String tuning
"A straight -end longbow that follows the string slightly, with good cast, carries a heavy string,..." wait, what? Those words from Hill in his Hunting the Hard Way book get overlooked by most archers who have read it. "Carries a heavy string". Now what's that supposed to mean? Back in the days when Hill wrote that, target archery was going strong and archers were using lighter and lighter equipment from bows to arrows. The bowstrings were just as fine and light, to better help the light bow limbs cast the light arrow with minimal jarring. But Hill was writing about hunting with the bow and in our efforts to follow his teachings, we must always remember to decide between hunting method and target shooting method. It's a constant self-check. The linen strings of his day weren't as strong as the string was materials we have now. Then Dacron was developed and most bowstrings were made of it, but they were still made as lightweight as only nec
