Making a bow

Had some time to kill yesterday afternoon (not really, just put the reloading, home improvements, etc. on hold!) and started working on a wood bow. Had a 1x2x72 piece of straight grained red oak laying around, and found a guide on the 'net. Seems like pretty straighforward woodworking, and I can do that. Anyway, got it formed up yesterday, made a tillering stick, and I would guess it is about 3/4 finished. Still need to refine the limbs, but I never would have imagined there was that much flex in that oak board!

Thats pretty cool Trigger. Theres still a few traditional bowhunters left in the world that make their own bows and make arrows. Its a total art in itself but think of the satisfaction if you could drop a nice buck with a bow and arrow that you made with your hands. Dont forget the coon skin hat while your at it.

Gary

[QUOTE=Triggerguard]

Dont forget the coon skin hat while your at it.

No, the coonskin hat is for hunting with my fusil or mountain rifle. For the bow, I was thinking one of those green Robin Hood hats with the goose feather. Of course, then I'll just HAVE to have the matching purse and shoes...

Bear, plans and description are at:http://www.freewebs.com/traditionalbows/makingyourownbow.htm

Gary

You may want to back it with rawhide or sinew, to keep it from following the string too much. It will also strengthen them some. I used to make custom lamiated longbows, and still make some self bows, and sinew backed Plains bows. For a self bow, the Sudbury design has always been a favorite.

 here is a link to some bows I made and hunt with

http://community.webshots.com/album/49405103EYjKHu

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/74046793IBOdJc

Edited by ratsnest

 Bear  Im a 95% bow only hunter. I've killed both deer and bear with my bows.  but I'm not very good at spot and stalk,I hunted with my bow until the weather got bad Wind & rain wet feathers and not seeing many Moose.  throw in the fact that I had a steel plate put in my ankle in may and not fully recovered  so I switched to a rifle that my son (who was hunting also) gave me for Christmas 2 years ago and killed my 1st. Moose on the next to last day of the hunt.