a real advantage in that type of situation to be able to glance around the bone rather than get stuck in.

later, guys

Ryan

Stykbowslim · January 31, 2005, 08:25:00 AM

I'll have to agree with Denny on the bare-finger issue. Hell, after years of shooting my fingers are rough now, and I use a tab...

Info....

Anyway, talking about heavy arrows... a couple of months ago, I was playing around with adding weight to an Axis 300 shaft. I inserted a piece of coated wire rope (from a dog cable), into the shaft and with a 260gr. Grizzly (a 160, plus 100gr. steel adapter), on the business end, I believe the total arrow weight was up around 1100 grains @ 29.5 inches.

Rick McGowan · January 31, 2005, 11:25:00 AM

Denny, no I do use a tab with the 85# bow. All of those things that people use to warn me that I would be sorry about when I got older are coming true.
It sounds like your bow is going to work fine, Monty's bow was shooting at 142fps.

donb · January 31, 2005, 07:31:00 PM

Sounds like you guys are as into the preparation as much as the hunt itself. I'm the same! I'm enjoying these posts because I can feeel the anticipation. Best of luck to you guys. I'm sure you're gonna have the time of your lives! I'm going to Africa this summer the first time. Maybe Australia will be in my future. Ya'll have any baggage tips?

Rick McGowan · January 31, 2005, 11:59:00 PM

Pack light Don, pack light. Almost everyone takes to much stuff. They do laundry every day.

donb · February 01, 2005, 12:13:00 PM

So, just one pair of skivies with the brown racing stripe or two?

Ryan Rothhaar · February 02, 2005, 06:41:00 AM

3 pair--one for the trip over, one for the hunt, one for the trip back. Hey Rick...what does "doing laundry" mean? LOL

Ryan

arrowlad · February 02, 2005, 09:04:00 AM

Hey you guys seen the video where the PH shoots the water buffalo twice with his 375H&H ,and the darn thing gets up and charges again....Are you sure 85-95lbs is enough???

Rick McGowan · February 02, 2005, 09:15:00 PM

I let everyone drop their own skivvies in the machine, so I can't comment on the racing stipes.
Arrowlad, we had one bull last year shot 6 times with a .375 and 5 times with a .416 mag. and he was trying to get up and at the hunters until the last shot and that isn't unusual. The outfitter where I go, told me that as a last resort when the gun is empty to throw the gun at the far side of the buffs head and then duck under the horn on the other side and he wasn't joking.

Ben Maher · February 08, 2005, 06:16:00 AM

Just a quicky on the Hills..i shoot bows that i like. I'll practice more with them and have more fun in the process, the reason i shoot in the first place. The last pig i shot was at 6 metres and got complete penetration and then some...my hill performed as all the bows mentioned probably will..within their respective intended design parametres.I'm envious of the O.L and Widow Owners and at the same time happy that my trail is walked the way i want it to be walked.get close...heavy SHARP strong broadhead..the rest will take care of itself. still eventually i know i'll cave and get me a widow...i can feel the green eyes of jealosy beaming out from my hills as they sit on the rack just staring..........

Thunderbow · February 08, 2005, 06:38:00 AM

"..at the same time happy that my trail is walked the way i want it to be walked."

That's good! If you're happy with your Hills, shoot your Hills. Ain't nothin wrong with that. I'll save my envy for you. I don't own a Hill longbow. Much rather own a Hill than BW or Adcock..MHO