# Howard Hill bows......good shooters?



## benofthehood (May 18, 2011)

I own many Hills . 

They are a joy to shoot if you accept them for what they are ... a straight limb longbow . If you are seeking performance in terms of fps etc , look elswhere . If you are looking for a light weight , easy carrying , durable and uber pointable bow ... look no further , the Hill style bow is your buddy ! And Craig Ekin at Howard Hill is a joy to work with ...

The "Owl" has osage in the lams from memory ? Its a heavy wood to have in such a long limb ... I'd prefer yew, boo or elm .


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## Str8 Shooter (Oct 15, 2005)

Some of your assumptions are accurate. The Hill style bows are not the fastest shooters available. Unlike some of the better R/D longbows out there they are going to have a little bit of thump in the hand, too. How much depends a little on the arrow weight and how well the bow is tillered and timed. Those are the negatives. The positives are that you'll have a bow that is about as durable as a bow is going to be. Hill style bows tend to be extremely quiet. With the right string and arrows most of them just whisper when you shoot. The limbs, while slower than R/D bows, are narrow and thick and extremely resistant to torque, both laterally and vertically. 

The make or break point for most people isn't the shooting characteristics but the interface with the grip. Most people that have difficulty with the Hill bows are having trouble getting a consistent grip or torqueing the handle. The standard Hill grip is straight, narrow and deep. Some have mild locators or a little dishing. Either way, they take a little getting used to. If you go with it don't be afraid to try different hand positions to find a good repeatable grip on the bow. There's a lot of info on how to hold a Hill bow and some of it falls into the category of wives tales and urban myths. 

If you find the grip style fits you'll find the Hill bows to be very stable, easy pointing bows. What they lack in the speed department they make up in smoothness and stability, especially when you are shooting from less than ideal conditions.


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

Hill-style bows are brilliant. They are also an acquired taste and don't suit everyone.

A Hill will indeed be a slower than a recurve of the same weight in most cases (even as a recurve is slower than a compound, which is slower than a bullet ...). But that "faithful following" you mention consists of archers who enjoy the essence and feel of shooting one. 

A primal straight grip fills the hand. The fabled "hand-shock", which is indeed real, is usually absent on a well-built and properly gripped longbow of this type. The low mass of the riser allows you to feel the "whump" of the loose more so than a recurve ... a pleasurable liveliness in the hand when mated with the proper bow length and arrow. Long is good, longer is often even better (up to a point) on this type of bow. Craig Ekin at Howard Hill Archery is an encyclopedia of great experience when matching a bow to your needs. 

I bought my first Hill cold and un-auditioned simply because I wanted to experience the romance of it all. Once I finally figured out I wasn't gripping a recurve and understood how to spine the shafts for it, the love affair began and still rages.

I cannot recommend one to you ... you must come to it of your own accord. Seek this thread http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=098600 on the TradGang Forum and peruse the 949 pages (as of today and counting) of never-ending Hill commentary to learn more about this type of bow and its nature. 

Have fun with your research.


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## LBR (Jan 1, 2004)

For the most part, they seem to be one of those "you really like them, or you really don't" bows. Count me in the latter. I know how to shoot a bow, I know how to tune a bow, and I know how to choose a proper arrow...regardless of all the rest, my elbow won't tolerate shooting most Hill or Hill style bows for any amount of time, and I despise a deep, narrow grip--it's plain uncomfortable for me.

I enjoy the nostalgia that goes with the legend of Howard Hill, but the bows aren't for me--Hill brand or otherwise (I've shot several). That style is whisper quiet and probably the most durable style you can get--but it's also the slowest (if you care about that) and imparts the most hand shock. Those two go hand-in-hand--the slower arrow is due to less energy transferred to the arrow. That energy has to go somewhere, so it resonates down the limb to the grip, resulting in hand shock. 

They are forgiving, and I can shoot them accurately, but my elbow will be too sore to shoot anything the next day--as it will be with any bow with any amount of shock. Feel it or not when shooting, my elbow won't lie to me the next day.

Try it--you may like it. Some folks feel the Hill style is the only "real" longbow (although the deflex/reflex predates Mr. Hill by at least a couple thousand years). Mr. Hill could certainly do some amazing things with his.


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## benofthehood (May 18, 2011)

Agreed Chad, many archers I know , with years of experience shooting all sorts of bows including selfbows find the 'bump' and or 'handshock' intolerable with Hill style bows . Best course of action is to try before you buy ...


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## JimPic (Apr 8, 2003)

I love Hill bows and Hill-style bows. I've owned 3 HH's and currently have 2 Hill-style...a 70" Zebra Grevy, [email protected] and a 64" Zebra War Eagle, [email protected] I mostly shoot ILF recurves but I shoot these 2 longbows every day. With a good string, well-matched arrow and proper grip, the handshock is minimal. You can expect to get about 115fps plus the weight of the bow for speed, so my 58# Zebra(which is 53# 2 my draw) would get around 168-170fps, which isn't too shabby. They're accurate, light, very forgiving...and they look like a longbow should look like


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## ChadMR82 (Sep 22, 2009)

If you are looking for a Hill style bow dont forget about Bamabows. The Bamabow Hunter model is under $400 and is a great shooter. I just got off of Steve Abbotts longbow site and noticed he has several nice Hill style bows in stock. 

I just sold a Bamabow Hunter and am having another one made. There is something cool about the Hill style bows and Im not sure what it is. I find them a pleasure to shoot and tend to shoot right where I am looking. 

Dont forget to post pictures of the one you decide to get


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## dougedwards (Sep 5, 2010)

I read that Howard Hill had two bows that he mostly used for hunting. One a 90# and the other a 70# bow. 

It seems that these bows would be most effective in the higher draw weights since they are not fast at all. That fact might leave me out since I have not been shooting long and 45# is about the maximum that I should be shooting.

I really like the appearance of the Hill bows and hope to own a Hill some day. 

Doug


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## Brianlocal3 (Dec 14, 2011)

Doug,
There have been some great suggestions and comments here. Indeed look thru the Hill thread and be prepared to be amazed at the loyal follow and unbridled love associated with this style of bow.

I myself only shoot American Semi-longbows ( Hill style bows) and wouldn't have it any other way. More specifically after owning or shooting most of the big named makers and alot of small time bowers version I have found none better than JD Berrys.

Also, depending on the bower you do not need to hold steadfast to te heavy arrow rule either. I shoot a 432 grain carbon from my 50# berry Morningstar and vixen with no ill side effects. The same cannot be said for the Howard hill crocodile I just bought though. The HHA Bow is beautiful, and has a fantastic grip and is accurate but kicks like a mule and takes a heavy arrow to tame.

My Morningstar chronos at 184 FPS with a 8.64 GPP arrow. This is a 68" [email protected]" bow, my DL is 26"z. I have sold off all my HHA (except the croc, its going up later) , millers , northern mists etc after shooting the Berry, yes they are still straightlimbed bows but they are a different animal. 

Google the Berrys and I think you will be pleased.


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## dougedwards (Sep 5, 2010)

Brianlocal3 said:


> Doug,
> There have been some great suggestions and comments here. Indeed look thru the Hill thread and be prepared to be amazed at the loyal follow and unbridled love associated with this style of bow.
> 
> I myself only shoot American Semi-longbows ( Hill style bows) and wouldn't have it any other way. More specifically after owning or shooting most of the big named makers and alot of small time bowers version I have found none better than JD Berrys.
> ...


 Have you had the opportunity to shoot any of his shorter longbows? Such as 60-62"?

Doug


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## Brianlocal3 (Dec 14, 2011)

Doug,
I have not shot his shorter bows. I shoot 68" bows, but from what I have read on his shorter r/d bows they are fantastic.


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## ripforce (Feb 15, 2010)

I have a Bama Hill style called a Tribute [email protected] and I will say that after shooting Bama Expi R/Ds it did take some getting used but now I love it, for me it was all in the grip! Once I got the grip down which is way different than my dished locators on my R/Ds I now shoot it great! I have to say though that style may not be for everyone!


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